NAD Carvin BX1500!

[DJ Bebop]

So my faithful R1000 head died, so I pulled the trigger on a new BX1500. Still have my old RL6815 cyclops cab, great match btw.

Any who, I love this amp, why you may ask................. well I'm waiting

OK the thing is This amp is very FLAT. I think most people are used to amps with a built in character.

As an example Francis Deck's discussion about the GK backline 600 http://personalpages.tds.net/~fdeck/bass/gkbl600.pdf Which I have an old GK 1001RB series 1.

That amp like most, has a character to it in its so called flat setting and as Francis shows to get a real FLAT setting sonic wise, you have to go away from the so called flat 12 noon setting..

So 12 noon on the GK is the GK inherent sound, flat as far as uncolored sound, some other setting but, not 12 noon. Again see Francis's article.

So now the Carvin, I don't have test equipment to confirm what I am about to say but, to my ear this amp sounds pretty uncolored in it's flat 12 noon setting. I think that is why some don't like it at first hearing. No mid range scoop that we are used too. But as soon as you TURN those knobs stuff happens.

Why are we afraid to turn knobs?

I have heard folks say that they like their amp set flat to get their sound.

I think what I am trying to say is by not poking around on this thing, people are missing out. There is A LOT OF SOUNDS in there. So if one is not hearing enough bass TURN IT UP Too much mid range TURN IT DOWN That's what it's made for IMHO. This thing is a Chameleon!

Now here comes a question. If I use this thing bridge @ 8 ohms it's 900 watts. I have an Aguilar GS112 RATED @ 300 watts. I played though it for a while at a conservative volume and is sounded fine! No farting or nothing.

Here's the question. Can I continue to do this as long as I don't get silly? Or just use one side of the amp (these things are dual mono blocks)?

Thoughts?

Thank you for your time

[jnewmark]

I aslo love the BX1500. It seems to have a very useable tone right out of the box. The graphic eq sounds great to me to the point where I don't even use the para. As far as bridging goes, just be judicious with those volume controls ! Probably shoul'nt bridge into a single speaker, though !

[5port]

Love my BX1500.

Yes you have to turn the knobs for the sound you want. Flat is not center on Carvin. Never was. Once you get past that thought any sound you want is there.

I bridged into my Carvin BRX 2X10 for a while and altough it withstood it I decided that it was sounding too stressed. As said above I would not bridge into a cabinet that has one driver. There is alot of power there.

I run mine in stereo/full range with the BRX2.10 on top of a 3015 driver. Have fun.

PS: I would like for someone to replace their Redline head in the RL6815 with the BX1500 and tell us what it sounds like (hint,hint).

[DJ Bebop]

Originally Posted by 5port

Love my BX1500.

Yes you have to turn the knobs for the sound you want. Flat is not center on Carvin. Never was. Once you get past that thought any sound you want is there.

I bridged into my Carvin BRX 2X10 for a while and altough it withstood it I decided that it was sounding too stressed. As said above I would not bridge into a cabinet that has one driver. There is alot of power there.

I run mine in stereo/full range with the BRX2.10 on top of a 3015 driver. Have fun.

PS: I would like for someone to replace their Redline head in the RL6815 with the BX1500 and tell us what it sounds like (hint,hint).

I am Stoked (old man term) running it thru my RL6815. AND I have the first gen one, slot port on back with the 2x8x8ohm @ 4ohm top, 4ohm 15 bottom.
This is the amp that makes this thing really work (outside the fact that the cab FOR the 15 is undersized) IMO.

Now here's my setups. I can run the Aggie 1x12 full range.
I also have an Eden CX110 that I can run bi amped (Hi) with the Aggie (lows) with the tweet off and I CAN RUN ALL of THAT BI AMPED with the CYCLOPS, aggie w/ 15, CX w/ the 8's

Kinda a Small Modular Rig of Doom, IF I do want to get silly.

Yes I get that it my not be really flat, all amps have there character, I guess it's just that this one to my ear isn't so scooped as a lot of stuff out there which to me seems, to be kinda da kind, right now. Not that these's anything wrong with that, but as an example.

I have the GK 1001RB old one, and to me it's kinda scoopy, then I add the Aguilar GS112 to some, kinda scoopy. So now I've got this Double Scoop Thang goin' on with some chocolate fudge on da side

But now it's this gen of Carvins that doesn't seem as scoopy as before, so I can get a little more of that upper mid thang that some feel they don't always get out of the GS cabs, and I can still get scoopy too!

But that's just me

[5port]

Hey DJ sounds like your having a lot of fun and finding out that there are many choices with the BX1500.

Yeah in the RL6815 and the 8ohm,8ohm combo you would be running 300W/300W. Both speakers should be able to handle that.

OK on the Eden-10 on hi and Aggie-12 on low that would make a killer compact setup thats easy to move. It would be interesting to bi-amp with that combo. I like the single toggle to go from bi-amp to full tone so its easy to compare (unlike my old R600 with its push button).

I've been using my BX1500 in the Carvin SV2 wooden case which makes it twice as heavy. I'm on the verge of buying that SKB X-case that should be quite a bit lighter.

[BassmanPaul]

Feeding 900W into a single 12 rated THERMAL at 300W is asking for trouble. The cabinet will run out of excursion at about half it's thermal power. Just run the 1x12 from one side of the amp.

[DJ Bebop]

Originally Posted by BassmanPaul

Feeding 900W into a single 12 rated THERMAL at 300W is asking for trouble. The cabinet will run out of excursion at about half it's thermal power. Just run the 1x12 from one side of the amp.

Yep, I am thinking that too now, 'cause it sounds too good like that Like I'll keep diggin' it good, and then I'll have no sound good

MUST STOP NOW, MUST TAKE OUT OF BRIDGE MODE NOW, BEFORE IT BECOMES A** MODE

I have to say though, 900 watts (or there about) really wakes up that GS112

[DJ Bebop]

The set up I am digging right now is, the aggie with the 15 on the low side and the 8's by themselves on the hi side.
Oh and no you misread. The RL6815 that I have is first gen, 4ohm top 4ohm bottom. The second gen was 8ohm top 4ohm bottom. So with that in mind with the aggie with the 15 @2.66ohm so it's somewhere between 450 and 750 watts for the lows and 450 watts for the highs, or something like that. I am not pushing it at all, master and amp volumes at #3 or 9:00, everything at noon with contour at 3:00.

[DJ Bebop]

Originally Posted by BassmanPaul

Feeding 900W into a single 12 rated THERMAL at 300W is asking for trouble. The cabinet will run out of excursion at about half it's thermal power. Just run the 1x12 from one side of the amp.

Do I understand correctly, if I keep the unused side volume off, no harm will come to it?

[BassmanPaul]

Originally Posted by DJ Bebop

Do I understand correctly, if I keep the unused side volume off, no harm will come to it?

No harm will come to it wherever the controls are.

[DJ Bebop]

So family went shopping today and, I got a little silly. Hooked up my two peavey 1820's bi amped off the BX1500, GLORIOUS

[DJ Bebop]

So, the tube thing. I've read that some feel the tube adds little or no drifferents in sound or, not enough distortion

I guess I'm an old guy, back in the day I was not a fan of having to run an amp at distortion to keep up with guitards

But I get that the kids like it

Any who, so when I try amps that have the 'Tube Tone' thang, it reminds me of the old days, why would anyone want that? (even though I know the kids like that )

But the Carvin with it's tube thang, I like it, it's subtle adding some pleasant harmonic distortion to add colour, and for me enough grit to start to sound like the kids, only less buzzy non fuzz like, which works for me.

Thoughts?

[jnewmark]

I'm an old fart too, and started out with a Fender Bassman, then an Ampeg. When SS amps finally got lighter, I drank the Kool Aid and never looked back, although I have to say the Ampeg B15N is still the best bass tone I've ever heard. Having said that, I don't use the tube on the BX1500, and when I fooled around with it with the tube engaged, I did'nt hear anything that reminded me of a tube amp sound. Some folks have done some tube rolling with it and have heard a difference. Frankly, I found a tone I like with the graphic EQ, and have never switched the settings.

[DJ Bebop]

I can hear a difference but, to really hear it you have to turn it up, turn up the amps and turn down the master. That works for me. If I want that. Down low, I think I hear a differences between in and out, maybe not. I'll have to really check it out.

[DJ Bebop]

I still have my dads B15N

I'll have to drag it out and see how close of a sound I can get out of the BX1500.

[jlfpercello]

So i need a little insight on my bx1500.

I bought the rig over a year ago and the rig has been fine until i bought a spector euro 5 xl. Through the bx1500 i started getting all sorts of low end distortion and random very loud feedback.
I thought it was the bass until i played it though my buddys svt4 pro and got the most amazing tone ive ever heard.

So im thinking it has to be the amp but im not sure. Any ideas of what could be wrong?

[jnewmark]

Originally Posted by jlfpercello

So i need a little insight on my bx1500.

I bought the rig over a year ago and the rig has been fine until i bought a spector euro 5 xl. Through the bx1500 i started getting all sorts of low end distortion and random very loud feedback.
I thought it was the bass until i played it though my buddys svt4 pro and got the most amazing tone ive ever heard.

So im thinking it has to be the amp but im not sure. Any ideas of what could be wrong?

Did you try a different bass through the BX1500 ? Same result ?

[jlfpercello]

Originally Posted by jnewmark

Did you try a different bass through the BX1500 ? Same result ?

A warwick thumb. I got the same result but it only started happening after i used the spector

[5StringPocket]

The Spector pickups have high output levels and may be overdriving your input. Have you tried it with the Active switch ON and the Drive knob down?

[jlfpercello]

Originally Posted by 5StringPocket

The Spector pickups have high output levels and may be overdriving your input. Have you tried it with the Active switch ON and the Drive knob down?

Active switch is always on and the drive i screwed with a little and it didnt solve my feedback problem.