It sounds to me like an amp by amp situation. Mine is very quiet and I've played it for hours on in inside a garage in S. Fl. If any amp is working OT to cool itself off, it is one in my warehouse.
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Carvin's BX1500 and B2000
- Thread starter vinxbass
- Start date
It sounds to me like an amp by amp situation. Mine is very quiet and I've played it for hours on in inside a garage in S. Fl. If any amp is working OT to cool itself off, it is one in my warehouse.
I agree, my only "CON" was actually a "PRO", but I figured if I was giving my point of view on it that I would bring that up. It is frustrating and a lot of people hate that versatility in a head. I don't understand those people, but they exist. I've seen it in the review section of this forum.Personally, I prefer an amp that has a lot of bells & whistles - as long as those bells & whistles are actually useful in one way or another. IMHO, the key to being comfortable with such an amp, and actually getting the most out of it, is to realize that you don't have to actually use all those controls, just because they're there. Kind of like having a 2,000-watt amp - it doesn't mean you have to actually crank all that horsepower, just because it's there...
Take at least a scan through the user manual. Then experiment with the controls, learning how each one affects the sound, and how they interact with one another. Make adjustments incrementally, until you've learned everything about them, and using them becomes intuitive...
MM
That is why I said that just when I think I found my sound, my band practices and I'm not happy with it. Clearly NOT the fault of the amp. One day I'll find it.
I actually have to send the amp back to Carvin today. My tube bypass isn't working properly and they said that they don't want to pretend they know its a quick fix, to just send it back for a brand new unit. Called them about the issue and received a return slip for UPS by email 15 minutes later.The new one is set aside waiting for mine to get there. GREAT CUSTOMER SERVICE THUS FAR
Wow...what kind of fan are they putting in that BX1500? If it's the same or similar to the one in my B2000 then I can assure you that it's nothing to worry about. I mean, think about it, if you are playing any type of gig that requires electric bass at even the lowest of volumes, I would be hard pressed to believe you are going to hear the fan. Even on break or between songs that fan is going to be competing with the other ambient noises in a room. Right now as I type this message I can hear the air being pushed through the supply duct grill above me from the A/C system. Would that be an issue in a coffee house?
I haven't done any coffee house gigs but I do play a beach bar/restaurant gig on a regular basis where we play an acoustic first set. Very low volume during this set is strictly enforced by the manager and bartender so people can carry on a conversation while they eat. I usually bring my Carvin B800 to this gig...but wouldn't hesitate to bring out the B2000 if necessary.
I do not think that the fan is too loud for a quiet gig.
Edit: Oh I don't know if you're asking about the BX1500 or B2000 - I have the B2000 and the fan is not too loud.
I must be one of those people.I don't think I've changed a setting on my B2000 since I first got it, and it's been gigged heavily. I'm not a knob twirler and good tone was not hard to find on that amp!
I was referring to the BX1500. It has way more things to twist and tweak. If it weren't for the bi-amp I would've gotten the B2000, I'm a believer in less is more.
I was one of the people who suggested that the B2000 fan was crazy loud. On mine, when it was out of the rack, the fan was actually louder than the fan in my old DB750 which frequently gets slammed as being a super loud fan.
Based on my experience with the one B2000 I owned briefly, I came to the following conclusions:
It was loud enough that if you were in a studio environment where you couldn't have the head in a different room than the mic'd cab, you'd definitely be able to hear the fan on the recording.
In a coffee shop environment against a mellow acoustic guitar you'd also be able to hear the fan if you were within 10' of the stage. This isn't exactly the target venue for an amp with this much power, so if you owned a separate amp for this type of gig, the point becomes moot.
In a loud, full band practice or live gig context the excessive fan noise becomes a non-issue.
Based on my experience with the one B2000 I owned briefly, I came to the following conclusions:
It was loud enough that if you were in a studio environment where you couldn't have the head in a different room than the mic'd cab, you'd definitely be able to hear the fan on the recording.
In a coffee shop environment against a mellow acoustic guitar you'd also be able to hear the fan if you were within 10' of the stage. This isn't exactly the target venue for an amp with this much power, so if you owned a separate amp for this type of gig, the point becomes moot.
In a loud, full band practice or live gig context the excessive fan noise becomes a non-issue.
Dr Funk
"If you ain't appearing then you be disappearing"
My exact findings with my B2000 as well.
Glad I'm not the only one
It's all relative though. If you're only ever going to use this head in a live, full-band, loud setting it's a complete non-issue.
If you're going to use it in a more "sound-controlled" environment and don't mind the fan noise, or don't consider it loud it's a non-issue.
I couldn't handle the fan noise and that, combined with the other issues I had with this head, was the reason it went back to Carvin. A great head, but not without faults.
For the sake of clarifying my stance on this head, which typically sounds very negative: Despite the flaws, if I hadn't picked up a Tecamp Puma1000 I'd still be rocking a B2000.
As I mentioned before, I had an issue with the tube bypass switch not working properly (BX1500). When I bypassed the tube the amp would stop producing sound. I called Carvin and they said just to send it back. 15 minutes later I had a prepaid return slip in my inbox. I repackaged the head and took it down to the UPS store and got proof of delivery. When I got home and checked my email, I saw that UPS had already processed the package I dropped off AND Carvin sent out a new head to me, tracking number and all. I can't believe that they are sending the replacement head before getting the old one in their hands. That is crazy customer service. I think it would be hard to find someone else to trust trier customers that much. Thanks Carvin!!!
Carvin's customer service is top notch as far as I'm concerned. They cross-shipped a new B1500 to me when the first one failed during the 10 day trial period. Can't ask for more than that.
I had another issue with my recent order for an SB4000 bass. I won't get into the details but I will say that when I let them know I was unhappy they made a solid effort to make it right with me.
I had another issue with my recent order for an SB4000 bass. I won't get into the details but I will say that when I let them know I was unhappy they made a solid effort to make it right with me.
ok, I would agree that this 14 lb, 2050W / 1300W bass amp has a fan that could be too loud for studio use. I would also grant that the fan could be audible between songs at a coffee house gig.
But the fact that your monster truck has problems in an urban parking garage doesn't make it a bad monster truck.
Had the bx1500 & 15/6 on the gig tonite. One thing I noticed is that when I use my VT Bass I have to be careful as to how to set the level on the pedal as it will drive the tube into a more crunchy/distorted sound... which I dont want with my roots rock band. I was messing with settings between songs and ended up playing Elvis' "Thats Alright Mama" with a fairly distorted tone. Kinda funny, but did not suit the song at all. Oops!
If I put the VT Bass into the effects loop would it still overdrive the tube like it does when I plug the pedal directly into the front input of the amp?
If I put the VT Bass into the effects loop would it still overdrive the tube like it does when I plug the pedal directly into the front input of the amp?
But the fact that your monster truck has problems in an urban parking garage doesn't make it a bad monster truck.
True dat.Really, the only reason it would be an issue is for those of us who are trying to "do it all" with only one light weight head. (Read "the fiscally challenged".) It is interesting to hear everyone's opinions.
Is the fan single-speed or variable speed?
If it's just a single-speed fan without a fancy controller you should be able to add a voltage reg and a switch to make it two-speed. Less than an hour and completely reversible if you mount the switch right.
Actually, it looks like you can buy an inline controller.. This is for PC case fans, but there's a very good chance that Carvin buy theirs from the same place. If not you might need to make up an adapter cable.
If it's just a single-speed fan without a fancy controller you should be able to add a voltage reg and a switch to make it two-speed. Less than an hour and completely reversible if you mount the switch right.
Actually, it looks like you can buy an inline controller.. This is for PC case fans, but there's a very good chance that Carvin buy theirs from the same place. If not you might need to make up an adapter cable.
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