Atomic CLR Question

grandinq

grandinq

Power User
I just got my Axe Fx in April, and it cleaned out my music equipment funds for awhile. That’s fine, as I am so enjoying learning its possibilities. My original thought was to only use it for recording, that’s why I opted for Axe Fx over the AX8. Of course, the more I play around with it, the more I want to use it in a live setting. So, I am in the planning stage of thinking about an FRFR setup for live.

I’ve read a lot about Atomic CLR and seen videos about it. It seems remarkable, well worth the price. I could see at a small gig I could just set up an Atomic behind me and that would serve as the entire sound source for the guitar for me, the band, and the audience. If anything is larger scale, I would anticipate using both outputs from the Axe, sending one to the CLR and one to FOH.

That’s where my issue comes in. I would think the CLR would provide a better sound than the average FOH speakers. The audience would be hearing FOH, not really the CLR. I would like the guitar sound the audience hears to be the best it can be. I don’t want to fool myself by hearing this amazing sound from the CLR and thinking everything sounds great while the FOH mix isn’t up to par. I know it’s happened in the past when I’ve used a real tube amp. I’m grooving to this wonderful sound behind me, but the sound going to the audience isn’t that sound.

So my question is: is the Atomic CLR almost too good to use? Would it be better to get some other monitor and shape the tone for that, knowing that the audience and myself would be getting the same sound?
 
If it sounds good to you, you will play good. get the best sound you can and you just got to let the sound man deal with the rest. no matter how it sounds to you in your monitor, the front of house will be getting what you send it and if it is a good system set correctly it will sound good, if not it wont.
 
This is what players using 4x12" cabs experience the whole time.
They hear this amazing sound coming from their cab and think that's what the audience is hearing.
When in fact it is the sound of the cab with a mike in front of it with some eq added and coloured bij the sound of the FOH.
When using a CLR, you'll be sure that this is the best your gear will sound. When playing through a quality FOH, it should sound very similar.
 
MisterE said:
This is what players using 4x12" cabs experience the whole time.
They hear this amazing sound coming from their cab and think that's what the audience is hearing.
When in fact it is the sound of the cab with a mike in front of it with some eq added and coloured bij the sound of the FOH.
When using a CLR, you'll be sure that this is the best your gear will sound. When playing through a quality FOH, it should sound very similar.
Click to expand...
This!
It does depend on the soundman and the P.A. also but the CLR is going to get you the best starting point of sound in my opinion. I have mic'd my old rig and compared it to the FRFR and the CLR beat my mic'd rig by a landslide. No matter what club or P.A. I'm playing, I am confident my sound will be the best I can I can get it.
 
Thanks for the replies. I wonder if in the back of my head I was looking for an excuse to buy something cheaper! I will start saving my pennies. In the meantime I don't have anything to use. I have a cheap Harbinger pa speaker but that would never work for the Axe.
 
A good backline speaker won't make FOH any worse. :)

If you can't afford a CLR, get something decent to tide you over until you can. Even a crappy speaker won't make FOH any worse.
 
With any cabs, your on stage sound being better than the FOH sound is perfectly normal I'd have thought? It's already been tailored to sound perfect by yourself before you get to the gig, it's short throw so not much added room ambiance and normally doesn't have the rest of the band through it stealing the guitar tone frequencies.

So I'd say get the cab you think will get the fullest range of sounds you want your ears to hear from a few metres away....... the FOH is another animal and it's up to it's mixing and EQ'ing to get things good for the room
 
With a FRFR setup you eliminate the mike and the position of the mike from the equation.
Two very important factors that can have a huge influence on how you sound through FOH.
 
I've been through three FrFr speakers until i got my CLR. I didn't want to like it, but the hype is real. Its hands down the best i've tried and translates well to every venue i've played thus far. I use it as a monitor in front of me and behind me i use a Matrix Fr212 for some stage feel.
 
Reet said:
I've been through three FrFr speakers until i got my CLR. I didn't want to like it, but the hype is real. Its hands down the best i've tried and translates well to every venue i've played thus far. I use it as a monitor in front of me and behind me i use a Matrix Fr212 for some stage feel.
Click to expand...

This is the sort of thing that makes me think I need to hang in there and wait to get one. They are so expensive and I know they are out of stock currently -- but that can be said about the Axe and I am so glad I hung in there and waited until I could buy it.
 
Now I'm in a further dilemma. I was thinking of selling my Marshall in order to get funds for an FRFR speaker for the Axe. I haven't actually used the Marshall for years. It sits in my house. But there's something about taking that step and selling a nice tube amp that gives me pause. Of course, I plugged into it today to make sure it still works in case I do sell it, and it sounded wonderful. And there's the dilemma. If I sell it and by an FRFR speaker, what if I don't like it? I wouldn't be able to just get my Marshall back. I am also pondering now between the CLR (which is not available to buy right now), the Friedman ASM12, and a Matrix FR10. Ah, such is life!
 
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