A monitor for serious live use

I see some people don't think too highly of the Mackie gig monitors. Could someone elaborate why? I use Mackie studio monitors, I love them. Just curious what the difference is.
 
yep we have two alto ts115 monitors...but just one alto can do nothing, it clips and distorts really quickly. They say 800w BUT it's 400rms only 65w HF and rest for lows... two altos have enough volume but even it's light weight it's quite big and roading two of them takes alot space...

The sound is ok..
 
Clark Kent said:
Hey guys (and girls)! Thanks for all the answers. I guess I should've told you guys that currently we have two Alto TS115's at our rehearsal space which are okay but I want one wedge that spreads the sound and is loud like a 4x12 100w Mesa amp. One Alto is not enough and there are times when they start to distort although they're rated 123dB, 800w peak, 400w rms and also... I don't like using two speakers because that means you have to stand in one spot throughout the gig to hear yourself. The CLR sounds perfect on paper but if 400w rms is not enough that makes me worried 500w is not a big difference.

Money is not an issue for me but ofcourse I'd rather take a trip to Spain than spend money on something I don't need. :)
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TOTALLY FREAKIN MISSED THIS

Very Sorry

Im at about the same problem
Id be curious to see what our solution is.
 
I'm looking for a new setup as well but just for portability and weight/size, a few years back I had a couple of Behringer B-312D powered speakers I bought when I got my ultra, they actually sounded pretty good for the 400.00 a pair I paid and they have a 2 band eq on the back. I bought a cheap empty 4x12 cab off craigs and went to town, I divided it, put the HF drivers into 12" round waveguides so they fit into the 12" spaces, mounted the LF drivers down below, and experimented with different amounts of foam inside the cab, no porting, Its loud, it projects just like a 4x12 cab, you feel the air move and you can adjust the eq on the back as well as on the Axe, I have been using this for a good two years (so I think) its been reliable and sounds great, many players at the shows were shocked at what it is, I have used it alone and with FOH direct, I am thinking of building a 2x12 cab with coaxial's or two 1x12 cabs with coaxials now.....powered of course.

Here is the thread when I built it, the damn thing keeps working, sounds great and is LOUD, It even has nice controlled feedback when you want it. I may gut my EV elxp's for my next project. Here is the thread from when I did it, I am not an engineer but I have a gift of a good ear, I have "engineered" quite a few projects and always get compliments on the mix and especially the guitar tones, before the Axe Fx I used a Johnson J-station on some of my commercial recordings and amazed some professional engineers at the tone and how I got it.
http://forum.fractalaudio.com/amps-cabs/47126-building-my-own-frfr-cab-maybe.html

I am tempted to buy the CLR's but the tone I get from my "homemade" setup is awesome and most of the time its for backline or monitor BUT I have played it without. Don't discount some of the cheaper powered speakers like Behringer and Alto, these Behringer speakers and amps have been awesome for me, my much more expensive EV elx112p powered speakers are killer and one of the best speakers I have ever used BUT the Behingers for the price are GREAT.
 
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Okay so I finally have a solution for this problem. I basically tested a few things that were discussed here.

I finally got to try out the CLR. I don't want any negative attention to Atomic since they are such a nice company and their customer service is perfect. It simply wasn't what I was looking for. It might be exactly what you're looking for so please don't make any decision based on this. My let down was a combination of a few things that I can explain if someone wants to hear it. I simply predict this would turn into a classic Clark Kent drama thread if I start talking about it in public.

Then I gave the IEM's another shot and I tried really good ones by Shure. Honestly those sound like having high end headphones on. As far as sound quality goes the Shure SE215 IEM's had better studio quality sound than any speaker I've tried. And the clarity you get with in ears is phenomenal. Everyone can hear everyone so clearly. That's what I'm going to try and use for now.

I got to test out Shure IEM's that really
 
Clark Kent said:
Okay so I finally have a solution for this problem. I basically tested a few things that were discussed here.

I finally got to try out the CLR. I don't want any negative attention to Atomic since they are such a nice company and their customer service is perfect. It simply wasn't what I was looking for. It might be exactly what you're looking for so please don't make any decision based on this. My let down was a combination of a few things that I can explain if someone wants to hear it. I simply predict this would turn into a classic Clark Kent drama thread if I start talking about it in public.

Then I gave the IEM's another shot and I tried really good ones by Shure. Honestly those sound like having high end headphones on. As far as sound quality goes the Shure SE215 IEM's had better studio quality sound than any speaker I've tried. And the clarity you get with in ears is phenomenal. Everyone can hear everyone so clearly. That's what I'm going to try and use for now.

I got to test out Shure IEM's that really
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Would love some elaboration on your thoughts regarding the CLR, if you don't mind! I was going to buy one this week to at least test out, to see what the hype was about and all that.

Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk
 
Yeah, Clark, please elaborate on clr's. I use westone um3 in ears (have tried others also). We can ignore that drama...
 
I'm afraid this will turn into a shit storm so I will try and keep things positive. Remember that Atomic is an amazing company and if you're interested in this product it's really safe for you to try one out and make your own mind up. My experience is just my experience.

I'll start by stating gear that we compared the CLR to. Real amps and cabs: Mesa Boogie Mark IV head and Dual Rectifier Rev G going into 4x12 cabs. PA speakers: Yamaha DXR12, QSC K12 and Alto TS115W. So my short description would be that the CLR is being hyped at least a little bit too much in here. You might question my judgement and if you do I suggest you try one yourself and make up your own mind.

Out of all this gear I would choose the Yamaha DXR12 best suitable for guitars.

CLR positive: 1) Small. Easily fits into a small car. 2) Easy to use. Really straight forward. 3) Wide sweet spot for live use. 4) Nice angle in the wedge so you can place it in front of your MFC and you don't have to step back to hear yourself.

CLR negative: 1) Not loud enough as in didn't compete with our drummer who is not a hard hitter. 2) Sound quality wasn't IMO what people are hyping f.ex: neutral, flat, what goes in comes out, reference quality etc. Actually the Alto performed better in this area but wasn't as loud. 3) It did something strange to the signal. My humbucker metal sounds sounded almost like I was playing a single coil guitar. This was really strange. It was almost like an enhanced clarity thing that didn't work on metal. It reminded me of what I didn't like about the K12 high end but it was even more in my face.

I'm returning the CLR. If I would choose a monitor it would be the Yamaha without a doubt. It makes me feel like using a studio standard NS10 Yamaha speaker that tells the truth and nothing but the truth so help me... but it's easily louder than the CLR.

So I assume I will get some biased hatred for writing what I wrote but that's just my honest experience. Remember that my needs are very specific and that's why I made this thread in the first place. You really need to try it out to know if it works for you or not and that's why I tested it out.
 
I agree every word with CK, I was with him testing the CLR at our rehearsals...

The hype around is just.......hype but you really have try it and compare it to other products...

I had more fun playing with Yamaha, at BAND VOLUME SITUATION...

And also the price 999€ compared to my ALTO TS115a is not worth the price IMO...serioiusly...it didn't sound like 600€ more...

It just sounded weird, it made EBMM sound like single coil guitar...?

right now we decided to go with IEM.....
 
Hi Clark and Irotlas,

Thanks for your feedback. I'm almost certain that there's something wrong with you unit you got. Some of the things you're saying just don't add up. I respect both of your opinions and I'm not trying to discredit what you're reporting. I'll be sure to have the CLR gone over thoroughly to see what's going on here.

Best,

Tom
 
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Just wanted to add that I use the Yamaha DXR 12's and I absolutely love them! They are punchy and freaking super loud. They have a very smooth and sweet high end that is not irritating or unnatural. The only downfall I see is that they are a little heavy at 42 pounds. Otherwise, you all owe it to yourself to try them out! I bought 2 so I also have PA speakers.
 
Let me be the first to say, that is most definitely not my experience with the CLRs. I've been through quite a few others (some great, some... ... ...). The CLRs nail it for me.

In what context were you using the Shure IEMs, CK? (surely not direct!)

I guess I'd like to try the Yamahas though.
 
SE 215s? Really? They beat out everything you're looking for?

At least get something that has Dual or triple Drivers to really get where you're going. SE215s won't cut it on any stage you'll be on if you're drummer hits loud enough to drown out a CLR.

Don't even get me started on how they (or any single driver IEM) affects your guitar tone. Trust me, it's like watching VHS vs. watching in HD.
 
This doesn't really tell me much, but it might be helpful for some people. I definitely don't miss any bass response with the CLRs.

Note: this is the 10" version. And, turn up the volume.



More boominess is definitely not something I want or need. (That's what I can gather from the video.) The first one he did was definitely not a good comparison. It made the CLR sound thin in comparison and the Yamaha really bassy and lacking definition. This one is a little better.

Again, I'd love to try them, but really happy with the CLRs.
 
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