# Carvin Quad X preamp any good?



## Ishan (Aug 21, 2008)

I'm considering this preamp as it can be found pretty cheap used. How does it sounds? 5150? Carvin Legacy? Recto? Or something else?
It looks very versatile and configurable, independent effect loops for each channel, noise gate, 4 channels, graphic EQ, MIDI! It sounds too good to be true.
Any one have any experience with those?


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## Ishan (Aug 22, 2008)

No love for the Quad X-Amp?
Edit : For those wondering, I used the search but nothing much came up


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## thebhef (Sep 4, 2008)

Just got one of these on ebay. Got a cab last night, and a power amp coming tomorrow. I can let you know for sure once I get it all together and try it out this weekend. It's been so-so so far with direct in using the cabinet voicing and quite a bit better when i run it through a cab model on my guitarport. It should be pretty badass once I get my whole setup going.


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## Ishan (Sep 4, 2008)

I bough one too  I should get it tomorrow  I'm in the process of getting an EQ (Rocktron Pro Q) and an effect unit for it (certainly Behringer Vverb).


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## Zepp88 (Sep 4, 2008)

I'll be looking forward to reviews on this.


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## Ishan (Sep 4, 2008)

I just missed the Pro Q, damn eBay  I'll have to find another one or another midi programmable EQ


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## Zepp88 (Sep 4, 2008)

If you can find one the ADA MQ-1 is MIDI programmable.


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## Ishan (Sep 4, 2008)

Those are certainly even rarer than the ProQ  I'm thinking about the Behringer DEQ2496 (which is good, same generation as the Vverb, reliable) but it's a bit pricier. Gotta add a few automatic search to my ebay account, we'll see where it goes from there.


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## Ishan (Sep 4, 2008)

So I got it! Mine is from 96, I tried it a bit in the return of my Koch head.
Channel 1 is very cool, nice warm clean, can be anything tweaked with the 5 band EQ.
Channel 2 doesn't do much, it's like channel 3 without gain (shared EQ).
Channel 3 is very crunchy Marshall, a bit JCM800 voiced with an attitude, it can do the 800 metal tone with a boost, no problem.
Channel 4 sounds very middy with a very raw sounding gain, it's borderline muddy with the stock tubes. It's like a Mesa with Marshall mids, very weird 
I changed V5 to V9 with some new tubes I had laying around (1x 12AX7EH Gold, 3x12AX7EH, 1xTAD7025), it sounds better, tighter.
I decided to try it with my bloody murder, it solved most of the middyness 

Very cool preamp!
I'm going to retube it with some JJ from eurotubes, and install my BM permanently in channel 4 pre-loop I think


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## Josh Lawson (Sep 4, 2008)

Carvin doesn't fuck around with crap. All their shit is pretty good to fantastic.


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## cataclysm_child (Sep 4, 2008)

Try to throw it around on the asphalt as they do on the free DVD and see if it still works like it do on the DVD, hehe. Oh, don't forget the videocam! =)


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## Ishan (Sep 4, 2008)

I was a bit scared when I went to get it at the post office. The guy whom I bought it from wrapped it with just 2 layers of bubble wrap... and the alimentation cord had one of it's prong showing through the cardboard box 
But it's in perfect condition, the tubes were a bit out of their socket but nothing terrible.
So yea, they are tough 
I played with it a little more, the mids are really nasty, even totally scooped they still scream  , it's just insane. Gotta have to play with the graphic EQ.
Every EQ on it are active, it's so much better I don't understand why all modern amp don't have this!


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## YYZ2112 (Sep 4, 2008)

I've always been curious about this preamp. I might need to pick one of these up someday. 

Good luck with yours.


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## Ishan (Sep 4, 2008)

Here's a few pics:

Front, very VERY configurable.





Back, loads of ins/outs/loops/MIDI/whatever you want 





Inside, that's nine tubes, they went overboard with this one 





1996


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## dpm (Sep 4, 2008)

Cool man. I've been interested in one of these for a few years now, thanks for the report!

Does it look like it's internally reconfiguirable to 220/240v?


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## Ishan (Sep 4, 2008)

Well I'm running it 220v so huuu yea 
it can be swapped either 110/220, you just have to reverse the thingy on top of the power outlet and change the fuse


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## dpm (Sep 4, 2008)

ah yeah, you're in Europe... I just got out of bed, sorry about that 

good to know they're easily switchable. Next time I should take a close look at the photos before posting something dumb like that


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## dpm (Sep 4, 2008)

BTW, if you find it's not for you , I'm interested


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## Ishan (Sep 4, 2008)

Mmm still tweaking the thing, but I think it's a keeper 
I recorded with a cab sim form my Toneport, it sounds pretty good


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## Ishan (Sep 4, 2008)

Crappy sample is up 
Music page of Ishan8string - MP3 music page on SoundClick


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## thebhef (Sep 5, 2008)

Oh my love... 

Got some new tubes for channel 4, which was disgustingly muddy before. 2 ruby 12at7's, a ruby 7025, a jj ecc83, and a sovtek 12ax7wb. A random selection, to be sure, but it's what I was able to find at work. Anyways, great success! Channel 4 is great now. I should be able to get some clips up sometime this weekend.


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## Ishan (Sep 5, 2008)

Yea I did the same, muddy before, pretty nice after. But well the tubes in it are stock, 12 years old


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## Zepp88 (Sep 5, 2008)

Wow, nice, thanks for that little review man.

And damn you for making me want to buy another preamp!


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## kherman (Sep 6, 2008)

Just remember there are two versions.

The one Ishan just got is version 2.
Has the standard Midi in/out ports.

Version 1 actually had 1/4" jack style midi ports.
Very odd.
The Carvin Museum - 1992 Quad X-Amp

So, be sure to look for a second generation one.


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## Zepp88 (Sep 6, 2008)

Ohh, looks like it was meant to connect to an external relay box.


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## Ishan (Sep 7, 2008)

There's absolutely no midi on the first version of it, only the DB connector for the FS77 footswitch.
I finally setup mine in my rack with a SS power amp (very transparent) and strangely it doesn't sounds too great with my 2x12", very middy and compressed on channel 4, even if it's better with my Bloody Murder.
The weird thing is through impulses it sounds really great, tight and chunky, something must be wrong with my cab or the quad doesn't like the speakers I'm using (G12 Century)

I did also discover something by accident, cascading the Bloody Murder into a DOD 250 sounds insanely good  can do death metal with no problem  who said the 250 was vintage?


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## thebhef (Sep 7, 2008)

I have the first generation one. It's not really a big deal to me at the moment, the FS-77 can control everything I need controlled. 
I got the same thing on channel 4. It sounds really processed all the time. It also sounds very flat without the graphic eq on. I switched from blackouts over to an evo/tone zone, and it sounds much more natural now. I haven't played it a whole lot with the passives yet, though.


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## Ishan (Sep 8, 2008)

I did a few experiment with a few guitar and... actually it was the guitar I was using (RG3120), probably the very dark bridge pickup I have on it (JS Moore Black Widow alnico VIII). It tried a few things with a custom Mayones Lizard SeGTM I have (JB bridge) and it sounds super tight and very great with the Bloody Murder, massive tight metal tone with the SS power amp.
I'm seriously glade I got this pre!


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