| Just got a Carvin MB10
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Almost 3 weeks ago, my Carvin MB10 arrived. I haven't been able to use as much as I had planned, because it seems that on every gig since I got the amp, there was amplification provided for me. I've had it at some rehearsals though, and so far, I'm think I made a safe decision.
The amplifier is pretty feature-packed, and includes parametric mids (high and low mid, each with its own frequency sweep), a compressor, contour control, and a 'drive' function. Other convenient gig features include a DI (with level, pre/post EQ, and ground lift), active/passive switch, mute switch, external speaker and tuner outputs, and an attenuator for the tweeter.
I've used it mostly with bass guitar (fretted and fretless Jazz basses). On its own, the punch from this little amp is quite impressive, and it has a very even presence in all the frequencies - very clean lows for a 10-inch combo. It held its own with a 10 piece Salsa band at an outdoor gig (with PA reinforcent, but I was impressed with its onstage presence). I do however recommend a second speaker cab to help give a little extra head room for larger/louder ensembles outside - the lack of a room always sucks up a lot of sound.
I find the Drive function to be misleading - it doesn't actually add overdrive or distortion to the sound like expected. "Presence" might be a better label, because it adds a bit of warmth and body to the signal. I've become very fond of this feature, and it diversifies the amp's character more than I had originally expected. It adds volume too, so mixtures of different amounts of drive and master volume will give very different characteristics to your instrument.
I also appreciate the tweeter control, however, it would be great if the tweeter could be turned completely off (the switch has positions for ON and DIM). For a 10 inch speaker, the need for a tweeter is kind of questionable in my mind, but everybody has different needs. The difference in the two tweeter levels is quite subtle.
The compressor is very usable as well. I'm a firm believer in technique and the ability to control the evenness of your playing with your hands, so I didn't expect to have use for it. But, if you have to push the amp pretty hard, a tiny bit of compression can help put a cap on some of those low notes that might distort a little bit. The jewel light turns red when the compressor activates, so you can see when you reach the set threshold.
For the upright players out there, my tests have been pleasant. When I ordered the amp, I was able to dig up some not-so-enthusiastic reviews about a doublebass paired with this amp. Many people complained about needing to use a preamp to get any volume. I found this to be untrue - I tested 2 basses, one with a Gage Realist, the other with a Fishman BP-100 transducer. Both pickups came through loud and clear. I found the drive to be useful for upright as well, adding warm presence which is especially useful for sitting in the mix with a larger band.
I hope this was helpful to anybody wondering about this amp.
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The Fender Jazz Bass Club - #333
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