Carvin b 800 owners manual

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HELPFUL HINTS 1) NO SOUND FROM AMP: The MUTE function has been inadvertently engaged, speakers have been improperly connected or Effect Loop has been improperly connected. 2) NO HIGH FREQUENCIES: Tweeters or midrange drivers have been damaged from too much power. 3) WEAK BASS: The speaker systems are wired out of phase to each other. To correct, reverse the wires on one of the speaker connectors. 4) DIR XLR HUM: Try switching the rear GND LIFT switch IN or OUT. Check for noise from external effects or bad cabling. 1. INPUT JACK The 1/4 INPUTjack accommodates both passive and active instruments. The high impedance Class A input stage offers enough headroom to perform without clipping even when used with most active basses. Input gain is adjusted with the DRIVEcontrol and the ACTIVE INPUTswitch. 2. VOLUME CONTROL The VOLUMEcontrol adjusts the output level to the speakers. Adjusting the DRIVEcontrol can also change your speaker output level. 3. MUTE SWITCH AND LED The MUTEswitch will stop all output signals with the exception of the TUNER and EFFECT SENDsignals. The MUTEfunction can also be remotely controlled from the rear FOOTSWITCH JACK using a Carvin FS-22 footswitch. The blue LED next to the MUTE switch will light whenever the amp is muted. The footswitch will have no effect if the front panel MUTE switch is in the UP position. 4. CLIP LED The red CLIPLED indicates that the input is near clipping. Since the B800preamp is designed with several Class A input gain stages and the ability to be overdriven, the CLIPLED monitors only the first input stage and will not indicate when the DRIVEcontrol is set to overdrive the preamp. The input stage offers enough headroom to perform without clipping even when used with most active basses. To avoid input clipping, reduce the bass level or reduce the output level of devices placed between the bass and the input jack. 5. ACTIVE INPUT SWITCH AND LED The ACTIVE INPUTswitch is used to match the input gain of the amp to instruments that contain active electronics. If the preamp is being prematurely overdriven, flip the ACTIVE INPUT switch to the ON position. If the output of your bass is low and you are not getting enough volume from the speakers, be sure the ACTIVE INPUTswitch is OFF and increase the DRIVE control. The blue LED indicates ACTIVE INPUT mode is ON. See also DRIVE control (#6). 6. DRIVE CONTROL The DRIVEcontrol adjusts the input gain to the preamp and the level of harmonics in the signal. With the DRIVEcontrol set low, both input gain and harmonics are at a minimum. Increasing the DRIVEcontrol causes the Class A gain stages to introduce more harmonics resulting in a rich sound typical of vintage tube amps. With the DRIVEcontrol set near maximum, overdrive sounds can be produced. The DRIVEcontrol can be used with the ACTIVE INPUT switch to get the sound you want. To reduce preamp overdrive while retaining the harmonics of a high DRIVElevel setting, turn the ACTIVE INPUTswitch ON or reduce the level on the bass guitar. Turning the ACTIVE INPUTswitch OFF will make preamp overdrive easier. See also ACTIVE INPUT switch (#5). 7. TONE CONTROLS The six TONE CONTROLS on the B800are designed with the center frequencies most requested by professional bass players. This EQ is very effective for getting the sounds you desire out of each instrument. 8. EFFECT LOOP SWITCH AND LED The EFFECT LOOP switch engages the rear effects loop connections. The effects loop can be turned on with the EFFECT LOOPswitch on the front panel or by using the optional FS22 footswitch. When the front panel switch is in the UP position, the loop is engaged regardless of the footswitch. The status of the effects loop is indicated on the front panel by the BLUE LED next to the EFFECT LOOPswitch. See also EFFECT LOOP SEND/RETURN jacks (#5). 9. AMP CLIP LED The AMP CLIPLED indicates that the power amp is being driven too hard . 10. PROTECT LED The PROTECTLED indicates that the power amp has gone into one of its protect modes. 11. POWER SWITCH / (PROTECT RESET) Push the upper portion of the POWER SWITCH to turn the amplifier on. If the large blue power indicator is on but no sound is coming out of the speakers, the amp may have gone into one of its protection modes. To reset the amp, turn the power off for 30 seconds and then turn the amp back on. If the problem persists, check for; a) The speaker impedance is too low for the amp, b) bad speaker cable, c) damaged speaker or, d) blocked rear fan intake. 1 FRONT PANEL CONTROLS 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 rear view/built-in casters BRX212rear view close-up BRX212handle release button BRX212

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FOR MAXIMUM OUTPUT: A. To get more output, use multiple speakers or enclosures. Every time you double your speakers, your acoustic output goes up by a factor of four. Load the amplifier down to its lowest minimum impedance for maximum RMS power. B. To get the highest output from your B800bass amp use two 4 ohm speak- ers. Plug two Speakon-„¢ cables into the rear SPEAKER OUTPUT connectors or daisy-chain another Speakon-„¢ from speaker to speaker. Two 4 ohm speakers will give you a total impedance of 2 ohms, which is the maximum power from your amp. If you use more than two 4 ohm speakers, your amp will shut off and go into the protect mode. To reset, turn your amp off and connect only two 4 ohm speakers. C. Speakon-„¢ cables are recommended for your bass rig because of their high current capacity. While the standard 16 GA 1/4 cables will work OK with your system, the CARVIN SP512 GA Speakon-„¢ cables will allow you to drive as much as 20% more power at high power levels extracting every watt from your B800 bass amp. REAR PANEL CONTROLS 12 13 16 14 15 SPEAKER COMBINATIONS and OHMS ( -„¦): Four x 8-„¦cabinets = 2-„¦(OK) Three x 8-„¦= 2.66-„¦(OK) Two x 8-„¦= 4-„¦(OK) Two x 4-„¦= 2-„¦(OK) One 8-„¦and One 4-„¦cabinet = 2.66-„¦(OK) Two 8-„¦and One 4-„¦= 2-„¦(OK) One 2.66-„¦and One 8-„¦= 2-„¦(OK) Two x 2-„¦= 1-„¦(not recommended) Three x 4-„¦= 1.33-„¦(not recommended) Two x 4-„¦and One 8-„¦= 1.6-„¦(not recommended) One 2.66-„¦and One 4-„¦= 1.6-„¦(not recommended) The B800 is a very powerful amplifier. As with any ampli- fier, make sure your speakers are suitable for the available wattage. Driving speakers with too much wattage will cause them to distort and eventually fail. If distorted sound is coming from the speakers, reduce the volume until the distortion stops. BRX212/BRX112NEO 12 20 17 19 18 13 20 19 16 15 14 17 B800 HEAD 12. COOLING VENTS The rear vents are for cooling the internal power amps. Provide a minimum of 3 of clearance for adequate ventilation. Blocking the air flow to these vents will cause the amp to thermally protect and turn the speaker relays off. If this happens, clear the obstruction first, keep the power on, and turn the guitar volume down allowing the amp to cool. The amp will engage the speaker relays when cooling conditions return to normal. 13. EFFECT LOOP SEND/RETURN JACKS TheEFFECT LOOP- SENDand RETURNjacks are used to connect external effects into the B800 signal chain. The loop is inserted after the DRIVE and TONE CONTROLS but before the VOLUME control. To use the effects loop, connect the SEND jack to the input of the effects unit and connect the RETURNjack to the output of the effects unit. The effects loop can be turned on with the EFFECT LOOPswitch on the front panel or by using the optional FS22footswitch. When the front panel switch is in the UP position, the loop is engaged regardless of the footswitch. The status of the effects loop is indicated on the front panel by the BLUE LED next to the EFFECT LOOPswitch. 14. DIRECT OUT XLR The DIRECT OUTXLR is a balanced output that can be configured in a number of different ways. The PRE / POSTswitch is used to select a pre or post preamp feed. In the PRE(OUT) position, a direct feed is taken off of the INPUTjack and is similar to using a direct input box at the bass guitar output. In the POST(IN) position the feed is post the preamp section and contains all of the signal that is sent to the power amp and speakers. To set the output, use the DIRECT OUT LEVEL control. A GND/LIFTswitch is also available for the DIRECT OUT XLR jack. Set this switch for the lowest noise when using this output. When the GND/LIFTswitch is depressed, the signal ground is lifted from this jack thus eliminating any ground loops between the B800direct out and the gear it is feeding. 15. FOOTSWITCH Connect the optional FS22footswitch to remotely control the MUTE function and the EFFECTS LOOP bypass. The first button on the FS22turns the MUTE on and off and the second button turns the EFFECTS LOOP on and off. Any standard footswitch with a stereo plug will work. 16. TUNER LINE OUT JACK (UNMUTED) The TUNER LINE OUTjack is provided as a place to hook up a tuner. This output is unaffected by the MUTE function so that you may tune your bass quietly. 17. SPEAKER OUTPUTS The B800 amp contains 1/4and SPEAKON-„¢speaker output connectors. Multiple speakers can be attached to either the 1/4 or Speakon-„¢ jacks so long as the total impedance is not below 2-„¦. See SPEAKER COMBINATIONS AND OHMS chart. On the BRX212 and BRX112 combo's the 4 pined Speakon is wired: 1+,1- for the full range 800W amp and 2+,2- for the 50W high frequency amp. The extra speakon on the cabinet can be used for extension speakers (minimum of 4 ohms) with the combo's internal speaker. 18. HF AMP OUTPUT LEVEL The BRX212 features a separate amplifier for the internal high frequency horn. This volume controls the output level for the high frequency amp. 19. INTERNAL FUSE If there are high AC voltage surges or if the amp is used with excessive loads, the internal fuse will protect your amp from damage. If the fuse fails, the proper replacement fuses for 120 VAC models are; 15 AMP250VAC slow blow. 240 VAC models; 10 AMP250 VAC slow blow. 20. AC LINE CORD All B800 Series bass amplifiers are supplied with detachable three conductor AC line cords. Make sure the cord is securely inserted into the back of the unit. Never defeat the ground of the AC line cord as it is there for your protection. If you must plug into a two prong outlet, use a quality 3 to 2 prong grounded adapter and properly ground it.