Mpulse 600 vs Carbine M6

brattbugg@sbcgl · #1 01-13-2013, 12:03 PM

I know that everyone says these are 2 different animals. I use the M Pulse right now. Can anyone say if the M6 will give me more clean headroom than the M Pulse? I am using a Powerhouse 4x10 cab 8ohm. Will the carbine be loud enough, because unless something is wrong with the M Pulse, it doesnt seem to get the CLEAN volume I need. They are power rated the same at 8 ohms but sometimes those numbers can be deceptive.

willsellout · #2 01-13-2013, 12:05 PM

The Carbine is much cleaner and I felt the apparent volume was louder with the Carbine, but I don't care for the tone at all. You might be better off just adding another cabinet and bringing the Mpulse to it's full 600 watts.

brattbugg@sbcgl · #3 01-13-2013, 12:17 PM

Really? I actually thought about getting a 4 ohm cab. Maybe I should try that first huh? I used to use a GK 1001 rb, i just didnt care for the way it was EQ'd, but it was loud and clean.

willsellout · #4 01-13-2013, 12:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by brattbugg@sbcgl

Really? I actually thought about getting a 4 ohm cab. Maybe I should try that first huh? I used to use a GK 1001 rb, i just didnt care for the way it was EQ'd, but it was loud and clean.

A 4 ohm cab or another 8 ohm cab should get you plenty of volume. I play in a very loud band and the Mpulse at 4 ohms has plenty of headroom.

I'd say if you like the way the Mpulse sounds, try adding a second cab first. If you don't like the way it sounds, maybe start looking around.

In either case, I find it best to run amps at their minimum load to get the most out of them. So if I have a 4 ohm head, I try to have a 4 ohm cabinet or cabinets to play through.

willsellout · #5 01-13-2013, 12:23 PM

I'd also like to add that the volume of the Carbine seeming louder might have been the different voicings of the amps. The Mpulse has a lot more low end and the carbine seemed to have a more cutting thing going on.

Session1969 · #6 01-13-2013, 12:24 PM

I'd get another PH410 8OHM.

RickenBoogie · #7 01-13-2013, 12:30 PM

Agreed. A 2nd 8 ohm 410 will open your Mpulse 600 right up. IF that's the tone you love, the Carbine is quite different. Through the same 8 ohm 410 you have, I expect the Carbine would "seem" louder- since it's so uber clean and voiced for punch and clarity. The Mpulse is voiced more like a traditional tube amp. I love them both, and own one of each, albeit the 300 watt versions of each. The 2nd 8 ohm 410 is the easiest way to find out, and cheapest. If that doesn't do the trick, then a Carbine through both 410's will absolutely kill.

brattbugg@sbcgl · #8 01-13-2013, 12:48 PM

Yeah that's what I'm not sure of, the tone. There are times when I love the tone, but other times I feel like I'm overloading the front end too much, getting unwanted distortion. I'm not farmiliar enough with the "tube" sound although I know it's a hybrid. I wish I could a/b the 2 amps.

RickenBoogie · #9 01-13-2013, 12:56 PM

The 2nd cab will answer the tone question. You'll have the full 600 watts, ie: headroom, and not need to push your amp quite so hard to get the volume you need. This will make it clear if the tone is what you want, or not. Either way, having the 2 cabs, or a bigger single 4 ohm cab, like a 6x10, 8x10, 2x15, 4x12, etc- will be handy either WITH your current amp, or the Carbine, should you decide to change.

brattbugg@sbcgl · #10 01-13-2013, 01:57 PM

I actually have a 2nd 4x10. It's an LDS. I haven't mixed them yet, I'm not sure how they would sound together. I'd really like to go with a single cab though.

omie · #11 01-24-2013, 12:16 AM

I'm running my m-pulse thru a
Diesel 8ohm 410, once I start to push it too hard and too loud I hate the break up. But at "reasonably" loud levels I think it sounds beautiful. I ran a GK 1001 into the same cab and the word that comes to mind is AUTHORITY, loud as hell and cleaner.

The thought of another 100+ pound cab makes my head hurt. I'd love to pair it with a 610 or 412.

**bassboysam** · #12 01-24-2013, 04:06 AM

The Fdeck HPF Pre really helped my Walkabout with headroom and punch without really changing the character of the amp. i was surprised how much of a difference it made and it is a fairly cheap option to try.

lomo · #13 01-24-2013, 05:30 AM

Try your 2 410s 1st (as long as they are both 8 Ohms, if the LDS is 4 Ohms try that alone) . That will give you all the volume / headroom you want.

KJung · #14 01-24-2013, 05:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by brattbugg@sbcgl

I know that everyone says these are 2 different animals. I use the M Pulse right now. Can anyone say if the M6 will give me more clean headroom than the M Pulse? I am using a Powerhouse 4x10 cab 8ohm. Will the carbine be loud enough, because unless something is wrong with the M Pulse, it doesnt seem to get the CLEAN volume I need. They are power rated the same at 8 ohms but sometimes those numbers can be deceptive.

They are really different, and having owned an MPulse600 and spent a lot of time with an M6, the power sections seem quite different.

The M6 at 8ohms performs like most 500-600 watt amps at 4ohms. It is the loudest amp per watt I've ever personally experienced. However, as posted above, I call it 'the Mesa for those players who don't like Mesa'. It is clean, crisp, and very solid state sounding. It is massively loud, and that head through an 8ohm 410 would be louder than the MPulse600 through that same cab with 4ohm nominal impedance.

The MPulse, as posted above, is very different sounding... bloomy down low, fat, relaxed in the mids and much more organic up top. It will 'grind and break up' a bit when really pushed (since it is voiced to emulate an all tube amp), while the M6 will stay totally clean.

Very different amps in just about every way.

brattbugg@sbcgl · #15 01-24-2013, 10:13 AM

Well, I bought an M6 carbine. THAT'S the tone I was looking for. The Mpulse is cool, but I really like the Carbine better. I also bought an older Mesa 6x10, it is a very cool setup.

KJung · #16 01-24-2013, 10:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by brattbugg@sbcgl

Well, I bought an M6 carbine. THAT'S the tone I was looking for. The Mpulse is cool, but I really like the Carbine better. I also bought an older Mesa 6x10, it is a very cool setup.

Nice. That will kick like a mule, and with grind with the best of them. Enjoy. That is a hammer of a rig.

brattbugg@sbcgl · #17 01-25-2013, 09:04 AM

Thanks. It sounds BIG.

willsellout · #18 01-25-2013, 09:43 AM

got a chance to play the M6 yesterday with the PH410 and I have to change my tune. That amp sounded fantastic. Much different from the Mpulse, but really nice. Didn't care for it with the PH212 though.

CElton · #19 01-25-2013, 12:28 PM

Different strokes...The M6 with a PH212 was bliss for me with a J Bass. In the end, I needed something more schlepable. If I had a house gig, that would be the rig.

When I got my M6, I tried it in the music store on top of a PH610. Total thunder. Great rig.