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Mesa/Boogie Titan V12 megathread!

I went ahead an pulled the trigger on a Titan. Except for a couple of pics I've ordered it sight unseen from GC. The sales guys there weren't going to open it up to look at the guts and confirm any updates so it's somewhat of a leap of faith. At least I have a good heads up on what to look for when I get it. I took into consideration additional costs if I end up having to send it to Mesa for updates. It may be on the higher end, but I feel it's still in the realm of being worth it. Worst case scenario, I can change my mind, return it and only be out a few bucks shipping.

If everything checks out (or I have Mesa update it if needed) the next step would be to get a new cab that can handle all that power. Right now I have a Hartke 4.5XL which I love, but it's rated for only 400 watts. The cab is 8 ohms so the Titan would be putting out what? about 600-650 watts. It should be okay in the very short term to get by playing at bedroom levels, but won't cut it long term.

I prefer 4x10 but wouldn't be opposed to other configurations or combinations. Anyone have suggestions on some cabs that would let the Titan live up to it's full potential?

Output Specs: 1200 Watts @ 4 Ohms (840 Watts @ 2 Ohms, 650 Watts @ 8 Ohms).

There is a switch on the back. For impedances of 4 ohms or higher put it in the 4 ohm position for max power. If the load is under 4 ohms put it in the 2 ohm position. Also since amp is rated for more than your cab, I believe you can put the switch in 2 ohms with your 8 ohm cab and it will reduce the max power the amp can make. I suggest contacting Mesa Tech Support on this.

At this point it does not matter whether it has the updates. If Mesa has not record of seeing the amp, they have not worked on it. AFAIK the home shop does all of the major updates.

If the amp is not functioning properly you will either want to return it, or send it to Mesa.

Does the amp come with the footswitch?

My Titan is a basement queen, so I never use the footswitch. But if I were going to gig the amp I would definitely want it. Channeling switching, OD switching, and a Boost switch. You can also use regular single footswitches instead of the ginormous Titan footswitch.

As far as which cab to buy...that totally depends on the tone you want and how loud you need to play. If you don't need to play super loud, your Hartke may be fine. IMHO the cab can often make more of a difference than you amp or bass. I.E. the difference between a relatively transparent cab like a Greenboy fEARless and a cab with a heavily baked in tone like an Ampeg 810E is pretty dramatic. The the fEARless you will here more nuances from the amp and bass. With an 810E, you hear less of the nuances on more of the baked in tone of the 810E.
 
I'd be curious to try one of these. I own an 810 Fender NEO and a Genz Benz 212. But that 412 is tempting.


I use the 412 for outside shows and what little touring I do. For local shows I use a powerhouse 212 and 115 with the Titan.
 

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Output Specs: 1200 Watts @ 4 Ohms (840 Watts @ 2 Ohms, 650 Watts @ 8 Ohms).

There is a switch on the back. For impedances of 4 ohms or higher put it in the 4 ohm position for max power. If the load is under 4 ohms put it in the 2 ohm position. Also since amp is rated for more than your cab, I believe you can put the switch in 2 ohms with your 8 ohm cab and it will reduce the max power the amp can make. I suggest contacting Mesa Tech Support on this.

At this point it does not matter whether it has the updates. If Mesa has not record of seeing the amp, they have not worked on it. AFAIK the home shop does all of the major updates.

If the amp is not functioning properly you will either want to return it, or send it to Mesa.

Does the amp come with the footswitch?

My Titan is a basement queen, so I never use the footswitch. But if I were going to gig the amp I would definitely want it. Channeling switching, OD switching, and a Boost switch. You can also use regular single footswitches instead of the ginormous Titan footswitch.

As far as which cab to buy...that totally depends on the tone you want and how loud you need to play. If you don't need to play super loud, your Hartke may be fine. IMHO the cab can often make more of a difference than you amp or bass. I.E. the difference between a relatively transparent cab like a Greenboy fEARless and a cab with a heavily baked in tone like an Ampeg 810E is pretty dramatic. The the fEARless you will here more nuances from the amp and bass. With an 810E, you hear less of the nuances on more of the baked in tone of the 810E.

Thanks for the heads up on the ohms switching. I'll check in with Mesa to see if it would work the way you suggested.

I didn't appear to come with the big Mesa footswitch. I'm haven't done shows for a number of years, mainly just jamming with friends. If I see that I need the big one, or happen to come across one dirt cheap I'll pick it up, but for now single should suffice.

I use the 412 for outside shows and what little touring I do. For local shows I use a powerhouse 212 and 115 with the Titan.

I was looking at the Subway 410 earlier. 1200 watts at 4 ohms. Seems like it might be the perfect fit. Plus it's always nice to have matching furniture. I'd have to save up some more money again if I went with that one though. Very cool setup by the way.
 
Thanks. I bought the 412 a few years ago, sold it (for some reason), started missing it and contacted the guy I sold it to. He said that he used it in the studio 2 times and it has been in storage every since. After a little convincing, I drove 2 hours and picked it up a few days later. No regrets.
 
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I was using the 4x10 subway 800w for a year and it was great and all but I was not feeling enough suby low end around the 80-200 hz range. I recently picked up the subway 1x15 and it's the perfect pair. The 4x10 is great for sound clarity, but the 1x15 just punches you in the face. The active mid boost at 200hz on the Titan is my favourite feature next to the onboard OD really makes the bass punch and growl.
 
I've had the Titan for about a week now and I only have one main thing to say... HOLY %^$&#* this thing is awesome!!! Even playing with low to moderate volume through the Hartke 4.5XL is sounds amazing. It definitely blows that Behringer I've been using out of the water.

After much researching, consideration, an bugging everyone on Talkbass for feedback I decided to get a GK NEO 412 to pair with the Titan. It's on backorder, but the sales rep at Sweetwater said their notice shows they should be receiving new stock soon. I put one on reserve for myself so hopefully I don't have to wait too long.
 
A bunch of history and good information here...

I'm going to play a V12 tomorrow afternoon for the first time. (I'm also considering the BB750, too) I like the channel switching/A-B box feature, as well as, the four 12AX7 feature common to both amps.

My sealed 4x10" Reeves cabinet is 1000 watts @ either 8 or 2 Ohms depending on wiring. Titan V12 is 680 @ 8, 840 @ 4 or 1200 @ 2 Ohms (BB750 750 @ 2 Ohms). So I figure the relative difference in the delivery to 4x10" in useable, realistic combat conditions. I'm better off with the Titan and can keep the amp in a comfort zone @ 8 Ohms/680 watts and bump up to 840 @ 4 Ohms with a second 8 Ohm cabinet in the unlikely event that is required.

The difference in weight v. channel flexibility is a reasonable trade-off.

I'm looking forward to checking it out!
 
Not totally accurate. The Titan is 1200W@4ohms, 840W@2ohms.
This might look a bit counter intuitive but in fact, when you set the amp for 2 ohms use, it actually limits the power at 840W to avoid overheating the amp.

Thanks for that. I had wondered. Ya know how stuff like that gets misaligned. (It would be the first time I've personally seen a lower output 2 Ohm operation than at 4 Ohm?) The BB750 follows the standard convention with max watts @ 2 Ohms.

In my situation, it will work with 1200 @ 4 Ohms, as I may obtain a second identical 8 Ohm 4x10" cabinet.

Even more fun! :bassist:
 
(It would be the first time I've personally seen a lower output 2 Ohm operation than at 4 Ohm?)
I have seen this on other occasions. My guess is it depends on the design of the amp, but this is way beyond my knowledge.
However, I never like the tone of the Titan when set at 2 ohms. The. sound was getting slightly "compressed" or saturated. Something was different.

Now, to me the Titan is better than the DB750. Way more possibilities, wayyy lighter (the weight of the Aguilar is just impossible to justify to me)...
 
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I was considering both the Titan V12 and the BB750. I went with the Titan because of the flexibility of 2 channels. Even though each channel is identical, I can set one for my clean tone and the other for overdrive. I have no personal experience but I've heard many say that while the BB750 sounds great it runs out of headroom when you need to stay clean. I have no problem with headroom on the Titan