Carvin R600 dead?

lastminute · #1 06-03-2010, 07:19 PM

So one random day I plug my bass into my Carvin R600 + BR115 stack and try to play. Instead, I get fuzzy, low volume sounds whenever I play a note. The lights on the front signalling compression, X-over and the power amp are fine, not flickering at all. It's not bass or cord, checked that. What could be damaged, and should I bother fixing it?

5port · #2 06-03-2010, 08:26 PM

Yes. Try the effects jack on the back panel. If you havent used it take a guitar cord and run it in and out of both effects jacks. If you have Deoxit spray some on the 1/4 inch plug first. These oxidize from lack of use.

Make sure the ribbon cables are seated inside of the amp. My R600 ribbon cable had walked off of the connector on the rear of the amp near the PA.

lastminute · #3 06-04-2010, 01:51 AM

Ribbon cables? What do they look like?

lastminute · #4 06-04-2010, 01:34 PM

Could I get a link to the schematics to this amp? I dont wish to dive in there without knowing what to look for.

BassmanPaul · #5 06-04-2010, 02:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lastminute

Could I get a link to the schematics to this amp? I dont wish to dive in there without knowing what to look for.

Carvin is very good with suppling schematics. However unless you have experience troubleshooting electronics, which I doubt given that you don't know what a ribbon cable is, you would be better off giving it to a tech. You might make a $50 repair $500.

Paul

5port · #6 06-04-2010, 08:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lastminute

Could I get a link to the schematics to this amp? I dont wish to dive in there without knowing what to look for.

All carvin Tech documents are on this page:

http://www.carvinmuseum.com/techdocs.html

One schematic has the tube and one has the tube emulator. Not sure which series you have. A ribbon cable looks like a ribbon of wires and interconnects pc boards inside of the amp. From vibration they would back off. Worth checking.

dubcut · #7 06-05-2010, 12:15 AM

A ribbon.

Quote:

Originally Posted by lastminute

Ribbon cables? What do they look like?

JLS · #8 07-23-2010, 06:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 5port

Yes. Try the effects jack on the back panel. If you havent used it take a guitar cord and run it in and out of both effects jacks. If you have Deoxit spray some on the 1/4 inch plug first. These oxidize from lack of use.

Make sure the ribbon cables are seated inside of the amp. My R600 ribbon cable had walked off of the connector on the rear of the amp near the PA.

Many thanks, for this! This seems (so far) to have cured a crapping-out that was occurring on the right side, either biamped or fullrange.

I'd be considerably happier if Carvin weren't so adamant about refusing to support their older amps, frankly.

lastminute · #9 10-02-2010, 05:44 PM

Okay, finally got around to trying to fix it. Put a cord in and out of the effects jacks. No improvement. So next would be to spray it with deoxidizer?

Also, let me clarify, sometimes I will get low volume, fuzzy noises when I play a note........but most of the time, nothing comes out at all. Also, there's a popping sound both when I turn it on and off.

Another clarification: it's a Series III

MIJ-VI · #10 10-02-2010, 08:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lastminute

Okay, finally got around to trying to fix it. Put a cord in and out of the effects jacks. No improvement. So next would be to spray it with deoxidizer?

Also, let me clarify, sometimes I will get low volume, fuzzy noises when I play a note........but most of the time, nothing comes out at all. Also, there's a popping sound both when I turn it on and off.

Another clarification: it's a Series III

Then it's tech time since the next suspect is likely to be a bad solder joint or a defective component.

There are dangerous voltages stored in power amp filter capacitors for quite a while after an amp has been powered down and unplugged from an AC outlet.

FTR. It's best not to spray anything into amp jacks. I prefer to wet one end of a Q-tip and then gently work it in & out of a jack to clean oxidisation out of the effects loop (or other) jacks and their switches.

lastminute · #11 10-03-2010, 04:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MIJ-VI

Then it's tech time since the next suspect is likely to be a bad solder joint or a defective component.

There are dangerous voltages stored in power amp filter capacitors for quite a while after an amp has been powered down and unplugged from an AC outlet.

FTR. It's best not to spray anything into amp jacks. I prefer to wet one end of a Q-tip and then gently work it in & out of a jack to clean oxidisation out of the effects loop (or other) jacks and their switches.

Tech time....so it's probably not something simple enough that I can fix it on my own?

craig.p · #12 10-03-2010, 04:53 PM

Only if it's something as simple as something having come loose inside that you can spot and nudge back into place. Beyond that, there's really not much you can do. Even if you were able to narrow it down to either the preamp or power amp, it would be only an academic exercise, 'cause where do you go from there. The standard way to troubleshoot this is with an audio generator and signal tracer, after having done preliminary voltage checks on the power supply outputs. Sorry, probably not what you wanted to hear.

gregoire1 · #13 10-03-2010, 06:00 PM

that problem seems to be fairly common with those heads, but fixable (do an Internet search). I'd try opening it up and reseating all non-soldered connections.

bassplayer8953 · #14 10-03-2010, 06:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gregoire1

that problem seems to be fairly common with those heads, but fixable (do an Internet search). I'd try opening it up and reseating all non-soldered connections.

That's what I did with my R1000, which i bought for next-to-nothing as a "needs repair". I've owned it for 3 years now, and since that inital take apart, reseat, tighten (jack nuts) and reassemble, the R1000 has been my main amp head. No further issues. And I prefer the tone to my newer Carvin BX600 (which, since new, I've had 0 problems with).

I bring the BX600 to gigs as a backup, because the R1000 is getting older, but have never needed it. Carvin R1000's (& R600's) are great.

5port · #15 10-03-2010, 07:08 PM

To OP:

Other than the problem with the effects jacks my R600 ribbon cables were walking off the connectors at the rear of the amp where the cables plug into the speaker interface board. I reseated the cables and placed shipping foam between them and the rear wall of the amp chassis. Its been solid ever since.

My R600 is ten years old and still going strong. I also own the BX1500 and the R seems to be a warmer sounding amp. Cant beat the 500W at 8 ohms

arkainzeye · #16 01-04-2011, 01:38 PM

try this.. let plug your speaker cable into the Bridge part of the output. DONT put it into bridge mode. just plug into the bridge part and try playing it. see if it sounds better then.. i say this as 3 days ago my R600II head did the same thing as yours! for me amy AMP1 section of the dual power amps were giving me the problems. when i plugged it into amp 2 it was fine. but i use both amps.. so when i plugged it into the bridge section it sounded great. Now lastnight for some reason i mistakenly plugged it into the amp1 again and forgot it was "bad" and after playing i remembered i wasnt to plug into amp1 but it sounded good this time.. what im saying to do isnt a fix. just a way to get around it.