MesaBoogie Walkabout Scout settings help.

[cire113]

I dont know if anyone is going to be able to help me with this but..

I got a mesaboogie walkabout scout a few months ago... I love this amp but im having problems finding a good tone with it..

all the parametic eq stuff confuses me ...

Do i want my gain higher than my master volume? or vice versa?

Also is it normal for this amp to kinda have a slight background noise when your not playing? kinda hard to describe... its not a buzz just kinda like a background noise of the speaker being on if that makes sense...?

[cire113]

Also what does the ground line switch do on the back?

My amp has a passive and active switch... Does it matter if i use the active setting witih a passive bass?? what exactly does switching it do...

Thanks again

[ataunton]

The higher the gain the more you drive the preamp tube. So if you want the tube to break up so you get some dirt turn the gain up. If you want a cleaner tone keep it at noon or below. The gain doesn't need to be higher than the volume or vice versa.

With the parametric start with everything at noon. The top knobs control the amount of boost or cut and the knobs below select which frequency you are going to boost or cut. Set you tone using the regular bass/mid/treble controls. Then use the parametric section to fine tune. Many folks have mentioned getting the best results using the parametric to remove problem frequencies. Doing a lot in the parametric section can make things get ugly fast and remember a little tends to go along way.

Ex. Say your having a situation with a boomy stage. Boost the bass in the para section up. Then sweep with the frequency knob until you find an increase in the ugliness. Leave the frequency knob in that position and then use then roll back the cut/boost knob to taste. (Hope this makes sense, it is much harder to describe than I thought it would be).

The noise your hearing could be the fan. It is pretty loud on the WA's. The other possibility is your boosting the treble in the para section.

The Walkabout mega thread had some EQ suggestions recently, I would read through that. Also the manual has some good information regarding using the parametric EQ.

Mesa Boogie Walkabout Part 5!!!

[BadB]

The passive/active switch just attenuates the input for hotter active basses. Your gain will get a little dirty as you begin to pass 12 o'clock, so set to taste, then use your master. Start by setting all you semi-parametrics to 12 o'clock. Bass will be a bit heavy at 12 o'clock but depends on the room you're in. Mid is boost only so start at fully counter clockwise and turn up to taste. I use the semi-parametrics to cure unusual sound issues within a particular room or issues with band mixes like detuned guitars. The background noise you are likely hearing is tweeter hiss. Try turning the dial on the player control network down. It's kinda hard to get a bad tone out of that amp unless you are doing very radical equalization.

[naturalkinds]

Think of your gain setting as a drive setting that adds a little bit of grit or drive as you turn it up. Not technically a great way to understand it, but a helpful heuristic. Where you start getting grit is contingent on the output level of your bass, so it'll generally be different across instruments. If you want a clean sound -- i.e., very little grit -- I'd keep turning up the gain until you hit the grit, and then back it down slightly until you don't get it any more. That'll give you the best signal-to-noise ratio. Then adjust the master volume to taste. Only play with the master once you find you're happy with the quality of your tone upon adjusting the gain to taste.

The background noise you're talking about might be the fan. Many, many people have experienced a mild dissatisfaction at the ambient continuous sound. Me? I couldn't care less about it, and it's no sign that the amp is malfunctioning.

As far as the EQ goes, that's a little more complex -- especially with the passive nature of the mid frequencies -- but the info I gave should get you started.

[ataunton]

Originally Posted by cire113

Also what does the ground line switch do on the back?

My amp has a passive and active switch... Does it matter if i use the active setting witih a passive bass?? what exactly does switching it do...

Thanks again

If your using the line out (DI) and the sound guy is complaining about hiss flip the ground lift. This should remove any ground loop that may have existed.

Switching the input to active pads the signal down because active basses general have hotter output than passive basses. Never use the active setting with a passive bass. It won't hurt anything, it just won't sound as good. I use the passive setting with passive and active basses. Unless a bass is especially hot it's not needed and it sounds better in passive mode.

[cire113]

the background noise is not the fan... I think its just the sound of the amp when its on.... Like when you turn on your scout you hear some noise even when an instrument isnt plugged in you know what i mean?

... Its tied into the treble i noticed..... When i turn down the the treble with the actual knob on the back and bottom of the amp the noise significantly lowers... or if i lower any treble in any way...

also in reguards to this statement...

"Then sweep with the frequency knob until you find an increase in the ugliness"


-- Wouldnt i want to sweep it until it sounds good? im confused..

So the bass, treble and mid boost cut/boost.. only specifically cut/boost the frequency set on the knobs below them not on the amp all together??

..

Right no my bass is 12 oclock, mid 11 oclock, treble 9 oclock. parametic set to default and it sounds pretty nice.... Kinda sad my bass is an ibanez sr300 and i have this amazing amp... i need new pickups lol

[rodl2005]

He's saying sweep the freq till you FIND the BAD tonal area- THEN turn the LEVEL of that freq DOWN.
GREAT amp/combo!! Congrats! Check out the WALKABOUT Thread - lotsa good info in those pages....... & pages...... &..

[vin*tone]

Originally Posted by cire113

"Then sweep with the frequency knob until you find an increase in the ugliness"

-- Wouldnt i want to sweep it until it sounds good? im confused..

Yes - you're right. But if you're getting a bad sound you sometimes need to locate which frequencies are offensive so you can take them out. The easiest way to to this (using the parametric mids) is to run the amp flat but boost one of the eq knobs (on the top row) - then sweep the frequency (knob underneath it) until you find the frequency that 'barks' the worst. You can then cut that frequency to make your overall tone smoother. Sound engineers use this technique when tuning a PA.

So the bass, treble and mid boost cut/boost.. only specifically cut/boost the frequency set on the knobs below them not on the amp all together??..

The bass, treble and mids don't have frequency knobs. The semi-parametric mid knobs in the middle do. The top row of knobs boosts or cuts, the bottom row determines the frequency of boost + cut.

It is a bit tricky but if you spend a bit of time with the manual and experiment - you'll realise how powerful a tool the WA EQ is.

[RickenBoogie]

Most WA users run the amp "mostly" flat. Put evetrything at noon, then play with the passive mid control. That mid knob is powerful stuff. Play with that. use the semi-parametric eq to get rid of bad things as already described above.

[MuthaFunk]

I've found that the scout has a very large hump around 40-60 Hz so I set the bass parametric around that area and cut the level to 10-11 o clock. I find it helps clean up the sound a little.

[Willicious]

Subbed. I've been thinking of starting this exact thread! Great explanations here.

OP, I went through the last 2-3 threads of the Walkabout megathread, and bookmarked specific posts where players give specific advice on how THEY approach adjusting the WA EQ. I can post them here, if you'd like.

[cire113]

that would be great man thanks...

the walkabout scout is cabable of playing a gig right?

I was jamming with some people had my gain and volume at around 12 oclock and it sounded pretty good....

[Willicious]

Here you go!
I'm still learning as well about the para EQ.
IMO, it'd really help if Mesa labeled the freq sweep knobs more fully.
That way, less seasoned players could begin associating actual
numerical frequencies (@ the knob) with what their ears are hearing.
Problem is, the WA control panel is so small, there's no room for the numbers.

Still, despite the above and a few other design hiccups (no mute, no tuner out) this amp just plain sounds amazing!

Part 4:

Post #825 & 6

832

864

Part 5:

119

121

127

131

248 & 9

300

… plus a couple for the double bass crowd …

here

and here

[lpdeluxe]

I love the versatility if the WAS, and its intuitive controls; I run everything close to flat, with just a little tweaking for smaller rooms to keep it from getting tubby (mine is the 1x15 combo).

That said, I left it at our rehearsal space one time and let another bass player use it. Understand that this guy has been playing bass for probably 30 years or longer. Anyway, I left the M/B set up the way I like, with just a little flavor from the EQ, and it sounded great with my AV '57 P. I came back after the other guy had been there, plugged in my Precision, and heard the most godawful sound I've heard from ANY bass amp! Looking at the controls, this genius had turned EVERY KNOB all the way clockwise! How MINIMALLY smart do you have to be to know that that ain't the way to do it?

I'm still amazed...but he no longer has access to the amp.

[Willicious]

^
LP, do you play other basses through your WA, or mostly the '57?
I'm asking because I assembled a '57 "replica" with parts, and it sounds absolutely amazing through the WA, with just pulling a bit of bass and mid to tighten up the bottom. The WA just seems to like the inherent characteristics of the P more than my stack knob J's.

[Chef]

With the bass cranked that high, it's a miracle you still have an intact speaker.
What an arse.

Originally Posted by lpdeluxe

I love the versatility if the WAS, and its intuitive controls; I run everything close to flat, with just a little tweaking for smaller rooms to keep it from getting tubby (mine is the 1x15 combo).

That said, I left it at our rehearsal space one time and let another bass player use it. Understand that this guy has been playing bass for probably 30 years or longer. Anyway, I left the M/B set up the way I like, with just a little flavor from the EQ, and it sounded great with my AV '57 P. I came back after the other guy had been there, plugged in my Precision, and heard the most godawful sound I've heard from ANY bass amp! Looking at the controls, this genius had turned EVERY KNOB all the way clockwise! How MINIMALLY smart do you have to be to know that that ain't the way to do it?

I'm still amazed...but he no longer has access to the amp.

[lpdeluxe]

Originally Posted by Willicious

^
LP, do you play other basses through your WA, or mostly the '57?
I'm asking because I assembled a '57 "replica" with parts, and it sounds absolutely amazing through the WA, with just pulling a bit of bass and mid to tighten up the bottom. The WA just seems to like the inherent characteristics of the P more than my stack knob J's.

Hah -- after thinking about it, I don't believe I have played anything but the '57 through it! ...for the simple reason that I've been playing it almost exclusively since I got it in September 09. My "other" bass is an 06 '51 RI, but, when I've played THAT, it's been plugged into a Bassman 400 I keep at the rehearsal space (great combination, by the way). You are right: the WAS was made for a Precision split-coil. I'm afraid to buy another bass, just because I expect to be disappointed (being a true-blue TBer, I LOOK at other basses all the time).

Originally Posted by Chef

With the bass cranked that high, it's a miracle you still have an intact speaker.
What an arse.

Ain't it the truth! This was a guy who plays the same friggin' bass line on every song -- he sat in on lead with us one time, and, between songs, asked me "I guess you don't know how to play a walking bass line.?" Well, yeah, I do, and I use it as necessary, but not the same d**n one on every song! Oh yeah, he's also the guy who, when he sat in one time, taught us a song: "I'm leaving out the hard part," he said, playing a rudimentary C-F-G. Hell, we'd been playing Georgia on my Mind and Fly Me to the Moon. So what's the hard part? "Well, it goes to Am in the chorus." We hooted him out of the room.

My policy now is to require proof that anyone wanting to borrow my Mesa/Boogie has to have an IQ higher than his underwear.

[Chef]

Some folks's IQ is *in their underwear*


take that however you want...

[cire113]

The para eq settings u know the fine tunning knobs... Are they for bass mid and treble frequencies respectively? Or are they all just for mid freq I'm confused.... I thought each fine tube knob corresponded to the knob above it ALa bass mid and treble