Carvin DCM L series

Tom

Tom

Inspired
I've just started ordering parts of my Axe-FX rig (no Axe yet, because I'm trying to find out how to work around a $1005/day limit on my bank card :( ), and I see that Carvin has just released a new series of DCM power amps that are about half the weight. Have any of you ordered one? Does anyone know how they compare to the regular DCM series? It would be great to have such a light power amp, but if I'd be compromising sound quality, I'll probably just suck it up and stick with an old DCM.

http://www.carvinguitars.com/poweramps/
 
Specs on these look decent; a Class AB delivering 400+W into 8 ohms weighing 16lb would be nice. Haven't auditioned these myself yet though. I've been well pleased with Carvin amps in the past from a build quality standpoint.
 
I think I'm going to just go ahead and get one of the L models. Quick question, though: On one of these, could I just run one channel and not have anything plugged into the input or output of the other channel? Or do I need to either bridge it or run two cabs like I would with a tube power amp?
 
Tom said:
I think I'm going to just go ahead and get one of the L models. Quick question, though: On one of these, could I just run one channel and not have anything plugged into the input or output of the other channel? Or do I need to either bridge it or run two cabs like I would with a tube power amp?
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Anyone? I was going to order it tonight, and I'd like to know whether or not I'll need to get the next amp up just so I can bridge it to mono at 4 ohms to match my cab.
 
Hey Tom, sorry didn't see this post until just now.

Don't worry, you can leave one (or both) of the channels in a SS amp without a load, as long as the channel is idle - i.e., you don't have anything connected to the channel input(s).

Also, SS amps typically don't have output transformers, so they don't have the same strict output impedance matching rules that tube amps have. With solid-state amps, the load impedance only has to be equal to or greater than the manufacturer's specified minimum - see the mfgr specs. No load connected = infinity ohms. :)
 
I think im gunna order one too.

Id be willing to compromise tone for 16 lbs!!!!!!

Im just worried that it won't give the punch of a real tube power amp,, but once again,
thats like, an extra 40 lbs or so....
 
Well that's what the power amp sims on the Axe-FX are for, right? Otherwise I'd never even consider using this kind of power amp in my guitar rig.
 
Yeah man. I just ordered a 1500L yesterday. I'm sure the power amp sims will make it sound amazing.
Minus the hastle of changing tubes / blowing stuff...
 
Has anyone else tried a Carvin DCM with a POD? I got my DCM (1540L) a few days ago, but my Axe-FX isn't due until the 30th, so I've been using it with the POD X3. The high end is really fizzy, and that's proving pretty difficult to dial out. I expect the Line 6 to be fizzier than the Axe-FX anyway, but I'd like to hear some other opinions just to be sure that the crappy high end is all POD and only blamable on the Carvin as far as accurately putting back out the noise that's put into it.
 
It's the POD. Run the POD thru an EQ before going to the poweramp, roll off the highs beginning at about 5 KHz and see if Fizz-B-Gon.

Or try a Harmonic Converger ;)
 
Tom said:
Has anyone else tried a Carvin DCM with a POD? I got my DCM (1540L) a few days ago,
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Hey Tom, how is the fan noise on the new DCM series? There's two in the back pushing air to the front it looks like.
 
fredster said:
Tom said:
Has anyone else tried a Carvin DCM with a POD? I got my DCM (1540L) a few days ago,
Click to expand...
Hey Tom, how is the fan noise on the new DCM series? There's two in the back pushing air to the front it looks like.
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They're not exactly whisper quiet, but they're not bad. It's about what I'd expect from a power amp with two fans in the back. I've had amps with single fans that were more annoying.

I seem to be getting some of the same fizzy noise with the Axe-FX that I had been getting with the POD. It's not nearly as bad, but it's there, especially with high gain patches, and so far it's been tough to dial out without making the patch sound too dark. I guess I need to try the Axe through a few other power amps I have around and see where the fizz is really coming from.
 
I absolutely love my 1540L. Just got it last week. After a few days of tweaking and a couple band practices, I feel like all of my presets sound like I wanted them to... Plus the operation is extremely quiet. I have no problem with the fan noise, as the noise floor generated by the whole rig is zero compared to a tube amp...

As far as the "fizziness," i dont seem to hear any of that, but then again, my cab (basson 4 X 12) is very dark sounding. It could be a result of your speaker cab.
 
dbmusicstudios said:
I absolutely love my 1540L. Just got it last week. After a few days of tweaking and a couple band practices, I feel like all of my presets sound like I wanted them to... Plus the operation is extremely quiet. I have no problem with the fan noise, as the noise floor generated by the whole rig is zero compared to a tube amp...

As far as the "fizziness," i dont seem to hear any of that, but then again, my cab (basson 4 X 12) is very dark sounding. It could be a result of your speaker cab.
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Where do you have the treble and presence set on your higher gain patches, if you have any? I'm finding I have to have the treble around 9:00 or lower and the presence up barely above 0, and even then I still have to cut everything above 5k down a couple dB or so with a shelf in a PEQ after the amp block.

My cab is just an Avatar 4x12 with V30s. Is there anything that could be wrong with my cab that would do this? All I can think of that could be wrong with a cab is blown speakers, and I'm pretty sure it would give me different issues than this.
 
Thats funny, on my high gain patches I often finding myself wanting more treble in the 6k - 11k range or so, so I usually use a parametric EQ at the end of the signal chain.

I think it just depends on the cab. I'm not very familiar with the V30s myself. Are you running the DCM at "zero" ? (full power )
 
dbmusicstudios said:
Thats funny, on my high gain patches I often finding myself wanting more treble in the 6k - 11k range or so, so I usually use a parametric EQ at the end of the signal chain.

I think it just depends on the cab. I'm not very familiar with the V30s myself. Are you running the DCM at "zero" ? (full power )
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Nah, I'd be out four speakers and a pair of pants if I tried to run it at maximum volume. I've been running it mostly between really quiet and most of the way to band practice levels, so 9:00 and under.
 
that could actually be your problem.

I've talked to a carvin rep and was told to always keep the power at 0 db (all the way up), and control the volume with the output on the axe.

He told me that if you are running it anything lower than 0, you can possibly fry your speakers, because they will start drawing power from the electrical outlet or something like that....

I always run it on 0 db, and its working out great for me, i just usually run the axe master at around the equivalent to 2 and a half or 3 on a conventional amp volume knob.

-dan
 
dbmusicstudios said:
that could actually be your problem.

I've talked to a carvin rep and was told to always keep the power at 0 db (all the way up), and control the volume with the output on the axe.

He told me that if you are running it anything lower than 0, you can possibly fry your speakers, because they will start drawing power from the electrical outlet or something like that....

I always run it on 0 db, and its working out great for me, i just usually run the axe master at around the equivalent to 2 and a half or 3 on a conventional amp volume knob.

-dan
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Huh? That makes no sense. If running the volume at anything less than 100% would mess up the speakers, why would they put volume knobs on it and not make any mention of it in the manual? I don't know. Nothing personal toward you, but I have trouble believing that.
 
dbmusicstudios said:
that could actually be your problem.

I've talked to a carvin rep and was told to always keep the power at 0 db (all the way up), and control the volume with the output on the axe.

He told me that if you are running it anything lower than 0, you can possibly fry your speakers, because they will start drawing power from the electrical outlet or something like that....

I always run it on 0 db, and its working out great for me, i just usually run the axe master at around the equivalent to 2 and a half or 3 on a conventional amp volume knob.

-dan
Click to expand...

Huh ???

Mik.
 
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