Love my walkabout but...

seungkoo · #1 04-03-2011, 05:24 PM

I think I need more power. I play at church and sometimes we do outdoors.
Indoors I keep my gain setting around 1-2 o'clock and master around 3-4 o'clock.
I am having a hard time hearing sometimes. Our PA is not the greatest so I dont go through it.
Should I get bigger cab for the walkabout? At the moment I have the 12" scout combo.
Should I try the DI out to the board?
Or should I get a more powerful head? or will the 300watts be enough just need different speakers? I can return the combo to GC to get a full refund so if I do switch it out I have about $1550 to work with.
I figured I can get a markbass 800 watt head plus a 4x10 cab and still have $$$ left over.
Or I can go with a MESA carbine head and spend a bit more on bigger cabs.
Or just live with the walkabout

Wes Whitmore · #2 04-03-2011, 05:26 PM

If the PA isn't going to do it, try adding an extension cab. It's hard to get churches to put money into subs, which is what you really need there. Our church doesn't have subs either, but they also don't want stage volume, so drums and bass suffer.
Wes

seungkoo · #3 04-03-2011, 05:32 PM

yea my old church had an awesome sound system with mind blowing subs. I went through my sansamp straigh tto the board there because the subs were just mind blowing.
This new church has a so so sound but I still get buried by the loud drummer and guitarists...

riotorgun · #4 04-03-2011, 05:55 PM

300watts should be enough with the right cabs,my 2x15 and 300watt head are loud as hell,depends on your eq aswell...

lomo · #5 04-03-2011, 06:35 PM

The Scout 12 is compressing (with your average bass output) at those settings and not getting much louder after noon on the master with that gain setting. Bigger cab will solve the problem. A nEarful 15/6 (like the Avatar TB153) or a 410 (either in 4 Ohms) will do ya.

dukeorock · #6 04-03-2011, 06:41 PM

I find this new trend of saying 'PA support' is some new TB catch phrase, but who cares how good that support is if it doesn't sound right to you? You can't play your best if your rig sounds wimpy even though it's usually true that the FOH guy has you sounding great out of the mains...you play better when you're digging your sound

joconnorwi · #7 04-03-2011, 06:42 PM

In the same boat my friend....I love it, but I need a louder COMBO, not just to take the head out and play through a different cab. I may as well bring my MPulse 600 through my 4x10....

Nightlyraider · #8 04-03-2011, 06:47 PM

You just need more speakers.

At the latest Minneapolis/St Paul GTG someone else brought a Walkabout and tried it with the fearful 15/6 cabs I brought. A few people thought the Walkabout Combo was making those noises for a little while.... mwhahaha

The wattage rating can only get you so far, your single speaker is holding you back much more.

seungkoo · #9 04-03-2011, 06:49 PM

if the sound is just getting compressed at 12 and past its pretty weaksauce...I love it but my markbass combo was boats louder at the master and gain set to 12/12.

with the walkabout I have to max out the volume on my bass plus the combo...

I might switch back to a markbass combo.

TomB · #10 04-03-2011, 07:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by seungkoo

if the sound is just getting compressed at 12 and past its pretty weaksauce...I love it but my markbass combo was boats louder at the master and gain set to 12/12.

with the walkabout I have to max out the volume on my bass plus the combo...

I might switch back to a markbass combo.

I think you'd be amazed what an additional 1x12 would add to your sound.

Jim C · #11 04-03-2011, 07:55 PM

Played Friday night with a loud band in a very loud room with a WA and a Berg HT32; 1x12, 2x10, and a horn at 4 ohms
You just need more speakers; my 1x15 at 4 ohms is not nearly as loud as the Berg or a 2x15
Downside for some is that a single driver light weight cab may not be loud enough

GRoberts · #12 04-13-2011, 11:55 AM

I have a WA Scout 1x12 combo. When I gig outdoors, it simply is underpowered and under sized for that application unless I am doing a quiet patio/dining environment type gig. Just my opinion.

I ran a Bergantino EX112 cabinet under my Walkabout Scout 1x12 combo for a while. (2.67 ohm loads ...no problem) That helps a lot and gets the Walkabout closer to ear level which helped a bit. With the extension 1x12 cabinet, it was better but I felt it was still too small and too focused of a sound for outdoor venues. (IME/IMHO)

Also as others have noted, once you reach a certain level on your Master Vol and Input gain knobs on the WA, it doesn't go any louder. It just gets squishier and creamier sounding. Bottom line, I personally feel the WA is underpowered and undersized for outdoor gigs. Wrong tool for the job. Keep in mind, I LOVE my WA! For the right application, this amp is amazing.

To contradict my own opinion however, I connected my WA head to a Bergantino AE410 (4 ohm) cab. The sound was MUCH larger and louder. But I felt it didn't punch enough. I felt that if I was going to be schlepping that much larger of a cabinet, why not use an amp that matches the cabinet better. I used a Markbass LMII and that was WAY more power, punch and volume.

RickenBoogie · #13 04-13-2011, 02:50 PM

+1 I agree, the Walkabout Scout 12 is not enough. In fact, I sold my Scout 12 cab, and only use my Walkabout head with a 2x12, or more. With enough spkrs, that head is plenty loud, and the tone is wonderful, much better, imo, than the markbass.

stingray56funk · #14 04-13-2011, 02:53 PM

I used my Walkabout so many times with my Mesa Powerhouse 6x10 or with a 2x15 Trace Elliott cab and I was told so many times by sound guys and the like to turn down. I would start to really blast myself at about Noon on the Master with the Walkabout. That thing, when with the right set of speakers (more area the better), really pumps!

derrico1 · #15 04-13-2011, 04:16 PM

Alone, the WA 12" is IME fine for a rock stage with a moderate drummer. Running the DI to PA, I've used the 12" combo on plenty of festival stages.

A hard hitter at the kit swamps it, though--as will a loud guitarist ("loud" here meaning even a Fender Twin pushed hard).

Adding another cab will let the amp keep up. I've got a second WA combo, so I'll sometimes bring both and use the second cab as an extension (requires an adapter). The combo seems louder, though, on top of a Carvin 1503, or with the WA head pulled and driving my Schroeder 21012.

jumbodbassman · #16 04-13-2011, 04:21 PM

add a cab

Vanceman · #17 04-13-2011, 04:22 PM

I'd love to hear my Walkabout with a 6x10!

When using my Epi 410, gain is 12 - 1 o'clock, and master aroung 10 to 11 o'clock, and it's more than loud enough for almost any small/medium sized indoor gig.

From all I've read here, not all Walkabouts sound/perform the same. I just swapped the tubes around because something didn't sound right, and it turns out, the tube in P1 was going bad.

Fortunatly, I had a Tung Sol and an EH tube on hand. I could clearly hear the difference in gain and thickness of the sound between a stock Mesa and Tung Sol tube. I preferred the Mesa in P1 and the Tung Sol in P2.

Not only does it sound better, but it is louder than it has been lately.

Krügmeister · #18 04-14-2011, 01:05 AM

I have a scout and extension and replaced the stock speakers with 3012 HO's .. it seems a LOT louder and clearer.. although at lower volumes you do have to bump the lows a bit more... but those speakers go to 11!

newbold · #19 04-14-2011, 02:53 AM

ALSO send your DI to FOH.

pgbassman · #20 04-14-2011, 06:33 AM

I use a Markbass Mini Mark Tube 800 to power either a Scout 12 or 15 ext cab depending on the venue. While admittedly from what I've heard soundwise out of the WA head from other players, the Markbass isn't as warm but is able to go louder without farting out the speaker like the WA head does after a certain volume. Not sure exactly why that is but I love the vintage woody tone I get from this setup.