I have a Matrix FR12. It sounds good to me. I only play at home though so can't reply about live band situation. I recently loaned it to a buddy who gigs all the time with his Helix and he liked it. I used it in conjunction with a pair of Yamaha HS8 and it really had a nice spread. Master stereo to the HS8's and Git studio to monitor output. Kind of a quasi wet dry setup. The size and weight of the Matrix is perfect.