Carvin SX-300R Preamp

Made year 2005
solid state pre-amp
3 channels with channel switching manual or foot pedal
channle 1: heavy overdrive
channel 2: blues with overdrive
channel 3: clean tone
also has reverb and chorus effects that can be turned and off for each channel

THe three channels are very easy to use and they maintain the settings you choose.

I play rock, blues, jazz, country, and contemporary Christian.

I'm using this preamp with a solid state Carvin AG100D acoustic/electric guitar amp/PA. I also tried it with a Fender Twin Reverb.

I wish it had a power switch and a separate cabinet. It would be nice if the chorus and reverb settings could be independently adjusted.

I'm using a Carvin AE-185 thinline electric acoustic/electric with Holdsworth humbuckers and Baggs piezo under the saddle.

THe sound is dead on for my music style. THe clean channel (3) is juicy, rich, clear and shimmering -- what else can I say? The presense switch causes "outer space" background signals on my baggs piezo. So I don't use the presense switch on the clean channel.

THe blues channel (2) produces tube amp sound. It rocks pretty good. IT has some overdrive.

THe Overdrive channel (1) is LOUD. I can deal with it, but it does have some background noise when I crank it way up (louder than my ears can take it). I'm not into heavy distortion, so this is as much as I want for OD.

I rate it this way:

clean channel 10+
blues channel 9
overdrive channel 7

overall gets a 10

I also tried this preamp with a Fender twin reverb amp and it improved the sound considerably in my opinion. If I ever go to a tube amp, this pre-amp is a keeper.

AS far as the noise complaints -- I suggest pushing in the ground switch on the back of the pre-amp, using shielded cables, keep them away from the power chords and florescent lights, check out your guitar for grounding and noise issues, don't use the presense switch if there's still a problem, and don't crank the OD too high.

If I have a complaint it falls in this category.

THe first unit I got in the mail had a defective power connection and a selector switch that wanted to stick. THe power connection flaw caused loud unbearable popping and crackling sounds. Other power chords did not help.

I was also getting a lot of background noise, and I was ready to agree with the other naysayers that reviewed this gear. I isolated the source -- it was my humbucker selector switch on the AE-185 guitar. It was grounded by a solder ball to my copper shielding and therefore picked up all kinds of extraneous "static" sounds. I isolated the problem by prying out the solder ball with a knife. Now it's clean as a whistle. This wasn't the pre-amp's fault, though I was ready to join the chorus of naysayers.

When the second unit came in, the power connector also had problems, but this ended up being a loose fitting power chord. I changed chords -- no problems so far.

The "outer space" signals comes only on the clean channel: when I use the presense switch, and when I'm using the baggs piezo under the saddle. It sounds like something from "Outer Limits" and it relates also to the high frequency settings. I suspect the problem is on my guitar rather than the pre-amp. The simple solution -- I just don't use the presense switch on channel 3, or I turn off the piezo. The humbuckers are fine.

Customer support isn't what it could be. Some have an attitude, some don't really understand their gear. Tech support is so-so. I figured out most of the technical problems myself.

They are going to send me a new power chord.

Returning the defective unit was no problem.

I've owned a fair amount of gear including a fender twin reverb and two telecasters. I'm pretty discriminating on sound -- there's a lot of gear out there that I don't like, and there is some that I do like.

I've played in a band, but I'm not in one now.

I plan to use this pre-amp in performance. The clean channel with effects is just about awesome. I hope it doesn't flake out on me while I'm playing.

I've tried a lot of effects pedals, and this unit is superior to them. It has reverb, chorus, and OD with lots of variations and three distinctly different channels. It does this well, and I'd rather have great tone with a few effects than lots of effects with lousy tone or confusing settings.

The nice thing is, I can use this unit with any anmplifier. I'm not locked in with just one amp.

New 2004. It is fairly versitile with tones ranging from metal to blues to clean. 3 Channels footswitch not included but it is an option. No effects loop but does have built in effects from reverb to delay to chorus/flange. I bought it for a home studio for direct recording. All solid state.

Sounds are good but a little harsh/brittle. Play with EQ for sweet spots. It is noisy on high gain settings. Use a gate or noise suppressor. Effects are OK but not superior.

Here is a problem. The first one was sent UPS and was dammaged on arrival. Carvin shipped it in its box with no outer box for protection. UPS requires double boxing guys. Inside the box there is no foam or bubble wrap so it is at the mercy of Brutus at UPS. A few knobs where broken off due to the box being dented. I sent it back and had to insist they double box the next one. They had a little trouble with that but in the end where OK with it. I buy ALOT of equipment for my home studio via the net and I am well aware of the shipping nightmares that occur not so infrequently. The second one showed up and all was well for about a week. Now it makes noises. I emailed Carvin but 2 weeks later have not recieved a responce. The unit is VALUE engineered...a term that says "not so high end". The pot shafts are plastic.

As stated no responce as of yet regarding the extraneous noises when gain is set to 7 or higher. They where OK to deal with when returning the first unit.

I have been playing for more than 20 years. I own or have owned many types of amp/pre amp products. If it disappeard I would not run out to replace the SX300R. It's too bad because I try to purchase American Company products for my studio. In this case it did not live up to my hopes.

Brand new 2004 model. This preamp is actually more versatile than what I need, but what I was looking for was a very realistic good clean sound to go straight into my PA with. This has it. I have a Carvin Nomad EL84 tube combo and often use the cabinet voiced direct out it to go out the mains, so I was pretty sure this would sound good. I play jazz and jazzy blues and am able to nearly nail the tone of my tube amp with this one. I use it with a variety of effect pedals and it takes them very well. For what I was looking for, it fits perfectly.

I mainly play a 335 with Tom Holmes P/Us through this. I have also used my Ibanez AS80 with a Kent Armstrong P90 in the neck & Super 58 in the bridge and it sounds very nice as well. Style wise, definate jazz tendencies here.
No perceptable noice out of this even with the clean volume dimed. It does have the ability to do several overdrive/distortion sounds, but I don't go there much. When I do I use a Full Drive 2 and that works well for me.

Too soon to tell. No problems with all the other Carvin gear I own, and that's quite a few pieces.

Great on the sales side. Fair on the support side.

Been playing since 1969. Have had several nice amps incl. Mesa/Boogie, Fender, Vox, Roland. I did own a POD for a while, but there too many choices and I was never really able to nail what I considered a great clean sound. Ths one does it.

See other reviews. Too much to list (do you really want to read it all again?).

The effects are something of an interesting feature. The interface is sooo simple. It's like a Ronco product; "Set it and forget it!". I didn't like the flanger at all (more on that later).

I rate on a grade type scale(5 and below fails, 6, it doesn't measure up to what it claims, 7= satisfactory, 8 + great)

I use a Parker Nitefly SA, a gold top LP w/ P90's, and a Classic.

Music styles vary. Heavy metal, rock, blues, Jazz, funk. I just like music. It can suit many music styles; in a pinch.

Yes, channel 1 is noisy. If you dime the drive and have the more gain button on; it will actually oscillate with no input. There's a LOT of gain in there for you. This channel is voiced the same as channel 2 without the MORE GAIN putton depressed. A very cool feature. You can set it the same as channel 2 and just turn the volume up s little more for a solo boost. The distortion sounds are good. You have to watch your EQ settings very closely though. One thing to keep in mind is that this preamp has an active EQ. Anything over 5 is boosting that freq range. THe typical mid-scoop (bass 10, mid 1-3, treble 8-10) does NOT work. It'll sound flabby and harsh (not good). With that in mind, 5 on this amp equals 10 on other amps (therefore 10 = 20; ouch). I normally keep my treble around 1.5 - 2 or less (mostly due to the harsh ceramic DiMarzios in my Parker). It will get harsh quick if you turn it past 3. Is that bad? I dunno. Depends on how you like your tone.

Channel 2: I really like the blues switch. It works best with low drive settings. I use it primarily as a "breakup tone". Yes, it does break up like a tube amp. Pick soft, it's clean, pick hard, you get dirt. Very nice for delicate passages of double stops. Channel 2 is my favorite for this reason. I feel it offers the most expression for picking dynamics.

Channel 3 is squeaky clean. It will NOT break up (finally good clean without tubes). It is a little stiff for you funk lovers. You can get some great stabs out of it. It has a very focused mid range. If you cut the mids a bit, it will emulate a nice lush color. Add a touch of corous and you have a very nice clean, suitable for most any duty. If you push the mids, and bass a little, you can a nice jazzy flavor. Quite nice. It's almost my favorite channel.

A note on the presence button(s). I really don't like it. It adds too much for my ears. I wish they could have added a presence knob (there is absolutely no room for one let alone three, though). If they tamed it down a bit, I'd provavly like it.

The effects: I love the interface on these effects. Easy easy easy. Simply go to a channel, set your effects, and that's it! When you switch back to that channel, it's just like you left it. No matter how much you tweaked them on another channel. The reveb can go from big and long, to just a little room sound. There is a seperate switchable reverb engine for that all three channels have available (so yes, you can get 2 different types of reverb at the time). You cannot adjust the stock dedicated reverb setting. Which is good for me. I like the way it sounds. It's "just enough".

You can hear the power tube compression emulation. I think it does very well, and actually shines in this area compared to modelers. The voiced line out really sounds like a speaker cab, yet it doesn't over color the tones like the modler amps cab modeling does. I prefer it to any other cab modeling I've heard.

My first one took a REALLY hard fall onto a concrete surface (corner first), and the effects were stuck where I had them set last. Considering how hard it landed, I guess that's not too bad. My other amps would have been in pieces if they took that fall.

My son spilled powder laundry detergent on it, so I figured it would be a good time to open it up and look at it, uh I mean clean it. There wasn't any powder in the unit. It's sealed pretty well. There are very few circuit cards in it, and the boards are high quality, with a solder mask (to prevent the traces from coroding), and a silk screen (little white letters telling you what each component it). They were all well secured, and had no solder flux on them.

One thing Carvin boasts about is the SMT (surace mount technology). Yep, they use SMT. I am a Motorola two way radio tech, and this is the technolofy they have been using for som years now. SMT really helps when the thing takes a good shake or drop.

I have dropped my new preamp, and haven't had any problems with it yet. So it seems pretty darn stable.

I've always had good CS. After the first amp fell, they recalled the UPS guy, and he gave me a tracking number. I called CS, and they shpped me one out quick! No problems, no hassles. Very good.

Been playing 12 years now? I don't remember. If it were lost or stolen, I would really miss it. But I don't think I'd get another. I have a Vamp2 (not nearly as durable as this amp though), so there are a lot of other tones at my finger tips.

I have an old bassman 100 head with matching 4X12 cab (friggin fridge sized 4X12), and a Peavey classic 50 410. I like to plug the SX300r into the bassman head, and it really rips.

Carvin was really behind the value curve here. It's expensive and has less features (tone features) than the cheap modlers. One the things I love about it is that it is so simple to use. I just wish they could have made it less expensive. I am sitisfied with it though. It has it's own thing going on. Something a modeler can't do; something truly unique.

I give it a 7.5 altogether. It's good, if you know what you want. If you don't know what you want, get a modeler.

$279 (US) footswitch was free with current incentive, $40 (US) normally.
This preamp has 3 channels, 1) Lead w/ Hi Gain 2) Lead w/ Blues 3) Clean. The 2 different distortion channels definitely have different tonal characteristics, and with the hi gain and blues switches, you basically have 4 lead channels with different sonic voices. The clean channel is the most phenomenal part of this preamp. The effects are echo, reverb, chorus and flange. They are dialed in through a main "SELECT" knob that is basically like echo (0-5) reverb (0-5) chorus (0-5) and flange (0-5) in one knob from full left to full right. Then there is the "ADJUST" knob which denotes the amount of depth for reverb, second of delay for echo, and the oscillation speed for chorus and flange. The "EFFECT" knob dials in how much effect is added to your guitar signal.

This preamp has both an +4/-10 out with speaker emulation for use as a D.I. and a +4/-10 out without speaker emulation for going into a power amp or combo amp.

I tested this unit by running the following guitars through it:
2003 Carvin AE-185 w/ Holdsworth H22 (humbucker) pickups (incredible guitar BTW)
1999 Fender Strat w/ stock single coils

into the following 2 amps
a 1980's Gibson LAB Series L-5 solid state 2x12 Combo amp
a 1990's Carvin X-100B Tube head through a Carvin XE 2x12 cab

Normally this would be considered pretty versatile; however with so many modelers on the market (Behringer V-amp 2, Line 6 POD), this pales in comparison in the versatility department.

The channels are as follows:
1) Channel 1 Lead w/ Hi Gain
This channel has some very decent metal type distortion, and coupled with an EQ sounds pretty good...do they sound like tubes? Not even close, sounds like very good solid state distortion. The picking dynamics are just not there... pick loud, the sound is distorted, pick soft, the sound is still the same amount of distortion...tubes respond to picking dynamics. The distortions lack what I will call "character" or "richness" . I am comparing the sound to what I have owned, a Carvin X-100B tube amp and a Behringer V-Amp2 (both incredible).
The V-Amp2 is also solid state, but authentically replicates the _picking dynamics and richness_ of a cranked tube amp (like butter).

The Carvin preamp hi-gain switch adds a huge amount of noise and it is,really, more gain than you would use even playing Metallica or Pantera type music. The regular distortion on this channel will be enough, it is "supremely crunchy".

2) Channel 2 Lead w/ Blues Switch
This channel offers a distortion reminicent of an super fuzz overdrive, but thicker and modern, kind of like a Smashing Pumpkins fuzz sound. With the blues switch engaged, it is a totally different distortion sonically, but does not sound like a blues tone to me (in my opinion), but a very good 2nd type of distortion sonically.

3) Clean channel. This is where this preamp shines...I compared this to my X-100B clean channel, which IMHO is one of the best clean channels ever put on Earth. This preamp has a very rich and pleasing clean channel, and can do pristine strat to mellow jazz tones. I agree with what another person said on this board, that this is one of the best cleans I have heard, solid state or tubes included.

The effects on this preamp are nice sounding and easy to use. In addition to the separate echo, chorus, flange and reverb, there is an independent reverb button that can be pushed in to add just a "smigde" of reverb to all three channels. This gives the tone just a hint of reverb adding depth to the tone.


Noise: Originally I plugged this into the effects loop of my X-100B and this amount of hiss on all three preamp channels was unbearable. I then plugged it straight into the guitar input on the X100-b and the noise went away, except for on channel one with hi-gain pressed. Bizarre, when I was going through the effects loop, I matched the line level (+4 effect loop on amp and +4 on preamp, then -10/-10, then other combinations) and I could not get the hissing noise to cease. Bizarre, as I use other effects through the loop with no problems at all.

It looks fairly solid, except for a couple of the pushbuttons. The hi gain switch and the blues switch kept getting stuck in side the metal rack case, and I had to jiggle them a bit to get them to return to their out positions. The case is metal though and everything else feels very solid.

Carvin customer service is very person dependant. i.e. If you get someone in a helpful mood, they are great. If not, well then they want to get you off of the phone ASAP. I called one rep and asked if the DCM150 power amp would automatically step down to an 8 or 4 ohm cabinet, I got a very non convincing "Yup". However, that is why I
mostly order through the web and with the ten day return policy, it is pretty failsafe.

Let's see, I have been playing for 16 years, any I play pretty much all styles, metal, blues, rock, jazz, bluegrass, fingerstyle folk..
the gear I own, although I don't know how this is relevent, is :
guitars:
1980's Gibson LP-XPL (double cutaway Les Paul)
2003 Carvin AE-185
197? Yahama acoustic
1998 Fender Strat
1997 Fender 12-str acoustic/electric
1998 Epiphone Emperor Joe Pass II
1998 Ibanez SR??? 6-string bass

Amps:
1991 Carvin X-100B Tube head
Carvin XE212 2x12 cab
1980's Gibson LAB Series L5 solid state amp
1999 Carvin R600 Bass head, 2x10, 1x15 cabs

Effect:
misc boss, dod and ibanez pedals 1980's-1990's
Digitech RP-1 multi effects
Behringer V-Amp2 amp modeler + multi effects
Vox Wah

Hmmm. Overall, as you can tell I have owned quite a bit a Carvin gear, and to their credit this is the first piece of equipment I have ever not LOVED the quality and tone of. Carvin guitars, works of art. Carvin amps, the two I own are incredible and I will never part with them. Had I not tried and owned a V-amp2 prior to this purchase, I probably would have loved this preamp. But the V-amp2 has got the kind of tone where you want to play 20 hours straight, and the Carvin preamp does not, at twice the cost mind you. Carvin's catalog says, "The SX doesn't model other amps, it actually provides tube saturation". Modeling or emulating? who cares? it is all about the tone!

$300 for preamp, $50 for footswitch.
Brand new for 2003. It has 3 channels with active EQ controls for each channel. Channel 1 had a High Gain switch. Channel is similar to 1 but it has a blues switch. 3 is the clean channel. On the back are various cabinet voiced line outs and regualr outs for going into a power amp. It also has an effects section with a universal reverb for all channels, chorus, delay, and phaser. I am the lead guitarist for my church so this is the new tone generator for what I do. It is the replacement for the Digitech RP2000 I was using. What should also be noted is that this is an ANALOG preamp. It is not digital. The effects section is digital, but the preamp itself is analog.

I currently am using a Parker Fly Deluxe run through a Morley Pro Wah. The preamp has harmonics out the waazoo!! Pinches are effortless, whereas the RP2000 required more finesse. I don't bother with the high gain switch because it is over the top and way too noisy. Background hiss is present on channel 1, but I use that channel for soloing and the gain is cranked more than my rhythm channel (2). I just add a touch of delay and some reverb and the preamp sings. Channel 2 is my crunch channel. The active tone controls are very sensitive and give lots of variation. There is a great deal of tweaking room here. Definitely not a one sound or style device. There is lots to be had in the EQ. Channel 3 is the clean channel and it is the best clean channel I have heard from anything that is not tube and it rivals many really good tube amps. All channels are harmonically rich compared to their digital and SS counterparts. I had been thinking of getting a Tech21 SansAmp PSA-1, but I didn't need 40+ presets for different sounds and I can dial in whatever I want with the active EQ. I can see the need for others to have that many presets, but that doesn't fit my needs. I also liked the tones of the SX300R more. I took a chance on it since there is a 10 day return policy and I found that I liked it more than many of the tube preamps that I have tried. The only drawback is that as the gain gets higher the hiss gets more pronounced. That is common. The RP2000 had a compressor and gate and it still hissed (and the SX300R's hiss isn't worse). At worst, I would have to get a Rocktron Hush, but I don't think it is nearly that bad. If you use the high gain switch then the hiss is way over the top but so is the gain. No human could ever use that much gain. There is more than enough in channel 1 without a gain boost. The blues switch is really handy and it does what its name suggests. I don't have much use for it, but I am sure others may. The effects are VERY good and extremely useable. I love them. You can set the reverb for all channles and then use another effect per channel. I use reverb and delay for my lead (ch 1), just reverb for my crunch (ch2) and reverb and chorus for my clean (ch3). It has what is called smart effects built into the preamp. That means that you set the effect how you like it and that is it. There is no programming or anything of that nature. You just put it where you think it sounds good and then move on. The effects will remember your settings for that channel. SO EASY!!! If you love simplicity then this is your preamp

Well, it is built like a tank, but it is too early to tell since I have only had it for a almost 2 months. Carvin is known for their reliability so I don't expect problems, but I won't give a grade here.

I have ordered a few things from Carvin and I have always been treated great. No company is perfect and employees have bad days, but I have never encountered those things. I am currently awaiting my Bolt+ kit from them. That will be in another review next month.

I have been playing for around 15 years. If this thing were stolen I wouldn't hesitate to get another. I am planning on getting a poweramp and a 2x12 cab to go with it. I am really happy with it. It has a raw and powerful sound with a great deal of versatility. I wanted something that had a few basic effects built in, a footswitch (I didn't want to get tons of midi equipment) and 2 or more channels with lots of EQ ability. Carvin delivered a winner. It is the "tube-est" sounding analog/digital preamp I have ever heard. If you are like me and you want to just have a small rack (I use a 4 space- preamp, a power conditioner, and a poweramp in the future ) for simplicity and some great raw tones then this is for you. I give nothing 10's, but this thing is perfect for what I do and I love what it does and how it sounds doing it.

Brand new for 2003, it's got everything -- 3 totally independent channels, reverb and other effects, headphone out, direct XLR and unbalanced cabinet-emulated outs... EXCEPT TUBES!!! It's a digital preamp designed to emulate tubes.

I use a Jackson USA with Duncans and play METAL. As far as digital preamps go, this is by far the best I've heard. Carvin did a surprisingly amazing job emulating the dynamics of tubes. However, I campared it to an all-tube preamp, and it fell short on richness and fullness of tone. I spent hours turning the knobs and switching the various tone buttons (3-band active EQ, presence switch, and drive switch) to no avail.

Here's where the unit really needs more work:
NOISE - I think Carvin got carried away and did a very good job of emulating the buzzing, crackling, and SCREECHING of the highest-gain tube amp you could imagine.
Lead channel presence - way too much super-high frequency added. You have to turn the trebble knob nearly all the way down to avoid painful highs.
Lead channel drive switch - this is supposed to put the gain over the top. Unfortunately, it puts the noise way over the top as well, and I think it loses much of the tube-like character of the lead channel without the drive button selected.

So, on its own merit, I'd prbably give it a 9. Compared to the real thing, maybe a 7 or an 8.

Can't tell yet, though the 1/4" input has to be the tightest I've ever seen. The knobs have plenty of friction when turning them, providing accurate adjustments. Seems well-built.

The guy wasn't sure how many XLR or unbalanced outputs there were when I first called to ask questions about the unit before purchasing. Give 'em a 6 for that.

When I called about returning it, they were surprisingly cool about it. Give 'em a 10 for that.

For a digital preamp, this thing is quite impressive. Beats the shit outta Line 6 and other digital preamps. But they need to work on the NOISE factor, and on increasing the richness of the tone. I'm actually pondering whether I should keep it anyway, as a backup.