Jad Freer Sisma Mega Thread.

[Onomatopoetikon]

I’m really interested in experiences with the Venere 410, if anybody has, to use with my SVT Classic head.

 

[DJ Bebop]

Everyone has been loving on the Mesa subway heads for a few years, and I’ve never tried or heard one. Could anybody tell me what the differences are between the models?

Somewhat.
I have the WD 800.

But from what I have read from the deep Mesa club thread is:

The D series, D 350, D 800, and D800+ are all solid state front ends and have that quality about them, quick and deep sounding. The D800+ introduced a HPF as an additional tone shaping tool. There is tone sharing across those models.

The D350 is the only one that is not 800 watts but 175 @ 8 ohms, 350 at 4 ohms and no 2 ohm opreration on that one. No deep switch either.

The WD 800 and TT 800 are more complex in sound as these models have tube front ends. Therefore the more complex tone.

The WD is a re-imagination of the fabled Walkabout amp with properties included that were loved about the Walkabout and abandoning the ones that players felt held it back. This was something you could considered as having been crowd-sourced as far as the wants of the Walkabout to be re-imagined. And to my thinking, it worked. It had the tube front end, brought the HPF over from the D+, and added the new 3-way damping control adding to its tube feel and performance.

The TT 800, again is a rebirthing of the fabled 400-400+ amps of old, and again, with input from the crowd to bring that sound forward to today's players in the first channel of this new two-channel amp.

The second channel is a further development of the D+ preamp adding a tube front end to that equation. The TT also brings elements of the damping circuit and adding a new Overdrive Symmetry Control. Plus the deep and bright switches are brought along from the D+

All amps 2 ohm compatible, except the D 350.

I'm sure there's more to it, that's all I got.

 

[Andrea Lo]

I’m really interested in experiences with the Venere 410, if anybody has, to use with my SVT Classic head.

Well, of course I did it. Both that and an Heritage. I love SVTs and they pair great with our cabs.

 

[Onomatopoetikon]

Well, of course I did it. Both that and an Heritage. I love SVTs and they pair great with our cabs.
View attachment 5373158

Awesome! How do you find the SVT sound through the 410 Venere compared to an 810e. Do you have Ane sound clips?

 

[gtirard]

Awesome! How do you find the SVT sound through the 410 Venere compared to an 810e. Do you have Ane sound clips?

And I'd like to hear how Volta sounds compared to the SVT…

 

[Danny C]

Wow

 

[tleebassist11]

Just got the Sisma and have used it for 3 nights now live with the Jeff Sipe trio, now going on night number 4. It is the most punchy amp I’ve ever played by a long shot. Really adds a lot of weight to each note. Couldn’t be happier! To all my buddies out there that play active basses this amp pairs beautifully!

 

[Danny C]

Congrats, I love mine and feel the same way.

 

[gtirard]

View attachment 5380404

You've got good taste Here's my Sisma sitting on a GR Bass Natural Fiber cab:

It is the most punchy amp I’ve ever played by a long shot. Really adds a lot of weight to each note. Couldn’t be happier!

True.

To all my buddies out there that play active basses this amp pairs beautifully!

I'm using mine with a passive and an active bass, it sounds great with both

 

[jake bassist]

What Mesa amp do you have? I'd love to read A/B test between the TT800 or WD800 and Sisma...

Hi,
Where would you place Sisma soundwise in comparison with Eich T and Aguilar AG? Of course, if you are familiar with them.
Also power wise?
Thanks

 

[gtirard]

Hi,
Where would you place Sisma soundwise in comparison with Eich T and Aguilar AG? Of course, if you are familiar with them.
Also power wise?
Thanks

Sorry, I've never played Aguilar or Eich amps. My only benchmarks are my Quilter BB800, and the classic amps I usually find in rehersal studios: Markbass, Fender Rumble, Hartke, modern Ampeg...

 

[jake bassist]

Sorry, I've never played Aguilar or Eich amps. My only benchmarks are my Quilter BB800, and the classic amps I usually find in rehersal studios: Markbass, Fender Rumble, Hartke, modern Ampeg...

Thanks for the answer.
Sisma price is in the high end of D class amp category, so I am curious how it compares with them. Unfortunately,those you mentioned are not realy in that bracket.

 

[gtirard]

Thanks for the answer.
Sisma price is in the high end of D class amp category, so I am curious how it compares with them. Unfortunately,those you mentioned are not realy that level.

I agree.

 

[jake bassist]

Jad Freer Review

I recently received the lovely Sisma Bass Amp And Minerva 112 cabinet from Jad Freer Audio.
I will first describe my experience with the Sisma by saying it’s built to military specs, feels quite robust and not unsubstantial.
The input gain is lovely sounding and can be driven to quite usable break up depending on how it is staged. The tone stack has a vintage voicing that will make many quite happy. The parametric section is pro audio clear and I’m certain would be effective in cleaning up most basses.
As a studio guy I appreciate how the preamp mimics the classic Ampeg signature but as this is a product targeted towards the live market I would’ve loved a more open voicing as an option ( switchable bass and treble frequencies for the Baxendall section.) I suspect the target market for this head is the crowd that likes to carry an SVT to the gig, but their back no longer wishes to do so. The power section is beyond reproach, and is probably the most meaty sounding of anything outside of a tube amp
I have ever used. My only real criticism is that I feel the presentation is in general a little dark compared to say a Eich T900 Upon which I compared to. In the studio I prefer the tube color and vintage EQ character but for live, I like a quicker clearer preamp. This is personal preference, and no way is implicating the Sisma as an inferior product.
For those that love high power, vintage tube units look no further as this is a really great alternative without having to go through the periodic expense of replacing power tubes and of course the hi weight penalty.

As for the Minerva 112 cabinet, I was less excited. I could hear a pretty clear boxiness as in cabinet resonance, which could perhaps be remedied with more dampening. I would’ve liked to hear more integration between the tweeter and the woofer as I can hear the gap in the crossover. Being a mix and mastering engineer as my day job I may be asking too much from a small live unit.
This being said, I’m sure folks would enjoy this, but my taste is quite rarefied.
I’m curious about their other speaker line which has a soft dome coaxial set up?
All in all, there is no doubt that the folks at Jad freer Audio are quite passionate about building, a better mousetrap, and to a great extent, they have achieved this my quibbles not withstanding.

Michael Hynes
Session Bassist
Record Producer, Mix/Mastering Engineer

Thanks for the review.
I was thinking of maybe getting Sisma but it seems to me that amp voicing is exactly that what I am not looking for.

 

[Jeff Scott]

Thanks for the answer.
Sisma price is in the high end of D class amp category, so I am curious how it compares with them. Unfortunately,those you mentioned are not realy in that bracket.

For the record, the Sisma is not Class D.

 

[jake bassist]

For the record, the Sisma is not Class D.

For the record .. I didn't write that Sisma is class D.

 

[jake bassist]

Opinion versus measurements and math. Let’s not confuse the two.

Thank you.
Unfortunately, too often ice bucket is the best "scientific" tool

 

[Jeff Scott]

For the record .. I didn't write that Sisma is class D.

Perhaps not (except for your post I quoted). Regardless, it seems to be doing the typical passing down the internet history line (or whatever one wants to call it), become internet lore.

 

[jake bassist]

I'm surprised to learn this. The Sisma is very robustly voiced, apparently. The first thing i noticed when firing it up was how authoritative it sounded. Like you said, i guess it all comes down to the Hz.

As far as the SVT vs Class D discussion; @Franz975 is not the first person to notice or think that "tube watts" are somehow more than "D watts". It seems to be one of the ongoing debates, or misunderstandings, here on TB. So although factually incorrect, there seems to be something there (the voicing, clipping?) that causes this perception in a number of folks. One reason may be that an SVT is typically an 810 system, whereas Class Ds are more typically with smaller/more efficient systems(?). I've seen freq graphs of an SVT head, but never a mic'd cab. It'd be interesting to see what that looks like.

All that said, there is definitely something about standing in front of an SVT that IME, cannot be convincingly replicated with anything else. A BIG part of it is the cab. But who wants to move the damn thing!

I am also far... far away from tech savy but I do understand few basic premises. What most people percieve as loudnes is actually distortion and voicing. I would suggest that someone tries one thing. If there are two bass amps, one Tube an other one class D with same set of speakers. First, plug in your bass in both amps and set it to desired level. If possible, plug in some music player and play the same song on both amps.
Then it would be easier to understand.

 

[jake bassist]

Perhaps not (except for your post I quoted). Regardless, it seems to be doing the typical passing down the internet history line (or whatever one wants to call it), become internet lore.

My "quoted" comment was addressed @gtirard and is just a part of our conversation and he understood it correctly. If my wording was unclear or misleading to you, you could have asked for clarification.
"For the record" is not the way to start a conversation, it's just vanity.
P.S.
Sisma is class G. For clarification.....since you haven't mentioned it.