Carvin Engineering Data DCM600 DCM Series Power Amps Instruction Manual

: June 13, 2024
: Carvin Engineering Data

Carvin Engineering Data DCM600 DCM Series Power Amps

Product Information

The Carvin Engineering Data DCM600, DCM1000, DCM1500 Power Amps are high-performance amplifiers designed for professional audio applications. These power amps feature a Toroid power supply, which delivers massive amounts of on-demand current for continuous 2-ohm operation. This ensures a solid foundation for the power supply, providing more headroom for large subwoofer applications. The toroid design also helps reduce stray magnetic fields, eliminating hum and noise, making it ideal for the recording industry.
The DCM Series amps are built with modular construction, allowing for easy replacement and maintenance. Every aspect of these amps, including the power supply, power cards, heat sinks, and fans, is connected using heavy-duty AMPTM and MOLEXTM type connectors. This modular design allows for quick and hassle-free replacement of components, ensuring minimal downtime.
Distortion-free limiters are another key feature of the DCM Series amps. These limiters hold down peaks to prevent distortion caused by hot input signals, protecting your speakers. Additionally, the well-designed limiters can increase the average output of the amp by up to 3 dB, allowing you to turn up the levels without experiencing peak distortion. Unlike amps that use FET controlled limiters, which can introduce small amounts of distortion, the DCM Series limiters utilize distortion-free linear opto isolators to maintain pure and uncolored sound.

Product Usage Instructions

MOUNTING: The power amp is designed for standard 19-inch rack installation. The sturdy one-piece 12-gauge steel faceplate accommodates this installation. Use four 10-32 x .5 Phillips machine screws to secure the amp to the rack. Rear support brackets are not required.
POWER SWITCH: Before engaging the POWER switch, ensure that the power amp connections are properly made and verify the AC line power source. The yellow LED on the front panel will indicate that all circuits are properly powered up. The use of yellow allows the operator to easily see the red indicators (clipping or protect) from a distance.
RECEIVING INSPECTION: Prior to using the power amp, it is recommended to perform a receiving inspection. Please refer to the user manual for detailed instructions on this process.
FRONT PANELS & CONNECTING UP: Connect your audio sources to the appropriate input connectors on the rear panel of the power amp. Ensure that the signal levels are within the specified sensitivity range (1.0V for all models). Make sure to utilize shielded cables for optimal performance. Refer to the user manual for detailed instructions on connecting audio sources.
FRONT & REAR PANEL CONTROLS: Familiarize yourself with the front and rear panel controls of the power amp. These controls include various knobs, switches, and indicators that allow you to adjust and monitor the performance of the amp. Refer to the user manual for a detailed explanation of each control.
For more information and detailed instructions, please refer to the Carvin Engineering Data DCM600, DCM1000, DCM1500 Power Amps Operating Manual.

INTRODUCTION

Pristine sound, brute power and no-fault reliability make the DCM amps the power amp of choice for pro audio. Massive Toroid power supplies with huge capacitors deliver the bass that kick drums demand. Designed for continuous operation, overheating is not a problem especially down at minimum impedances where other amps simply turn off.
Each DCM is hand built at our San Diego factory featuring all steel construction, recessed controls and heavy-duty power components. The rock-solid, efficient design with its superb testimonial-proven sound makes the USA built DCM an amp you’ll own for years.

PURE—TRANSPARENT SOUND

Carvin considers the sound of an amp equally important as to its reliability. To insure pure, uncolored sound, we build one of the fastest power stages on the market today. High slew rates of 50v/µs deliver superb transient response. High frequencies are transparent and open—even at extreme levels. Linear feedback circuits reduce distortion to near the theoretical zero limit preventing harshness which would lead to ear fatigue. The DCM deliver transparent, unaltered sound— especially important to the studio user. Drive any type of reactive loads, including 70V transformer distribution systems.

ULTRA RUGGED FOR TOURING

Every chassis is made from heavy-duty 16 gauge steel that is plated before painted to prevent rust. All internal cabling is neatly tied and harnessed. Every circuitcard is FR-4 MILITARY SPEC, double-sided, fire retardant glass epoxy. Plated through-holes insure that the solder flows on the top, bottom and through each hole of every component preventing components from shaking loose. Speakon™ connectors, heavy-duty power switches, recessed knobs, all give the DCM amps a “tank-like” ruggedness.

TOROID POWER SUPPLY

Toroids deliver massive amounts of “on demand” current for continuous 2 ohm operation. This gives the power supply a solid foundation, yielding more headroom for large subwoofer applications. Not only do toroids deliver high current, but they are known for reducing stray magnetic fields eliminating hum & noise. This is especially important to the recording industry.

MODULAR CONSTRUCTION

With the DCM Series, Carvin brings you totally modular construction. If you ever need an I/O (input/output) connector card because a connector wore-out, just unplug and re-install the replacement card. This applies to every aspect of the DCM Series amps including the power supply, power cards, heat sinks and fans. Everything is connected by heavy-duty AMP™ and MOLEX™ type connectors for easy replacement—even the Toroid transformer is a plug-in.

DISTORTION-FREE LIMITERS

The purpose of a limiter is to hold down peaks so the amp won’t distort with extra hot input signals (helps protect speakers). In addition, a well designed limiter can increase your amp’s average output as much as 3 dB allowing levels to be turned up without peak distortion. Part of Carvin’s design uses the more expensive, distortion-free linear “opto isolators”. Unlike amps that use FET controlled limiters, which inject small amounts of distortion, the DCM Series limiters keep your sound pure and uncolored!

RECEIVING INSPECTION—read before getting started

INSPECT YOUR UNIT 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 for your records. Keep your portion of the card and return the portion with your name and comments to us.
USA customers register online at: www.carvin.com/registration
All other countries register online at: www.carvinworld.com/registration

FRONT PANELS & CONNECTING UP

The DCM Series feature front panel signal, peak and protect LEDs which let you monitor the status of the amp. Both channels use detente level controls allowing you to see your settings at a glance. Balanced TRS & XLR input connectors are used to eliminate hum & noise. Speaker outputs feature heavy-duty binding posts, Speakon™ connectors and 1/4” jacks.
The rear professional accessory group offers a GROUND switch to remove the chassis ground from the XLR input. A PARALLEL input switch connects the inputs together eliminating Y cables for patching multiple amp systems. The accessory group also features a BRIDGE MODE switch to deliver twice the power into a “mono” load or full power into a 70V distribution system, and a LIMITER ON/OFF switch gives the choice of using the internal limiter circuitry.

DCM POWER AMP SPECIFICATIONS

FRONT & REAR PANEL CONTROLS

MOUNTING
Sturdy one piece 12 gauge steel face plate accommodates standard 19” rack installation. The rack mount- ing holes are designed on ISO standard spacing. Four 10-32 x .5” phillips machine screws are normally used to secure the amp. Rear support brackets are not required.
POWER SWITCH
Check the power amp connections and verify the AC line power source before engaging the POWER switch. The yellow LED unmistakably indicates that all circuits are properly powered up. Yellow is used so the operator can see the red indicators (clipping or protect) from a distance.
CHANNEL LEVEL CONTROL
A precision input LEVEL attenuate is used to adjust the volume levels. To deliver the amps maximum power without reducing the headroom of the signal source, the level controls should be turned full on.
CHANNEL SIGNAL INDICATOR
The green SIGNAL LED indicators will start to flash when there is a low signal passing to your speak- ers (-30dBµ). This lets you know when the amp is passing a signal to your speaker connectors.
CHANNEL CLIP INDICATOR
The red CLIP LED indicators flash when each channel has reached its maximum output. Occasional flashing caused by low frequencies is OK. However, consistent flashing caused by higher frequencies may damage high frequency drivers (excessive distortion). This does not cause damage to the amp.
COOLING VENTS/FAN
Upon rack installation, the rear of the amp must be fully exposed to room temperature air. The sur- rounding air should not be warmer than 120° or the thermal protection could active the PROTECT LED. The front cooling vents are not to be restricted.
PROTECT LED INDICATOR
The red PROTECT LED provides the operator with information about the status of the amplifier. The PROTECT LED can come on under 3 different conditions (when this happens, both channels are muted and the speaker relays disconnect the speakers);
During power-up, the amplifier stays in a muted state for approx. 3 sec until it determines that everything is functioning normally (no output shorts or over temp conditions).
When the output load draws excessive current or a direct short is detected caused by a shorted speaker cable or speaker system, the RED PROTECT LED will illuminate. Reset this condition by turning the amp off for two seconds and then on again. Check for shorted cables and that the total speaker impedance is not below 2 ohms per channel (4 ohms bridged).
Overheating is usually determined when the amp stops in the middle of a performance and the PROTECT LED comes on. If this is the cause, leave the amp on for the fan to cool the amp down. The amp will automatically reset within 3 minutes. The PROTECT LED will turn off when ready. Check for the following conditions; a) The rear intake air is not restricted, b) The intake air is not extremely warm, c) The front exhaust vents are not restricted, or d) No excessive speaker load (try other speakers or remove speakers if you have more than one connected to each channel).
XLR CHANNEL INPUTS
For most applications, use the XLR balanced inputs. This will help to reduce hum and allow longer cable runs from your signal source (mixer, etc). Because this is a balanced input, the gain will be 6 dB higher than using the 1/4” input jack with non balanced lines. XLR pin configuration: Pin 1: Grounded through the GROUND LIFT switch, Pin 2: positive Bal. signal and Pin 3: negative Bal. signal.
CHANNEL 1/4” TRS INPUT
This TRS jack is designed to receive either balanced or unbalanced input signals. Balanced signals coming into this jack should be wired with the connector’s tip going to signal + and the connector’s ring to signal -. The connector’s sleeve is then tied internally to ground through the GROUND LIFT switch.
PARALLEL OR “Y” INPUTS
The rear PARALLEL switch connects both channels together from either input. This eliminates Y adapter cables. This feature is used to “daisy chain” one piece of equipment to another. Just plug into the unused INPUT (TRS or XLR) and it will become the output for other equipment.
INPUT GROUND LIFT
Many times sound systems are connected in such a manner as to cause a grounded loop with the inputs which results in audible hum. The input GND LIFT switch (TRS & XLR) on the rear panel will help eliminate this problem. If not, install a Carvin’s MTF55 “Ground lifter” between the amplifier input and the signal.
LIMITERS
To activate the LIMITERS, engage the rear limiter switch. The built-in “Optio” limiters are recommended to hold down peaks that could cause distortion. To check the effectiveness of the limiters when the channel starts to distort (under full output), engage the limiters and listen for the reduction of the distortion. If the distortion stops, you can try to turn the channel up for more power until distortion is heard. The lower bass frequencies are most affected. WARNING: Do not check in an environment where the sound level could damage your ears!
SPEAKER 1/4” AND SPEAKON™ OUTPUTS
The standard 1/4” SPEAKER jacks are offered for low power applications. Speakon™ connectors are provided for high power application. Secure the Speakon™ connection by turning to the right. The center Speakon™ is for the “Bridge” output only. Turn the amp off before connecting your speakers.
SPEAKER BINDING POSTS
For high power speaker connections, use the rear BINDING POSTS to connect your speakers. Wire sizes up to 7 gauge (50 amps) can be inserted into the binding post “side holes”. Larger cable can be used with “banana” plugs which plug into the end of the binding posts (remove colored caps from end of binding posts). Binding posts are spaced on ISO standards. Use the two center RED binding posts to BRIDGE speaker connections (see 15 BRIDGE MODE).
BRIDGE MODE—25V/70V DISTRIBUTION SYSTEMS
The DCM’s can be operated in bridge mode if you require a 25V / 70V mono distribution speaker system or a mono (single channel) amp, which doubles the power into a single load. With your amp off, push “IN” the rear (recessed) BRIDGE switch after you have made your connections to either the center bridge Speakon™ or the rear center RED binding posts (ch 1 is + and ch 2 is -). Carefully select or damage may result to the speakers (this is why the switch has been recessed). No other speaker connectors or binding posts can be used at the same time! The INPUT connector and LEVEL is handled by channel 1. Channel 2 is non-operational. The minimum speaker impedance is 4 ohms. CAUTION: The power developed by bridging your amp can destroy most speakers.
AC POWER
- Your amp is designed to run on either 120V 60 Hz or 240V 50Hz depending on the model purchased.
- The voltage range for 120V model is 95V to 132V and for 240V model it is 195V to 255V. The rear heavyduty AC receptacle will accept a universal grounded AC cord that is designed your country. Be sure to check your power source before plugging into a grounded (3 prong) outlet. Never defeat the grounded connection or electrocution may result! Firmly push the AC cord all the way into the receptacle.
  FUSE: The fuse is located within the main chassis above the AC connector mounted on the rear, inside the PC card. Normaly if the fuse fails, the amp will require service. See spec. chart for fuse values.
  NOTE: Each amp will require a dedicated circuit if you are driving the amp to its full output. There will be a sustained loss of power if the AC voltage falls below the rated 120V or 230/240V. Use a heavy gauge power cable and power source.

SETUP DIAGRAMS

**TYPICAL STEREO SETUP

**STEREO BIAMPING

**70V DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM

**STEREO TRIAMPING

HELPFUL HINTS

NO SOUND FROM CH 2: The rear (recessed) BRIDGE switch has been inadvertently pushed in.
STEREO CHANNELS SOUND THE SAME: The rear PARALLEL switch has been inadvertently pushed in.
NO HIGH FREQUENCIES: Tweeters or midrange drivers have been damaged or blown from feedback or to much power.
SYSTEM HUM: Switch the rear GND LIFT switch IN or OUT. If the hum is not eliminated, then install Carvin’s MTF55 “Ground Lifter” between the amplifier input and signal source. This isolates the input ground from the AC power ground.
POOR SOUND (BASS): The speaker systems are wired out of phase to each other. To correct, reverse the wires on one speaker connector only and your sound, especially the bass response will improve.
DEDICATED CIRCUIT BREAKER: Each amp will require a dedicated circuit breaker for its full output. There will be a sustained loss of power if the AC voltage falls below the rated 120V or 230/240V input.

IMPORTANT! FOR YOUR PROTECTION, PLEASE READ THE FOLLOWING

WATER AND MOISTURE: Appliance should not be used near water (near a bathtub, washbowl, kitchen sink, laundry tub, in a wet basement, or near a swimming pool, etc). Care should be taken so that objects do not fall and liquids are not spilled into the enclosure through openings.
POWER SOURCES: The product should be connected to a power supply only of the type described in the operating instructions or as marked on the appliance.
GROUNDING OR POLARIZATION: Precautions should be taken so that the grounding or polarization is not defeated.
POWER CORD PROTECTION: Power supply cords should be routed so that they are not likely to be walked on or pinched by items placed upon or against them, paying particular attention to cords at plugs, convenience receptacles, and the point where they exit from the appliance.
SERVICING: The user should not attempt to service the appliance beyond that described in the operating instructions. All other servicing should be referred to qualified service personnel.
FUSING: If your unit is equipped with a fuse receptacle, replace only with the same type fuse. Refer to replacement text on the unit for correct fuse type.

SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS (EUROPEAN)

The conductors in the AC power cord are colored in accordance with the following code.
GREEN & YELLOW—Earth BLUE—Neutral BROWN—Live U.K. MAIN PLUG WARNING: A molded main plug that has been cut off from the cord is unsafe. NEVER UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES SHOULD YOU INSERTA DAMAGED OR CUT MAIN PLUG INTO A POWER SOCKET.

LIMITED WARRANTY

Your Carvin product is guaranteed against failure for 3 YEARS unless otherwise stated. Carvin will service and supply all parts at no charge to the customer providing the unit is under warranty. Shipping costs are the responsibility of the customer. CARVIN DOES NOT PAY FOR PARTS OR SERVICING OTHER THAN OUR OWN. A COPY OF THE ORIGINAL INVOICE IS REQUIRED TO VERIFY YOUR WARRANTY. Carvin assumes no responsibility for horn drivers or speakers damaged by this unit. This warranty does not cover, and no liability is assumed, for damage due to: natural disasters, accidents, abuse, loss of parts, lack of reasonable care, incorrect use, or failure to follow instructions. This warranty is in lieu of all other warranties, expressed or implied. No representative or person is authorized to represent or assume for Carvin any liability in connection with the sale or servicing of Carvin products. CARVIN SHALL NOT BE LIABLE FOR INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES.

SERVICE

In the USA, please call 800-235-2235 for a RMA # (return authorization number). Write this number on the box and enclose a description of the problem. Prepay to Carvin 12340 World Trade Drive, SD, CA 92128. Outside the USA, contact your dealer or go to http://www.carvinworld.com for your nearest service center. Include a written description of the problem with serial number and date of purchase.

MAINTAINING YOUR EQUIPMENT

Avoid spilling liquids or allowing any other foreign matter inside the unit. The panel of your unit can be wiped from time to time with a dry or slightly damp cloth in order to remove dust and bring back the new look. As with all pro gear, avoid prolonged use in caustic environments (salt air). When used in such an environment, be sure the amplifier is adequately protected by rack, covers, etc..