As they noted - yes you can.
Hi, I use the Atomic CLR active wedge with the Axe FX 2 AND as a vocal monitor at the same time. Short answer:Ya they work.
BUT you will more control of the stereo spread placement WITH a stereo mixer( I am lazy, so this only applies to bigger gigs).
Hi Sm, not a dumb question. I was surprised. I spent close 7 G's for my guitar sound. It's great. I spent $200 for the TC Helicon Harmony GXT pedal for vocals and people like the guitar BUT are blown away by the vocal TC pedal. I know the real reason they like it is because the sound on the CLR's is THAT transparent and natural. In stereo, main vocal right, harmonies left, the soundscape has a great spread, a wall of vocals from left to right. Even at home, its awesome. So ya... stereo, with the CLR's is addicting.8)
Hi Sm, Here are a few more details from another post. http://forum.fractalaudio.com/lounge/47944-tc-helicon-voicelive2-2.html#post968424Hmm, looks like a mixer and a TC Helicon Harmony GXT pedal may be in my future! Gotsta take one on a test drive soon.
I use my 2nd one in my home gym with my phone to stream Spotify. It's the bomb.
Ya... 3 options. 1. band > vertical position on stands. For playing with a band, this works best if you shoot across the stage at a angle(like from the back corner) 2.vertical position, on the floor like a regular cab. 3. home or band. (My fav), two CLR's in stereo one in front and one in back (just step forward or backward to get feedback) OR side by side, angled behind you, if there is room. I put the the AXE FX between them, on Rack Legs(from Eureka)
Review: Atomic CLR
This review is based on well over 11 full months of focused, daily use and extensive gigging experience using the Atomic CLR in a variety of situations and circumstances. I wanted to do a fully-blown review before this, but wanted to give MANY different situations a go before I put my opinion out there. I did a first impression thread on the Atomic CLR when I first got it; and I've done a comparison/contrast between it and the RCF NX 12SMA. But I never did a straight up review; suffice to say, it about time I did review the CLR.
There is also something new in the Atomic CLR and I have been field testing that, so I thought it would be a good time to formally offer my thoughts on the CLR and detail the new part of the equation that is available. For two months, I have now worked with the Neo version of the CLR powered wedge. Note the details specific to that version towards the end of the review.
Initial Impressions/Observations
I was apprehensive of the speaker originally before it arrived because I was: a) very satisfied with the RCF; and b) there was an enormous amount of pre-release chatter and the expectations were exceedingly high given the design and input from one very notoriously outspoken and well known person involved. I got my first CLR originally as a review sample and posted this first impressions thread and a compare contrast thread to the RCF.
To sum up those threads: My impressions of the CLR were positive. It was impressive upon first blush and as I worked with it, what it does and how it does it were highlighted more and more. I've posted numerous times that it was not immediately apparent to me exactly how good I would come to perceive the speaker was precisely because it was so good at what it does.
I use the "Tilt" mode setting, Sub "off" setting when it is on the floor setup as a monitor. On a speaker stand I use the "FF" mode and Sub "off". When it is on it's side and facing forward on the floor, I use the "BL" mode and Sub "off" settings. These seemed appropriate given the instructions in the manual.
I got familiar with the controls and gain staging pretty well out of the box. Given the output levels I set my own presets at with the Fractal Axe-FX II and how I've set up the physical output levels with prior powered monitors, this didn't take long to figure out. Generally, I leave the input control of the CLR at about 12:00 - 2:00 (as on a clockface) for the input level and about 12:00 on the output level and then use the output level (the actual physical knob) of the Axe-FX II to control my output volume.
What I've found when playing live is that - depending on the setup and stage and size of the room, etc - these are good settings. If necessary, I just change up the output level of the CLR once the output signal level necessary for FOH input levels is set. I've never 'run out of juice' on any size stage, even outdoor festival stages.
The first thing I do with any speaker that is purportedly flat and marketed as 'reference quality' is test that claim. To do that, I run program music through it (routed out of my DAW into a Mackie ProFX-8 mixer that doubles as my typical audio interface with my DAW) and test tones. Regarding the test tones, I test with a db meter (I have a few) and my ears. My home studio/office is an acoustically treated room with a cathedral ceiling. I've recorded, mixed and mastered here in this space for many years. It's a very even sounding room; it was professionally treated about 13 years ago with Auralex products.
With program music (examples: Jonatha Brooke's "Steady Pull", Sting "Ten Summoner's Tales"; Classical CD's, Jazz CD's, Rock/Pop/Country and different test reference CD's I've used over the years) , it was obviously and immediately apparent that this speaker is very even, has a great bass response with no mud; detailed mids and an open top end. My impressions were that it has a remarkable amount of headroom and never felt 'pushed' or 'boxy' at all. Getting the output levels up to about +115db and trying test tones through it (I used ear protection during this); the response of the different tones as reproduced was exceptional. The dispersion axis of that response was exceptional.
I have since run those same tests almost monthly to check my impressions; and have witnessed the same thing even after gigging it 40+ times. It is standing up performance wise through very demanding duty. It's performance out of the box is the same months down the road. I noticed no 'break in' phenomena.
The acid test is then how does it work for me as a guitarist; and coming from a very capable powered speaker like the RCF? With the Axe-FX II, I have always used my studio near field setup to program, judge and tweak my own sounds and the Atomic was as faithful or better in all regards. It was louder, it matched the bass extension and tightness (my studio setup has a JBL sub) and everything was remarkable in every way. The only advantage my studio setup had over the CLR was that was stereo.
On The Gig
The CLR is taller than the RCF on the ground; but it is more narrow. So its stage footprint is actually smaller than the RCF overall. That allowed it to more easily fit it in some unconventional stage setups - and a lot of the sort of stages I play are not big expansive pro stages. As any weekend gigger can testify; you get crammed in corners, small stages barely big enough to fit the drummer on... let along a band; sometimes you are literally on top of your rig with no space at all or you can be pushed out in front of the 'stage' (aka 'drum riser') and have to make it work.
I have used the CLR primarily as a sidefill shooting across the stage; but also in front of me shooting back toward me and as a backline both up on a stand (if I can) or just down on the floor. I do not use it tilted forward like a conventional cab in the last instance; I tend to still use it positioned as a wedge shooting up. In the tightest rooms, this has been fine. Because my bandmates are hip to what I prefer and cool with it - 90% of the time I am in the PA.
The CLR has done fine in every instance I've had to use it. I have never run out of headroom or lacked volume. My primary band is a two guitar/keys/bass/drums/vocals and the other guitarist runs a conventional rig (usually a Egnater Renegade head (65 watt) into a conventional guitar 112 cab). We both setup on opposite sides of the stage typically both aimed sideways across the stage whenever and wherever possible. We have never had any issue with him or I being too loud; I can be as loud as he can possibly go; but we are both typically mature enough to try to keep our stage volumes somewhat manageable and are very aware of that. Our drummer is a very dynamic player and controls his volume likewise.
With the very wide dispersion pattern of the CLR, I was worried about bleeding into the vocal mic's running the CLR as a sidefill. That ended up being a non-issue. I also found that I was actually turning my overall volume DOWN in comparison/contrast to the RCF because that wider dispersion meant it was easier to hear me (speaking both of myself and my bandmates). One other interesting sidenote is that I end up being right next to my vocalist in a lot of the stage setups we end up in. And when I run the CLR in these cases as a monitor in front of me firing back, when I ask her about it (because I do not want to be a dick about my volume compared to the vocals) she has told me that I was fine in every case. That's far more a vote of confidence than it might appear at first blush. lol.
Here are some gig shots of different stages I've played and examples of the sometimes crazy ways we have to set up. That the CLR performed well for me in all these different circumstances is a very positive statement. It has.
Great review! One criticism: your incorrect use of the word "literal." No speaker can literally "blow you" (although who knows what the future holds) much less 'through a wall.' Sorry the word "literal" is often used incorrectly and literally too much
Great point, I was literally speaking figuratively. Honest. Sorry if it was confusing. In fact, I have bruising from being blown through the wall... all these years later. I'll install a plug-in to check my grammar from now on.
