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Fix my broke Carvin BX1500

#43
jeff7bass said:
With the X-Over button engaged in the amp works differently. Makes sure it's off if you want to run two cabs in dual mono. Otherwise the CROSSOVER Frequency knob is engaged and this can suck the low end out of your cab depending on which AMP your cab is plugged into on back. I noticed that when I showed my BX1200 to a possible buyer that I was in BI-AMP mode (X-Over on) and I had the CROSSOVER Freq knob set so almost all the low-end was removed from the top 3-way cab. The lower sub was getting almost all of it. As I turned the CF knob to the right, AMP2 (connected to top cab) saw the low-end return. Straight up means both cabs get the same. Of course the BRIDGE button on the back has to be out (off) to run in dual mono or X-Over mode. If it's pushed in, BRIDGE mode is engaged and only AMP1 volume knob works. Try it in bridge mode to see if what happens. It's a ton of power in bridge mode (4 ohm min. load) so be careful.
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Also in the bridge mode, if the crossover is engaged, it will affect the output. Since you are using amp 1 the low side of the crossover, so it can be used as a poor man's sub amp with crossover. I've done it, used my 18 that I use for my bi-amped bass system and used the Carvin in bridged mode with the 18 to add a sub to a little PA, speakers on sticks with a lunchbox powered head I was running. I let the head power the stick speakers. Ran an aux out from the head to the bridged Carvin, dialed in a crossover point that worked with the little speakers. It worked great! :)
 
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#45
scottfeldstein said:
Well in any case I ordered a can of spray cleaner and it should arrive tomorrow. At some point this week I'll open it up and see what I can see. I really do like the amp a lot. If it is revived I will be very pleased.
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Before using the spray. I'd just unplug and plug back in the cables, reseat them, especially the ones from the board with the tube and the one coming from the face or preamp board going to the rest of the amp and see if that helps first :)
 
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#46
DJ Bebop said:
Before using the spray. I'd just unplug and plug back in the cables, reseat them, especially the ones from the board with the tube and the one coming from the face or preamp board going to the rest of the amp and see if that helps first :)
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Sounds like solid advice. I think I'll do that.
 
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#49
DJ Bebop said:
Also in the bridge mode, if the crossover is engaged, it will affect the output. Since you are using amp 1 the low side of the crossover, so it can be used as a poor man's sub amp with crossover. I've done it, used my 18 that I use for my bi-amped bass system and used the Carvin in bridged mode with the 18 to add a sub to a little PA, speakers on sticks with a lunchbox powered head I was running. I let the head power the stick speakers. Ran an aux out from the head to the bridged Carvin, dialed in a crossover point that worked with the little speakers. It worked great! :)
Click to expand...
Good info. I know a lot of people sold their BX1200's because "they're too complicated" but after you spend time with it, you see what it can do. I bought mine with the purpose of running it in X-Over mode. That's why I bought it, and I never changed the settings except for EQ and the Crossover knob, which came in handy depending on the stage, room, etc.
 
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#50
jeff7bass said:
Good info. I know a lot of people sold their BX1200's because "they're too complicated" but after you spend time with it, you see what it can do. I bought mine with the purpose of running it in X-Over mode. That's why I bought it, and I never changed the settings except for EQ and the Crossover knob, which came in handy depending on the stage, room, etc.
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I bought mine just because it seemed like an amazing bargain. It wasn't until I got it that I realized just how capable and flexible it is. I just love the idea of using one side to drive an 810 and the other to drive a 112 for the drummer. Or something. I have never done this, but I like the idea quite a lot. It just feels liberating. I have never bridged this amp, either, but I like knowing that I could if need be.
 
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#51
scottfeldstein said:
Well in any case I ordered a can of spray cleaner and it should arrive tomorrow. At some point this week I'll open it up and see what I can see. I really do like the amp a lot. If it is revived I will be very pleased.
Click to expand...

I have this same amp and haven't ran into this issue since I bought it a few years before Carvin shut down. It sat a couple of years with no use and still works fine when I fired it a few months ago.

Please do not spray anything into the amp or connectors. You may cause more damage than good. I made the mistake of posting advice about using De-Oxit. I would never spray anything inside the amp or any amp, it would be better to have a pro do the cleaning or even see what is going on first.

This is what Agedhorse tries telling people, let a Pro check out the amp, may be something else causing it. What you don't know is that some sprays will leave residue (Bad thing) and make things worse making a small problem into multiple problems if you get it on another component or even attack some plastics in time. Too nice of an amp to mess it up on accident.
 
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#52
Drummerboy2 said:
What you don't know is that some sprays will leave residue (Bad thing) and make things worse.
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I do know that because someone else mentioned it earlier in the thread. It's why I ordered the kind that leaves zero residue. Hopefully I won't need it at all and something just needs to be reseated.
 
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#55
scottfeldstein said:
I do know that because someone else mentioned it earlier in the thread. It's why I ordered the kind that leaves zero residue. Hopefully I won't need it at all and something just needs to be reseated.
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From my experience, even the zero residue kind will leave residue if you spray enough around. I tested it on stuff that wasn't electronic and wasn't important, and sure enough, it left a film behind.
 
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#56
frankie5string said:
From my experience, even the zero residue kind will leave residue if you spray enough around. I tested it on stuff that wasn't electronic and wasn't important, and sure enough, it left a film behind.
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I won't post it so as not to encourage silliness but there's a video of a dude spaying or more like coating a motherboard with a WD 40 product that is supposed to be used like that :)
 
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#58
smperry said:
Reopening. I just did a lot of cleanup in this thread, and could have done more infractions than I did.

Please:
1) comment on the topic not the poster
2) report rather than name call back or otherwise fan the flames
3) don't condescend

Consider this a general warning. Thanks.
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For people like me, sometimes it's so hard to not say something stupid to people that go out of their way to make perfect sense.
 
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#59
Drummerboy2 said:
I found this explanation on the TB from 2016. Hopefully this helps others out as well. I would change out the tube for a more warmer sounding one.

"I recently acquired the schematic for my BX1500 and discovered that the tube is after the amp 1 and 2 controls just before the poweramps. This was proved out when I turned down the master and maxed the amp 1 and 2 controls and sure enough I could finally hear the tube. You still need to give as much pre gain as you can to hear the tube warmth come out. If you use the effects loop, you can boost the signal before the tube."
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I do not have this amp but the B1000 also with a tube. I had to put my Radial Bassbone on full and then then Boost level to 75% and then on the Carvin the drive was on max, before I heard a mild distortion. It was actually quite nice for that kind of tone but the noise floor went up.
 
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#60
scottfeldstein said:
I do know that because someone else mentioned it earlier in the thread. It's why I ordered the kind that leaves zero residue. Hopefully I won't need it at all and something just needs to be reseated.
Click to expand...
You do understand that you're contractually obligated by TB rule 21.753 subsection 4 to let us know if you were or weren't successful... Ok... maybe not really... but I do want to if what worked for me worked for you. :)
 
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