Mesa Boogie Walkabout Mega-thread Part 10

[the yeti]

twice as dirty, obvs.

 

[agedhorse]

I guess we weren't being so vague.

Except for the guys who said don't change a thing, just make it bigger.

This means that at the current Walkabout volume, it won't sound identical (less harmonics), and at the higher power it won't sound identical either (takes more volume to get the same harmonics).

 

[NoFiller]

this WA thread rules. TB is a beacon of light in the sea of music forums.

 

[sratas]

Andy, maybe we don't understand what kind of technical difficulties are involved in this hypothetical new WA, but I think the majority of us simply wants the WA tone and soul with bigger volume capability.
does it make any sense to you from an engineer point of view?

Ok, more power. ..and...two combo neutrik speaker outs, silent vents, better heat sink, better feet, headphone out, level knob for the DI not influenced by master volume (but only if the awesome DI tone is not compromised)

 

[jnewmark]

If I had to choose between those two options, it would be
1/2 as dirty ,cleaner) at the 300 watt level and the same amount of dirty at say the 600 watt level. Although, I would personally love an 800 watt WA that STARTED to get half as dirty at 600 watts.

 

[Frankie Fender]

Ok, more power. ..and...two combo neutrik speaker outs, silent vents, better heat sink, better feet, headphone out, level knob for the DI not influenced by master volume (but only if the awesome DI tone is not compromised)

All of the above and don't forget the Tuner Out!
Oh, and I vote for the same break up at 600watts, less at lower volumes and keep it <30lbs.

Started playing mine again, took it out of the 15" Combo set it up with my AE410 and forgot just what a loud fan it had! Had to turn it up to compensate.

 

[NoFiller]

AH YES! found a sorta local 4ohm 15in cab to stack on my existing 4ohm combo. Look out neighbors!

 

[U4EA]

I'm one of the Walkabout fans that digs the sound of it as it enters the compression/saturation stage at the power-amp (or driver-tube) side of the equation. I have tried all sorts of mix-match schemes running the pre from the Walkabout into different power amps and vice-versa, and in my experience the real feel of the Walkabout comes from the back end (ie everything post FX-Return). Running any pre into the FX-return at high volume (high volume seems to be a big part of the equation) made any of them sound sweeter to my ears. The problem is the lack of available headroom in the back-end before the tone gets too compressed and strained sounding. Running the Walkabout into my Bergantino NV610 I can get enough volume for my very loud rock band, but at the expense of too much mushy compression (to the point of feedback issues with a few of my slightly microphonic basses!). If I could get the sound/feel of a Walkabout with Volume on 4.5 but with the actual volume of the Walkabout cranked I'd be a happy(ier) camper! Running the WA at lower volumes it just isn't nearly as sweet to my ears, regardless of Gain settings. I really dig the punch and clarity of my Mesa Prodigy in a loud band mix, but honestly might prefer the feel of my Walkabout in its sweet spot (if I could also have that Prodigy Bright switch, that'd be an A+++)...

So, there is still no agreement...

There are those in the camp that want it exactly the same but "at a higher level". But, do you want the distortion of the WA at say the 300 watt level and continue to get dirtier as you get louder OR for it to be 1/2 as dirty ,cleaner) at the 300 watt level and the same amount of dirty at say the 600 watt level?

It seems as though there are 2 preferences here, which is the crux of the difference between the WA and the MPulse 600. There is a specific interaction that doesn't scale in a linear way, so I have to know which way might be preferable to most of you?

There are a lot of options, including taking the WA to an entirely new level, but it has to make sense to a variety of players.

I would say 300 watts is the sweet spot; just enough dirt, harmonics, bounce, tightness. I would like to maintain all that up to say 600-800 watts. If you could add a separate "real tube" harmonics knob so one could add their desired harmonic content, i'll place my order now

 

[kringle77]

Yup

 

[mikeswals]

... and keep it <30lbs.

Isn't the Prodigy 29lbs? If you're willing to deal with that much weight, why not go with that. Sonically the WA is closest to the all-tubers.

 

[rodl2005]

Some ppl break glass

Australian for ....some ppl don't want a tube power section

 

[Worldeeeter]

So, there is still no agreement...

There are those in the camp that want it exactly the same but "at a higher level". But, do you want the distortion of the WA at say the 300 watt level and continue to get dirtier as you get louder OR for it to be 1/2 as dirty ,cleaner) at the 300 watt level and the same amount of dirty at say the 600 watt level?

It seems as though there are 2 preferences here, which is the crux of the difference between the WA and the MPulse 600. There is a specific interaction that doesn't scale in a linear way, so I have to know which way might be preferable to most of you?

There are a lot of options, including taking the WA to an entirely new level, but it has to make sense to a variety of players.

A 600W with the EXACT same preamp section characteristics (dirt/distortion) would be ideal.

 

[agedhorse]

A 600W with the EXACT same preamp section characteristics (dirt/distortion) would be ideal.

Except that this will NOT sound exactly the same. The preamp is only part of the equation. For example, folks who have tried the WA preamp into the scaled up 600 watt M-Pulse 600 power amp report that it does not sound the same and I can confirm that this is the case because the amp harmonics do not scale as I have mentioned before.

I think I know enough about what most (NOT ALL) players would like to see as an end result. I will now need to see how possible it might be, or if the target results might be improved upon where needed, but it also doesn't make sense to develop a product that folks will just argue about, especially where there are 2 distinct schools of thought.

 

[Worldeeeter]

Except that this will NOT sound exactly the same. The preamp is only part of the equation. For example, folks who have tried the WA preamp into the scaled up 600 watt M-Pulse 600 power amp report that it does not sound the same and I can confirm that this is the case because the amp harmonics do not scale as I have mentioned before.

I think I know enough about what most (NOT ALL) players would like to see as an end result. I will now need to see how possible it might be, or if the target results might be improved upon where needed, but it also doesn't make sense to develop a product that folks will just argue about, especially where there are 2 distinct schools of thought.

I have heard the same thing about using other (more powerful) amps with the WA preamp circuit. Perhaps that amp is indeed a unicorn. I personally have no problem with the WA as it is. The output has always been plenty, even for live gigs, and I've never come close to turning the volume past noon. Technology is moving more toward smaller amps and FOH support, cab simulators, etc. Plus, I play industrial metal, so "clean headroom" is not what I go for in an amplifier.
The idea of the Walkabout as the "tube head killer", that is less than half the size of most all-tube amps, and half (or 1/3) the weight, while providing the overdriven sound is what makes a 500W or 600W version of the WA so attractive. More than anything, I'd get one just to laugh at all the Ampeg SVT-CL users that lug those boat anchors all over the place!

 

[kringle77]

Gig went very well, enough volume with 3 bag cabs. I wanted to use the nv610 but, not enough sensitivity. Mesa sounded great.

 

[Al Kraft]

For example, folks who have tried the WA preamp into the scaled up 600 watt M-Pulse 600 power amp report that it does not sound the same

I for one can assure you that the Walkabout magic/mojo wasn't quite there in the 600. For those who believe that with solid state amplifier sections all the tone is created in the preamp and it's pretty much a "sterile wire with gain" after that, the M-Pulse 600 not turning out to be "a BIG Walkabout" pretty much puts that myth to bed.

 

[kringle77]

I will say that the WA is very tube amp like. Probably the most I've heard.

 

[adam montminy]

I'm late to join the conversation here but I'm curious as to where the added harmonics are coming from when you turn up the master. Do they come from that driver tube being fed more signal? Or is it just what happens when MOSFETs are fed more signal? Is there a way to design the amp so that you can adjust the harmonic content independent of the volume? Someone mentioned something like that earlier and maybe it was a joke but is this something that could actually be possible? I apologize if that's an ignorant question but I want to say I've seen amps before that had this sort of knob. I realize you can sort of do this by adjusting the gain vs master but the distortion you get from turning up the master on the WA seems to sound different than what happens when you turn up the gain. Am I wrong?

 

[jnewmark]

I think that, no matter what version of a new WA Agedhorse comes up with, we all want more than 300 watts , no ?

 

[sratas]

I had the very solid feeling that a new WA wasn't in the mesa future plans before now...hope that Andy can make this happen