Carvin Line Array?

John Chiara

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Jan 11, 2011
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Troy, NY
A local acquaintance has aquired 8 of these for use above 6 Yorkville UCS subs. I have only heard them straight stacked on top of the subs and 2/side on poles above subs. Carbon processor with stock settings I assume. The seemed very peaky at certain high frequencies but that could just be a taste EQ thing.
Any experiences?
 
Re: Carvin Line Array?

A local acquaintance has aquired 8 of these for use above 6 Yorkville UCS subs. I have only heard them straight stacked on top of the subs and 2/side on poles above subs. Carbon processor with stock settings I assume. The seemed very peaky at certain high frequencies but that could just be a taste EQ thing.
Any experiences?
John, I have 8 Carvin TRX 3210's with there processor and 2 of there amps. I have had them for a year now and it has been very interesting. The HF section out runs the 10's and if you look at there settings for the system they know of the problem. I blew up 16 10" drivers trying to EQ the system because the 10"s could not keep up. Carvin said it was my fault and would not help because the voice coils were burned up. I bought 16 new drivers from another company, the best I could get that would fit in the cab without mods to the cabinet. I now have 8 cabinet that sound like they should, I run them off of 2 DCM 3800. It's a great little rig now, before I just could not get it right. I tried everything before, run them passive, run them biamp, run then with crest 7001's nothing would balance that cabinet. Even there phone guy told me if you are going to run less than 8 a side you will have trouble with the high end. Well I'm in now so if I buy more, I have to change the drivers out. Thats my Carvin story, I still have my big PA for the larger shows so I'm OK. I could not recommend that rig to anyone it is not a plug and play system. Thanks Jerry
 
Re: Carvin Line Array?

John, I have 8 Carvin TRX 3210's with there processor and 2 of there amps. I have had them for a year now and it has been very interesting. The HF section out runs the 10's and if you look at there settings for the system they know of the problem. I blew up 16 10" drivers trying to EQ the system because the 10"s could not keep up. Carvin said it was my fault and would not help because the voice coils were burned up.

I would not blame the product because all of the drivers do not fail at the same time. Would it have made you happier if the HF also failed????????

In almost all products one driver (or set of drivers) will fail before others-no big deal

The BIG issue is whether the cabinet will meet the specifications before any drivers fail. If so-then that is the rated limit.

If you want more than the rated specifications-then all bets are off and it is up to you and your risks.

I have no idea about the product in question-but just the general thought pattern.
 
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Re: Carvin Line Array?

I blew up 16 10" drivers trying to EQ the system because the 10"s could not keep up. Carvin said it was my fault and would not help because the voice coils were burned up.

Thanks Jerry

Let's see, you were running the boxes passive and had no control over the HF band? You then decided the most appropriate way to compensate for the headroom designed into the boxes was to boost your Lows about 6 dB and then turn it up all the way? Then the manufacturer told you the truth that it was your fault that you cooked the drivers?

Were you actually expecting a different result?
 
Re: Carvin Line Array?

Any time you ground stack a line array with 0 degrees between boxes you are gonna have a situation where the HF outruns everything. Plus it's gonna sound like shit.

The HF in a line array box is supposed to cover a small slice of the pie. Say you have an 8 box tall array. You should have 16 LF drivers all working together. You would then arc the array so that 1 HF driver would cover each little section that it is pointed at. So 1 HF to 16 LF drivers. Does that sound like the ratio you were expecting?*


*Yes, I know it doesn't REALLY work that way, but I'm over-simplifying it for the carvin crowd, OK?
 
Re: Carvin Line Array?

Any time you ground stack a line array with 0 degrees between boxes you are gonna have a situation where the HF outruns everything. Plus it's gonna sound like shit.

The HF in a line array box is supposed to cover a small slice of the pie. Say you have an 8 box tall array. You should have 16 LF drivers all working together. You would then arc the array so that 1 HF driver would cover each little section that it is pointed at. So 1 HF to 16 LF drivers. Does that sound like the ratio you were expecting?*


*Yes, I know it doesn't REALLY work that way, but I'm over-simplifying it for the carvin crowd, OK?

Tim, I know how a line array is supposed to work. I also know how I want a speaker box to sound. If one box does not sound good than 10 will not sound any better. I didn't write my experience with my Carvin trx3210 so you could let me have it about the way I used the system. I wrote it for the original post because he asked if anyone had experience with Carvin 3210's. I have a years worth of experience for what ever it's worth.
Ivan the driver Carvin put in that box is rated at 250wt's or 500 watts per cabinet for the LF. I don't believe that driver will take 250 wt's rms. for a whole show. I believe Carvin made a poor choice of drivers for the box. I think Carvin made a very nice box with great rigging and the HF is Celestion horns that sound good with a very smooth passive crossover but the 10" driver is not up to the rest of the box in my opinion.
When I bought the rig I bought it all, there Amps and processing there rigging and there boxes. I wanted to do it right and we don't ground stack it very often. I set the processing up with there settings and we have splayed the boxes many different ways before I blew it up. I can now set that system up passive and run it at -10 on my board and run it. The speakers made a big difference in the rig. I'm going to buy more of the cabinets and change the speakers, it sounds great now and does what I originally bought it for. Small shows of about 500 people indoors. Sets up quick runs on very little power and sounds good. I just can't recommend the box to other people because it does not perform as advertised that's all. Thanks and have a great day.
 
Re: Carvin Line Array?

Hey, if it sounds good now it is good. IMO Carvin is wack for selling this as as being usable as a four cab per side zero splay ground stack - even offering the cabs without flyware for that :roll:. Dunno why Jerry wants to carry all them cabs for 500 when a SRX722 a side would do but hey if it gets him more work from the "gotta have a line array" clients or even if he just enjoys it good on him for getting it to do what he needs :)~:)~:smile:.
 
Re: Carvin Line Array?

Dunno why Jerry wants to carry all them cabs for 500 when a SRX722 a side would do.

In my world an SRX722 per side doesn't even come close at all!

Just finished a show with the TCS line array stacked and properly splayed to cover a 575 capacity venue. Four boxes per side, plus three TCS 2800 subs per side. Five piece rock band. If we would have showed up with a 722 per side we would have been pushed out the door and told never to come back!
 
Re: Carvin Line Array?

I didn't write my experience with my Carvin trx3210 so you could let me have it about the way I used the system.

Jerry - sorry you got beat up a little, but I think this is the main challenge:
I blew up 16 10" drivers trying to EQ the system because the 10"s could not keep up. Carvin said it was my fault and would not help because the voice coils were burned up.
With all due respect, this was your fault. Admittedly, Carvin's limiter settings can't be that great, but good grief - when the system starts sounding like garbage, you need to stop turning it up - whether or not it is loud enough for your tastes.
 
Re: Carvin Line Array?

In my world an SRX722 per side doesn't even come close at all! Just finished a show with the TCS line array stacked and properly splayed to cover a 575 capacity venue. Four boxes per side, plus three TCS 2800 subs per side. Five piece rock band. If we would have showed up with a 722 per side we would have been pushed out the door and told never to come back!
Wow, you sure live up to your name :D~:-D~:grin: . I'd have no qualms covering 1200 with that gear. Heck, the last couple places I've been I've just run one stack (RCF310a over 2x 2x12 subs or TH-Mini's) for 150+, 5 piece rock bands (mostly because there was no place to put a second stack :?~:-?~:???:).
 
Re: Carvin Line Array?

I can now set that system up passive and run it at -10 on my board and run it.

That is a pretty much worthless statement and means nothing.

If you want to run the console lower-then simply turn up the gain down stream (amps-DSP etc) or turn down the gain and the console is run harder.

Kids of like saying I make $1000. What does that mean-per hour-day-week-year???????? Without other information the statement does not mean (or prove) much. Sorry.