The amp arrived 9 days after I placed the order. Pretty fast! (I was told 7 to 10 days). It looks to be solidly put together. The metal knobs are rugged and the covering is supposedly quite durable (plus it wont attract fur from my cat unlike carpet covering). The portability factor is a big selling point for me. Its slightly lighter than my Yorkville 2x10 cab and fits in the trunk of my Nissan Altima with room left over for a couple of basses and some accessories. It has recessed handles and can be carried with one hand and its quite manageable with both hands.
Sound wise, it puts out a clean, uncoloured sound that is a pretty accurate representation of whatever bass youre playing. It sounds particularly good with my Dingwall Afterburner 5 string, reproducing the instruments clear, rich growl nicely. I had fun playing with the tone controls, especially the sub bass. It doesnt have the tonal variation of my Yamaha PB1/Carvin power amp system but it still very usable. Beware, this unit is LOUD!!! With the volume setting at 2, I was getting complaints from other members of the household. Of course, its not as loud as the mighty B1500 but it can still hold its own.
The 12-inch speaker is a good compromise in size between 1x10, which probably wouldnt have enough bass response, and 1x15, which doesnt have as much punch for my taste.
Besides the volume and portability, another feature that attracted me to this amp is the tilt back feature. I often have trouble hearing myself in a band situation. I want to be able to hear the attack and definition of a note, not just the air its moving. I even made a stand to put my speaker up closer to my ears. With the Carvin tilted upwards, the speaker is aimed right at your head.
An observation: with the amp sitting flat on the floor, I hear more bass response than when its tilted upwards.
The Carvin sounds great with an extension speaker plugged in (as mentioned above, I use a Yorkville 2x10), adding more fullness and volume. I probably wont use this feature too much as the amp is pretty loud on its own and lugging around an extra cab kind of defeats the purpose of why I bought the Carvin in the first place.
I got to try the BRX112NEO at a jam session this weekend. Unfortunately, we played in a building where the acoustics were less than stellar - 1700 square foot garage with a concrete floor and a high ceiling, plus 6 other musicians, some of whom were on vocals. I couldnt hear myself very well, although one of the guitarists said he liked my sound and another said he could hear me, so I guess I was coming in loud and clear from where they were standing (Ill have to get a nice, long cable next time). To be fair, Ive played this same room with my 450 watt system + 2 cabinets and still had trouble hearing clearly. Playing with a pick helped. Id like to try the Carvin in a less reverb-drenched environment.
With the amp turned up to around 6, I noticed the clip light coming on occasionally. I was using my Carvin Icon and my Dingwall, both of which have hot pickups so I guess this is not surprising. I was careful to set the passive active switch on the amp accordingly.
Carvin has addressed all of my needs with this package. If youre looking for a portable and loud amp with that great BRX sound, check this one out.
Sound wise, it puts out a clean, uncoloured sound that is a pretty accurate representation of whatever bass youre playing. It sounds particularly good with my Dingwall Afterburner 5 string, reproducing the instruments clear, rich growl nicely. I had fun playing with the tone controls, especially the sub bass. It doesnt have the tonal variation of my Yamaha PB1/Carvin power amp system but it still very usable. Beware, this unit is LOUD!!! With the volume setting at 2, I was getting complaints from other members of the household. Of course, its not as loud as the mighty B1500 but it can still hold its own.
The 12-inch speaker is a good compromise in size between 1x10, which probably wouldnt have enough bass response, and 1x15, which doesnt have as much punch for my taste.
Besides the volume and portability, another feature that attracted me to this amp is the tilt back feature. I often have trouble hearing myself in a band situation. I want to be able to hear the attack and definition of a note, not just the air its moving. I even made a stand to put my speaker up closer to my ears. With the Carvin tilted upwards, the speaker is aimed right at your head.
An observation: with the amp sitting flat on the floor, I hear more bass response than when its tilted upwards.
The Carvin sounds great with an extension speaker plugged in (as mentioned above, I use a Yorkville 2x10), adding more fullness and volume. I probably wont use this feature too much as the amp is pretty loud on its own and lugging around an extra cab kind of defeats the purpose of why I bought the Carvin in the first place.
I got to try the BRX112NEO at a jam session this weekend. Unfortunately, we played in a building where the acoustics were less than stellar - 1700 square foot garage with a concrete floor and a high ceiling, plus 6 other musicians, some of whom were on vocals. I couldnt hear myself very well, although one of the guitarists said he liked my sound and another said he could hear me, so I guess I was coming in loud and clear from where they were standing (Ill have to get a nice, long cable next time). To be fair, Ive played this same room with my 450 watt system + 2 cabinets and still had trouble hearing clearly. Playing with a pick helped. Id like to try the Carvin in a less reverb-drenched environment.
With the amp turned up to around 6, I noticed the clip light coming on occasionally. I was using my Carvin Icon and my Dingwall, both of which have hot pickups so I guess this is not surprising. I was careful to set the passive active switch on the amp accordingly.
Carvin has addressed all of my needs with this package. If youre looking for a portable and loud amp with that great BRX sound, check this one out.
