Atomic CLR setup driving me nuts!

REDD

REDD

Fractal Fanatic
I have been struggling to get my sound lately and thought perhaps it was just new updates for the Axe-FxIII. I have a pair of CLRs mkii neos running at practice and I decided to move them to another spot in the room and they sounded terrible, too much buzzy high end. I have an original set of CLRs on the other side for my other guitarist to use so I plugged into them and they sounded really good, tight and punchy. I thought it must be the room so I swapped out the CLRs and put the mkii set over on his side and they sounded muddy and not good so it's not the room so much I figured. I think I need to go another route for speakers. I'm tired of Atomic with repairs and communication plus the inconsistencies. I wish there was an affordable kick ass FRFR that would be the "be all end all", tough, light, match most P.A.'s and end all this nonsense.
 
It's probably not the CLRs. It's sound. Sound always depends on the room, spot etc. Happens with traditional guitar cabs too.

Setting up a CLR is simple. Choose the correct DSP setting (one out of 3), sub off, and make sure the signal doesn't clip (keep enough headroom).

There's an alternative way to use CLRs as a backline on the floor. Do NOT select the BL setting, but choose FF instead. Put the CLR down as a wedge monitor (so not on its side), not in front but behind you, and put stuff under its rear to reduce the angle (but keep it at 10 degrees or more).
 
yek said:
It's probably not the CLRs. It's sound. Sound always depends on the room, spot etc. Happens with traditional guitar cabs too.

Setting up a CLR is simple. Choose the correct DSP setting (one out of 3), sub off, and make sure the signal doesn't clip (keep enough headroom).

There's an alternative way to use CLRs as a backline on the floor. Do NOT select the BL setting, but choose FF instead. Put the CLR down as a wedge monitor (so not on its side), not in front but behind you, and put stuff under its rear to reduce the angle (but keep it at 10 degrees or more).
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I've done similar setups like that and every way I could think of. I've had them for years. There is a big difference in my Mkii and my original model. The mkii sounds mid focused and the original sounds nice and round. Tom said the mkii's have a different firmware on the DSP, I didn't know that was a thing but they sound different.
 
Weird because I also have two of the old / original ones as well as two Neo IIs and don’t hear a clear difference.
 
That sucks man. Frustrating when you're not happy with your sound or something has changed. That's odd that your mkii in the same spot sounded that much different than the original mk CLR's? In the place I lived before it was in a basement with hardwood floors and larger open space. I had them sounding so sweet. In my place now, i have them in the basement as well but its all carpet in here...lower ceiling etc and it really affected the way I was hearing them...so I've made adjustments to compensate and they're sounding good again. Hopefully you can get your situation sorted out...
 
yek said:
Weird because I also have two of the old / original ones as well as two Neo IIs and don’t hear a clear difference.
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Interesting. They sure are different here. Are your mkii's louder than the older ones? Mine are way louder and that's with the exact settings. Thanks Yek
 
yek said:
There's an alternative way to use CLRs as a backline on the floor. Do NOT select the BL setting, but choose FF instead. Put the CLR down as a wedge monitor (so not on its side), not in front but behind you, and put stuff under its rear to reduce the angle (but keep it at 10 degrees or more).
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This is exactly how I use my CLR MkII's and they sound fantastic.
 
I have 3 CLRs, all MKI.

They all sound different.

🤷

Still overall happy with the product and can always get a good "in the room" sound with them individually or as a stereo pair.
 
I have 2 CLRs (both MK1, one wedge and one square), they sound the same.
I don't have a lot of trust in their endurance, as I've had issues as well.
If you are frustrated, maybe try the RCF NX12sma instead. They sound very similar and RCF's are bulletproof.
 
I had and sold a NEO CLR MKII. Never bonded with it. I replaced it with a Xitone 12" active wedge -- much better. However, I'm thinking of selling that one too because I've discovered that for my purposes running the Fractal into a clean amp works best.
 
Not what you’re looking for, but…I tried Mk1 and the Mk2 neos, and I couldn’t get happy with either of them. If I was 40’ away, they sounded fine. But any closer than that they sounded harsh. Tried an EV PXM-12XMP and I’ve been happier since. Closer to what I get out of my Adam monitors at pretty much any distance, and I can store several EQ settings that work with the regular venues I play.

The CLR tweeter may have some stranger dispersion characteristics or something, but I never bonded with them.
 
Yeah sounds like a QC issue - but the confusing part is you say it has buzzy high end and in another position it's muddy... worth checking the tweeter connnection.
 
AlbertA said:
Yeah sounds like a QC issue - but the confusing part is you say it has buzzy high end and in another position it's muddy... worth checking the tweeter connnection.
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Tweeter is working. I'm not great at getting my point across. I wasn't happy with my sound so I moved the speakers to another area to see if it made a difference and they sounded more buzzy and had more high end in the new location. That's when I tried the older set of CLRS across the room and they were good so I moved thr old set and put the Neos set in the exact spot with the same settings as the older set and they were way different and not as good sounding.
 
Man totally depends on where you are at. Some places just sound shitty. I rehearsed in an old warehouse, and took one of my CLR's, had it sitting on a wood pallet (only place that was clear) and it sounded like crap. No low end, really thin. Played in Louisville at Mercury Ballroom, where it's a raised stage, very boomy, so much low end it kept kicking my mission pedal wah pedal on. Played recently outdoors, and i couldn't get it loud enough to save my life. So far they have been void of any issues (knock on wood). I've had same experiences with cabs over the years too.
 
REDD said:
Tweeter is working. I'm not great at getting my point across. I wasn't happy with my sound so I moved the speakers to another area to see if it made a difference and they sounded more buzzy and had more high end in the new location. That's when I tried the older set of CLRS across the room and they were good so I moved thr old set and put the Neos set in the exact spot with the same settings as the older set and they were way different and not as good sounding.
Click to expand...

Please allow us the privilege of reading right past that and inserting our own experiences/assumptions here. ;)
 
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