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This might be controversial…
Is the Scorpion Deluxe just a Messenger Jr that traded the filters for a cab sim and utility features (mute or eq bypass) for a foot switchable (and great sounding) OD?
Agree or not, I’m going to be running my Sonoran into my Scorpion Deluxe as a first go round.
Is the Scorpion Deluxe just a Messenger Jr that traded the filters for a cab sim and utility features (mute or eq bypass) for a foot switchable (and great sounding) OD?
Agree or not, I’m going to be running my Sonoran into my Scorpion Deluxe as a first go round.
Don't let the big learn-ed city boy fool you with his enlightened dwellings...
He's got midwestern storage available, too.
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Wonder how the new Sonoran stacks up to Master Effects Super 400? (seems to be discontinued now, but they do pop up on the 'verb every so often).
the ME has the graphic eq as well as 2 separate inputs, but the Broughton is tube (singular) based and the ME is solid state based.
The studo I play in has a (real) Mesa Boogie 400+ bass amp, it weighs a freakin ton but sounds so so good - my guess is much of that sound comes from the twelve 6L6 power tubes (500w), but it also has four 12AX7 preamp tubes.
the ME has the graphic eq as well as 2 separate inputs, but the Broughton is tube (singular) based and the ME is solid state based.
The studo I play in has a (real) Mesa Boogie 400+ bass amp, it weighs a freakin ton but sounds so so good - my guess is much of that sound comes from the twelve 6L6 power tubes (500w), but it also has four 12AX7 preamp tubes.
I'll let you know! I had the ME version back when it was first released. It sounded great, but lacked the depth and the umpth of the real thing - it came close, but there was a definite fullness difference when side to side. I did an apples to apples comparison with a few 400/400+ preamps a few years back, there may even be a post or few that I made somewhere in the archives.
As a part of that, I compared a WD800, a few modellers, and the real thing - i used a few different power amps to test "how much difference the power tubes made." My conclusion that the power tubes made minimal difference for bass when compared to a well made power section - like the one on the WD800. That's just me and my ears though, YMMMV.
Hmm that does make sense given that bassist really don't overdrive their power amps like guitarists do to a traditional guitar amp (Lemmy & a ton of other players aside) because you need alot of clean power to drive the low frequencies... the 400+ needs 12 6L6's to make that much power.
I do find that OD/fuzz/dist pedals sound different if sent to a SS preamp vs a tube preamp tho - to my ears the tube preamp will increase the distortion vs what a SS preamp does. This was true going thru my Alembic F1X preamp and even more so going thru the MB 400+ for whatever reason.
I actually have my scorpion deluxe feeding my messenger jr, so I can use the DI out on the messenger Jr.
I have the eq set flat and the filters essential “off” but the DI level knob on the messenger jr solves a problem I have had in the ampless studio with my signal hitting the mixer too hard, the auto gain reduces, and on the next jam I have dropped out of the mix.
I love the DI level control on the messenger.
I also love the cab sim settings and the 3 way switch on the scorpion deluxe that allows me to have total control over both DI and 1/4 outputs on the cab sim front. That resolves a different problem I have with my YYZ getting muffled because of its cab sim going into a second cab sim on the DI.
So far, I am still light OD on all the time with the Scorp D
Separate level control for the XLR and the 1/4" out on my SushiBox Finally is one of the big reasons it's still on the board. It's a small piece of functionality that you just don't see on a lot of preamps/DIs but it's so nice to be able to dial that back for FOH or IEMs or where ever it ends up and have the 1/4" out to the amp be independent. Doesn't hurt that it sounds pretty darn good either.
I'm looking for the latest version of the Resound if anyone is looking to sell one. Thanks!
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Without ever owning an RFE, my thoughts are … if you’re using the RFE primarily as a Cab Sim, you might miss the resonance feature.
If you’re strictly using it for HPF/LPF, the messenger jr has other features that I find useful on the board .
If you lean on boosting the cutoffs with the RFE then it depends. On the high side you can cheat it a bit. Not so much on the low side.
If you're using the RFE as a simple filter set without any boosting, then youll be ok.
Can't speak to the mids. I keep mids flat on both.
Thanks for the reply. I am not using the resonance feature much.
Recently, the RFE has been sitting in the clean FX loop of the EBS Sheehan signature drive..doing high-passing and low-passing and some mids-shaping.
You are right about the useful features of the Messenger Jr. The one feature which I find the most useful is that HPF is on even with EQ bypassed...according to the Broughton web...
Thanks for the reply.
Can't one use either the Bass control or the Mids control (set at 100Hz) in approximate the lows resonance?
Will trade SuperWatt for Sonoran, if anyone finds it's not working for them.
