Help me decide please! M-Pulse 600 or Titan V12

Kendric · #1 04-15-2010, 07:41 AM

I've got a bit of extra cash that needs to be spent on some new gear :-)

I've pretty much decided to go with Mesa Boogie, all the reviews I've read say they're pretty good amps to go with.

Here's my dilema. Should I go with a M-Pulse 600, or a Titan V12?

Before anyone jumps on me for saying I haven't searched the forums first, I've been reading for 3 days all I can find here on TB about both amps, and haven't really found any comparison between the two.

If it helps for advice, I'll be going with a powerhouse 1200 cab to go with the amp that hopefully I'll be able to decide on getting.

The band I'm with plays mostly blues / classic rock, with sometimes something a little heavier thrown in.

What I'm looking for is a nice clean fat sound, with the ability to throw some overdrive grit into for the songs that need it.

I really like the fact that the V12 has two channels, then I can set up a clean and a dirty channel. What has kept me from just saying go for the Titan, is that even on threads where people are talking about the V12, I keep seeing how nice the M-Pulse 600 is. I know that amps are subjective, and some people like a certain sound over another.

With either amp, another priority for me is volume, in particular low volume.

Our practice room isn't very large, so I want to be able to have the clean and dirty tones stay true to what they would be at gigging volume, without blowing out the ears of all my band mates. I haven't really read about either amp if they work well turning the gain up to drive up the tube pre-amp to get the grit while keeping the volume low works. Feedback on this would be much appreciated.

I think I've rambled on for long enough. Hopefully someone who's played with both amps can help me out, and if what I'm asking has already been answered, please point me in the right thread, my search-fu hasn't really brought me the results I'm looking for.

Thanks in advance for your help :-)

lomo · #2 04-15-2010, 08:04 AM

If you want any dirt at all, this is an easy choice and V12 is the answer. The 600 is a clean machine. You will be able to get dirt at any volume with it.

57pbass · #3 04-15-2010, 08:05 AM

You should throw the Mesa M 9 into the mix...the MPulse 600 is a great head ...from waht you describe you will probably be better off with more headroom / power to acheive the tones you are after...... and the Titan or M 9 might work...

lomo · #4 04-15-2010, 08:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 57pbass

You should throw the Mesa M 9 into the mix...the MPulse 600 is a great head ...from waht you describe you will probably be better off with more headroom / power to acheive the tones you are after...... and the Titan or M 9 might work...

Since the OP said he wants dirt, I think the V12 will prolly better serve him than the m9, unless a pedal is thrown into the mix.

57pbass · #5 04-15-2010, 08:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lomo

Since the OP said he wants dirt, I think the V12 will prolly better serve him than the m9, unless a pedal is thrown into the mix.

Noted..but if you crank the Gain on the M 9 you should be able to drive the tube ??

Thanks

lomo · #6 04-15-2010, 08:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 57pbass

Noted..but if you crank the Gain on the M 9 you should be able to drive the tube ??

Thanks

IME the M9 doesn't get really dirty, but I can get a tad of peach fuzz and more tubey roundness moving the gain up. The V12 (assuming it's a Siamese pair of BB750s, which I have tried out quite a bit) should go everywhere from clean spank on one channel through light fuzz all the way to buzzsaw with the OD.

babebambi · #7 04-15-2010, 11:10 AM

no dirt from my M9, no dirt at all

Kendric · #8 04-15-2010, 01:42 PM

Thanks so much for the feedback.

I am definately wanting a dirty sound for some songs, so it looks like I'll be getting the Titan V12.

Has anyone had experience overdriving it at low volume settings? I do not want to drown everyone else out at practice volumes.

lomo · #9 04-15-2010, 02:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kendric

Thanks so much for the feedback.

I am definately wanting a dirty sound for some songs, so it looks like I'll be getting the Titan V12.

Has anyone had experience overdriving it at low volume settings? I do not want to drown everyone else out at practice volumes.

The OD channel will do its' thing independent of volume-no worries.

57pbass · #10 04-15-2010, 03:20 PM

You cant go wrong with Mesa Bass gear...good choice...hope it works our great for you....

Matt Dean · #11 04-15-2010, 03:40 PM

I'm a satisfied M-Pulse 600 user... it may be one of the best at producing clean tube tone with lots of headroom. You can get some dirt by pushing it, but what I do is use a couple of dirt pedals (SFT/Bass BB) to get my overdriven sound. I think that these days with the quality of dirt pedals on the market, going with clean tube headroom is the way to go.

Rooster009 · #12 04-15-2010, 04:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Matt Dean

I'm a satisfied M-Pulse 600 user... it may be one of the best at producing clean tube tone with lots of headroom. You can get some dirt by pushing it, but what I do is use a couple of dirt pedals (SFT/Bass BB) to get my overdriven sound. I think that these days with the quality of dirt pedals on the market, going with clean tube headroom is the way to go.

pluse one! My 600 has some grit as well, more than i'll ever need. The op stated he wants fat and clean with a ability for some grit as well as keeping tone at low volume. To me this sums my 600 perfectly. if you want super giganto amounts of fuzz get a pedal, your speakers will thank you for it later. I also have the ph 1000 cab which is just a little older version of your cab. Awesome rig! Plus if the op wanted to later he could get the ph 210 cab and have the perfect small gig rig.

pickles · #13 04-16-2010, 08:05 AM

No brainer - Titan - based on your needs. I love both heads, but the what the 600 can't do is bounce back and forth between clean and dirty. And there is no pedal made that can get the kind of true amp dirt that the Titan can.

Krügmeister · #14 04-16-2010, 08:09 AM

Definately Titan, you can get alot of grit with it and it sounds amazing, not that the 600 doesn't sound great either, but to me the Titan is able to dial up some pretty amazing tones

gastric · #15 04-16-2010, 09:06 AM

I went with the Big Block 750. Same pre as the Titan, just a single channel. However, you can still punch in overdrive with it's own level. Not to mention cheaper and still pushes 750W @ 4ohm.

rockstarbassist · #16 04-16-2010, 09:44 AM

V12 for shizzle. Look at the BB750 if you don't need all that juice. You won't even get close to running the V12 at 12:00, much less wide open! That's why I "downsized" to the BB750.

The Titan is just a beast though. Awesome amp.

rockstarbassist · #17 04-16-2010, 09:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gastric

I went with the Big Block 750. Same pre as the Titan, just a single channel. However, you can still punch in overdrive with it's own level. Not to mention cheaper and still pushes 750W @ 4ohm.

The 750 actually does about 550-600W @ 4 ohms, and 750W @ 2 ohms.

The Titan actually goes down in wattage when set to 2 ohms. I think like 840W or something. It runs 1200W @ 4 ohms.

Krügmeister · #18 04-16-2010, 11:37 AM

You know the BB750 might just be your ticket actually if you don't need a boatload of headroom.

Matt Dean · #19 04-16-2010, 03:37 PM

Arrrgh.... this thread has pushed me over the edge to swap my M-Pulse 600 for a BB 750. I've been a pretty dedicated MP600 user for many years and remain a steadfast advocate... but that OD channel is calling to me.

rockstarbassist · #20 04-16-2010, 04:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Matt Dean

Arrrgh.... this thread has pushed me over the edge to swap my M-Pulse 600 for a BB 750. I've been a pretty dedicated MP600 user for many years and remain a steadfast advocate... but that OD channel is calling to me.

Just depends on what your tonal needs are. The 750 is no slouch in the Cleans dept by any means!
I've had a few 600s over the years but I wouldn't swap my 750 for one at all!