Carvin Quad X-Amp Tube Preamp

This unit has a noise gate, graphic eq, 2 clean, 2 dirty chanels &
independent FX loops for each chanel. What else could you possibly
want in a preamp.

The clean sound is equal to or better than the best Fender you ever played through. The distortion sound is the new sterile mass produced Marshall sound. THE FIX-do not change tubes as this is a waste of
money, change the OP-AMPS and there are a lot of them. If you look in any amp that kicks that uses OP-AMPS you will always see Texas Instruments. I have pillaged the coveted ones made from late 80's to
mid 90's mostly from Peavey Classic amps. Yes these little chips effect sound just like changing tubes. This gives the preamp a more warm and vintage sound for both clean and dirty. I use this with an old Traynor plexi style amp which is the best fit of every amp combination I have tried. I use Strats and Les Pauls with Seymour Duncan or vintage pickups. Very good for live gigs, not too complicated but versatile.

Just had to spray the pots out after years of abuse, no other issues.

Carvin has been around for a long time, no issues getting anything you need from them.

Absolute must have for your arsenal, matched with the right power amp and speakers you have a winner.Been playing for 20 years, have owned everything.

Rackmount preamp, 2U. My unit was shipped on September 1992.
Four channels (2 cleans, 1 crunch, 1 lead), 9 tubes, 6 effect loops (4 inserts per channel, 1 master loop, 1 reverb loop), onboard spring reverb, 5-band EQ, noise gate. Relay switches for channels, reverb, effect loop and EQ.

Still can't find the real need for 2 clean channels... rather have 2 crunch channels (thus the 9).
Ch.2 (clean) and Ch.3 (crunch) share the same pre-gain EQ.

Huge (but I mean HUGE) amount of gain on channels 3 and 4. Interactive pre-gain EQ and a very bold post EQ.
You can cover any range of tone imaginable with this unit only.

First thing: this preamp is so silent that I have never needed to engage the built in noise gate (or *any* gate at all)! Even when the gain levels reach 10 on the Ch.4!

It was built for shredders. It handles perfectly the most extreme Metal guitar tones. Nevertheless, rolling down the volume brings the Quad-X Amp to the sweetest clean tone.

I mainly use Ch.1 for crispy clean tone, with effects (chorus/delay) and reverb.
Ch.2 is used for a dry (just a little bit of reverb) fatter tone.
Since the pre-EQ is shared with Ch.3, I set my tone on Ch.3, which is used for an overdrive-like tone. I also use Ch.3 with a bit of reverb.
Ch.4 is my main "chunk-chunk" Metal tone. I use it completely dry for rhythm work and I switch EQ (with a slight boost of mids and high-mids) and eventually effects for solo work.

I use my Quad-X with a Peavey Classic 50/50 (2x50W EL84 power-amp), a Rocktron Intellifex (multi-effects processor) and a Behringer Virtualizer (multi-effects processor).
My guitars range from a HSS Aria Pro II (strat replica) to a Wesley PRS replica. Ibanez RGs, Yamaha Pacifica and RGX... they all sound good with this pre-amp.

I have it for about two months now. The previous owner is a friend of mine and he never had trouble with it. Just follow the regular tube replacements...

Due to the sensitivity of tube amps, it is always a best practice to carry a backup rig with you. Just in case...
I always do. However, I never used it. :-)

So far, the only thing I dealt with Carvin's customer support was an e-mail asking for the manufacture date.
So they promptly answered me... but no further additions!

I'll be honest to everyone and not rate this category.

This is one of the best guitar pre-amps ever built. In my 15 years of playing, very few pieces of gear have pleased me this much.

I bought it "blindly"... I haven't even tried it for myself! I took the chance... and my God, am I pleased with this!!! :-)
It sounds and feels like a "boutique" Mesa/Boogie Mark IV, with an added clean channel and tweaked EQ. (No unusable settings as in the Mark IV).

As I mentioned earlier, I'd rather have 2 crunch channels instead of 2 clean channels.

If it were lost, I'd try to find another one. If it were stolen, return it or dead man! :-)

ADDICTING!!!

Quite easy to use after the user's manual reading.
Then, no rocket science there, do not forget to assign/unassign Rev, Mast eff and Eq per channel when light up.

Rear face connection also clearly labeled.
The manual is clear and accurate.

The preamp just fit my use. 4 channels, very efficient tone knob.
Impressive efficient preamp, for ones who take time to taylor the sound, good tone should not be a problem.
It isn't for me. The effect loop per channel is great to assign an ext graphic eq on channel 2 for exemple.
Only the reverb is disapointing, anyway, I use an external one, like most of us I imagine.

Mine is a 92 model, I do not know it's former life.
It works and works gig after gig.

Never had to deal with them. The Carvin discussion board answered my questions.

I play pop rock for a lonnng time. This preamp is just the perfect companion because of its 4 channels, very good tone, connectivity, and midi connection.
I only regret that there is no possible midi mapping, that involve a programmable midi footswitch to have patch arranged in one patch for live easy usage.

old still buttons, very easy to use, and get a sound from this item. To understand and take advantage of all the possibilities the only way is still to read the owner manual.

I'd like to put a 10 because the tone pots are really efficient, and even minimal moves will be heard, in other words, if you search you will find your sound. I'd put a 9 only because of the spring reverb that does not convice me a lot..

I got mine second hand, all works perfectly. I do not know about the history , so

Never had to deal with

No hesitation, it will be a 10 there. This stuff got 4 channels, a true natural good sound, and enough versatility for the one who takes time to play with the buttons. The effect insert per channel is a great feature.
On mine the midi is full fonctionning.
I do not understand why this stuff does not exist anymore brand new, too bad. Fortunatly it's not too difficult to find, many have been sold, and it looks very reliable.

Most people who use the Quad X know that the clean channels are execellent. However, most don't know how good the 4th channel is for high gain settings are. The high distortion setting on channel 4 are only needed for leads/ solos. For rhythm guitar, very little distortion is needed. High distortion on this channel adds the sustain needs for soloing. For in your face rhythm settings with the Quad X. First, make sure you have a high output pickup at the bridge position. This will make the most of this preamp setting.

Too much distion gain on channel 4 for rhythm guitar sound will only mAKE too much OF a "fizz/ fuzz sound." For a dominant rhythm sound, I recommend these settings...

overdrive 3.5
low 3.5
mid 4.0
high 5.0

add the graphic EQ with these settings

75 hz 0
160 hz + 4
1K 0
3k + 4
6k 0

I am using a solid state Rockton power amp with the Quad X. A high quality tube power amp will make this setting sound even much better!

This is an old preamp but still has the madness to keep going!

I haven't had to cal Carvin, but they seem to put out a great product.

Very straight forward. Manual is easy to understand.

Tone is great! Very versatile. Great live and direct recording.
Why use a tube amp simulator when you have the real thing!!!???
Got rid of my pod xt. Don't use my v-amp either.

No trouble yet. (fingers crossed)

Never needed support.

I play rock and heavy rock. Been playing 40 years. I run the Quad-X thru a Carvin Tube 100. I run mostly in stereo mode at 50 watts. I run thru a stereo 4-12 cab. I play a Shadow with active electronics (German Made)and a hand made SG with Dimarzio PAF in the neck postition and a Super Distortion in the bridge position.
If this amp were stolen I would hunt the person down like a dog and torture him by playing the Osmonds Greatest Hits until he begs for mercy and pledges never to steal again.
I would definitely buy another one.
What I like best is the versatility in tone and ability to call any combination of effect from my Digitech RP1 and any channel on my Quad-X by the tap of a button via MIDI. I love the MIDI option even though I have the footswitch for the amp also.
I have played Marshall, Mesa, Peavey, Crate, and the list goes on and on............ I'm not gonna say it sounds better than any other amp. It actually sounds similar to some but WAY MORE versatile and easier to access the tones you want at the tap of a midi contoller.
This amp definitely ROCKS!!! Great clean tone, great crunch and great hi gain!!!

Addendum and rebuttal to the pro player assuming a pre-amp could ever stand in for real tube output. Get a clue. NO tube pre-amp is EVER gonna sound like a tube amp. Clipping the headroom of a vacuum tube generates distortion. With pre-amps, it is thin and needs to be amplified. I have used Halfler (read Bogner) tube pre-amps and they sound even better than the Carvin, but never mistake output tube distortion for pre-amp distortion that is amplified.

Ease of use is still 8 for novices; 10 for experienced.

See previous Michael E. Waggy Post

Still lament my tc electronic M-300

Want a tc-1210 spatial expander and 2290 DD

Built like a tank

Never needed it

I'll say it again.....

Lost, broken....buy another

Stolen = Dead Man

Well, it's easy to use, great features.

The clean channel is very sweet... the distortion sounds are just ok to me... very muddy and unreal... highly compressed... if you could make an A/B Test with a real tube head(think a good Marshall, soldano,boogie), you will realize that this preamp is for kids or the make highly procesor like guitar sounds,there is no contest against a head... no matter power amp use with it.
I'm not sayi' that sounds bad, very muddy and compressed... not an organic distortion at all...

I'm a pro guy with a lot of experience and a lot of gear to compare...
My music style goes from modern jazz and rock-fusion styles...
To me a great tone is the key to great stuff, and this preamp don't give great tones, plastic is the word to define it... Some solid state amps sounds better to me...by far...
I'm still waiting to hear a preamp that could sound as good as a tube head...

Tone to die for! Currently own 14 electric guitars running the range from LP R9 to Custom made guitars. I play hard rock/metal/alternative and run a TSR24s in the effects loop. I can tweak the Quad-X to get ANY Fender clean-tone, Marshall crunch, Mesa punch with as little or as much distortion as I want - I do have some gear I occassionally run into the front-end (Vox V847 w/ Italian Mod, Redwitch Moonphaser, Analog.man Clone Chorus, OCD, Tonebone Hot British) for when I want to push the Quad-X in another direction, but I could easily kick serious ass with it alone. The noise gate is second-to-none, the reverb works well under 2.5, above that it gets sort of funky and the Para EQ is adequate. Running into a Tube 100 or Mesa poweramp is a must as it creates a saturated tone that is not only head-turning, but able to but through the most demanding situations. The distortion is thick, has it's own character but not over the top. My OCD/Classic British can push it there quite easily though.

So far I prefer my original 93' Quad-X the most, but the 96' is interesting in that it has a different "modern" thing going on, and the 92' seems to have more of a early 60s lower gain thing going on.

I tested all three with my own personal tube selection - The 9, freaking 9! original Chinese 12AX7 were great on their own, but I found a mixture of vintage/hi-gain stuff that suits me better.

Unless you're a country, jazz or orchestra cat I guarantee you'll find something using the Quad-X that you won't find anywhere else, which if you're like me means it's a must have item!

I won 3 Quad-X preamps (92', 93' & 96) and they all sound different! I started with the 93' and bought the 92' as a back-up and the 96' because I heard they were voiced different. They're all Midi and they all function 100%.

I have been using the Quad-X as my main tone generator due to its versitility and awesome tone, so far its my favorite by far and I've owned several Marshalls, Mesa, Fender & Peavey amps and for me they just don't do what the Quad-X can...the only other tone generators I own are an Acoustic Control Corp. 164 (just can't bring myself to sell it) and a Pod XT Pro (I use it for scratch tracks until I get around to miking-up my rig for serious recording).

Never had a problem with any of the three units I own.

Well, since they haven't made Quad-Xs for almost 10 years I suppose they couldn't do much for me, even if I needed it.

Carvin must have lost their mind when they discontinued this unit - Being a So-Cal native I've been around Carvin products my whole life and other than one of their guitars I mistakenly bought the Quad-X is the only product I have even seen them produce that's a keeper.

Obviously I think VERY highly of this unit, otherwise I wouldn't find it necessary to own two back-ups, which I bought before the prices went crazy in the used market...Now everyone wants one, but they can't have mine! They're safe and sound in my VERY secure studio and only one leaves at a time and I watch it like a hawk!

tried the preamp with several guitars and always the same result: tons of sustain, harmonics and overtones. very quiet with built-in gate. the clean channel is one of the best i've ever heard. channel 2 and 3 are good to run a pod or v-amp thru to get a some tube help/warmth. channel 4 is all the gain you ever wanted and more. with normal output pickups you may never go past 6 on the gain control. now the bad: channel 4 has a nasal midrange harmonic overtone to it. i tried changing to new mesa tubes but still the same sound. not bad, just very different. you won't get a marshall or mesa sound, just an original carvin sound (which can be good). also, there is no high-end fizz to the distortion, not even with the bright boost on and the eq cranked to max on the highs. what does that mean? get a BBE and you might be happy. the preamp just doesn't cut thru enough on it's own.

by now you know the specs. 9 tube preamp with tons of features.

built like a tank! no problems to be found after years of use.

carvin is great to deal with. the other musician's on the carvin forum are also very helpful.

if i found another quad-x with the pedal for under $250 i would consider picking it up. my friend has mine and uses it in conjunction with a behringer v-ampire amp and v-amp and a BBE and gets great tones out of it. so try it with different gear to see how it reacts before you dis' it. i'm now using an engl E530 preamp and a peavey tube fex preamp and i love it.

Ease = 8 for novices; 10 for more versed. Give it a 9.

I bought this unit in 1994 along with the T100 Tube amp. I can honestly say that I have NEVER heard a combination quite like this. Is it a Fender Twin? No. Is it a JTM 45? No. It is what it is. A Carvin.

Editing patches is kind of a non issue on the pre-amp. I use a DigiTech PMC-10 and have assigned the Quad-X a MIDI channel and I can go from drop dead Fender clean to over the top Marshall/Boogie scream with the touch of a button (gee, go figure).

The manual is quite good, it's why I opted out of the FS-77 that is "supposed" to run the unit.

Dunno about any firware revision number. Upgraded? Nope, only been thoroughly cleaned and tweaked by my tech.

The EQ controls on the unit are pretty aggressive. Carvin warns in the manual that turning everything up to 10 is probably not a good idea. I thoroughly agree. My EQ (not the sliders mind you which stay more or less flat) rarely moves beyond the 3.5 to 7.5 range on any pitch.

The unit itself is quite quiet. Not as quiet as my faithful old Hafler (Bogner) T-2, but pretty doggone quiet.

I use the Quad-X in conjunction with the T100 Tube amp with 4 matched Groove Tubes. Getting the sound of any of my favorite artists is pretty easy....turn a know or two....change channels and you pretty much have it. Can I sound EXACTLY like David Gilmore or Alex Lifeson? No. But I can get close enough to fool even hard-core fans.

Bought the unit new in 1994, only thing it has ever had done is a cleaning.

Never gig without a back-up (Hafler T2).

no need, so no opinion

This pre-amp is a great pre-amp for anyone that isn't stuck on the "Just plug into an amp and play" mentality. It offers far more flexibility as far as FX routings (via the 4 channel dedicated loops, plus a master, not to mention the reverb loop) than ANY other pre-amp I've seen. Granted, I am a bit out of touch, but I really do love this unit.

I've been playing for 33 years and my rack is basically 3 units (sans the power strip). The Quad-X, The Tube (T) 100, and a tc electronic M-300. The only piece I somewhat lament is the tc - it doesn't have XLR. The output goes to two (Mesa) Boogie 1x12 cabs with EV 200's (L & M). Though I rarely crank the Vol over "4" (about -26 or -24 db) on the amp, I get frequent requests from my wife to "Turn it down!!" (undoubtedly due to my playing).

Lost? Buy another. Stolen?....Dead man.

Love everything about the unit. Best thing is Flexibility.

Compared to Marshall's MP-1 (?) pretty much all other pre-amps available at the time. This one just looked best. Wish I had that kinda luck in Vegas.

It neither helps the creative process nor hinders it. It serves as a great tool to release what I want to sound like. Would Stevie Ray Vaughn like it? Probably not. Same with Jimmy Page and Pete Townshend. Would people who like Alex Lifeson, David Gilmore, Mark Knopfler, etc like it? ABSOLUTELY. The routing configurations and sound quality alone make it worthwhile.

10 Rating
I got this and footswitch used at about $150 and consider it my best find after a Hammond C32, matching bench and Leslie in a dumpster. I use this in studio and out- it is versatile. Solid as a rock and no problems. I run Steinberger guitar and bass through this. Bass is great also on this. And I run a Sequential Circuits Prophet 600 analog synthesizer through it and it sounds fantastic! Ran such through a Leslie (not rotary speaker)and this was unbelievable. I highly recommend this as you can tweak sounds well with all of the features and this is a good teaching technique for sound generation which adds to your knowledge/experience for guitar, vocals, and bass if you use them. I have used all features of the amp at some time except the midi, and all worked fine.

I use a Digitech effects for guitar and synth "reverb." And at times I can run pedals through the individual effect channels. I run it right into stereo PA, so the XLRs out are perfect for this. I have the preamp and effects unit in a small rack type case and used to play thorugh headphones from this. It has midi that I haven't used yet. One problem or advantage depending on you is lack of "memory" so I use my brain to remember the numbers and knobs, which is actually good for both brain and machine.

In studio I can run quickly from bass and synth on Channel 1 to guitars on 2,3,4. The overdrive needs careful setting and may not be appreciated by all.

I play blues, jazz, folk, rock, electronic, acid jazz, whatever. I record into a digital machine. The machine has numerous emulations and ability to layer, but one still needs the warmth, body, and chaos they lack. Especially playing live. I can lay down rythm for a new tune then go to the bells and whistles as my friends pick it up.

The footswitch is full featured, big and easy to see, solid, doesn't slide around, and always responds perfectly.

This is it. I have been looking for a GREAT clean, a GREAT crunch and a GREAT Metal sounds in one place for years. The reverb and effects loops are assignable so just by switching channels you can have effercts or not. I have the reverb set on the clean and loop on for crunch. Graphic for metal (Sustain ch). I can go from (better) Fender clean to raunchy blues to death metal with the click of a switch.
The sustain ch is really good for a sweet bluesy sound with the gain backed off, or crank the overdrive and dial up the mids and down the treble and you have Santana. The Crunch does a great JCM800 sound.

4 channel tube preamp (described perviously). The only thing I could possibly ding this for is not having presets. But, I would argue that this is a good thing. No menus. Every control that I could ever think of (and then some) right on the front, ready to be tweaked. Back panel is even better. How many loops can you imagine? Balanced outs! Rear input! Mono or Stereo. Noise gate! Graphic! Reverb! Hello? Why isn't this available on every preamp?

Mine is the later series that is MIDI controled. Don't believe the BS, the new ones sound just as good as the old ones (without MIDI control). I own both because I bought into that rumor. If anything, the MIDI controled one sounds better. I am looking for another to put away in the attic...

Works perfect even though it is over 10 yrs old. Tubes inside mean that there is a chance of failure, but it would be the tubes fault and not the preamp. I have swapped tubes but never had a problem. I gig with it without any hesitation.

Folks, NEVER, EVER, FOR ANY REASON, play a gig without a backup.

Never had a problem with Carvin. Never had to send it in for repair. However, not having a local authorized repair facility is a minor ding.

I have been playing for over 30 years, in every style. I cannot imagine a sound that I cannot get with this preamp. I have spent thousands and thousands trying to get here, I wish I had found the Carvin sooner. It is a real shame that they don't make it anymore and, they prob won't ever again (rumored lawsuit from Mesa over their Quad preamp?). If you find one, grab it, for the price there is nothing that is even close to features and quality of sound. I will not ever sell mine.

Pretty EZ to use with lots of versatility. Manual is available via a download.

Using a Strat with lace pickups, A Carlo Robelli semi hollow LP dbl cutaway (which really sings thru the Carvin), a Stagg 350 jazz-box, a Jackson Stealth, a Dean Custom, a Kramer Baretta and even a Strat-Acoustic. Get the picture.......very versatile. I've use choruses, a V-amp, reverbs, distortions and wah thru the Carvin into a Marshall rack mount pwr amp. The sound is simply sweet and the noise gate.....what noise? My friends keep asking me if I'm gonna sell it. NOT A CHANCE.

I've had it since 1999. replaced the tubes cause I could, not that it needed it. Not a problem EVER....!!!

Haven't had to use it....very reliable. Downloaded manual from Carvin, tho.

I use it to play everything from blues, jazz, r&b, soul, funk, rock, fusion & hip-hop....live and studio. I've been playing since 1978. Would definetly buy another if I had to. I was going to get a Fender tweed amp....SO GLAD I DIDN'T.

This is an addition to a previous review I did. I recently hooked my rack setup together midi style to an effects unit. I bought a programmable midi controller, so that helps. Anyways, someone review this thing as having an "unuseable" midi option. I don't really know what they expect, but I found the midi to work very well. Sure you can only change channels, and the midi patch to channel number is fixed (ie channel one is triggered by patch one, 2 by 2, 3 by 3, 4 by 4, and 4 again by five.) This makes a lot of sense, because then you have two clean sounds, a crunch sound, a high gain rhythm sound, and a solo sound for the five pedals that usually occur on midi foot controllers. At least that is how I use it. And if I had the option of setting it up however I want, that is exactly how I would do it anyways!!! The switching is as fast and flawless as with the fs-77 footswitch. Note: if you can't find an fs77 for the quad x, look into getting a basic, cheap midi controller and it will do the job. NOTE AS WELL THAT THIS IS FOR THE LATER QUAD X THAT HAS ACTUAL MIDI CONNECTIONS INSTEAD OF 1/4" JACK MIDI!!!! I cannot stress this enough.

I am using this preamp with a Carvin T100 tube power amp and Furman Power Distributor. My 2 main guitars are both Ibanez Rg520's with Seymour Duncan JB's in the bridge and SD Super Distortions in the neck. My style is kinda like a heavier Dream Theater- but in 4/4 lol. In terms of tones- Carvins clean sounds are top notch- and stay clean all the way up. The distortion on this amp is unbelievable! Carvin's bottom end is incredibly tight- they have been doing the bone-rattle-bass long before it was hip. The amp is no noisier than any other high gain amp and with an onboard gate- it doesn't even matter- you won't hear it.

This is a Quad X Amp made in '92. This has enough features to do almost anything. 4 channels- Clean1 Clean2 OD1 and OD2, onboard noise gate and reverb, a weird(kinda useless) thing called Cloaking which pulls your bottom end out.It also has 6 effects loops- stereo or mono outputs and 9 12AX7's!!! Tons of gain on channel 4- more than you could ever need- and I am a gain addict NOTHING ever has enough gain for me- lol. Channel 3 has moderate distortion and it still has more than the lead channel on a Mesa Dual Rec Solo(sold one to buy this). It also has channel memory(remembers Reverb, EQ, and Effect loop setrting from the last time you were on that channel)-so if you want your chorus on the clean sound and not on the distortion- just click it on the clean- then when you come back to the clean channel- there it is again- YAY! Finally! So if you are used to doing the tapdance to get a good clean sound and another to switch back to distortion- this amp is a dream come true.

Well- I just bought this. But Carvin's are beasts. I have been using my X100b head for almost 14 years(gigs, rehearsals, and 4+ hours daily of practice), and, with yearly retubes, it has never failed me. I always brought a backup to gigs and never had to use it(thank God i didn't- it was a Marshall- lol).

I have dealt with Carvin numerous times and they were always helpful- I wrote them a email the other day- a dumb question about the power amp- and they responded within minutes. I am also a guitar tech by profession and have called them about their guitars and they were always helpful.

I have been playing guitar for almost 17 years(geez)- I have a Carvin X100B half stack that I bought when I was 16- I also just recently bought a Mesa Dual Rec Solo head and was disappointed with it- which is why I got this. I chose this because everyone has their own sound in their head and Carvin is really the only company that makes amps for people like me(gainaholics- but it has to be 'good' gain with ultra tight bottom- and a crystal clear clean channel). If it were stolen- I would look for the person doubled over gasping for air and take it back- this rack is heavy- lol. But I would definitely buy another one.

Can be a bit tricky to setup for a live gig after using it for practice. Probably a good idea to write down the settings for each situation or mark them on the unit with a chinagraph/wax pencil.

Obviously the settings will need tweaking anyway, depending on the venue.

Haven't tried to control via Midi.

I am dispappointed that the Channels are different levels - getting a decent volume on Channel 4 means you have to turn down Channel 3 which then loses out on its own sound quality.

However an amp engineer could probably correct this.

Live (rock) I used to put this into the effects return of my Marshall Valve combo, and not use the Marshall preamp section at all. Channel 3 was great for rhythmn and Channel 4 for lead.

At home I feed the output into a Yamaha MU10 synth box, which splits the signal into Stereo Chorus and feed that into my mixing desk. The mixing desk feeds my PC recording gear and HiFi speakers.

I have had it since about 1995 and not had any problem, except the EQ sliders are a bit fragile and I have bent one or two.

N/A. However Carvin won't sell to International customers (you have to go through a dealer). They have lost over a thousand dollars worth of orders from me because of that. My brother's friend ordered my unit for me and he fetched it back to England after a trip. I also bought a Carvin guitar at the same time.

Pretty damn good :)

This is an amendment to my previous review. The high pitched feedback turned out to be my microphonic pickup, so if that was discouraging anyone from getting this thing THE FEEDBACK WAS NOT DUE TO THE QUAD X!!!! THis amp is extremely versatile in tone and setup possibilities (all the different effects loops and everything) If you find one for less than 400 american, jump on it!

On it's own, easy to use. But it has so many functions that it could get hairy. But, that's what I love about it. So many options.

Warmoth strat with JB at bridge, Hot gold lace sensor (mid), Hot silver at the neck. (specially tweeked at the Lace custom shop)> EB Vol pedal,Morley wha> Quad-x pre-amp>carvin tube 100 power amp> 2/2x12 cabs. There are individual channel return/sends in the back. I have a Hot cake and a Baby blue overdrive hooked up to channel 4. I don't like channel 3 so much, but have used it with pitch shifting stuff from a Digitech TSR-24 effects unit, I also use the delays and reverbs from the TSR. The on board reverb is weak, so I use a Lexicon MPX 100 for the overall Reverb/chorus making use of the master effects and master reverb stereo return/sends in the back. They could be assigned to any channel. On it's own it is a tastey, articulate amp. Nice clear as a bell sound to a great brown sound on channel 4. The other added outboard stuff inhance things a little. I mean just a little 'cause it only needs a little. It has a nice direct to board output with cabinet voicing that actually isn't bad. I'm not a fan of direct recording but I have used it with pretty good results. I've played side by side with different players with different amps. I've always been greatly pleased by the sound and never felt my sound lacked.

I've had for over 9 years. NO PROBLEMS. I change tubes once in a while. I trust CARVIN products.

N/A

Rock fusion,blues,a little jazz flavor. This thing has everything I need. Carvin thought of everything. I've been playing over 25+ years and went through Fenders,Marshalls,Peaveys,Laneys,Mesa Boogie,Supro and Danelectro.These are all great amps I've kept most these amps and from time to time use 'em. The ONE that works best for me is the Carvin set up.

I am using a gibson firebird with a dimarzio hot mini bucker retrofit to clean up the distortion sound(bridge pickup). I don't know whether it is my tube setup or what, but channel 1 and two sound exacly the same except for the fact that channel two lacks a mid control. cleans are very responsive and very bright. almost too bright. I play with my treble on 0, mid on 8 and bass on 7. This may sound weird, but you've gotta try the settings before you knock em'. I really like the sound that i'm getting from the clean now. You can feel the notes respond, not unlike a fender twin reverb. volume at 2. Channel 2 shares the eq with channel 3 so i pretty much don't use channel 2. Channel three is probably supposed to be used as a blues crunch channel, but i'm not big into that sound. I use channel 3 for my solo channel because it has a good feel for soloing. Gain at 10, bass and treble at 7, volume at 6. Channel four has unwholesome amounts of gain. I play in a prog rock band and i like my gainy sounds, and this thing deals out enough with gain between 3 and four. after that it starts sounding more like a fuzzbox than a usable overdrive, but with the gain there, i really like the sound. bass on 7, mid on 4, treble on 7, volume on 6. channel 3 is much louder on 6 than channel four on 6. the other guitarist in my band plays through an 82 jcm 800 stack, and the sounds are simillar, but the carvin is a bit tighter sounding. The only problem i have with it is that it feeds back easily at a really high pitch which caused my to use my broadband eq on it. THE BROADBAND EQ IS MY SECRET TO GOOD SOUND! please do not read any further because these are a couple of my most dear personal secrets to good sound...

i use a 10 band grapic eq in the master effects loop of the quad x (my effects go in the parallel reverb loop) with the above settings, here are the main events in graphic eqing. If you are playing more complex chords SHELF OUT (-6 to -8 dBV) the available frequency between 200 and 250 Hz and your sound will be much clearer. 250 Hz is the "MUD" frequency. If you are experiencing the high pitched feedback like i am shelf out 4 kHz (-6 to -8 dBV) this is the "harsh" frequency, it also prevents the undesireable kind of feedback from the quad x. now you can play with the remaining eq as if they were the tone controls in your amp without the mud sound and the harsh high-mid sound that hurts the ears at high levels. (by the way i picked up the eq for $25 at a pawn shop and it was the best thing i've added to my setup)
the noisegate is adequate.
by the way i also play through a peavey cs400 power amp and a classic 412es cabinet.
What i like the best about this preamp is the responsive feel of the notes when i play it. The palm muting sound with overdrive is punchy and clear, perfect. I would give this an 8 3/4 for sound but they don't have that option. great sounding, very versatile unit, for a third of the price of it's peers!
oh yeah, the channel switching is flawless, no pauses!

Four Channels-two clean, two dirty; Noise Gate; assignable spring reverb; assignable five channel eq; cloaking filter; bright switch; boost switch; master reverb loop (parallel); master effects loop(serial); dedicated effects loops on each channel; stereo effect capability; active channel eq...
A good, but pricy feature; every channel has its own dedicated tubes, so if you want to change tubes for a different clean sound, but like the distortion as is (or vice versa), don't worry about it, just change the appropriate tubes and leave the other ones.

haven't owned it long enough yet! KEEP IT IN A GOOD RACK CASE! Because the channels have their own dedicated tubes, if one burns out on stage, you could still use the other channels which would be unaffected, and all would not be lost!

This is a discontinued model, but carvin still answered my questions about it promply and accurately. They even sent me a free schematic of the footswitch (because i didn't have one) so i could build one. i eventually found one though.

I like this thing. I don't necessarily think it is the best thing out there, but for it's price compared to its peers which i suppose is the boogie studio, formula, and quad preamps, soldano preamp, and the engl 250 etc, none of which i tried, it appears to be a real bargain! I've tried the peavey tube fex (more of an effects unit) and the yamaha dg 1000, and this thing kills them both (mainly because they are both crappy, not specifically because this is awesome, though it is really good) but still i haven't tried the mesa/boogie counterparts.

i love the feel, punch of the palm mutings, huge amount of control you are given in the way of eq and effects, and the sound!

I hate that feedback, even though i have figured out how to avoid it almost entirely, it still bugs me that it's there...somewhere...

i'm currently using an 80's charvel with a duncan 59 in the bridge.also I use a japanese strat with three noiseless single coil pickups.I pipe the carvin through a fender deville 4x10.i go out the carvin to power amp in of the fender.channel 3 is my favorite.think paul kossof's tone in the song"alright now".the tone controls are active therefore shaping your sound is a pleasure.I keep my gain on ch. 3 on 7.Channel 4 is higher gain ,van halen's brown sound.I keep that on about 4 or 5.real high gain stuff cannot be attained,thank God.

i'm guessing this amp was manufactured in the early 90's.it has four channels,nine pre-amp tubes,all analog.it's fully equipped,effects loops for each channel.i'm happy with it's features.the reverb is not very authentic sounding. that's just my opinion,though.

I've owned this unit for six months now and have had no problems.this is a road worthy piece of gear.I will eventually swap the tubes out.this is a vintage piece so I suggest if you see one to snap it up hands down.

I haven't dealt with carvin so ,unable to comment.

I've been playing for about 18 yrs.If it were lost or stolen I'd try to find another one.My friends that have heard this pre-amp rave about it. I used to own a rocktron pirahna and that was a joke compared.after getting this I'm glad I lost it in the pawn shop.the footswith that came with it is as tough as nails. that alone is worth the 200 bones I spent .

This amp does it all! My greatest joy was around channel 1. I've played many Fender amps with my neck p/u thru a TC chorus and nothing compares to this one. Tons of detail and complexity. It's very clean and tough to push, but when you get it there, it's a beauty. I've played entire gigs with chan 1 only, w/some heavy effects on the crunch stuff and it just performs.

Oh yeah, 3 more chans. Don't like 3- 4 is real cool. Don't really like the vol drop, but that's easily remedied with the master vol. Full, round distict distortion where all the notes are very defined, unless you really push it and this thing can go there.

This amp goes everywhere. Jazz, County, hard rock, punk- it finds it all! Hell, I run my acoustic thru chan 1 and it's perfect. I had an oportunity to trade it for a Marshall pre, but came around just in time. This is a one of a kind.

You?ve read them all. All smart very and versatile . Many, many places to go. I don?t use the bright function, never do with any of my amps, but this one has a nice round quality I haven?t found elsewhere.
The cloaking this is cool. I don?t have much of a need for it, but it works very nice when I push the amp to want that touch.

I read a bad review of the reverb. I think it?s top shelf. A very welcomed discovery.

This baby is the early pre modern midi and it's never even coughed. Dive it hard with some hard gig knocks and it keeps on ticking. I swapped some tubes around a few times (very much recommended)

carvin defines CS

Carvin decided that they need more margin, like everyone else in the business, so they discontinued the line. As with all Carvin products, sad but true, they don?t appreciate in value. Carvin owners hang on to them. This thing is the real deal. Tube heaven. There are more places to go with this one than you?ll find in anything. For $400, it would be a wise move to buy one, even if it were going too sit in a studio for a few months before you get around to brining it in. They?re out there and it?s a very good thing to own. Not that it matters, but who else do you know is an owner- Amaze people.

I use a Gibson Blueshawk (Blues 90 pickups). Heavy gauge strings. Used with a Carvin T100 power amp (kept real low) and Carvin V212 cab.

This is PERFECT. I play a bit of everything, mostly medium gain rock/blues. Channel 1 is big, round, and bubbly in the mids, with sweet, chimmy highs (ever played an original Sunn Model-T?, it's like the bright channel). Good base. Channel 2 and 3 are less defined, but have different dynamics, and are certainly useful in a live situation, especially as every channel has independant effects loops. Channel three is pretty useful in-house when working that vibe where clean chords alternate with dirty.

Channel 4: Bright on, Bass 6, Mid 8, Treb 7, OD 2.5, you've got a great glassy AC30 vibe, sweet highs and stingy light overdrive with lots of room for picking dynamics and good compression (the blues tone of my dreams). With the OD up, this is one thick, fuzzy, sustaining channel. The overdrive is totally it's own, but closest to a DC30 in timbre with the best properties of a modern Boogie (the full bass/mids, harmonics, compression, and smooth character). It works equally for classic rock and modern alternative.

I like how this doesn't sound like any other amp (Fender, Marshall, etc). I get that AC30/DC30 vibe at low OD levels, with the EQ set as above, but from there on it's like a Matchless meets original Big Muff. The clean is also nice, round, and chimmy. Very warm.

Reverb is decent (think solid-state Fender) but there's a reverb loop on the back for substituting one's own outboard reverb unit--some day I'll get around to it. The bright and boost switches work well; the bright is essential to my sound, the boost is not huge, but designed (says in manual) to bring a weaker single-coild guitar up to the proper input level (+10db). As my guitar falls in between single-coil and hb in output, I alternate...basically it makes channels 3 & 4 more agressive.

You know them from other reviewers. 4 channels, footswitch, EQ. Bright and boost switches are great.

Other than this unit, I own a Rt.66 pedal (Visual Sound), and I want to get a wah and Zoom UF1 fuzz. This is a setup I'd wanted for a long time, and it's my ideal, so I guess I'd have to get it again.

I love how it sounds unique--bright, full, and very smooth, like I'd always wished a Fender would sound, with nice compression. There's not one thing I don't like. I've played Vox AC15, Fender Deluxe Reverb, a bunch of Marshalls, a Matchless SC30, etc. Channel 1 sounds like a Sunn Model-T, 2 & 3 sound closest to a Deluxe Reverb, channel 4 is like nothing else (super-saturated Matchless?).

Reverb is weak, but usable.

Strats work great (I want to get a strat with a hotrails in the bridge to do that 90s alternative thing), humbuckers are devastating on channel 4 (think Linkin Park), and my Blueshawk treads all areas of modern and classic blues, rock, and jazz in between. My accoustic sounds HUGE on channel 1.

i like to jump between early VanHalen sounding lead guitar to clean jazz and anything in between. this pre-amp can actually do that, and many things in between. for you scooped mid metel heads, this will do exactly what you want it to do by setting the graphic eQ. I tried many preamps and NONE had the wide palette of sounds that this has, even for twice the price.
oh yeah,as with any preamp when you are dealing with tube overdrive, you will always be creating some noise(hiss/hum/etc). thats where the built in noise gate(activated by the INPUT signal)comes in- its killer.
how brutal is the distortion you ask? well, using a little outboard compression in the Ch4 effects loop, i need only set the drive knob at about 3 (out of 10)for ripping distortion. i honestly dont think anyone would need anything over 6 or 7. its all there folks.
i do not care for the cloaking control which does nothing for me at all, perhaps they could have replaced this with a presence control or even a selectable MID freq(a la parametric)..no biggie

I traded in my '92(pre-MIDI) model for a '95(fully MIDI-fied) unit. despite obvious differences in components between the early and later years, both sound quite similar.
The footswitch is a must have - it allows you to switch channels and tap in and out the reverb, eQ, and effects loop on the fly.
As for features, WOW! carvin has really done it, packing 4 channels, some incredibly tube cascade overdrive, built in spring reverb, awesome noise gate, graphic eQ, and plenty of effects loops to incorporate all your outboard gear.
i wish Ch2&3 had MID controls instead of just LOW/HIGH, that would really help. Dont get me wrong, i could live off Ch1&4 exclusively and not miss the others.
oh yeah, did i mention this thing has 9(nine) tubes? whoa!

anytime you have lots of tubes, even though they are preamp tubes which can last 20 years or more, it's always a good idea to keep some spares. i have had no problems, but i imagine with some rough treatment, the tube boards could unsnap from their fittings. all else looks pretty solid inside.

havent tried

i cant believe this musical marvel came and went briefly during the mid 90's and i had never heard about it nor met anyone who owned one. so glad to have discovered it now!!
a truly versitile and professionally designed amp that just sounds great.

I love this Amp, it has Great sounds, Its easy to dial in since its the old school knobs...I have had mine 5 years & giged with it for three

I use a range of guitars, but with the Quad-X, I prefer a Strat...Mine have JB jr's that give a ton of Gain on channel 4 & the others complement the clean tones well.

Gig'd without a backup for this amp, but have always used more than one amp, so.... It has failed once due to tube death, but that is to be expected, after putting Groove Tubes in channel 4, it came alive!

Carvin has always been helpful, but due to reliability, Its doubtful you'll need them

I play cover, from Country to Hard Rock, & use different amps for different purposes, Carvin is great for Cleaner, "country sounds" - my only complaint is that it has four channels, this was great for years, but now MIDI allows me hundreds of tones from other amps...This amp could do it all, but would have to manually adjusted, un-like the Tri-axis, or my current favorite, Roland GP-100. The noise gate is incredible, & the sheer number of loops is incredible, I have the footswitch if anybody wants it, I switch mine via MIDI. I agree totally with the Carvin phrase, Bang for the Buck....Its not my favorite, but it was damn close & cost 1/3 !!1