Man, gassing for a Carvin. Feh. I really like the semi para + graphic combination.
Sundogue, do you know what the low end rolloff frequency is for this amp?
I do believe it is 50Hz.
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Carvin BX1200
- Thread starter Sundogue
- Start date
I do believe it is 50Hz.
Yes, each cab is 4 ohm, so I can't run those bridged as it only goes down to 4 ohm total in bridge mode.
If I built a couple of fEarfuls, I'd bridge it for 1200 watts into both.
It is not a tube amp type drive. If you've ever heard GK bass amps (which are also solid state) it adds that kind of growl to it. Don't expect any solid state to sound like an all tube amp.
By bright I don't mean thin sounding. I mean running the amp flat it is so clean that there isn't the least subtle thing you could play that is covered up. It's ALL there, string noise, fretting noise, everything. VERY bright. It's like if you cranked the treble and all the highs on any other amp. THAT bright. But you can cut it back, and because it is that way flat, you can also boost the lows and lo-mids along with cutting highs. All in all, it would be better if the highs were a bit more balanced with the rest of the tonal range, but it's easily tweakable.
The only Hartke I can compare it to is the HA4000 I had a while back...but that's not a fair comparison. It has plenty of lows even set flat and I've pushed the lows at lower volume (only because my cabs aren't tuned to handle loud low end) and it sounds deep if you want it too. The tonal shaping is quite extensive.
I'm still surprised at being able to get this kind of amp for $549...like, OK where's the catch? Nope...it's just a great deal.
Thanks. Oh, you meant Bass Viking.
Hell, I'm a lucky man too. If my wife wasn't so great I wouldn't care at all what she thought and would just do whatever I wanted without any consideration at all for her. My wife has always supported me playing music...and buying gear. Perhaps I was a bit too unfair in my description of my purchase. I felt a bit guilty myself for jumping up to the BX1200 and the higher price. Of course now that I have it, I have no guilt whatsoever.
The power and versatility of the BX1200 is just too much to resist. I too was going to save money and get the BX600 and almost pulled the trigger on that. But the BX1200 isn't going to ever leave me feeling I need more in an amp (either more power or more features).
Resistance is futile...
Actually I'd like to run bi-amped, but I'd like to keep my one 115 and load the other with a 3015LF just so I had the lows going to a single 15 with more xmax. But I'd have to see how my size box would work with that speaker. My designs are for the C2515 and the cabs are more mid-voiced and not built for loud low end. Still the 3015's xmax might compensate for my cab's size being less than ideal for it.
The problem is the 3015LF only comes in 8 ohms and that won't take advantage of the amps power. I could run 2 3015LF's to get to 4 ohms but that is just overkill.
- Apr 3, 2003
- 35,516
- 19,947
- Disclosures
- Editor-in-Chief, Bass Gear Magazine
The Drive control introduces increasingly more harmonics and gain as the knob is turned up, with most of the harmonics coming on during the second half of the pot's travel. This introduces a gradual overdrive, with asymmetrical clipping at the max setting. Our Technical Editor, Tom Lees, addressed the Drive feature with some particularity in his review of the B1500 (BGM issue #2).
Tom.
While I haven't tried the B1500, I completely agree with BassGear's description of the Drive control. I liken it to giving the same kind of growl to the sound that GK is famous for. Not a tube like overdrive, but it adds more grit to the tone. Which for a solid state amp is pretty cool.
The fact that it is on a powerful amphead like this that retails for only $549 is even cooler.
I'll start my replies with this one...
Why is permission from my wife a factor? It isn't a matter of "getting permission" like I'm 8 years old. I love and respect my wife as she does me, and we've agreed that any purchase over $200 would be discussed first. We have four kids and are putting a lot of money into our business and renovating an old barn and farmhouse we bought. Us both being in agreement over a purchase like this is just a mutual courtesy. We initially agreed on the BX600, but I bumped it up and she was a bit concerned because of our budget at the moment. So I was kind of pushing my luck. But my wife is very supportive of me.
Typically my wife doesn't really care all that much if I buy gear either, but if she's budgeting a family vacation with money I'm spending on bass gear, well it's just being decent talking it out.
Now back to the BX1200...
What's that?! Maturity on TB?! SACRILEGE!!!!!
Cheers,
Liam
Man, gassing for a Carvin. Feh. I really like the semi para + graphic combination.
Tell me about it. But the features are intoxicating! And I don't think I've read a negative review yet!
- Dec 18, 2000
- 13,201
- 340
- Disclosures
- greenboy designs: fEARful, bassic, dually, crazy88 etc
I didn't backtrack this quote, but what the heck are you guys thinking about? Some built-in highpass filter? No way it would be anywhere near that high.
I'm not sure where the specs are for that on this amp. I was just going off the specs which list the bass control at 50Hz. There really is nothing else listed anywhere in the manual or online. After I posted it I thought that did not seem right. But if you know, please let me know.
What's that?! Maturity on TB?! SACRILEGE!!!!!
Cheers,
Liam
I'm pushing 50 and gave up being a selfish punk a long time ago.
I don't think luck has anything to do with it. Both my wife and I are fiscally responsible and trust one another. If money is scarce, we just do without non-essential purchases.
On the other hand, if you're saying you wish you were in my situation, my sympathies to you then.
I don't think luck has anything to do with it. Both my wife and I are fiscally responsible and trust one another. If money is scarce, we just do without non-essential purchases.
On the other hand, if you're saying you wish you were in my situation, my sympathies to you then.
For me it isn't a matter of trust. We trust each other, but we both want to know where our money is going...before it goes. If money is scarce and she is planning one thing with the money at hand and I'm thinking of something else to do with it, it's kind of a good idea to talk it out.
Obviously my bass needs are a priority.
Seriously though in this case my needs were a priority as my amphead died and I needed a replacement and while we originally agreed on the BX600, it made more sense to me to just get the BX1200 that I would be better off with in the long run even though it cost more.
Well, the whole family has been gone today so I really got to beat the hell out of this amp. More like beating the hell out of my cabs, but I digress...
Gobs of power. I mean I was just insanely loud through my two 115 neos (4 ohms each, driven by each side of the dual mono block head that puts out 400 watts per side into 4 ohms).
Again, I was playing in my basement with a concrete floor and stone foundation walls. There are some blankets hung on a few walls and carpet on the floor, but there is no wood anywhere except for tables, shelves, etc. Because I was home alone I was playing just stupidly loud...way more than I would even on an outdoor gig and this amp just knocked everything loose in my basement and it wasn't even being pushed hard.
One thing I noticed is that for as bright as this amp is, I do believe it was made that way for a purpose. I've noticed in the past that the louder I would be on a gig the less hi-mids and highs could be heard without adjusting.
The lows on this amp are very well defined and solid, even set flat. There is no need whatsoever to boost the lows (even with my mid-voiced cabs). They are VERY present. When you crank it up the brightness of the amp really shines and keeps those hi-mids and highs very present also. The brightness of the amp at lower volumes require you to cut them back, but when you play at gig volumes they just fit perfectly. It's almost as if they actually designed the amp for gigging volumes instead of bedroom practicing or in-store testing (imagine that...a value priced bass amp that was designed for professional use!). Yes, the amp is overly bright but I think it's design serves a useful purpose and yet it is totally in your control if you don't like it that bright (which I didn't at lower volumes, but LOVE it at higher gigging volumes).
And I am really digging the Drive control. Man, I can crank it all the way up and with a set of rounds on my active Washburn I was getting a very cool Chris Squire vibe going. It really does overdrive the tone into an extremely mean growl. Not in an all tube way, but it gets mean sounding. Played aggressively with a pick and this rig just wants to take a bite out of something. I also noticed that the compressor is more noticeable and sensitive at higher volumes (well, duh!).
This amp is simply an overwhelming value. I haven't had this much power to play with since I used to go the separate Pre/Power Amp setup. And tonally, I can get some distinctly different tones quite easily. I can cut the Drive back for super clean or crank it for that snarl, and I can flip a switch and kick in the Graphic EQ for a completely different tone. I can roll the Contour knob all the way up for an instant slap (smiley face EQ) tone. With my Parametric setup, I can simply roll back the Hi-Mid Level Control and get a real smooth buttery sound or crank it for some extra snap. For the most part I have the amp set flat, except the highs are cut a bit. It is a very hi-fi amp in that it does not seem to color your bass much (aside from being overly bright at lower volumes) when set flat, but gives you endless options for altering that sound if you wish.
POWERFUL, Versatile and IMO one of the best deals for a bass amp ever.
I'll have to post up a review after a few gigs, but based on what I already know about my bass' and cabs' sound potential with the band, I know this is a real winner. I'm interested in it's DI for gigging.
Gobs of power. I mean I was just insanely loud through my two 115 neos (4 ohms each, driven by each side of the dual mono block head that puts out 400 watts per side into 4 ohms).
Again, I was playing in my basement with a concrete floor and stone foundation walls. There are some blankets hung on a few walls and carpet on the floor, but there is no wood anywhere except for tables, shelves, etc. Because I was home alone I was playing just stupidly loud...way more than I would even on an outdoor gig and this amp just knocked everything loose in my basement and it wasn't even being pushed hard.
One thing I noticed is that for as bright as this amp is, I do believe it was made that way for a purpose. I've noticed in the past that the louder I would be on a gig the less hi-mids and highs could be heard without adjusting.
The lows on this amp are very well defined and solid, even set flat. There is no need whatsoever to boost the lows (even with my mid-voiced cabs). They are VERY present. When you crank it up the brightness of the amp really shines and keeps those hi-mids and highs very present also. The brightness of the amp at lower volumes require you to cut them back, but when you play at gig volumes they just fit perfectly. It's almost as if they actually designed the amp for gigging volumes instead of bedroom practicing or in-store testing (imagine that...a value priced bass amp that was designed for professional use!). Yes, the amp is overly bright but I think it's design serves a useful purpose and yet it is totally in your control if you don't like it that bright (which I didn't at lower volumes, but LOVE it at higher gigging volumes).
And I am really digging the Drive control. Man, I can crank it all the way up and with a set of rounds on my active Washburn I was getting a very cool Chris Squire vibe going. It really does overdrive the tone into an extremely mean growl. Not in an all tube way, but it gets mean sounding. Played aggressively with a pick and this rig just wants to take a bite out of something. I also noticed that the compressor is more noticeable and sensitive at higher volumes (well, duh!).
This amp is simply an overwhelming value. I haven't had this much power to play with since I used to go the separate Pre/Power Amp setup. And tonally, I can get some distinctly different tones quite easily. I can cut the Drive back for super clean or crank it for that snarl, and I can flip a switch and kick in the Graphic EQ for a completely different tone. I can roll the Contour knob all the way up for an instant slap (smiley face EQ) tone. With my Parametric setup, I can simply roll back the Hi-Mid Level Control and get a real smooth buttery sound or crank it for some extra snap. For the most part I have the amp set flat, except the highs are cut a bit. It is a very hi-fi amp in that it does not seem to color your bass much (aside from being overly bright at lower volumes) when set flat, but gives you endless options for altering that sound if you wish.
POWERFUL, Versatile and IMO one of the best deals for a bass amp ever.
I'll have to post up a review after a few gigs, but based on what I already know about my bass' and cabs' sound potential with the band, I know this is a real winner. I'm interested in it's DI for gigging.
That LDS cab is pretty much the same as the fEarful design, correct (15 sub and 6.5" mid-range)?
Yes, I think the BX1200 would give you more than you could ever need or want in a bass amp. The BX1200 would be killer with that LDS cab.
And I think with the tonal variety and options on this amp, you could set it up for a variety of basses and quickly change from one sound to another. I only have one bass at the moment but I've played through the BX1200 using both flatwound and roundwound strings and there isn't a tone I can't get out of it. I think it would work great with any cab or any bass...it's that versatile..and did I mention, gobs of POWER?
EDIT: I noticed you use a Peavey ProBass 500. While not the exact same amp, I was using a Peavey T-Max head (500 watts at 2 ohms) and I really loved that head, but it died on me...which is why I bought the BX1200. If you like the ProBass 500 you will really love the BX1200. I've always thought Peavey amps were underrated as they always seemed more powerful than other similarly rated heads.
