"the SVT-12HE’s custom 12” driver can handle 300-Watts RMS. "
I wouldn't want to hear 600watts blaring through that single 12".
Enjoy the benefits of a premium membership!
Upgrade Account
-
TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
Join free Log in
Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.
Carvin BX500: Part II
- Thread starter Kelly Lee
- Start date
- Status
"the SVT-12HE’s custom 12” driver can handle 300-Watts RMS. "
I wouldn't want to hear 600watts blaring through that single 12".
Very nice!
I also use my BX500 with a 112 (or a pair of 112s) and it's awesome. That Ampeg 112 looks great. I've never heard of that cab. Pretty cool!
I use the same thing, except the Neo drivers
I'm happy with the sound
Hey B4W; I did read it, even before posting, but I'll paraphrase Bill F. and many other speaker experts who have commented countless times on this subject. "The thermal rating of a driver is a meaningless spec by itself, and has nothing to do with it's real world power handling".
In reality, this driver is probably an Eminence that may or may not have had one or two parameters tweaked a tad in order for Ampeg to advertise it as a "Custom 12" Low Frequency Driver". I'm not even sure what some of these companies refer to to as "Program Handling", but if this driver can take 600 watts of low frequency energy without destroying itself, I'll eat it!
Even in the copy of Ampeg's ad they say, "the SVT-12HEs custom 12 driver can handle 300-Watts RMS",and even that is a thermal rating.So, I'm not saying it's not a good driver, but that it's a misleading spec.
Actually, there was a fairly extensive thread not too long ago that addressed the "RMS", "Program", and "Peak" terminology.
im gonna see if i can try some of those pre tubes - i think the tube pre on the bx500 sounds compressed and kind of rounds of your attack, i was looking forward to the tube pre, but just ended up using the ss pre.
also im getting a hum from the tube - saw some people post about that, is this just a 1st run flaw or what? anyone gotten a replacement tube from them that didnt hum?
I'm in the process of ordering a BR510N, so that means I'll soon be the owner of a BX500. Never ordered anything from Carvin before but I've read and heard great thing about the BX500 and the BR510N, one being that it's very versatile and also that it's pretty loud for an amp it's size.
I played in a huge hotel ballroom last night for a New Year's party and my BX500 was loud. It was barely to 3 on the volume and that was with PA support.
Posted this in a seperate thread but thought I'd drop it here also in the BX500 megathread.
I talked to carvin (amp techs and engineers) regarding the lack of noticable change when pushing the Tube/SS switch, as well as not noticing any difference in Tube tone when rolling through different 12AX7 Tubes via either headphones or DI output.
The Headphone output, as well as the DI OUTPUT do not include the Tube circuit. Meaning if you swap tubes, or simply push the Tube/SS Switch you WILL NOT hear any changes through the Headphones or the DI. Only through a cabinet.
I can live with the Headphones, but it amazes me that the tube circuit is not part of the DI circuit. So only way to monitor changes in the Tube circuit is through a cabinet, and only way to get that tube vibe to a board is via micing the cabinet, or via a post amp output DI.
Not a deal breaker to me, but seems unfortunate.
I talked to carvin (amp techs and engineers) regarding the lack of noticable change when pushing the Tube/SS switch, as well as not noticing any difference in Tube tone when rolling through different 12AX7 Tubes via either headphones or DI output.
The Headphone output, as well as the DI OUTPUT do not include the Tube circuit. Meaning if you swap tubes, or simply push the Tube/SS Switch you WILL NOT hear any changes through the Headphones or the DI. Only through a cabinet.
I can live with the Headphones, but it amazes me that the tube circuit is not part of the DI circuit. So only way to monitor changes in the Tube circuit is through a cabinet, and only way to get that tube vibe to a board is via micing the cabinet, or via a post amp output DI.
Not a deal breaker to me, but seems unfortunate.
Chef
In Memoriam
Concur: I think i t would be nice to have the tube in the DI post eq out at a minimum.
I could live the pre eq di being "a straight pass thru."
I could live the pre eq di being "a straight pass thru."
I'd like to reiterate... I'm loving the head. Just 'surprised' that the tube is there but doing so little in the broad scheme of things. This is a good excuse for me to start running a DI/Mic mix as I'd been planning to do.
Knowing now that DI and headphones do not reproduce any tube oriented vibe or change I approached this weekends gig differently.
The BX500 had a Tung-Sol Reissue in it. DI out to one channel of PA. Mic'd cab to another. BX500 tube switch turned on.
I payed special attention to the effect of the level of the Drive knob on the head. There was noticable tube breakup above about 3 to 5 on the drive knob. However I was playing my very high output bass (18v OBP-3) which I noticed also will over-drive the head some in SolidState setting if I push the on-bass preamp at all. I'm going to swap that bass to 9v to bring it's output more in line with my custom Regenerate Guitar Works bass which has a Nordstrand 3-band EQ in it. There's a dynamic difference in output between those two basses and I use a small boost pedal to bring the Regenerate up to the other basses output level. Going to pull back the high output bass some.
So there 'is' decent noticeable change by the tube switch and different tubes... but you have to listen for it via a cabinet to hear the differences.
Isn't there a inline head to cabinet type DI out there? Seems i've heard of one at some point.
The BX500 had a Tung-Sol Reissue in it. DI out to one channel of PA. Mic'd cab to another. BX500 tube switch turned on.
I payed special attention to the effect of the level of the Drive knob on the head. There was noticable tube breakup above about 3 to 5 on the drive knob. However I was playing my very high output bass (18v OBP-3) which I noticed also will over-drive the head some in SolidState setting if I push the on-bass preamp at all. I'm going to swap that bass to 9v to bring it's output more in line with my custom Regenerate Guitar Works bass which has a Nordstrand 3-band EQ in it. There's a dynamic difference in output between those two basses and I use a small boost pedal to bring the Regenerate up to the other basses output level. Going to pull back the high output bass some.
So there 'is' decent noticeable change by the tube switch and different tubes... but you have to listen for it via a cabinet to hear the differences.
Isn't there a inline head to cabinet type DI out there? Seems i've heard of one at some point.
The Tube was such a non-issue for me that I finally just put my Tech 21 BDDI in the loop (disengaging the BX500 Pre) and it now sounds quite warm and has all that 'tube-like' pre sound I'm looking for.
Anyone notice that the DI adds hiss? I ended up using the line out (1/4") since it was dead quiet (and the mixer was right next to my amp). The DI sounds fine but adds a noticeable hiss.
Chef
In Memoriam
Gotta be careful about youtube... some uploads don't carry *any* low frequency content. My computer speakers have a sub, and there is *nothing* coming through it on this video.
So to answer the question: no, it's not. It is virtually (no pun intended) impossible to get a good representation of an acoustic sound though the internet to your ears, especially with a bass amp -- there's the mic, the recording device, and your PC speakers in between, all adding to, subtracting from, and modifying the original sound. Consider: Could your PC speakers sound anything like YOUR bass amp? No, they couldn't. You really gotta be there to know how a bass amp will sound in person.
No chef. DI is pre-eq and no tube only regardless of how you have the button set on the amp. Headphone is also no tube only, but does reflect EQ settings.
If anything I find that I'm rolling off bass live using the BX500 vs when I was using a Genz Benz NeoPak and very slightly boosted bass.
- Status
