Experience with Carvin "Concert Series" mixers?

John Bigboote · #1 10-14-2010, 10:51 AM

I'm considering getting a 16-channel mixer that our band can use rather than the monster (and totally unnecessary) 32-channel board our drummer has. The Carvin C1604 (http://www.carvinguitars.com/product...t=C1648&cid=13) looks awesome to me -- on paper. I particularly love the six monitor channels; in a perfect world, I'd love everyone in the band to have some variation of a powered monitor (like the TC Helicon for guitars and vox, keyboard amp for keys, etc.) that can run right off the six monitor outputs. But there are a lot of cool features in there.

My biggest concerns are performance and reliability. Put bluntly, I've never had good luck with Carvin gear, and I'm very nervous about investing in their gear, particularly without a backup. I'm not even considering the powered version of this mixer, because it's one more (big) thing to go wrong.

Any experienced opinions on these mixers?

Thanks,

-jb

Barisaxman · #2 10-14-2010, 10:59 AM

My band used one of the earlier versions of the 16 channel board for 2 or 3 years before we outgrew it. No problems at all, the FX weren't much to write home about, but it did its job and other than an Allen & Heath Mixwiz, there isn't much else in that price range with the same features. Now that they have 8 auxes (6 mon and 2 fx) and two mid sweeps on the EQ, you'd have to go digital to find that feature set in a small package.

modulusman · #3 10-14-2010, 06:30 PM

I also had one of the older versions for a couple of years. Never a problem. I sold it to another band that gigged with it almost every weekend for 2 years. The board is nothing special but it will get the job done.

TimmyP · #4 10-14-2010, 08:04 PM

I have mixed on one. When I walk into a gig, I always hope to be mixing on something other than a Mackie (such as a MixWiz or StudioLive). The Carvin had me wishing for a Mackie. I found nothing to recommend it.

John Bigboote · #5 10-14-2010, 10:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TimmyP

I have mixed on one. When I walk into a gig, I always hope to be mixing on something other than a Mackie (such as a MixWiz or StudioLive). The Carvin had me wishing for a Mackie. I found nothing to recommend it.

That's a bit... vague. Reliability issues?

The C1602 has a lot of great features... which would seem to recommend it. Unless there are reliability or performance issues.

-jb

Jazzdogg · #6 10-14-2010, 11:12 PM

If you get a chance, listen before you buy.

Before I bought my MixWiz, I had an analog Yamaha board. Like the Carvin, it had "a lot of great features... which would seem to recommend it." I didn't realize how mediocre the channel pre-amps on the Yamaha sounded until I got the A&H.

I found: http://srforums.prosoundweb.com/ very helpful and informative when I was researching mixers.

Jerry Ziarko · #7 10-15-2010, 07:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jazzdogg

If you get a chance, listen before you buy.

Before I bought my MixWiz, I had an analog Yamaha board. Like the Carvin, it had "a lot of great features... which would seem to recommend it." I didn't realize how mediocre the channel pre-amps on the Yamaha sounded until I got the A&H.

I found: http://srforums.prosoundweb.com/ very helpful and informative when I was researching mixers.

+1 If you are OK with 16 Channels, the A&H Mix Wiz is about the best bang for the buck out there. Not to mention, that the mic pres sound fabulous, it has 6 aux sends, and the built in effects aren't too shabby. Find a used one in good shape, and you won't regret it.

Geddyfleaharris · #8 10-15-2010, 08:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jerry Ziarko

+1 If you are OK with 16 Channels, the A&H Mix Wiz is about the best bang for the buck out there. Not to mention, that the mic pres sound fabulous, it has 6 aux sends, and the built in effects aren't too shabby. Find a used one in good shape, and you won't regret it.

+1 . Just bought one about 6 weeks ago. Cool board for what I need it to do. Everyone I talk to raves about the quality of the mic preamps.

TimmyP · #9 10-17-2010, 10:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by John Bigboote

That's a bit... vague. Reliability issues?

The C1602 has a lot of great features... which would seem to recommend it. Unless there are reliability or performance issues.

-jb

Channel EQ wasn't very good, didn't like the layout of the master section IIRC. There might have been some irritating limitations on what can be cued in the headphones - or maybe it was a lack of I/O someplace - or maybe it was the gain structure (it's been a while, thankfully). As I said, it had me wishing for a Mackie (though not a CFX).

TheLandrunner · #10 12-25-2011, 04:24 PM

Did you get your Carvin 1604? (although the one shown in the link isn't a 1604). The 1604 console is a very good board created in the traditional "Large" VU meter dashboard style with all I/O's in the rear of the board, giving it a rather organized sleek pro appearance, rather than the cluttered look of I/O cables cluttering up on the mixing work panel area. I bought the Carvin custom fitted "Anvil" brand road case to go with the mixer, but never used it as the mixer never left my home studio. Am in a new line of work these days, (lead guide for motorcycle tours from Chicago to Los Angeles), and have decided to sell all my studio/live equipment including the Carvin board and , Tascam multi-track recorders, limiters, compressors, vintage tube amps, mic boom stands, cables, keyboards, Italian Eko hollow body bass, and several other classic items.

MysticMichael · #11 01-30-2012, 01:57 PM

Bump for more opinions on the Carvin Concert Series mixing boards...

MM