From: mow@hpwin052.uksr.hp.com (Mark Payne)
Subject: Re: The merits of Power amps!  was: Peavey, etc!
Date: Mon, 14 Dec 1992 17:49:04 GMT
Organization: Hewlett Packard Response Centre, England
X-Newsreader: TIN [version 1.1.4 PL6]

REGARDING STUFF ON POWER AMPS AND PEAVEY..

>Although, if you want to talk about real fear, I do shows for an audio
>company that's all Carver 1.5's. The last show I did was 3 1.5s on
>one fifteen amp circuit. *Shiver*

Our 2K rack is a Caver 1.5 (Drives the 4 off JBL M330's tops) and a Harrison
K3000 (the one I asked you about Chris).. This drives the 4 TOA SDB 15" SUBS
(100 Hz crossover). The other rack has a CS1200 (one only !) and the third 
has 3 CS800's. Oh and then there's a couple of CS800 monitor racks. We can
drive multiple 2K rigs or one 5K rig with these. 

I like 2U 1K units .. I like the Carver for its weight. In the UK I'm sure the
power situation is much better. The 2K Harrison/Carver rack is happy off one
240V 13A feed and I'll also load on one CS800 if pushed. At 240V rather than 
110V the losses in the power frontend are reduced by a factor of 4 (losses are
I^2*R). On an AB test with the Harrison, the CS1200 and the Carver (all 1.2K)
running the subs.. I can't tell the difference. 

I have heard it said that you can hear a Carver recovering from a kick drum 
beat but I think that this is crap.. Maybe true on a 110V supply which most
of netland will be on.

>This is totally different than that a normal compressor or limiter
>does.  It's the same NET effect but the DDT is inside the feedback loop of
>the amp!  It's a geat place to have that kind of protection.

Ahhhh DDT on Peavey Amps... I can't fault it. It gives me a lot of confidence,
especially working with Band "Engineers" who normall have never had to pay 
for a @@@@@@@ driver themselves. I never turn it off.

>>>tech rider, the first item is *NO EQUIPMENT MANUFACTURED BY PEAVEY
>>>CORPORATION IS AN ACCEPTABLE SUBSTITUTE FOR ANY ITEM IN THIS RIDER*.

Now this is just stupid. I'd never want to work with people who make these 
sort or requests because they will turn out to be prejudiced assholes in 
101 other areas as well. These are the same peeps that ask for a 40 CH 10K
rig for a 500 capacity venue. They can normally be found being "road managers"
for crap indie bands because they play worse than the members of the band  
(difficult) and they know shit about sound. "We only use SM58's on vocals" 
he said as I shrugged and put away the Beyer M88's. "We must have a gate on 
the snare and overheads"... The venue is for 150+ and the snare is out 
of the PA and its still too loud.

>I think that the key phrase here is "make it work". I have used CS800s

You don't have to "make it work". This is a fine amp for the money. In the
UK I can get them at 500. The inputs are only quasi balanced but the 
Xover is doing this job anyway and we build in balancing Xformers into the 
monitor racks.

Bottom Line..

If you want quality amps, don't suffer from designer label mentality, have 
a big van with a tail lift (as Chris has told us more than once :-) and are
on a budget (who isn't), Then the Peavey Cs800 and CS1200 are good amps.

If you have a little more money you get something as good that's a little
lighter.

Bottom Bottom Line..

Dont work with Indie bands.... Oh alright then.. but only when the kids are
going hungry.

--
_______________________________________________________________________________
Mark Payne | Mail: mow@hpwin052.uksr.hp.com | 
___________|________________________________|_________________________________
Hewlett Packard, Amen Corner, Cain Road, Bracknell, Berkshire RG12 1HN

I think you will find that HP are not, in any way involved in, influenced by
or responsible for opinions that I express here.... I think....
Newsgroups: rec.audio.pro