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Carvin R600 + Peavey 15” Scorpion (15825)

Discussion in 'Amps and Cabs [BG]' started by jime, Jun 20, 2020.

  1. Jun 20, 2020 #1
    jime

    jime Supporting Member

    Oct 6, 2018
    Northern Illinois
    I picked up a used Carvin R600 and a Peavey 15” Scorpion (15825).

    Can anyone help my C student chump college degree from a state school brain understand...

    1) if I plug the Scorpion into one of the R600S speaker jacks, will I ever risk blowing the speaker? I think the answer is no because the speaker is 8 ohms 200W continuous and the amp is MAX 175W at 8 ohms.

    2) if I plug an 8 ohm speaker into each amp speaker jack, is the MAX output still 175W per speaker? (I have another 8ohm speaker rated at 400W continuous)

    3) what the heck is BI-AMP and why would I need it and if I did need it how would I do it with this amp?

    Scorpion specs:
    • 15"
    • Impedance: 8 Ohms
    • Power capacity: 800 W Peak 400 W Program 200 W Continuous
    Carvin R600 specs:
    Output Power
    • 8Ω THD < 1% 175/175w
    • 4Ω THD < 1% 250/250w
    • 2Ω THD < 1% 300/300w
    • 8Ω Bridged THD < 1% 500w
    • 4Ω Bridged THD < 1% 600w
    • Input Impedance (passive input) 1MΩ (active input) 200kΩ
    • Pre-Shape EQ. Low Boost: +8dB @ 80Hz
    • Mid Shift: 250 Hz or 500 Hz @ 10dB
    • Hi Boost: +6dB @ 3kHz
    • Main EQ. Low ±12dB @ 100Hz
    • Mid Sweep ±12dB @ 200Hz-2kHz
    • High ±12dB @ 6kHz
    • Graphic EQ Freq. ±12dB @ 50, 80, 125, 250, 500, 800, 1.3k, 2.6k, 5k
    • Compressor Variable Threshold Range (-10dB to -35dB)
    • Variable Ratio Range (1.3 to 1) to (5 to 1)
    • Noise Gate Variable Threshold Range off to -30dB
    • Crossover 12dB per Octave Sweepable 200Hz to 2kHz
    Carvin R600 manual
    https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0..._5113fbc6-e104-4f69-91dc-18699c07715b.pdf?360
     
  2. Jun 20, 2020 #2
    mmbongo

    mmbongo I have too many basses. Supporting Member

    Aug 5, 2009
    Upstate, South Carolina
    1) You always run the risk of blowing speakers if you drive them hard or add to much low end EQ. Just keep this in mind....if you hear the speaker starting to distort you have reached it's limit. Reduce your volume/eq.

    2) Bi-amping means using a crossover and two amps to split the signal, sending the lows to one amp and speaker and the highs to a different amp and speaker. It's covered on page 12 of the manual. Your R600 does indeed have 2 amps and a crossover. However, I wouldn't concern yourself with doing this.
     
  3. Jun 20, 2020 #3
    jime

    jime Supporting Member

    Oct 6, 2018
    Northern Illinois
    Thanks mmBongo. Have an awesome rest of the weekend!
     
    mmbongo likes this.
  4. Jun 20, 2020 #4
    agedhorse

    agedhorse Supporting Member Commercial User

    Feb 12, 2006
    Davis, CA (USA)
    Development Engineer-Mesa Boogie, Development Engineer-Genzler (pedals), Product Support-Genz Benz
    The power handling of a driver in free air is very low compared with its rated power. That would not bear well for the Scorpion driver which as a driver alone (without a cabinet) will have a power mechanical handling of less than 100 watts (RMS)

    The cabinet tuning also very much affects the driver's power handling capabilities.
     
  5. Jun 20, 2020 #5
    jime

    jime Supporting Member

    Oct 6, 2018
    Northern Illinois
    Got it. The Scorpion did come with a cabinet. I also have a cabinet for the 12” speaker.

    I appreciate the feedback. Have a great weekend!

    Jime
     
  6. Dec 11, 2021 #6
    tritaz

    tritaz

    Dec 11, 2021
    good evening
    I am in possession of the same Carvin R600 red line

    do you think I can connect it to a MARKBASS 104 HF cabinet ???

    If I can do it .... do you think I will have a good sound?

    thank you
    upload_2021-12-11_22-45-7.png
     
  7. Dec 11, 2021 #7
    Analogeezer

    Analogeezer

    Jul 29, 2021
    FWIW the R600 was made back when a lot of the Carvin cabinets were either available in four ohms or only four ohms.

    So that would result in 250 watts per cabinet with two four ohm speakers which was the typical "stack" they offered back then.

    I don't know how stable this amp would be under a 2 ohm load but you theoretically could have had four of the Carvin 4 ohm cabinets, two per amp channel to get the actual 600 watts which is in the model name.

    At the time these amps were popular in their catalogs (late 90's/early 80's) they were often pitched in said catalogs as "biamped stacks", the idea being you put a single Carvin 18" or 15" (4 ohms) down below and put a 2 x 10" or 4 x 10" on top, then used one amp for the large cabinet and the other amp for the cab with the 10" speakers.

    You could either run both full range or use the biamp function to biamp them.

    I think the 4 x 10" might have only been available in 8 ohms, not 100% sure but I have examples of the 18", the 15", and the 2 x 10" and all are four ohm cabinets.

    Getting to the OP's question, at 175 watts into a Scorpion 15" it should be ok, just don't drive the amp too far into clipping (not hard to do with only 175 watts) and don't send too much low end via the EQ and shape switches to it.

    Analogeezer
     
  8. Dec 12, 2021 #8
    tritaz

    tritaz

    Dec 11, 2021
    Thank you
    I deduce that pairing it with the MARKBASS 104 HF gives a good result.

    In the future I could connect a 1x12 or a 1x15 to the second amplifier