Carvin SX50 User Manual
SX50
CARVIN ENGINEERING DATA OPERATING MANUAL
12340 World Trade Drive, San Diego, CA 92128
(619) 487-1600 (800) 854-2235
www.carvin.com
SX100
For your records, you may wish to record the following information.
Serial No._____________________ Invoice Date_______________
SX200
RECEIVING INSPECTION—read before getting started
INSPECT YOUR AMP FOR ANY DAMAGE which may have occurred during shipping. If any damage is found, please notify the shipping company and CARVIN
immediately.
SAVE THE CARTON & ALL PACKING MATERIALS. In the event you have to re-ship
your unit, always use the original carton and packing material. This will provide the
best possible protection during shipment. CARVIN and the shipping company are not
liable for any damage caused by improper packing.
SAVE YOUR INVOICE. It will be required for warranty service if needed in the
future.
SHIPMENT SHORTAGE. If you find items missing, they may have been shipped
separately. Please allow several days for the rest of your order to arrive before
inquiring.
RECORD THE SERIAL NUMBER on the enclosed warranty card or below on this
manual for your records. Keep your portion of the card and return the portion
with your name and comments to us.
SX50, SX100 & SX200 GUITAR AMPS
WITH CLASSIC TUBE EMULATION & DSP
SX SERIES SPECS:
Speakers: SX50, SX100, SX200: GT12 12” 100w 8Ω speaker
RMS Power: SX50: 50 watts @ 8Ω SX100, SX200: 100 watts @ 8Ω
Output Impedance: 4-16 ohms
Power Amp: THD: Less than 1%
Input Impedance: 100k ohms
Channels: 2—switching
Tone Controls: BASS: 100Hz
Drive Channel MID: 700Hz
TREBLE: 8k Hz
PRESENCE: 12k Hz (SX200 only)
Clean Channel BASS: 80Hz
MID: 600Hz
TREBLE: 9k Hz
PRESENCE: 12k Hz (SX200 only)
Ch 1 Sensitivity: 1mV for clipping
Ch 2 Sensitivity: 75mV for full output
Line Out: 1.5 VAC @ full power
Power: 90-250VAC, 50-60Hz, 125VA
Fuse: 5A 250V internal
Cabinet Size: SX50/SX100: 19.5W x 10.25D x 17.5”H
SX200: 26W x 10.25D x 17.5”H
Cabinet: 7-ply poplar wood
Net Weight: SX50/SX100: 30 lbs, SX200: 44 lbs
Warranty: One Year
Options: FS22 footswitch,
CV211 cover SX100 & SX50
CV3212 cover SX200
VE212 two 12” 200w 4Ω extension cabinet
76-10205 11/01
c
SX SERIES Classic Tube Emulation, awesome digital effects, famous X4 knobs,
rich black vinyl covering and the real brass red jewel light continue to make the
AMERICAN MADE SX Series one of the hottest amps on the market today!
EMULATION OR MODELING? Unlike other “modeling” amps, the SX
doesn’t just copy the sounds of other amplifiers – it actually emulates 12AX7 tube
circuitry. The SX waveforms successfully “model” real tube waveforms that
breathe and express warmth from mild soft-clip to a full power soaked sustain.
Pro players and industry gurus have stated that the SX Tube Emulator actually
sounds better than many tube amps!
TWO CHANNELS – Clean and Distortion. Each channel has its own independent volume control for setting up matching levels quick and easy. The SX200
adds true “DUAL CHANNEL A & B” capabilities allowing both channels to be played
at the same time with different instruments.
ACTIVE TONE CONTROLS All models feature BASS, MID and TREBLE
controls on both channels. The SX200 goes even further by adding a PRESENCE
control to each channel for more high-end.
24-BIT EFFECTS Once you have that perfect tone, you can add in just the
right amount of lush REVERBS, rich CHORUSES, thick textured FLANGING and
pristine ECHOES with fully adjustable parameters for damping, decay, depth,
speed, time and regeneration–up to 256 24-Bit DSP EFFECTS. The SX200 adds a
second digital processor dedicated to creating a lush, concert-hall reverb at the
push of a button.
SX MODELS The 50 watt SX50 with one heavy-duty 12” GT12 speaker is perfect for practice, small gigs or even large venues if you mic it. The SX100 and
SX200 feature a full 100 watts RMS – plenty for any situation. All models feature
the heavy-duty 100w GT12 speaker that provides awesome guitar reproduction –
from clean to blues to scream’n metal. The SX200 features two 12” speakers for
a bigger sound.
REAR P ANEL CONNECTIONS All back panels feature a LINE OUT
for recording or running a slave amp, HEADPHONE jack, EXTENSION
SPEAKER jack and a FOOT SWITCH jack for the optional FS22 (for remotely changing channels and turning on/off the effects). The extra dedicated
reverb on the SX200 is controlled by a front panel switch. The SX200 also
adds SEND/RETURN jacks for your own external effects.
RUGGED CONSTRUCTION SMT surface mount electronics
ensure consistent, reliable performance and are nearly impervious to
bumps and vibrations. Strong, lightweight plywood cabinet (not particle
board), aluminum chassis, steel grill and corners deliver one of the lightest, yet most rugged amps available.
VOLUME DRIVE TREBLE TRVOLUME BASS MIDMIDBASS
CHANNEL BCHANNEL A
A
PRESENCE
B
A/B B
INPUT
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GETTING STARTED QUICKLY
If you are like most players, you probably want to plug in your new amp and get started playing right away. You can read the rest of the manual later to learn the finer points
of operating your amp. In order to get started you will need your SX-AMP, a 120 or 230
AC grounded power outlet, your instrument, and a standard guitar cord. With the amp
turned off, you may now plug it into the proper AC voltage.
Now turn all the volume and overdrive controls off and set tone controls at their mid center
position. If you have purchased the FS22 foot switch, plug it into the rear foot switch jack
for switching the channels and effects. Note: The channel SELECT button must be in the OUT
position (CH A) for the FS22 to function (only CH B will function if it’s in the wrong position).
Now, turn the power switch ON. Gradually raise the volume and overdrive controls and
re-adjust the tone controls and you’re ready to go.
FRONT PANEL
1. GUITAR INPUT
Use a professional quality guitar cord no longer than 25 feet. Typical cable capacitance
should be under 50pf—the longer the cord, the greater the capacitance (you can measure this with a capacitance meter). A long cable with high capacitance will reduce the
overall treble response from your pickups. Use the A/B button between the channels or
the footswitch to select between channel A & channel B.
2. INPUT B (SX200 ONLY)
The CHANNEL B input may be used with the CHANNEL A/B input, allowing two instruments to be played at the same time. Plugging into input B can provide another instrument ready to be played without unplugging.
3. CHANNEL SELECT
Set the channel switch to the desired channel. The LED’s next to the volume controls will
let you see which channel is functioning. Use CH A for overdrive/lead. Use CH B for clean
playing. For the FS22 foot switch to function, set the CH SELECT to the “ OUT” or “CH
A” position.
CHANNEL A DRIVE
4. CHANNEL A INDICATOR
The LED will illuminate when the OVERDRIVE channel is selected.
5. CHANNEL A VOLUME
The volume of the drive channel is to be used as a master level control. For partial clean
output, set the VOLUME control to 10 and turn the DRIVE nearly off.
6. CHANNEL A DRIVE
For mild 12AX7 tube modeling, set the DRIVE control between 2 & 3. For some of the
best saturation, set the control between 4 & 6. For full blown drive, set the control
between 6 and 10 (your guitar volume should be turned all the way up). Because the SXAMP has plenty of gain in the DRIVE control, you get an abundance of guitar feedback.
However, if feedback is a problem, reduce the amount of DRIVE or move the guitar to the
side or away from the speaker(s).
7. CHANNEL A BASS, MID & TREBLE
You can start at 5 on the dial for each of the tone controls. However, these settings do not
represent a normalized (flat) sound. You need to set them where they sound best! Most
musicians like to reduce the MID to between 3 and 4 for deeper bass and crisper highs. Add
some BASS for a thicker sound. Try the PRESENCE control also when adjusting the treble.
8. CHANNEL A PRESENCE (SX200 ONLY)
Channel A features it’s own PRESENCE for added treble. It’s frequency range is at the
very high end of the tonal spectrum. If your sound is too bright with single coil pickups,
you may want to keep the PRESENCE control low. Careful adjustment with the TREBLE
control will make this feature very useful.
CHANNEL B CLEAN
9. CHANNEL B CLEAN INDICATOR
The red LED will illuminate when the CLEAN channel is selected.
10. CHANNEL B CLEAN VOLUME
Channel switching from the Drive channel into Channel B gives you crisps, clean sounds.
Thanks to special mud-cutting circuits that work between the frequencies of 600 and 800 Hz,
your guitar tones will be full and vibrant.
11. CLEAN BASS, MID & TREBLE CONTROLS
To start off with, set the BASS, MID & TREBLE controls at their center (5) position. These
controls are most likely to be set according to the type of pickups used (dual or single
coil). Most musicians like to reduce the MID to between 3 and 4 for deeper bass and
crisper highs.
12. CHANNEL B CLEAN PRESENCE (SX200 ONLY)
For added clarity, the CH B PRESENCE control increases the highest guitar harmonics in the
8-10k Hz range which is ideal for acoustic guitars. A normal bright switch works only in the
3k Hz range leaving your sound somewhat flat.
Single or dual coil pickups will determine
the level of this control.
SX100D & SX200D FRONT & REAR PANEL CONTROLS
1
2
3
4
6
5
7
8
10
9
7
VOLUME DRIVE TREBLE TREBLEVOLUME BASSMIDBASS
CHANNEL BCHANNEL A
EFFECTS
A
LEVEL ADJUST
B
SX-50SX-50
INPUT
MID
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