Quad X-Amp TUBE GUITAR PREAMP IC H G EQ RA P 4 3 2 4 3 2 4 3 2 4 3 2 4 3 2 4 3 2 4 3 2 4 3 2 4 3 2 4 3 2 4 3 2 M LO ST OP R E ON / OF F C VO AB IC IN IN ET G 4 3 2 4 3 2 PASS 0 0d B PE AK -1 0 0 -2 HOLD 4 3 2 T T IG OS BR BO H 7 6 5 -3 7 6 5 4 3 2 8 9 8 7 6 5 7 6 5 7 6 5 7 6 5 7 6 5 7 6 5 7 6 5 7 6 5 7 6 5 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0 10 9 8 9 8 9 8 9 8 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 4 4 1 0 10 1 0 POWER 8 MONO OUT 0 10 1 0 10 1 0 10 1 0 10 9 8 9 8 9 8 4 3 2
Quad X-Amp TUBE GUITAR PREAMP IC H G EQ RA P 4 3 2 4 1 0 4 3 2 4 3 2 4 3 2 4 3 2 4 3 2 4 3 2 4 3 2 4 3 2 4 3 2 4 3 2 0 1 0 7 6 5 7 6 5 7 6 5 7 6 5 7 6 5 7 6 5 7 6 5 7 6 5 7 6 5 7 6 5 4 3 2 4 3 2 M LO ST OP R E ON / OF F C VO AB IC IN IN ET G 4 3 2 4 3 2 PASS B AK PE 0d 0 0 -1 HOLD 4 3 2 T T IG 0 OS BR BO H 7 6 5 -2 7 6 5 -3 7 6 5 7 6 5 4 3 2 4 VOLUME 2 (CLEAN) VOLUME 3 (CRUNCH) OVERDRIVE LO HI VOLUME 4 (SUSTAIN) OVERDRIVE LO MID HI 8 9 10 8
The Quad X-Amp User's Guide © 1993 by Carvin Corp. All Rights Reserved No part of this manual may be reproduced without explicit written permission from Carvin. Carvin, Quad X-Amp, QuikGate, Cabinet Voicing, and Tube Cascade are trademarks of Carvin Corp.
Quad X-Amp Contents Table of Contents Section Description Page Table of Contents ..................................................................................... iii Quick Start Sheet .................................................................................... vi Receiving Inspection ............................................................................... vii For the New Owner ................................................................................
Quad X-Amp Section Contents Description Page 4 Using the Quad X-Amp 4.0 Power Amp Selection ..................................................................... 4-1 4.1 Speaker Selection .......................................................................... 4-1 4.2 Interconnecting the System ........................................................... 4-2 4.3 Balancing the System Level Controls ............................................ 4-2 4.4 Effects Suggestions ...............................
Quad X-Amp Quick Start Quick Start Sheet If you're like most new owners, you're probably in a hurry to plug in your preamp and get started using it. Before you plug it in, make sure the power switch is turned off and read at least this page. 1. Plug in the Preamp • The amp is set for 120 VAC operation as shipped from the factory.
Quad X-Amp Receiving Inspection Receiving Inspection INSPECT YOUR AMP FOR ANY DAMAGE which may have occurred during shipping. If any damage is found, notify the shipping company and call CARVIN immediately. SAVE THE CARTON & ALL PACKING MATERIALS. In the event you have to reship your amp, always use the original carton and packing material. This will provide the best possible protection for your unit during shipment. CARVIN and the shipping company are not liable for any damage caused by improper packing.
Quad X-Amp For the New Owner For the New Owner Congratulations on your purchase of Carvin's Quad X-Amp! Your new guitar preamp is representative of Carvin's commitment to excellence in designing and producing the finest musical instrument products available today. The wide use of our products by well known artists illustrates Carvin's recognition as “The Professional’s Choice.” Professionalism can only be measured by the results people achieve through their efforts and knowledge.
Quad X-Amp Introducing the Quad X-Amp Section 1 Section 1 Introducing the Quad X-Amp 1.0 Rip like a Hurricane . . . with the Quad X-Amp Carvin’s new Quad X-Amp is not only the hottest guitar preamp ever designed, it’s also incredibly easy to use. Four channels are only the beginning . . . This outrageous new preamp beats anything you’ve ever heard before. From crystal clean to tube crunch to full ripping sustain this amp has all the sounds.
Quad X-Amp Introducing the Quad X-Amp Section 1 1.1 Your Amp had an Accident Most tube amps have a decent overdrive sound only by accident. That’s right, by accident. Those vintage Fender and Marshall amps were never designed to be used for overdrive. Players in the ‘60’s turned there amps up too far and found a new sound. Most amps have changed very little since then. Check the history books. It’s true. 1.2 Designer Overdrive Here’s a crazy idea . . . .
Quad X-Amp Introducing the Quad X-Amp Section 1 1.5 Long Tailed Reverb Most guitar amps will cut off the tail of your reverb when you switch the reverb off. How rude! The Quad X-Amp handles your reverb more delicately. The reverb on/off switch (footswitch or front panel) switches only the reverb “send” leaving the tail of the reverb to decay naturally, the way you do it in the studio. After all, you expect studio performance from a studio grade amp. 1.
Quad X-Amp Introducing the Quad X-Amp Section 1 1.9 EQ Lives in the Quad X-Amp! Are you tired of dead tone controls? You know, the kind where you can turn the mid up to 10 and then down to 0 and you can barely hear any difference. That’s passive EQ for you; it’s very simple, very cheap, and very dead. Who needs it! Carvin’s classic X-Amp first showed how a powerful active EQ can shape guitar tone. Now the Quad X-Amp gives you not one, but three sets of active EQ tone controls.
Quad X-Amp Front Panel Control Descriptions Section 2 Section 2 Control Descriptions 2.0 The Control Layout The Quad X-Amp is a four channel amplifier where only one channel is active at any given time. There is nothing mysterious about its operation. The top row of controls are master controls that affect the overall operation (all channels) of the amp. The controls in the bottom row are grouped by channel and affect only their individual channel.
Quad X-Amp Front Panel Control Descriptions Section 2 2.2 The Channel 1 Control Group The Channel 1 LED and Volume Control The Ch 1 LED lights whenever Ch 1 is active. Use the VOLUME 1 control to set the level of channel 1 relative to the other channels. The normal setting of each channel volume is "3". To adjust your volume always use either the Stereo (or Mono) Master level control at the far right of the top row of controls.
Quad X-Amp Front Panel Control Descriptions Section 2 Channel 3 Overdrive Control The Channel 3 Overdrive control sets the drive level for the "crunch" channel. Although you can use it for overdrive, channel 3 is designed with less drive and a brighter voice than channel 4 specifically to allow you to get a sound in between clean and distortion. What we call a "crunch" sound. Try setting the overdrive level so that you can stay clean with a light touch but can get a definite crunch out of power chords.
Quad X-Amp Front Panel Control Descriptions Section 2 2.5 The Noise Gate 4 3 2 PASS 9 8 HOLD 10 The QuikGate™ noise gate circuit built into the Quad X-Amp is unlike 1 0 any other noise reduction device you could add to your guitar rack because it is integrated into the preamp rather than just "tacked on". Even when you have the overdrive channel selected QuikGate still sees the full KING NOISE GATE dynamic range of the undistorted input signal and takes its cues from the dynamics of that signal.
Quad X-Amp Front Panel Control Descriptions Section 2 OF C V A ON / 9 8 4 3 2 10 Reverb On/Off Switch, LED, and Level Control The Quad X-Amp has a built in spring reverb with a uniquely flexible control 1 0 system. The front panel pushbutton switch can be used to toggle the reverb on and off as indicated by the red LED located between the switch and the reverb level control. Use the level control to set the amount of reverb you desire.
Section 2 M LO ST OP R E FF The Master Effects Loop Switch and LED Use this switch to toggle the master effects loop on and off. The LED indicates the status of the master effects loop. You can also switch the master effects loop on and off using the FS-77 footswitch. LED indicators at both the front panel and the footswitch always show the current status of the master effects loop. Each of the four channels will remember its effects status and switch the loop on or off when each channel is selected.
Quad X-Amp Rear Panel Connections Section 3 Section 3 Rear Panel Connections 3.0 The Rear Panel Layout The rear panel is organized with power switch and line cord connector at the far left. The connections from left to right are: footswitch, MIDI control, channel effects loops, master effects loops, preamp outputs, and input.
Quad X-Amp Rear Panel Connections Section 3 3.3 MIDI Interface Connections. Use the MIDI interface to control the Quad X-Amp remotely with a MIDI footswitch or other MIDI control device. The unit is equipped with both a MIDI IN and a MIDI THRU to allow you to chain together multiple MIDI devices. For information on setting up and using the MIDI features see section 7.0.
Quad X-Amp Rear Panel Connections Section 3 3.9 The Ground Lift Switch Set this switch for the lowest noise when using either the stereo or mono balanced outputs. When the switch is in the lift position it breaks the connection to pin 1 which is normally grounded. This breaks any ground loops between the preamp and the gear it's feeding. MO LIFT HT GND PHO 3.10 The Stereo Headphone Jack Use the stereo headphone jack for private practice or whenever you wish to use phones.
Quad X-Amp Using the Quad X-Amp Section 4 Section 4 Using the Quad X-Amp 4.0 Power Amp Selection We highly recommend a stereo power amplifier (such as Carvin's FET 450 or FET 1000) for use with the Quad X-Amp. The power rating will depend on the speakers you use but a reasonable minimum rating would be 100 Watts continuous per channel into 8Ω. Speaker Power vs. Amp Power Don't feel like you have to "match" the rating of the power amp to the rating of the speaker. That's not the case at all.
Quad X-Amp Using the Quad X-Amp Section 4 4.2 Interconnecting the System Once you have selected your power amp and speakers interconnect is straightforward. Start with all the gear turned off. Connect the outputs of the Quad X-Amp to the inputs of the power amp. Although you can use either the 1/4" or the XLR connectors, for the lowest noise we recommend using the balanced XLR connections both at the preamp output and at the power amp input. This completes the preamp to power amp connections.
Quad X-Amp Using the Quad X-Amp Section 4 4.4 Effects Suggestions Now that you have your basic Preamp/Power Amp/Speaker setup let's start evaluating effects configurations. Digital Multi-Effects Unit You probably want to patch your most versatile multi-effects unit into the master effects loop so that you will have it available for use with any channel. Chorus, delay, and flanging effects will work great here.
Quad X-Amp Using the FS-77 Footswitch Section 5 Section 5 The FS-77 Footswitch 5.0 About the FS-77 Footswitch The FS-77 footswitch is available as an optional accessory for the Quad X-Amp guitar preamp. With the footswitch you can easily control the most important functions of the amp from the stage while you are performing. An extra long 20 ft. cable allows you the freedom to place your rack on stage as you wish.
Quad X-Amp Using the FS-77 Footswitch Section 5 5.2 Using the FS-77 Footswitch The footswitch allows you to directly access each of the four channels by depressing the footswitch button corresponding to the channel you want to use. As you change channels the system instantly configures the reverb, effects loop, and graphic EQ for that channel.
Quad X-Amp About Tubes Section 6 Section 6 About Tubes 6.0 A Brief History of Tubes The history of vacuum tubes began in 1883 when Thomas Edison discovered that the hot filament in his light bulb was boiling off electrons. This Edison effect (known today as thermionic emission) was to become the basis of the operation of the vacuum tubes that would lead to radio, television, radar, computers, and, oh yes . . . guitar amplifiers. A short time later (1904), in England, John A.
Quad X-Amp About Tubes Section 6 when overdriven was simply an accident. This meant that the only way to get distortion effects was to play at a very loud volume. Soon technicians discovered that they could add a master volume control between the preamp and the power amp stages of guitar amps in order to provide a volume control for the distortion effects. This let players turn up the preamp volume to get overdrive and then turn down the master volume control to set the overall loudness.
Quad X-Amp About Tubes Section 6 stages gave more depth, and eleven stages even more. Beyond this point the extremely high gain of the system became a problem, but we determined that eleven stages would be manageable. The resulting overdrive sound has a depth and a degree of complexity never achieved before. With eleven tube stages operated in cascade there were quite a few variables to work with and it took many weeks to finally arrive at the configuration that we provide in the Quad X-Amp.
Quad X-Amp Using the Quad X-Amp MIDI Section 7 Section 7 Using the MIDI Interface 7.0 About the Quad X-Amp MIDI Interface The Quad X-Amp MIDI interface allows you to select the four Quad X-Amp channels through MIDI control. The unit has been equipped with a MIDI IN and a MIDI THRU to allow you to patch your MIDI signal to external MIDI gear.
Quad X-Amp Using the Quad X-Amp MIDI Section 7 7.2 MIDI Patch Configuration The Quad X-Amp is setup with a pre-defined MIDI Patch configuration that defines which Quad X-Amp channel will be selected for each of the 1-128 MIDI Patch calls. This configuration has been setup to offer you the maximum flexibility in your system.
Quad X-Amp Using the Quad X-Amp MIDI Section 7 7.3 Making MIDI Connections Patch the output of a MIDI footswitch (or other MIDI controller) into the MIDI IN on the Quad X-Amp, then feed the MIDI signal from the MIDI THRU to the rest of your MIDI gear. The Quad X-Amp MIDI IN is equipped with a 7 pin din connector which allows your unit to power a Carvin MIDI footswitch with a single connection. The configuration on the powered MIDI IN is PIN 6=GND and PIN 7=+15VDC.
Quad X-Amp Technical Specifications Appendix A Technical Specifications of the Quad X-Amp Preamp Frequency Response 20 to 20kHz ±3 dB (fixed EQ defeated) Total Harmonic Distortion less than .05% Sound Quality Totally Outrageous! EQ Centers Three Band (Ch 1 &4) 80, 500, 3kHz Two Band (Ch 2 &3) 80, 3kHz Graphic EQ 75, 150, 1K, 3k, 6kHz Nominal Line Output 0 dBV (.
Quad X-Amp Warranty and Service Appendix B Warranty and Service Information You can use our specialized service department to have your amp repaired. Call us Toll-Free 800-854-2235 for your Service number so we can anticipate your shipment. Put the Service Number on the carton and be sure to include a full description of every problem when returning your unit. Pack the amp in its original carton using all its packing material and return it by UPS prepaid.
Printing Instructions Manual Name: Quad X-Amp User's Guide Manual No.: 76-00101D Revision Date: 17APR96 1. The Covers are to be printed on Carvin's standard weight, beige colored, card stock. 2. The front cover is to be printed on the front side only. (master sheet 1) 3. The inside cover is to be printed on both sides (unnumbered page i, and page ii) (master sheets 2 and 3) 4. Even numbered pages are left side pages, odd numbered pages are right side pages. 5. Page viii is unnumbered, and is to be blank.