Peavey MAX pre-amp and DPC1400.

Well, I took a deep breath...and together with the ability to field-test it, I decided to get a Peavey MAX bass pre-amp together with Peavey's digital power amp, the DPC1400X (which Peavey now sells together as a rack unit). My local dealer had both used and is giving me a too-good-to pass up deal on a trade for my Carvin R600 (actually the RC210 combo that has the R600 head in it).


I'm going to play with it at a gig this weekend and decide if my Carvin R600 (RC210 combo) will being going in as a trade on this system. I've played it at the store with my Cirrus bass and it has got some serious kick-a** punch to it, with lots and lots of headroom going into a Peavey 412TVX cab.

Never did I think that I would be going straight Peavey with everything from my bass to my amp setup, but this is some serious kick-a** stuff and the whole setup is lighter than ever.

I've never been the biggest Peavey fan (though I've used Peavey equipment off and on for years), but their new gear is just about the best stuff I've played on and through in years...not to mention the best value I've ever come across.

Don't get me wrong...I'd still recommend a Carvin R600 head in a heartbeat...though I probably wouldn't be trading mine in if I had gotten the R1000 right off the bat. But I got the R600 and I really need a little more power and my dealer (who I've dealt with for over 20 years) is giving me too good a deal to pass up.

If anyone is interested, I'll give you my opinions on this gear after this upcoming weekend's gig.

 

I was working with my new setup last night...which actually turned out a little different than I originally posted.

My dealer thought he had a used DPC1400 but it was an older DPC500 piece of crap and the price on a new one was a little more than I wanted to spend. But he did give the same price on a new CS800S (no, not the huge, noisy boat anchor of the past). This CS800S is only 23 lbs. and a 2 rack space height. Bridged it will give me 1200 watts into my 412TVX cab and controlled by the MAX Bass pre-amp.

From what info I can get the MAX pre-amp is identical to the pre-amp part of the T-Max head, only without the power amp.

This thing just kicks some serious butt. It is able to get incredibly loud (more than enough for every gig I'll be playing) and it is so tight, punchy and clear. It's everything I've been looking for. I've got all I need and it has a ton of headroom. I really like the MAX's ability to combine the tube/solid state sound together. Much better tube sound than the tube sound I got from my Carvin, although I still think the Carvin is a fabulous amp.

NOTE: If you are going to get a Carvin Redline bass amp, go for the R1000 right off the bat. I got the R600 and ended up not having enough power in the long run. The R1000 is not that much more than the R600).

 

I still have not played out live with my new setup but I've been messing with it at home and though I still have light fixtures on the ceiling, this setup really shakes my house.

Very clean and powerful. I can certainly understand why so many people wish to invest in incredibly expensive power amps, but my CS800S (not the old CS800 power amp, but the newer and smaller one) is very quiet and powerful at 1200 watts bridged into a 412TVX.

The only thing I don't like is that the Peavey MAX pre-amp will only allow you to change the volume (if running a blend of Tube and SS) by raising the gain on both channels. I can raise it on one channel and it gets louder but then it also alters the sound as there is no "master" volume.

Other than that I am very, very happy with this setup. I got the CS800S and the Peavey MAX pre-amp for less than $500.

I've got one question...I have the CS800S wired to the binding posts (as that is the only choice when bridged) and I am using 16 gauge wire. What does anybody else use for wiring...14 gauge or thicker???

 

Just for the heck of it, I went through and did a search for Peavey posts in the amp section.

Almost every negative complaint has come from those who played through or heard someone play through Peavey's old crap, or their low-budget combo setups.

There is a HUGE difference between Peavey's old gear and there new stuff...and to even badmouth Peavey gear based on a 100 watt bass combo someone tried is just ludicrous.

I would play my setup along side anybody's, I don't care what kind of gear you have, be it Eden or any other outrageously expensive "crap" and I will still like my setup as much as yours...why? Because my setup is lacking for nothing for me, so spending any more money on "boutique" (which, I think is French for "a place to throw hard earned money away") gear for a sound that would not be one bit more satisfying to me, is the equivalent of taking $100 bills and literally flushing them down the toilet.

NOTE: I say all this at the risk of offending someone who does like to flush money down the toilet. I really don't mean to...and it's really directed at those morons who continually bash Peavey by calling their gear "good for the money" (in other words, if that's all you can spend then Peavey's gear is OK...but it'll never be as good as (insert your snobby, nose in the air, mine's better than yours, even though I'll cop out and say "you're entitled to your opinion...I'm glad you like it, but I don't" equipment here).

The truth is, if you don't like Peavey, fine...I don't feel you should give advice to someone saying that they should only buy Peavey if they don't have the cash to spend on what you consider high end gear...because they've got high end gear AND it's inexpensive.

You get what you pay for...and sometimes that means you get...screwed.