Carvin Cabs?

[greenboy]

hmm... well, the verdict is ALMOST unanimous that it's the head and not the speaker... but the latest post suggests otherwise... who to believe, who to believe???

As always with cabs, taste is also an issue too. We don't all want the same tonal signatures. But defintiely with the Redline 1000 to even find out for sure about the speakers you need to get a handle on dialing in. It's not the simplest flow schematic around, fersure ; }

 

[spideyjg]

Do as Greenboy said and RTM to set the EQ flat. Haul your R1000, 2X10, and bass to a store that has other cabs and see how they sound.

That would prove to your ears which is the culprit for the unsatisfactory tone.

Jim

 

[IconBasser]

*sigh*, well then, I guess will take the head into guitar center, plug it into various cabs and find out...


does anyone have any experience with Carvin cabs - the matching head?

 

[bigdaddy1965]

I have a carvin red eye 4x10 but I prefer on most gigs to use a 600w 15" x 1" p.a. cab.

 

[Dirty Dave]

Am I reading you right? Both of my Carvin cabs are 8 ohms.......peace, John

Well I've been wrong before so this wouldn't be the first time.

I just double checked after reading your reply and saw that the last cab I looked at, the BR410 is apparently available in 8 ohms.

My bad. I checked out Carvin cabs on a number of occasions and never saw that.

 

[joegeezer]

Try what Greenboy says on your EQing. He knows what he's talking about. Give it some time, and try it very carefully, then give your Dad a big hug, for steering you in a good direction. There is absolutely nothing wrong with those Redline cabs. They are a quality cab. I don't know how long you've been at this, but I'm in my 50's and I remember at about 17 my friends Dad was playing Carvin stuff, and told us all to buy it back then. But that was the late 60's and we all thought that Fender was the end all. Wish I'd have bought Carvin back then. Old guys really DO know stuff! The older I get, the more it rings true. You can beat all of the guys if you just try to keep that in your thoughts early. Good Luck!

 

[IconBasser]

thats just it though, I don't think it's the cabs I don't like. I think it's the head.

 

[greenboy]

If it was a Redline R600 I'd tell you to look at some other heads because the R600 has a reputation for going thermal when run hard into the loads it's rated for.

But I used a R1000 (actually with a Carvin 410 and 118) for months at a local club's jam night and it could dish it out hard and probably had a great tone in moments. Other guys wanted to use my settings when they came up to play. Previously they were confused what everything was for and just started doing radical things with the contour buttons, main EQ and graphic, not to mention the two final channel gains and the master volume. They just got further away from "tone" and often were on the last train to Fartsville.

Why'd I do so good? Two reasons. One, a background in sound reinforcement. Two, my basses sound good enough into about any system set relatively flat and I tend to EQ in small increments after I hear what I'm getting from a rig that's new to me. I let my playing techniques determine my basic tonality, and EQ is just to highlight what's already there and to fit in the mix a bit easier.

One thing I didn't like about the Redline is the midrange contour button is ALWAYS cutting at one of two frequencies depending on whether it's in or out. I usually countered that with a slight boost at about the same frequency on the semi parametric mid, if I recall correctly.

But also getting those pre and post gains in the ballpark is key. That's true with most solid-state heads, but especially here since there are two additional power amp channel gains before the final master gain/volume.

 

[spideyjg]

thats just it though, I don't think it's the cabs I don't like. I think it's the head.

Maybe, maybe not. You need to try your head with other cabs and other heads with your cabs to decide for yourself before dropping a dime on new gear.

As the astute greenboy said

As always with cabs, taste is also an issue too. We don't all want the same tonal signatures.

Jim

 

[jmain]

I was checking out Greenboy's thread about the 'Boutique 3-way..." and was wondering about retrofitting the BR115 cab (4 ohm) with an 8 ohm Kappalite 3015LF so I could use it with my 8 ohm 112.

Only reason I would change the driver is so it would be 8 ohms. I'd snatch one up in a second if it was 8 ohms.

Would I have to do any other mods for the conversion to 8 ohms?

 

[Freddels]

I was checking out Greenboy's thread about the 'Boutique 3-way..." and was wondering about retrofitting the BR115 cab (4 ohm) with an 8 ohm Kappalite 3015LF so I could use it with my 8 ohm 112.

Only reason I would change the driver is so it would be 8 ohms. I'd snatch one up in a second if it was 8 ohms.

Would I have to do any other mods for the conversion to 8 ohms?

I believe that was addressed and it was determined that the 3015LF would work very well in that cab (see post #7 of the boutique thread). I had thought about it too but the Carvin RL210 cab that I have is 4 ohms and I don't want to mix.

 

[mjolnir]

I wouldn't be so quick to assume it's the head. I just recently acquired an R1000 from a fellow TB'er and with only minimal tweaking of the EQ (plus messing around with the parametric EQ to get a sort of second slap channel) I got an incredibly sweet tone.

But that's me.

 

[winston]

One thing I didn't like about the Redline is the midrange contour button is ALWAYS cutting at one of two frequencies depending on whether it's in or out. I usually countered that with a slight boost at about the same frequency on the semi parametric mid, if I recall correctly.

I was gonna post this but you beat me to it. I had a '97-Pro Bass 200-12 combo and found the choice between two mid cuts annoying. It was hard to get what I considered a usable sound out of the amp without major EQing--even with great basses (Alembic, Music Man, PV Cirrus). IMO Carvin did this to mitigate the honkiness of the inexpensive Eminence speakers they used.

I also thought the component quality of the amp was very low--cheap consumer electronics grade. That said I liked the speaker section with other heads including GK 400RB, Ampeg B2R, Mesa Bass 400 and Eden WT-400. The speaker sounded great with cleaner-toned cabs like SWR.

I liked the previous generation of Pro Bass gear and after buying this combo I felt Carvin would be better served by getting rid of useless bells & whistles, upgrading component quality, and focusing on tone. Judging by the favorable response to their neo cabs and B-series amps it looks like they're getting it right.

By the way, has anyone tried the BR12 combo?

 

[BWB]

Two things that I personally can't seem to overlook with their cabs though: no 8 ohm versions and no corner protectors.

If it wasn't for that I probably would have bought Carvin cabs a long time ago.

Wait - what?

My Carvin 4 x 10 is 8 ohms and has metal corner protectors. I bought it around 1996. Have they changed?

Good sounding cabinet, BTW.

 

[Blues Cat]

The current BRX410 is Carvin's best cab to date.

Newer DeltaliteII's, 4ohms, 76 lbs, lighter than previous models and they finally got the handle placement right.

 

[jmain]

I believe that was addressed and it was determined that the 3015LF would work very well in that cab (see post #7 of the boutique thread). I had thought about it too but the Carvin RL210 cab that I have is 4 ohms and I don't want to mix.

Right on. Thanks man.

Seems the factory drivers aren't too shabby. Since you have the QSC pwr amp, you could just use it as a 4 ohm cab to match your 210 cab. Well, I guess I could just get the 3-way PA cab, but I wouldn't want to just put around 250 watts into it.

 

[Count Bassie]

...Old guys really DO know stuff! The older I get, the more it rings true....

LOL!!

 

[Freddels]

Right on. Thanks man.

Seems the factory drivers aren't too shabby. Since you have the QSC pwr amp, you could just use it as a 4 ohm cab to match your 210 cab. Well, I guess I could just get the 3-way PA cab, but I wouldn't want to just put around 250 watts into it.

With the factory driver it would be 4 ohms and I would run one off each side of the QSC. But with the 3015LF, one would be 4 ohm and the other would be 8 ohm. I could still run it off separate sides of the QSC but why bother. If I really want the 3015LF, then I'd probably go the 1503 route. . . . (or two)

 

[jmain]

With the factory driver it would be 4 ohms and I would run one off each side of the QSC. But with the 3015LF, one would be 4 ohm and the other would be 8 ohm. I could still run it off separate sides of the QSC but why bother. If I really want the 3015LF, then I'd probably go the 1503 route. . . . (or two)

Gotcha. I'm tempted by the 1503 also. But I think I'm gonna get a pwr amp so I can run my 112 with my 310 if needed. But I see either the BR115 or the 1503 in my distant future.

 

[IconBasser]

I was gonna post this but you beat me to it. I had a '97-Pro Bass 200-12 combo and found the choice between two mid cuts annoying. It was hard to get what I considered a usable sound out of the amp without major EQing--even with great basses (Alembic, Music Man, PV Cirrus). IMO Carvin did this to mitigate the honkiness of the inexpensive Eminence speakers they used.

I also thought the component quality of the amp was very low--cheap consumer electronics grade. That said I liked the speaker section with other heads including GK 400RB, Ampeg B2R, Mesa Bass 400 and Eden WT-400. The speaker sounded great with cleaner-toned cabs like SWR.

I liked the previous generation of Pro Bass gear and after buying this combo I felt Carvin would be better served by getting rid of useless bells & whistles, upgrading component quality, and focusing on tone. Judging by the favorable response to their neo cabs and B-series amps it looks like they're getting it right.

By the way, has anyone tried the BR12 combo?

yeah, the head sounds REALLY honky to me, especially since I usually cut my mids back a bit regardless of the amp I'm using. The tone to me is just... blegh...