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Mesa Boogie d800 subway question

jmceachern36

jmceachern36

Nov 13, 2005
1,385
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Cambridge MA
#1
Anyone using the Mesa Boogie d800 subway Head? I’ve been using a Mesa subway d800 pre with a crown 1000 watt power amp. Love the sound but sick of setting it up every night. Also thought I’d have lots of headroom but I actually don’t have much. I can get to point of clipping fairly quickly. Is the head loud enough? Any issues? I use either 1 or 2 12 inch Bergantino cabs.
 
#2
jmceachern36 said:
Anyone using the Mesa Boogie d800 subway Head? I’ve been using a Mesa subway d800 pre with a crown 1000 watt power amp. Love the sound but sick of setting it up every night. Also thought I’d have lots of headroom but I actually don’t have much. I can get to point of clipping fairly quickly. Is the head loud enough? Any issues? I use either 1 or 2 12 inch Bergantino cabs.
Click to expand...

Are you using the Subway PRE-DI with your Crown or are you using a Subway D-800 amp's preamp out with your Crown?

Are these 8 ohm cabinets or 4 ohm?
 
#4
jmceachern36 said:
Anyone using the Mesa Boogie d800 subway Head? I’ve been using a Mesa subway d800 pre with a crown 1000 watt power amp. Love the sound but sick of setting it up every night. Also thought I’d have lots of headroom but I actually don’t have much. I can get to point of clipping fairly quickly. Is the head loud enough? Any issues? I use either 1 or 2 12 inch Bergantino cabs.
Click to expand...

I don't use a D800, but there are plenty of threads on TalkBass...the D800 and D800+ are well loved. The subway specs 400W at 8 ohms, 800W at 4 or 2 ohms.

Where in the signal chain are you clipping, which crown amp, and how is it configured? Also what is the model and impedance of your speakers?

If you running a Crown XLS 1000 in dual mono at 8 ohms, your only getting 215W per channel. If your speakers are 8 ohms, you can bridge the amp and get 1,100W at 4 ohms, which equates to 550W per speakers.

If your speakers are 4 ohms, the best you can get is 350W per channel since this amp cannot be bridged safely into 2 ohms. One of the Subway amps will be able to provided 400 watts to each 4 ohm speaker connected in parallel.
 
#5
Wasnex said:
I don't use a D800, but there are plenty of threads on TalkBass...the D800 and D800+ are well loved. The subway specs 400W at 8 ohms, 800W at 4 or 2 ohms.

Where in the signal chain are you clipping, which crown amp, and how is it configured? Also what is the model and impedance of your speakers?

If you running a Crown XLS 1000 in dual mono at 8 ohms, your only getting 215W per channel. If your speakers are 8 ohms, you can bridge the amp and get 1,100W at 4 ohms, which equates to 550W per speakers.

If your speakers are 4 ohms, the best you can get is 350W per channel since this amp cannot be bridged safely into 2 ohms. One of the Subway amps will be able to provided 400 watts to each 4 ohm speaker connected in parallel.
Click to expand...

Crown xls 1000. Bridged into either one or 2 12 inch Bergantino 8 ohm cabs. Mostly 1 cab. That should be 7 or 800 watts?
 
#6
jmceachern36 said:
Anyone using the Mesa Boogie d800 subway Head? I’ve been using a Mesa subway d800 pre with a crown 1000 watt power amp. Love the sound but sick of setting it up every night. Also thought I’d have lots of headroom but I actually don’t have much. I can get to point of clipping fairly quickly. Is the head loud enough? Any issues? I use either 1 or 2 12 inch Bergantino cabs.
Click to expand...

I've gigged the D800 or D800+ (used to have both, still have the D800) on probably a hundred or so gigs. Never any problem with volume.
 
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#9
I've also gigged the D-800 a lot and even with my 8 Ohm AK Changeling 112T (which is not a high sensitivity cab like Bergs usually are) I've never had a volume problem unless I simply showed up with too little cab for the job.
 
#12
jmceachern36 said:
Even with 1 12 inch cab?
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Yes. Depends on the venue and the band, but I typically use the D800 and one AK H1203 cab. Sometimes I'll use it paired up with a C1203T. We're typically playing at fairly sane volumes, though a 10-piece band with 2 guitars and horns gets loud one way or another...
 
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#14
Wasnex said:
I do get the impression that you are playing in a loud band and your speakers may not be up to the task. Since you have 1,100W available, IMHO the answer does not involve more power.
Click to expand...

That’s the thing. It’s not loud. I used a Markbass LMII for 10 years in the same band and same venues without issues. I always used it with the 1 cab so it was only350 watts approximately. This current setup sounds far superior, however.
 
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#15
jmceachern36 said:
Crown xls 1000. Bridged into either one or 2 12 inch Bergantino 8 ohm cabs. Mostly 1 cab. That should be 7 or 800 watts?
Click to expand...

I think this may be the issue. You are well beyond the point of diminishing returns and beating your cabinet into an early death. In fact, if you have been hitting the limiter with a single cabinet, it wouldn't surprise me if the driver was damaged and any remaining performance seriously compromised. I would sure want a (real) speaker expert to evaluate the driver for damage.

Wasnex said:
According to the power matrix XLS 1000 specs are 700W at 8 ohms and 1,100W at 4 ohms.
Crown XLS 1000
The power matrix includes a note: "Maximum average power in watts at 0.5% thd, 1kHz" I would assume RMS power from 20-20kHz is a bit lower.
Click to expand...

Not going to make more than a few percent difference, nothing meaningful.

Al Kraft said:
I've also gigged the D-800 a lot and even with my 8 Ohm AK Changeling 112T (which is not a high sensitivity cab like Bergs usually are) I've never had a volume problem unless I simply showed up with too little cab for the job.
Click to expand...

Not enough rig for the gig is a real problem, I see it quite a bit from folks who have unrealistic expectations (sometimes reasonably based on unrealistic marketing).

Wasnex said:
I do get the impression that you are playing in a loud band and your speakers may not be up to the task. Since you have 1,100W available, IMHO the answer does not involve more power.
Click to expand...

Agreed. The Subway can power his cabinet up to and likely beyond their safe maximum rating.
 
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#16
The Subway D800 is a fantastic amp, pretty much top of the heap.

That being said, I don't think it's your answer here. You need more speaker cabs, I think your money is better spent there. I would use that money for a pair of nice 2x12 cabs....GK comes to mind.
 
#17
agedhorse said:
I think this may be the issue. You are well beyond the point of diminishing returns and beating your cabinet into an early death. In fact, if you have been hitting the limiter with a single cabinet, it wouldn't surprise me if the driver was damaged and any remaining performance seriously compromised. I would sure want a (real) speaker expert to evaluate the driver for damage.
.
Click to expand...

Maybe I’m not being clear. I’ve never played this equipment with the limiter being hit all night. If I see and red I turn down. What I’m saying is I couldn’t turn up much more without clipping. I thought I’d have a lot more room to turn up. But what I really wanted to know is is the subway d800 amp plenty loud. I’d prefer to switch to just the head. I love the sound of the pre pedal thing so I’m assuming the amp will sound the same.
 
#18
mmbongo said:
The Subway D800 is a fantastic amp, pretty much top of the heap.

That being said, I don't think it's your answer here. You need more speaker cabs, I think your money is better spent there. I would use that money for a pair of nice 2x12 cabs....GK comes to mind.
Click to expand...

Except that this would also simplify the set-up. More speaker will improve the volume side oft hings.
 
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#20
I saw someone selling a pedal that has these special locking knobs that have little teeth that mesh together so that your setting stays.
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They’re a little pricey, but was thinking if you could lock down your base tone, it might make setup a little less (only a little less) of a pain...
 

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