Crate CA-1PD

It puts out a good sound...easy to use.

The sound quality is ok. The echo settings are a bit faint. the reverb is good. the chorus is good. I have it set up with an ovation acoustic /electric. It really feeds back. and the cut dosn't help.Also I noticed its a bit noisy...hisssss.

I wouldnt get to carried away with it.

1.i play metal with lots of acoustic intro's and passages ie:yngwie malmsteen,black sabboth,dream theater,ozzy/rhoads.2.its an ok match.3.been playing for 22years.4.I own two gx-130c crate full stacks.5.i wouldn't buy another.6.I hate the feedback.7.It dosn't help me make music.8.its a bitch to get it set just rite to match all other levels dureing sound check.too much feedback and hisss.

Sounds great, with minimal tweaking. Flexible unit that offers lots of EQ, a rich chorus, and some awesome reverb rooms, and delay.

I use this with a Seagull S6 (LR Baggs micro EQ) running through my church's PA, or through my amp ('71 model Fender Champ). It sounds great through the tube amp..so great as a matter of fact, that I also play my solid body electric through it.

It can get a little noisy at high volumes, but what doesn't?

seems pretty tough, but I baby my gear. I would gig it without a backup, no problem.

never dealt with em, but their website offers much info on their products, and manuals are a free download.

I play folky rock, christian praise songs, with a hint of bluesy tone. This unit suits my needs well.
If it were lost or stolen I would try to find another like it. I enjoy having a single rack effect that I can use for both my acoustic and electric.
My favorite feature is the small room reverb settings it offers. Sounds awesome through my tube amp, very rich.
It has 2 inputs so you can get two guitars, a guitar and a vocal, or maybe a keyboard or a mic'd instrument...

I bought it as new, an instore display unit. I think I got a decent deal on it....though they can be had cheaply on ebay from time to time.

If you're looking for a good way to get your acoustic signal through the PA, this is a very good way to go.

OH HO HO..... now THIS is where this baby really shines and is the reason I sought it out used all over the 'net. A buddy had me thinking to get good sounding acoustic/electric guitar you needed a Trace Elliot. Sure they sound good but one day I heard a fellow playing some smokin' acoustic guitar styled blues; he not only played wonderfully, the sound of his amp/guitar was incredible. I looked to see what gear he was trying out: he had an inexpensive acoustic/electric dreadnought by like Fender or Alvarez, probably a $350-$550 guitar, and he was playing a small CRATE acoustic combo amp. I was WOWed! I decided that day I'd buy a Crate combo someday not even knowing they had just discontinued this wonderful preamp-only 1-rack space ultra-convenient box called the CA-1PD.

Welp, Mus.Fiend had a closeout on the CA-1P(non-D) for $99 and I called too late to snag one, so from that point I scoured the web. I've since landed 4 of these buggers (all Ds except 1) and have sold 2 to best friends and am keeping 2 forever (I always believe in backup for the really good stuff).

If you want to know what the CA-1P/D sounds like I'm sure you could just try any of Crate's current acoustic combo amps; and see if the combo has an output intended to go to your mixer, it's a much better method than mic'ing an amp and that's why I love the 1-rack-unit preamp only CA-1PD.

I love the sound of the CA-1PD; I've paid between $150 to $250 for the ones I've got; and if mine were lost I'd easily pay $250 again. I do think however the original price of these was high and I believe that was their downfall --they were only made/sold for a couple years. $550 msrp on a CA-1PD is just too steep for me who only uses acoustic guitar 5% of the time; but maybe for the "unplugged" nuts (any still out there?) they'd be willing to pay more.

Very simple like any amplifier controls, the only thing confusing is which jacks to use because it has so many ins and outs, but all these ins & outs give you a ton of options beyond what I'll ever use.

Front has standard 1/4" mono input which is what I use with my Takamini acoustic/electric dreadnought. This is channel 1 intended for your guitar.

The unit then has channel 2 for a microphone (the unit intended as a possible 1-man show all-in one preamp, just add poweramp & speaker). So channel 2 has an XLR input and a 1/4" Hi-Z input for you to use either for your mic.

IMPORTANT NOTE: there are 2 models made, the CA-1PD and CA-1P, both say "CA-1P" on the front panel and the "D" model (for digital reverb) has the "D" on its S/N sticker only. They both sound wonderful but you lose convenience when you don't have the built-in reverb so don't pay more than $100 for a CA-1P, but expect to pay $200 for a CA-1PD (used prices, new this unit was $350-CA-1P and $500-CA-1PD).

Effects: built-in chorus on either model, it's analog. The D model adds very good digital reverb, sounds as good as my 18-bit Alesis nanoverb and I can tell that the 16-bid ART FXR does not sound as good. Footswitch jack to turn chorus and reverb off. Both the D and non-D models have an effects loop; the footswitch jack is a stereo jack and lets you turn chorus on/off or turn reverb&loop on/off.

Outputs:
1.) headphone/master out, volume controlled by front panel knob.
2.) Line out section with XLR low-Z out, 1/4" hi-Z out, and a level knob controlling those two.
3.) channel 1 only out, and channel 2 only out.
4.) effects loop send and return.
5.) footswitch jack, stereo plug.
6.) a stereo 1/4" input jack with a pushbutton to determine if tip goes to channel 1 or 2 and ring will go to the other. I have no idea how/why to use this but I'm sure it's a gem for somebody out there.

The output jacks are amazingly numerous and provide flexibility I've never ever seen on any preamp. Looks to me like it's really built well for a 1-man acoustic & singing show, allowing the person to process and mix the 2 outputs in any configuration they want.

Also though I think it's intended for people who amplify their acoustic by both using an internal pickup and mic'ing it externally or in the soundhole.

What I use with just my Tak only: the front 1/4" input on channel 1 and (maybe incorrectly) the headphone/master out to my mixer. Certain other output jacks are dry (no reverb or chorus), from the manual the headphone/master output seems to be designed for how I use it and the sound quality is great.

Seems solid as a rock, since mine were bought used and shipped across the U.S. to me, and I've also shipped 2 of mine across the U.S. to friends I believe this unit is extremely rugged.

Cool thing with Crate: they will warranty their gear based on S/N so you don't have to be the original owner with a receipt. THAT is extremely rare, I don't know any other company doing this, is there any? they all should, I think it's bogus shrug-off most companies won't warranty their gear past the first owner even if it's less than a year old.

I've contacted Crate on a speaker horn driver problem and they were very helpful.
Never had any probs from my CA-1PD.

I'm a hard rock person, only use acoustic about 5% of the time; the sound quality of the CA-1PD is more than a shmo like me deserves.
I have a keen ear though and love good tone; I'm totally enamored of the CA-1PD.

The extreme flexibility and features, and for me the wonderful convenience of going guitar-preamp-mixer, then from mixer to poweramp&cabs and also tape simultaneously, is just perfect.

This box is exactly what I want for acoustic guitar and it's the only box I want/need since it has chorus and reverb and I don't use any other effects on acoustic.

Very simple like any amplifier controls, the only thing confusing is which jacks to use because it has so many ins and outs, but all these ins & outs give you a ton of options beyond what I'll ever use.

Front has standard 1/4" mono input which is what I use with my Takamini acoustic/electric dreadnought. This is channel 1 intended for your guitar.

The unit then has channel 2 for a microphone (the unit intended as a possible 1-man show all-in one preamp, just add poweramp & speaker). So channel 2 has an XLR input and a 1/4" Hi-Z input for you to use either for your mic.

IMPORTANT NOTE: there are 2 models made, the CA-1PD and CA-1P, both say "CA-1P" on the front panel and the "D" model (for digital reverb) has the "D" on its S/N sticker only. They both sound wonderful but you lose convenience when you don't have the built-in reverb so don't pay more than $100 for a CA-1P, but expect to pay $200 for a CA-1PD (used prices, new this unit was $350-CA-1P and $500-CA-1PD).

Effects: built-in chorus on either model, it's analog. The D model adds very good digital reverb, sounds as good as my 18-bit Alesis nanoverb and I can tell that the 16-bid ART FXR does not sound as good. Footswitch jack to turn chorus and reverb off. Both the D and non-D models have an effects loop; the footswitch jack is a stereo jack and lets you turn chorus on/off or turn reverb&loop on/off.

Outputs:
1.) headphone/master out, volume controlled by front panel knob.
2.) Line out section with XLR low-Z out, 1/4" hi-Z out, and a level knob controlling those two.
3.) channel 1 only out, and channel 2 only out.
4.) effects loop send and return.
5.) footswitch jack, stereo plug.
6.) a stereo 1/4" input jack with a pushbutton to determine if tip goes to channel 1 or 2 and ring will go to the other. I have no idea how/why to use this but I'm sure it's a gem for somebody out there.

The output jacks are amazingly numerous and provide flexibility I've never ever seen on any preamp. Looks to me like it's really built well for a 1-man acoustic & singing show, allowing the person to process and mix the 2 outputs in any configuration they want.

Also though I think it's intended for people who amplify their acoustic by both using an internal pickup and mic'ing it externally or in the soundhole.

What I use with just my Tak only: the front 1/4" input on channel 1 and (maybe incorrectly) the headphone/master out to my mixer. Certain other output jacks are dry (no reverb or chorus), from the manual the headphone/master output seems to be designed for how I use it and the sound quality is great.

I give 'ease of use' a 9 not 10 because so many output jacks confused a simian like me ;-D.

OH HO HO..... now THIS is where this baby really shines and is the reason I sought it out used all over the 'net. A buddy had me thinking to get good sounding acoustic/electric guitar you needed a Trace Elliot. Sure they sound good but one day I heard a fellow playing some smokin' acoustic guitar styled blues; he not only played wonderfully, the sound of his amp/guitar was incredible. I looked to see what gear he was trying out: he had an inexpensive acoustic/electric dreadnought by like Fender or Alvarez, probably a $350-$550 guitar, and he was playing a small CRATE acoustic combo amp. I was WOWed! I decided that day I'd buy a Crate combo someday not even knowing they had just discontinued this wonderful preamp-only 1-rack space ultra-convenient box called the CA-1PD.

Welp, Mus.Fiend had a closeout on the CA-1P(non-D) for $99 and I called too late to snag one, so from that point I scoured the web. I've since landed 4 of these buggers (all Ds except 1) and have sold 2 to best friends and am keeping 2 forever (I always believe in backup for the really good stuff).

If you want to know what the CA-1P/D sounds like I'm sure you could just try any of Crate's current acoustic combo amps; and see if the combo has an output intended to go to your mixer, it's a much better method than mic'ing an amp and that's why I love the 1-rack-unit preamp only CA-1PD.

I love the sound of the CA-1PD; I've paid between $150 to $250 for the ones I've got; and if mine were lost I'd easily pay $250 again. I do think however the original price of these was high and I believe that was their downfall --they were only made/sold for a couple years. $550 msrp on a CA-1PD is just too steep for me who only uses acoustic guitar 5% of the time; but maybe for the "unplugged" nuts (any still out there?) they'd be willing to pay more.

Seems solid as a rock, since mine were bought used and shipped across the U.S. to me, and I've also shipped 2 of mine across the U.S. to friends I believe this unit is extremely rugged.

Cool thing with Crate: they will warranty their gear based on S/N so you don't have to be the original owner with a receipt. THAT is extremely rare, I don't know any other company doing this, is there any? they all should, I think it's bogus shrug-off most companies won't warranty their gear past the first owner even if it's less than a year old.

I've contacted Crate on a speaker horn driver problem and they were very helpful. Never had any probs from my CA-1PD.

I'm a hard rock person, only use acoustic about 5% of the time; the sound quality of the CA-1PD is more than a shmo like me deserves.
I have a keen ear though and love good tone; I'm totally enamored of the CA-1PD.

The extreme flexibility and features, and for me the wonderful convenience of going guitar-preamp-mixer, then from mixer to poweramp&cabs and also tape simultaneously, is just perfect.

This box is exactly what I want for acoustic guitar and it's the only box I want/need since it has chorus and reverb and I don't use any other effects on acoustic.