Atomic CLR = Sonic bliss !!! In depth review

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Thanks RB - I have been pretty happy just using a regular guitar cab, but now I find I am in need of a bass rig. It was your initial review on using CLRs for bass that prompted me to order one. Not sure if just one will cut it though for loud bass. Was your bass shootout done with one or two CLRs??
 
stevorc321 said:
Thanks RB - I have been pretty happy just using a regular guitar cab, but now I find I am in need of a bass rig. It was your initial review on using CLRs for bass that prompted me to order one. Not sure if just one will cut it though for loud bass. Was your bass shootout done with one or two CLRs??
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The bass shootout was done with just one CLR - the volume dial goes from a whisper to a ROAR !
 
anything worth doing is worth overdoing. I just put myself on the wait list for 2 powered wedges, which will pull triple duty as home monitors, pa FOH or stage monitors, and bass rig (pubs to large nightclubs). Me likes clean headroom! Rocket Brother should get a commission for the sale!! Yeah, I'll need to off a bunch of gear to fund it, but I'm not afraid. LOL
 
jimfist said:
anything worth doing is worth overdoing. I just put myself on the wait list for 2 powered wedges, which will pull triple duty as home monitors, pa FOH or stage monitors, and bass rig (pubs to large nightclubs). Me likes clean headroom! Rocket Brother should get a commission for the sale!! Yeah, I'll need to off a bunch of gear to fund it, but I'm not afraid. LOL
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Jimfist, you are going to love them - congrats.

I've followed your posts for some time as you seem very knowledgeable on all things bass related - I can't wait to hear your opinion and I might have to tap into your wisdom (and presets) when i get my new bass :)
 
Rocket Brother said:
Jimfist, you are going to love them - congrats.

I've followed your posts for some time as you seem very knowledgeable on all things bass related - I can't wait to hear your opinion and I might have to tap into your wisdom (and presets) when i get my new bass :)
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Cool, thanks, Rocket Brother. Glad to share and compare. I tend to prefer flexible comprehensive solutions. My current FR rig sounds very good, the best bass rig I've had, thanks in large part to the AxeFx at the front end - but - I know that the speaker and cabinet are coloring the tone significantly, and being boxes (not wedges) they are cumbersome in some situations. Had the CLR been available a few years ago when I put my rig together I would have jumped on them....but they weren't....but they are now! Can't wait.

Glad to see your review put some weight into the usage of this combination for bassists, as I really do think that this can light the bass world on fire as it has with guitar, but you know bassists...sometimes late to the party. LOL. Hopefully Cliff will push this along with a couple new bass amp models. (hint hint hint)
 
jimfist said:
Cool, thanks, Rocket Brother. Glad to share and compare. I tend to prefer flexible comprehensive solutions. My current FR rig sounds very good, the best bass rig I've had, thanks in large part to the AxeFx at the front end - but - I know that the speaker and cabinet are coloring the tone significantly, and being boxes (not wedges) they are cumbersome in some situations. Had the CLR been available a few years ago when I put my rig together I would have jumped on them....but they weren't....but they are now! Can't wait.

Glad to see your review put some weight into the usage of this combination for bassists, as I really do think that this can light the bass world on fire as it has with guitar, but you know bassists...sometimes late to the party. LOL. Hopefully Cliff will push this along with a couple new bass amp models. (hint hint hint)
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These CLRs really are insane quality and value - truely amazing stuff - and I think they are game changers for guitarists, bassists or anybody else looking for amazing FRFR performance alike.

Like I said on the identical sister-thread on TGP, between these CLRs, the Axe II, TC 2290 and my Metric Halo ULN-8, I've never had a better rig or studio - best of all - my live rig and studio rig is now the same and super portable - it's a win-win-win situation :)
 
Great, informative review that covers a lot of different usage scenarios; I'm going to get a pair sometime in the fall I'm thinking. From all accounts the CLR is fantastic bang for the buck; providing transparency and frequency/transient response usually reserved for monitors costing a lot more than the CLR's are retailing for.
 
Brilliant review.:encouragement:
If you're playing with a keyboard player, don't let him or her try them.
Chances are you won't be getting them back ;)
 
Stratoblaster said:
Great, informative review that covers a lot of different usage scenarios; I'm going to get a pair sometime in the fall I'm thinking. From all accounts the CLR is fantastic bang for the buck; providing transparency and frequency/transient response usually reserved for monitors costing a lot more than the CLR's are retailing for.
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That's one of the things that really knocked me out about the CLRs - they are insane value.

True reference quality monitoring, capable of Rock 'n Roll SPL's and priced in the prosumer price range - it's simply mind blowing !
 
MisterE said:
Brilliant review.:encouragement:
If you're playing with a keyboard player, don't let him or her try them.
Chances are you won't be getting them back ;)
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stratamania said:
That answers what I was wondering, what about with keyboards ?
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Yep - I've already had several requests from band mates and friends that wants to borrow them :)

I've let one of the artists that I back try one of them for monitoring his vocals and acoustic guitars, He is getting on the list for two or three active CLR wedges, and our bass player is putting his bass amplification and cabs up for sale right now as he wants to change his entire rig to an Axe II and two active CLR wedges after playing my rig.

As the CLR's are reference quality monitors they are ideal to ANYONE looking for a FRFR solution, so keyboard players, DJ's and ...well like I said any musician in need of a FRFR solution will want these once they hear them.

Tom and Jay knocked the CLRs waaay out of the ballpark, and IMHO they have a real winner on their hands.
 
Great read. Thanks.

Confirms my thoughts after trying Seedofthedays CLR. Perfect balance. I like my HK wedges as they sound really good, and recreate what i opted for for whenever i create a patch on my Yamaha monitors. But the CLR really sounded fuller and clearer.

And you have run these for multiple tasks. Thanks again :)
 
Not in any way trying to dampen the huge groundswell of enthusiasm here following these excellent and thorough reviews (I hope the neighbours have recovered) - and I am on Tom's list, but has there ever been a cab that works equally well as a bass guitar backline amp/cab, all-round live monitor, guitar backline amp/cab, PA FOH amp/cab and studio reference monitor? (Not to mention being very much less expensive than some of the top end pro alternatives with which it's been compared?)

These are each very specific beasts, with large price tags for the pro versions to which they've been so favourably compared. Are we witnessing the birth of something incredibly new for the whole world of high grade amplified music?
 
yek said:
The word Excellent doesn't do justice. Your review is thorough, elaborate, balanced, professional. Perfect! Thank you.

Curious about the IRs you're using. Can you give any insight?
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A parallel endorsement like Yek's (having had a CLR for a while) is very serious corroboration. Thanks.
 
Rocket Brother said:
In another thread on this forum James Cullen posted that he tested the CLRs against his own ATC 100 monitors and that the CLRs held their own impressively well.
That confirms my impression of the CLRs and really speaks volumes to me as the ATCs are some of the absolute finest mixing and mastering studio monitors in the world - at any price.
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Wonderful review. Your credentials for writing such a review are more credible than mine. But it's amazing how your review validates my observations. I got some flack from trolls but I hope this lays that to rest. They are everything you claim them to be in my experience. Although you are a pro musician I have a similar background in guitar and studio. They are easy to dial in accurate sound and reveal inner details in the music like my ATC 100as.

My next experiment is going to get some pole mounts and compare them during a mixing session in my studio to the ATCs. You never know they might be up for sale!

Where I am really loving them is the way you can dial the sound so accurately at live band volumes.

The other day I was dialling in a new lead sound using Plexi 100 for my new Jackson PC1 which I bought off eBay for £800!! Bargain! It was a little edgy and harsh compared with my Tom Anderson which is warmer. I backed off the treble, reduced the Dynamic treble response upped the bass a little. Viola you could instantly hear the improvement and I had a wonderful fat lead tone. Great guitar with sustainers you can get some wonderful tones. The CLR excel in this capacity and it just makes it all more enjoyable.

Will update once u have the CLR set up for a comparison with the ATC in a mixing project.

Again. Excellent review thanks for taking such trouble and it pleased me greatly that my views as an enthusiastic amateur have been confirmed. Two data points concurring exactly.

James
 
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