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Topic: Carvin BX-500 settings |
Fred Thompson
From:
Zephyrhills, FL
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Posted 10 Aug 2015 6:10 pm |
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I just acquired a Carvin BX-500 and would like to hear from those that are using them, what your settings are.
Fred
_________________
The difference between a musician and a savings bond is eventually the bond will mature and earn money. |
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George Kimery
From:
Limestone, TN, USA
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Posted 11 Aug 2015 4:00 am Carvin BX 500 settings
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Fred, here are my settings. You may need to work on the low mid control a bit. There are so many variables between different steel rigs, it is almost impossible to use somebody else's exact settings but this should give you a good starting point.
I URGE YOU TO FORGET MY SETTINGS. They were done before I had put much dialing time in. For me, Michael Remming's settings are the cat's meow right now.
Last edited by George Kimery on 15 Oct 2015 2:53 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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Fred Thompson
From:
Zephyrhills, FL
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Posted 11 Aug 2015 4:21 am
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Thanks George. This gives me a starting place. 
Fred
_________________
The difference between a musician and a savings bond is eventually the bond will mature and earn money. |
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Jack Stoner
From:
Kansas City, MO
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Posted 11 Aug 2015 5:47 am
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Fred, here are my settings.
Drive: 2
Contour Flat
Bass +6
Lo Mid +3 and approx. 150Hz
High Mid -1 at 800Hz
Treble 0
Master 3.5
Graphic EQ Out (not used) |
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Ian Worley
From:
Sacramento, CA
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Posted 11 Aug 2015 10:14 am
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I see there is a bypass switch for the 12AX7 on this amp. I'm curious how significantly toggling this affects the amp's tone and in what ways. "Warmth" in tone is a subjective concept at best. Any opinions?
Also, the spiel on the website says it "runs cool" - how hot does the case get? Does it have an internal fan? |
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Jack Stoner
From:
Kansas City, MO
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Posted 11 Aug 2015 10:36 am
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There is a definite difference between the tube and no tube. How much difference??? depends on your ears. I was never a "must have tube" amp (last one I had was a Fender Twin in 1981) but this one has changed my mind.
It has a fan. I have mine mounted in a Carvin two space rack. I haven't paid much attention to how hot it gets. I'm not pushing the amp, considering the gain settings I'm using its probably "idling".
The EQ settings shown are not what I use. |
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Fred Thompson
From:
Zephyrhills, FL
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Posted 12 Aug 2015 8:57 am
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Thanks Jack. I'm getting it tuned in, but still haven't got the sweet tone I get from my MB-200 or StereoSteel as yet.
_________________
The difference between a musician and a savings bond is eventually the bond will mature and earn money. |
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Dan Beller-McKenna
From:
Durham, New Hampshire, USA
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Posted 14 Aug 2015 2:20 pm
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| This is a stupid question (and I'm just the guy to ask it!): If I have an active buffer going, should I set switch to "active" on the front of the amp? (I'm using the BX250, but it has the same switch.) |
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Bill Moore
From:
Manchester, Michigan
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Posted 14 Aug 2015 9:01 pm
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| Dan, some basses have active pickups. It looks like the switch just reduces the input level, no need to use. it. As far as settings, I have the graphic Eq on, with just a cut at the 800 frequency. I have the Contour at 3 o'clock. The bass at about 4 o'clock, the treble straight up. The high mids; freq at 800 level at -3. Low mid, set them both straight up to start. then raise or lower the freq. and try different levels. You probably will want to experiment with these controls. If it's too bassy, cut some, or add bass if needed. Just try turning the knobs while picking the strings, you will find a sound that you like. |
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George Kimery
From:
Limestone, TN, USA
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Posted 15 Aug 2015 9:38 pm Carvin BX 500 settings
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The BX 500 is a bass amp. A lot of bass guitars have an active pickup(not passive) that requires a 9 volt battery. You would not use the active switch unless you have a pickup that has to be battery powered.
Also, I like Bill Moore's settings better than mine, so thanks Bill. His sound is fuller and not as thin and just has a better quality sound to it. This is the case with my rig, anyway. Zum D-10 > Black Box > 120 volume pedal > BX 500 amp with a Wet Reverb in the effects loop on the amp. Using a Teonics TSNEO 12-8 speaker mounted into a Valve King 112 cabinet, which is the same size as a Nashville 112 cabinet. I have also used a BW 1501 in an empty Session 500 cabinet with good results.
The BX 500 is a great amp. It may be discontinued. I just got a new catalog from Carvin and it is not listed, but if you are interested, contact Carvin to make sure. They have a BX 700 which is 700 watts and all the controls are the same as the 500, so I assume it sounds the same, just more wattage. Also, the front panel is backlit, which would be nice on a dark stage. |
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Michael Remming
From:
Kimberly, Idaho, USA (deceased)
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Posted 23 Sep 2015 8:26 am
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After a few weeks at home and 2 gigs, here is what I have come up with for settings. I find that all I need to adjust at a gig is Contour, Treble, and not very often. Signal path is steel/hilton pedal/transtube-fex/bx500/15" JBL K-130. I'm very happy with the results.
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Fred Thompson
From:
Zephyrhills, FL
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Posted 24 Sep 2015 3:23 pm
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I solved my problem and made someone happy at the same time... I gave our bass player a great deal on a BX-500 he's been wanting!
It just couldn't compare to my GD Walker StereoSteel.
_________________
The difference between a musician and a savings bond is eventually the bond will mature and earn money. |
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Michael Remming
From:
Kimberly, Idaho, USA (deceased)
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Posted 24 Sep 2015 4:26 pm
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Fred, Glad your bass player is happy!
Hopefully this thread will help others to get their BX500 set up. It looks like we all have different settings to work with.
Whenever I change amps I always try to make it sound like the amp I just had. Which if you think about it really makes no sense.   |
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George Kimery
From:
Limestone, TN, USA
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Posted 15 Oct 2015 2:49 pm Carvin BX 500 settings
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| Michael, I think you have nailed it. Your settings work great for me, a lot better than my own that I posted. So guys, ignore my settings. They were done when I had not had the amp very long. |
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Michael Remming
From:
Kimberly, Idaho, USA (deceased)
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Posted 15 Oct 2015 3:44 pm
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George, I'm glad that worked better for you. I enjoy the part were I stop adjusting and enjoy playing and like what I hear.
Mike |
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George Kimery
From:
Limestone, TN, USA
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Posted 17 Oct 2015 7:18 am Carvin BX 500 settings
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| Michael, I just noticed on the photo that you posted, the blue light is on active pickup. Are you using an active pickup or did the switch just get accidently moved when you took the photo. I had mine set on active pickup accidently(switch up) and it drove me nuts at a gig trying to figure out what was going on. I checked all my cords, switched to another volume pedal, etc. The active setting gave me about half the normal volume. |
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Michael Remming
From:
Kimberly, Idaho, USA (deceased)
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Posted 17 Oct 2015 7:30 am
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George, I'm not using an active pickup but between the hilton pedal and transtube fex in the signal path I thought that warranted using that switch. No shortage of power never had the master higher than 4 at a gig.
Mike |
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Tom Wolverton
From:
Carpinteria, CA
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Posted 26 Oct 2015 9:47 am This rig works great
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I played outside at the San Diego Civic Theater this weekend. The Carvin sounded fantastic. Speaker is a 12" BW. It was a bit too loud, so I just turned around and flipped the active switch on. I also run a Sarno Freeloader. I always have the Freeloader going right after the output jack. On PSG too.
_________________
To write with a broken pencil is pointless. |
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George Kimery
From:
Limestone, TN, USA
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Posted 27 Oct 2015 7:28 am Carvin BX 500 settings
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Tom, interesting that to control the volume you switched to active pickup instead of turning the volume down on the amp. Any reason why? I don't guess it hurts anything and does not affect the tone, but an active pickup is designed to put out some battery power. The goal is to get the best sound to our ears, so more power to you.
Also, with my 500, I get the best sound by turning the master volume high, even wide open. Then lower the volume on the drive and control the volume further with my volume pedal.
Different strokes for different folks I guess. |
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George Macdonald
From:
Vancouver Island BC Canada
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Posted 27 Oct 2015 7:34 am Bx500
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| I often use the "active" switch on the amp too. I find that if I don't, I get a little bit of hum using my Telonics pedal. No hum with my Goodrich pedals. |
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Tom Wolverton
From:
Carpinteria, CA
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Posted 27 Oct 2015 8:50 am
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Reason for using the active switch: It was fast and easy. And I'm basically lazy.
_________________
To write with a broken pencil is pointless. |
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Michael Remming
From:
Kimberly, Idaho, USA (deceased)
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Posted 2 May 2016 8:00 am New Settings for the Carvin BX500
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Our band had to take off 4 months for health reasons and I spent a lot of time at home practicing and adjusting my BX500. I have really got a setting that I like it sounds even better on stage, when we setup last week for a sound check I was blown away with what I was hearing. If the Carvin has one fault, it has too many adjustments and can be somewhat difficult to dial in. Anyway here are the settings I'm using now.
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Tom Wolverton
From:
Carpinteria, CA
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Posted 21 Jul 2016 10:05 pm
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Michael, now that you had it for several months, do you find that your MX500 gets hot in this 4-space rack? Do you have an extra fan in that case?
_________________
To write with a broken pencil is pointless. |
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Jack Stoner
From:
Kansas City, MO
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Posted 22 Jul 2016 2:15 am
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| I have mine in a Carvin 2 space rack (picture in earlier post on this thread). It does not get hot leaving it on for an entire gig. Even, here in hot Florida. |
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Michael Remming
From:
Kimberly, Idaho, USA (deceased)
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Posted 22 Jul 2016 5:36 am
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Tom,
Heat has not been a problem at all. No extra vents or fans in my 4 space rack. |
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