CLR at lower volume - advice needed

piofusco

piofusco

Inspired
Hey guys,

I have had a CLR for over a year now and have loved it from the start. Great on a pole, great as a wedge, great as a backline - on a pole sounds the best. While I feel I use it all the time, I am wondering if something inside of it might have gone wrong.

If I play my Axe II with the output at about 7 o'clock, with both knobs on the CLR at noon there seems to be a break up on certain chords. I am using brutally clean patches with only an amp, a cab and a reverb - I'd be happy to share the patch, but it's just a tweaked version of "Nuclear Tone." Additionally, I have set my global EQ to remove a lot of the lower bass frequencies. If I can capture this phenomena on a recording I will post it as soon as I can, however, I was wondering if these settings are a no no?

Since I live in a small apartment, I try not to disturb my neighbors - I find it more enjoyable to play quietly than to rock out all the time. I gig once a month and take pride in how well I treat my gear, so I doubt it is something I did.

Am I doing something wrong, or do I need to have my unit looked at? Is this not the CLR's intended use?
 
Just to clarify, are you setting your AXE output to almost off, and leaving the CLR at about half volume? If so that would reduce or eliminate the possibility of driving the CLR to hard being the problem.
 
Nothing you've described would cause breakup. I'd have to hear what it sounds like to take a stab at why it's happening. "Breakup" can mean a lot of different things.

Still, the Axe's output knob at 7:00 is very near zero output. It must be hard to set the volume right where you want it. Why not roll off the CLR's settings a bit so you can have a wider comfort zone on the Axe output?

Also, at low volume, the highs and lows are the first things to go, as far as your ears are concerned. If you're also rolling off the bottom end in your global settings, your tone could end up sounding pretty dull. That might accentuate anything unpleasant that's going on.
 
I think you don't have enough signal going to the CLR. You could try turning up output 1 to between 10 and noon or so, and adjust the CLR input so the red light is just lighting on your loudest passages, then back it off a little. Then use the CLR master to adjust the volume. To me the CLR doesn't sound right if the input isn't set right, but that may not be your problem...

Edited for details and politeness.
 
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randolfo said:
You are doing something wrong. You should be tickling the red light on the clr or it will probably sound weird. Read the manual about gain staging.
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Actually, the manual says the red light shouldn't be lit. And having lower levels won't make it sound weird.
 
With a properly gain staged preset that has no internal clipping and reads around 0 VU in the Utility pages, CLR Input at noon and CLR Master at noon,

with Output 1 of the Fractal at noon also, you should get a big clear loud wonderful sound with no clipping.
 
I had an issue with one of the power amps in one of my two CLR's and it had to be replaced. I've since heard "noises" at times that are similar to what you're describing. Hard to say sometimes if it's an issue with the unit or something rattling/vibrating in the room, etc. That can happen even at low volume.

I'd call and talk with Tom about it. This isn't the first time something like this has been posted about with the CLRs, although it's been a while. It could be your settings or gain staging, etc. as mentioned above but it could also be an issue with the CLR. I'd try to get Tom to help your trouble shoot it.
 
If it doesn't do it at louder levels, I would start by looking at the guitar to make sure nothing is rattling, at extreme low volumes the acoustic sound , strings ,fret rattle ,spring rattle , screws , even had one trem equipped guitar blocked, but lightly touching the trem stopper ,and it would do a weird static ,buzzy thing when I hit the strings hard , these things are audible at low volumes ,but not so much at higher volume levels. some of the results produced give the illusion of distortion.
 
Rex said:
Actually, the manual says the red light shouldn't be lit. And having lower levels won't make it sound weird.
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Not lit. Just barely lighting it. I think Scott P had a vid about this and he just lights it with a good strum then backs off a little. Someone else had one too, maybe electron pirate. Several times when I've noticed things aren't sounding right, I have adjusted the gain staging on the clr and it's fixed. For me, the CLR gain staging needs adjusted when you change output from the AXE or it doesn't sound right. Try it.
 
I have 2 CLRs. The input never clips even at full but I keep it at 3/4 of the way, the volume is set to 4 (one mark less than the mid point), the axe is usually at 35% input and the output at 9 o'clock. I keep mine on backline mode and stand them up. This way they are not blasting my ears when I crank up the volume. They sound great at low volume.
 
OP, if you have your output 1 at 7 o'clock and your CLR input at noon, I don't see how you can have enough signal going in the CLR.

My typical setup is output 1 at 10 or 11 o'clock, CLR input at 1 o'clock, CLR master at about 9 o'clock for playing in the house. Past about 11 I can't stand the volume. Try my settings and see what you think. Once you gain stage the CLR you can't change the volume with output 1 or the CLR input, you need to use the CLR master. But I guess I may be wrong and there is something else.
 
randolfo said:
Not lit. Just barely lighting it.
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Have another look at the manual. The last step involves backing off until the LED doesn't light at all.

The CLRs are known for consistent sound from low volume to high. If you're hearing otherwise, it's likely due to room volume and our friends Fletcher and Munson.[/QUOTE]
 
Actually I just tried your (7 noon and noon) and I can't even hear anything from the CLR. I have to turn up the master on the CLR to about 2 or the AXE output to 8 or 9 o'clock and it wasn't doing what your describing. If I leave the CLR at noon and the axe at 7 o'clock, I have to turn up the preset level and it's clipping by the time I can hear it and the axe front panel is lighting up. I'm using a Jeff Beck strat and I guess your using your strat too. It's early here but I'll try again later if I get the time.

The weird sound issues I was describing earlier are a flat, lifeless sound that get's me fighting the guitar, not signal breakup, maybe more like noise. I haven't had other gear behave that way but I've read several others here on the forum have the same experience with CLR. I should have read your post more care carefully to start with. IMO, the clr is sensitive to input signal as I described, though I don't think that's your issue now.
 
I agree with randolfo.

I set my clip level by hitting low e until I am just under the clipping line (no clipping, red light never comes on).

For house use I am at 10-11 on the AXE output vol and a hair past the second dot on the clr's master and input knobs.
 
Rex said:
Have another look at the manual. The last step involves backing off until the LED doesn't light at all.

The CLRs are known for consistent sound from low volume to high. If you're hearing otherwise, it's likely due to room volume and our friends Fletcher and Munson.
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[/QUOTE]

Rex, I have the CLR and they sound great to me the way I use them. I don't need to read the manual anymore. That's the way I do it. Tickle the light at the loudest level and back off a little. If you check on the forum you'll find a few people have the same issue. I should have been more detailed in my original post, and guess I came off sounding like a dick, I should have reread my post.

I think he has them set wrong, but I may be wrong. But I don't think that's his issue anyway.

If you play through a CLR try messing with the input level and see how it effects you after awhile. It's noticeable.
 
No worries. You didn't come off like a dick, only like someone who's trying to help. I was just passing along what the manual says to do.
 
BillyZeppa said:
Just to clarify, are you setting your AXE output to almost off, and leaving the CLR at about half volume? If so that would reduce or eliminate the possibility of driving the CLR to hard being the problem.
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Correct.

Rex said:
Why not roll off the CLR's settings a bit so you can have a wider comfort zone on the Axe output?

Also, at low volume, the highs and lows are the first things to go, as far as your ears are concerned. If you're also rolling off the bottom end in your global settings, your tone could end up sounding pretty dull. That might accentuate anything unpleasant that's going on.
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You have the right of it. I will try this and report back.

jeppekristoffer said:
Dead battery in your guitar with active pickups?
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Nope, passive pickups. To anyone else suggesting it is my guitar, I am positive it is not from my guitar. Nothing on my guitar is rattling.

levipeto said:
it's a feature ;)
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Eh, what?

FWIW - I have yet to crack the CLR manual nor have I thought about pushing my CLR a bit more so I can have more room to adjust the Axe FX volume. I clearly have some homework to do. Once I try these things out, I will report back my findings. Hopefully, it goes well. Otherwise, I will reach out to Tom for assistance. Thanks for all the suggestions!
 
Hey OP please report back. I curious about this as I can't get any sound from the CLR with your settings. Maybe you have your global output up to compensate??
 
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