Just ordered a passive CLR

  • Just ordered a passive Atomic CLR because I have a powered rack. I've read in the forum that the active CLR can produce better sound than the passive, because the active CLR power amp is optimized for that specific unit. However, the built in Kemper power amp is also of very high quality.


    What kind of results can I expect from this passive version vs. the active version? Are there any tips for getting the most out of the passive version?


    Thanks.

  • OMG! You've made a tragic mistake! :P


    Just kidding. I'm sure the passive CLR will perform superbly for you. I too would love to see a video A/B-ing the active and the passive with the Kemper. I have been auditioning a wide variety of cabs with my favorite profiles and the active CLR really lets them come thru clearly and very well defined. I find it thrilling that I can play into a Fender Deluxe Reverb and it sounds exactly like the real thing. Then I can switch over to a Vox or a Marshall Silver Jube and play that thru a Marshall 4x12 and get completely different sounds accurately reproduced. As mentioned in another thread, Till's recto cab is fantastic and pairs well with a variety of profiled amps. Ditto for his Marshall 1960. For me, the cost difference for the active over the passive was negligible so I went for it, but I eagerly await your report on how you find the passive CLR performs for you.

  • Thank you for your feedback everyone. It is scheduled to arrive tomorrow so I will update everyone on what I think after I try it out!

  • I too would love to see a video A/B-ing the active and the passive with the Kemper.


    Well, it would imply using an external poweramp, so you would not really compare the two kinds of cabs. Results would vary depending on the chosen amp and the "felicity" (?) of the amp/cab coupling.


    Paradoxically, the fairest test would be using the active cab's power amp to feed the passive one LOL

  • The A/B test I was envisioning would use the Kemper PowerHead to drive the passive CLR and then switch off the power amp (as I do) and play thru the active CLR. I would select good examples of the better clean, crunch and lead profiles made with a variety of the most popular amps and speaker cabs.

  • That's what I mean: you'd use one cab with a certain power amp, and the other one with another power amp. So you'd actually compare a poweramp+cab (the active CLR) with another poweramp+cab (Kemper poweramp + passive CLR).


    The point is that the Kemper power amp and the Atomic power amp not only sound different from each other, but also make the cab they drive sound different (coupling).
    You would not be able to determine the Kemper poweramp's contribution to the passive CLR's sound.

  • Oh, I see where you're coming from. Yes, you are correct. But I didn't mean to imply that that's what I'd be testing. I'm interested in whether there is any significant difference in audio quality between pairing the Kemper PowerHead with the passive CLR and pairing the regular Kemper with the active CLR. This would assist future customers in their decision-making as to which to go with. In other words, is the active that much better than the passive in this context, when paired with the Kemper. I'm not attempting to suggest a way of comparing the two monitors in any scientific way. Just as a practical measure.


    As I have said before, I would have gone as I did with the active CLR simply because it allows me to drive my favorite guitar cab with the cab sim off if I so choose. I like having the flexibility. But for others just interested in FRFR, a test like I one I mentioned would be helpful I think.

  • Yeah, comparing the active CLR with Kemper power amp + passive is perhaps the most "obvious" test coming to mind, maybe along with the Matrix 1000 :thumbup:


    I'd love to get at grips with those three systems for a couple of weeks :D

  • So I received the CLR in the mail yesterday. I guess I have a lot of getting used to the FRFR sound... it seems so dull to me compared to my typical amp. The highs are muffled, and it seems like the frequencies are so much more narrow compared to playing a regular amp.


    The clean tones however sound incredible. It's the distortion tones that sound vastly different.


    I was on the rig exchange for 2 hours playing several different profiles last night and almost all of the distortion tones had similar characteristics.


    Perhaps this is the "paradigm shift" that everyone speaks of. And probably what I'm hearing come out of the CLR is what the told would sound like on a recording. But it just seems so unusual. After spending over $3K on the Kemper and CLR I was hoping to be totally blown away, and that certainly has not happened.


    I don't mean to offend anyone in this post, and I certainly will tweak the hell out of my sound to try and become more satisfied. But I just wanted to share my opinion. Thanks.

  • The fact that the Profiler sounds like a mic'ed amp is known.
    You might not like how a mic'ed amp sounds, if you have never listened to it.
    Be sure you have all the EQs flat, Output setting neutral, no fx locked, cabs on. Check your Distorted Sense.
    Be sure the room is not playing a too strong role in the sound, and the cab is not positioned close to walls, ceiling and above all corners.


    Of course, use only non-tweaked profiles for the moment, to exclude other variables.


    Also, try the CLR with music program to get a feel for it.


    Let's not disregard the possibility that the cab is damaged (some user has reported that the tweeter was disconnected during transportation): if you feel the frequency range is "narrow", while it should be larger than any guitar amp, chances are something is broken.


    HTH



  • This is what was bothering me as well. I've tried several FRFR solutions at the local store with my Power Head and at the end of the day, I'm just happier with my 2x12 cab. The global eq helps me adjust things based on whatever venue I have. I'm going to wait this one out a bit more and see what comes into the market in the next year. The cost for me to import and pay duties on a CLR to my area is prohibitive as well.

  • I received my 2x12 Xitone cab yesterday and the same thing a lot of profiles sounded muffled. but I found a lot sounded really good(distortion tones). I also noticed a lot of volume drops on a lot of profiles. I thought man there's a lot of bad bad profiles on the Rig exchange and then noticed these profiles were commercial profile from amp factory and vsp so I figure they will need some tweaking. I bought Bogner XTC DO profiles from petes profiles and found a greenback cab on rig exchange that sounds awesome so that maybe the trick is to switch cabs.


    The Xitone has a -3 db switch for the tweeters and I found it works great for the high gain tones. They sound awesome.


    Clean tone sound awesome thru the cab.


    I have a Yamaha DXR10(used) and never liked it but the Xitone sounds a lot better and more guitar cab sounding with the -3 db switch.

    Edited once, last by Manchild ().