| Author | Message | ||
| lowlife
Junior Username: lowlife Post Number: 21 Registered: 12-2003 |
I'm looking for help. I have a CARVIN RC210 (600 watts in a 2x10" tilt back combo). Neither my Excel or my Spoiler sound right through this amp, no matter how much I tweak and fiddle with the EQ. But both basses going through my David Eden stack sound like heaven, and then some. Since I'm not yet ready to part with the Carvin, does anyone out there in Alembic-land have an Alembic/Carvin combination working successfully? Thanks. Ellery | ||
| kipknee
Member Username: kipknee Post Number: 58 Registered: 10-2002 |
I hate to say it, but I think you answered your own question. I couldn't get a decent sound out of my Carvin gear either. I ended up selling it off and buying an SWR Baby-Blue combo (2x8 and tweeter) that is incredible for smaller gigs. For larger gigs, I have an Eden Highwayman and 410XLT. | ||
| kungfusheriff
Member Username: kungfusheriff Post Number: 66 Registered: 8-2003 |
Back when I had a Spoiler and a Baby Blue, the two got along like chocolate and peanut butter. I'd recommend that combo, with the BB sitting atop and powering an EV B-115M, which is a 15+10+horn cab, for situations where more volume is needed. I'll go out on a limb and say Carvin has a reputation for being good on paper but, in practice, lacking "magic." | ||
| keavin
Intermediate Member Username: keavin Post Number: 108 Registered: 12-2002 |
some amps just dont do it for alembics,(no matter what)some are great for them,what i would do is just use that amp strickly for the p-bass only,(any amp will work for a fender). | ||
| lowlife
Junior Username: lowlife Post Number: 28 Registered: 12-2003 |
One of the interesting things that happened after I got my Excel, was I discovered that I had a nephew that was rapidly becomming an avid bass player, and his cheap J-Bass immatation just couldn't cut it anymore. So I gave him one. The others are in the process of being sold in order to generate the necessary cash to purchase an Alembic Fretless of some sort. So the Carvin looks like it's going to my nephew, also. Ellery | ||
| malthumb
Intermediate Member Username: malthumb Post Number: 191 Registered: 5-2002 |
I played for years with an SWR Redhead. Sounded fine. Then I went to an SWR SM500. Sounded better. Now I'm running my F-1X thrtough a Crown XS500. Splendid!! The bottom end is way more pronounced, especially my B string. And I haven't lost anything off the high end. With the SM500 I often had to compromise one end or the other, even with the F-1X on the front end. Peace, James | ||
| henri_lopes
Junior Username: henri_lopes Post Number: 14 Registered: 2-2004 |
I'm very happy with my sound, Swr 350 amp and 2x10 and 1x15 Mesa cabs, I've never tried anything by Carvin, but I've heard some mixed reviews. | ||
| henri_lopes
Junior Username: henri_lopes Post Number: 15 Registered: 2-2004 |
I'm very happy with my sound, Swr 350 amp and 2x10 and 1x15 Mesa cabs, I've never tried anything by Carvin, but I've heard some mixed reviews. I was thinking about ordering one of them Carvin bass kits, 5 string frettless with active electronics. Has anybody around here done that ? If so, is it worth all the work ? | ||
| goatfoot
Junior Username: goatfoot Post Number: 25 Registered: 12-2003 |
I'm also very happy with my Alembic/SWR combination - with my fretted 5 Rogue and WM12 + 1x10 extention, that is. I am less than thrilled with this amp with my fretless Brown Bass, though. I just can't seem to get a good high-mid sound without it sounding "tinny." I was thinking of trying a more full-range, uncolored sound (AI Clarus w/ Acme B2) or saving my pennies for a F2B. What do ya'll think? Is there a good amp for both a fretted 5 string with a maple neck and a fretless 4 with a mahoghany neck? Kevin | ||
| adriaan
Intermediate Member Username: adriaan Post Number: 165 Registered: 6-2002 |
Kevin, On the Rogue, do you have the boost switches on all the time? If the BB has Anniversary electronics, that's a totally different sort of tone shaping. Also, have you tried different extension cabs? The WM12 can sound sweet, but I'm not sure of the 10" extension cab. Try a Son of Bertha 15": move a little more air with the extension, and let the 12" do the talking. | ||
| hollis
Member Username: hollis Post Number: 99 Registered: 11-2003 |
Also, I seem to recall something else Adriaan had said somewhere in the archives about SWR WM12's and the Aural Exciter...... ahhh yes..... http://alembic.com/club/messages/393/6720.html?1071845216 About half way down the thread...Maybe that will help..... Good luck! | ||
| rraymond
Junior Username: rraymond Post Number: 43 Registered: 6-2002 |
FWIW, I'm using a Carvin R600 with my Alembics and get a great sound. The Carvin is driving an Acme Low B 2 which is one of the best cabinets I've ever owned. The other best cabinet is the Acme Low B 4 which I have! I don't use the graphic equalizer in the amp at all, and I keep the other eq controls as flat as possible. I have to admit, I've been toying with the idea of an Eden head for the Low B 2, maybe after I've paid for the upgrades to my Orion. Good luck, Ellery! Reid Raymond | ||
| lowlife
Junior Username: lowlife Post Number: 32 Registered: 12-2003 |
Reid, thanks for the feedback. Since the amp that you're using is the same one that is in the RC210 tilt-back, then there really remains only one possibility. It is the 2 x 10 tilt-back that does not reproduce the sound that I want. One thing that I have not tried was to connect the Carvin head with the Eden cab. I'll do that this weekend and post the results. | ||
| henri_lopes
Junior Username: henri_lopes Post Number: 21 Registered: 2-2004 |
Has anybody around here ever get one of them build it yourselves Carvin bass kits ? Are they any good? | ||
| rraymond
Junior Username: rraymond Post Number: 44 Registered: 6-2002 |
I'd definitely be interested in hearing how the Alembic/Carvin/Eden mix sounds. Eden gear has its share of addicts and evangelists just like Alembic and Acme. I am a died-in-the-wool Ampeg fan to tell the truth, my big rig is an Ampeg SVP-Pro into QSC2402 into the Acme Low B 4. One day I've got to try the Alembic FX-1, though. | ||
| lowlife
Junior Username: lowlife Post Number: 34 Registered: 12-2003 |
OK, here's the results of my biased testing. Two basses; an Excel and a Spoiler. One Carvin R600 head plugged into two cabs; it's own 2 x 10" tilt-back and an exterior Eden ported 1 x 12". When the Eden cab is connected, the Carvin's sound is greatly enhanced, period, and it's not just the low end voicing. What I do not like is the amount of twisting & tweaking that I need to do on the Carvin in order to get a half-decent sound; it's either too much of this or not enough of that. The Eden Time Traveller head is simple. Leave everything at flat and adjust the Enhance knob. The last part of the test consisted of some acrobatic wiring. The Carvin head feeding the Eden 1 x 12" ported cab and also an Eden 1 x 10" twin-cone ported cab. The carvin actually sounded decent. The conclusion? The Carvin 2 x 10" tilt back cab is killing the sound. Ellery (Lowlife) | ||
| rraymond
Junior Username: rraymond Post Number: 45 Registered: 6-2002 |
"Decent" somehow doesn't sound encouraging! ;-) My experience is that with an Alembic, a good cabinet and a clean amp, not much tweaking is required out of the preamp. The Carvin's front-end is more gimmicky than I'd like, I prefer simplicity, but the amp is clean. I'll even fess up to using 3 of their power amps in my PA and home studio. Do the Eden cabinets have their own attenuation settings? The Acme's have them and they are a major part of getting "the sound." YMMV. Good luck on your quest, BTW, besides simplicity, what else do you like about the Time Traveler? I'm considerig the 550 for my Acme Low B 2. | ||
| lowlife
Junior Username: lowlife Post Number: 35 Registered: 12-2003 |
Reid, The Eden 1 x 10 cab has no attenuation adjustments. The Time Traveller head is fastened into this 1 x 10 cab; also removable to use as a stand-alone head. The 1 x 12 cab does have attenuation control, and it was set at the half-way mark. A few other things that I like about the Time Traveller: A) That a small turn on any knob produces audible results; B) That there is a separate button which reshapes certain frequencies to produce a "warm" sound; C) That another button can instantly boost the "gain" of the input making the sound a bit rougher (not needed by my Excel, but very welcome with the Spoiler) Ellery (Lowlife) | ||
| effclef
Intermediate Member Username: effclef Post Number: 122 Registered: 1-2004 |
Rraymond, how do you use the SVP-PRO? I am curious what tone settings you have found good for playing, since a lot of people comment that they run the Alembics basically flat. Can you get a dirty SVT tone out of it? Have you compared it to the SVP-BSP "Billy Sheehan" preamp? EffClef |
