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Carvin Mixers; better left for the amateurs?


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I've been casually browsing for a new mixer for my church. I've looked at Soundcraft Spirit 8, A&H GL3300, even Mackie SR40 8bus. I happened across Carvin's website to take a look at what they had to offer. The online documentation wasn't very impressive. Just a quick rundown of the typical specs, some without all of the test conditions included. No close up views of the channel strips, master section or the back I/O panel. No user's manual to look at or even a sales brochure. This line in particular puzzled me: Freq. response: 80-5k Hz ±1.5 dB; THD distortion: less than .002% 20-20k Hz; Input Noise: -128 Dbu • AC ripple < .00003% • Balanced Size: 34.5in. W x 22.7 in D x 8 in H"H, wt:56 lbs Freq. response of 80-5K Hz???? How can this be??? Is this reflective of the quality of the board? The price looks nice, but I assume you get what you pay for. Anyone care to dispute?
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there must be an explanation on the frequency range issue though perhaps the extra frequencies are outside of the range of measurement.... if you follow me... hahah yeah right um.... maybe with the recession and all they cant afford to give you that extra frequency damn it, maybe that mixer is made for churches and it says somewhere in the bible that.... ah never mind.... far be it for me to make light of any situation with religious people, theres always one who gets offended :p peace n all that....
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I have one of the smaller ones... Studiomate, I believe. Very, very nice. And one of the quietest mixers I've ever used. Half decent pre-amps, too! I use a lot of Carvin gear, and I've never been disappointed. Order a catalog... you'll get them for the rest of your life , even if you only buy a cord! Steve
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I have one of the Carvin 750 Watt, 12 channel amp/mixer combo's and it's worked great for me. I rarely need to use more than 1/2 power, there are enough channels for most small club needs, and it includes built in effects. I would guess that it would be fine for a church setting. I send the signal through 2 JBL EON 15's and it sounds great for parties, coffeehouses, and small clubs. Anywhere big enough that we can't use this, will probably have its own PA. The Carvin was about $700 and the JBL's were around $600 for the pair. Guitplayer

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Carvin power amps are great! They'll blow 1000's of watts through your speakers very cleanly. Just dont expect them to last a long time. Now, Ive heard nothing but great things about all their other products. But I have had lots of experience with their amps.

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"Hey, I'm not Jesus Christ, I can't turn water into wine. The best I can do is turn beer into urine." Zakk Wylde

 

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Cute :) That *has* to be a typo. Considering that further down the page they say: Frequency Response Channel mic in to: Master out = 10Hz - 60kHz ±1DB Master out > 10Hz - 100kHz +1DB -3DB I can't see anyone selling a board like that with a limit of 5KHz .. well, maybe Peavey :) -- Rob
I have the mind of a criminal genius.....I keep it in the freezer next to mother.
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[quote]Originally posted by velvetoceansound: [b]The online documentation wasn't very impressive. Just a quick rundown of the typical specs, some without all of the test conditions included. No close up views of the channel strips, master section or the back I/O panel. No user's manual to look at or even a sales brochure[/b][/quote] As a devoted Carvinitte :D , I must point out that there is link to their manuals ( http://www.carvin.com/manuals.html ). I don't know which mixer you were looking at, but there are quite a few listed on that link.
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"Yeah, it's most likely a typo. But what does this shoddy documentation say about the products? Just speculation" My speculation is that the people who design and implement the website have nothing to do with the people who make and design the products. I did a website for a strip joint but I'm not a stripper :) -- Rob
I have the mind of a criminal genius.....I keep it in the freezer next to mother.
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I've been using a Carvin power mixer for over 3 years now with nary a hint of a problem. Unless you call too much power a problem. Some of the small places I've played I have trouble getting the volume low enough. Their mics are pretty good too, as are the loudspeakers & I kick myself in the butt for selling my Carvin guitar, an 80's DC150K. They are bringing them back. Their stuff is pretty much bullet proof, good quality & priced right.

 

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Now, please dont think Im flaming Carvin, Im not. Im genuinely like their products... But I have to point out something: There are NO service centers for Carvin. Only CARVIN repairs Carvin. Not too much of a problem until.... When they stop making a product, they no longer service it. As a matter of fact, they dont keep schematics either! So, even if you have a tech who can fix it, you wont be able to get a schematic! This totally blew my mind!

"Meat is the only thing you need beside beer! Big hunks of meat and BEER!!...Lots of freakin' BEER."

"Hey, I'm not Jesus Christ, I can't turn water into wine. The best I can do is turn beer into urine." Zakk Wylde

 

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[quote]Originally posted by Duhduh: [b]When they stop making a product, they no longer service it. As a matter of fact, they dont keep schematics either! So, even if you have a tech who can fix it, you wont be able to get a schematic! This totally blew my mind![/b][/quote] I have an old Carvin guitar amp head that blew the power supply. I called, and they offered to fix it for me and quoted basic hourly rates, etc. Of course I'd have to ship it to them. I ended up having it fixed locally ($80). I agree that having to ship stuff across country isn't fun, but they didn't deny me service. Tom

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Ok, I posed the question on the Carvin board, and got this reply from the moderator: "As with any company, there is a cut-off date where we will not repair or stock parts for old gear. We will still provide schems if we have them. There are also some pieces of gear that require parts that are no longer available to us. In these cases, we usually offer a very attractive discount toward a new model."
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