Mesa Boogie Walkabout Mega-thread Part 10

[Al Kraft]

I've played huge stages & places with just a Walkabout combo, properly utilizing PA.

I've had trouble discerning my notes while using a WA with two cabs in a small room with just a loud drummer and guitarist with a small tube combo.

Situations vary, and there isn't always PA.

It's not that the amp wasn't loud enough, it's that it sounds quite wild and wooly in the upper half of its output. This makes a significant portion of its volume essentially unusable for most players.

Ultimately I think it's about relatively clean headroom, not 'X' number of nominal watts.

Back in the day, the common amp solution was the M-Pulse 600. Twenty years later many are thinking there can be a newer/better amp solution; ideally a newer/better WalkAbout.

With AgedHorse so bass focused and kind in entertaining ideas & complaints, and educating, it adds much fuel to the pining fire.

The WA was probably the first serious very small & portable bass amp. That after so many years and new technologies and offerings so many gigging bassists just want something sounding and feeling as good as their WA, still in an easily portable package, says so much!

Well said!

 

[pfschim]

As a walkabout owner I like this thread but always get bemused when it goes into the “walkabout but more watts discussion” - mic the cab, or use a more sensitive or bigger cab ... walkabout amp matched with the right cab should be more than ample for stage sound, once you get above a certain size bands I’ve been in have been doing our best to minimise stage sound in order to let the PA do the hard work and sound the best....

Bemused. Ha! you delightful Brits with your charming condescension. How droll
Different players/gigs, different needs. Because something works for you does not mean it works for everyone.

I totally accept the premise when good FOH and good monitoring are available. For me that's about 90% of the time.
BUT .. for that 10% when good FOH/monitoring is NOT available for bass, then more coverage is called for. I get called out on sub dates often enough where the band has a decent PA but it's reserved for vocals, and kick and snare only. If this does not ever happen to you, that's great. But it happens to me.

Got the bigger cab thing covered too, thanks very much old bean. I have used my Walkabout thru a Berg CN212 (also an NV610) with and without FOH. It works fine until it hits the top end of the avail clean power ... after that it gets unfortunately wooly for me, and your pushing up against headroom issues all night. I also can't use the WA with my 2ohm CN112 + CN212 ("CN312") rig, so there's that issue too.

Another POV is that 800w amps like the D800+ and Demeter VTBP-M-800DJ that I have at my disposal have ruined me for lower powered, and specifically, lower headroom amps. I absolutely love my Walkabout and have been gigging it steadily for about 14 years (got one the first year it came out). I just want one that has quite a bit more available clean headroom for when I really need it. When I don't, there is always the Master V knob.

so, any way. pip pip old chap and what what and mumsey's up a daisy (or something like that)

 

[rodl2005]

Hard cheese old bean

 

[sunbeast]

Bemused. Ha! you delightful Brits with your charming condescension. How droll
Different players/gigs, different needs. Because something works for you does not mean it works for everyone.

I totally accept the premise when good FOH and good monitoring are available. For me that's about 90% of the time.
BUT .. for that 10% when good FOH/monitoring is NOT available for bass, then more coverage is called for. I get called out on sub dates often enough where the band has a decent PA but it's reserved for vocals, and kick and snare only. If this does not ever happen to you, that's great. But it happens to me.

Got the bigger cab thing covered too, thanks very much old bean. I have used my Walkabout thru a Berg CN212 (also an NV610) with and without FOH. It works fine until it hits the top end of the avail clean power ... after that it gets unfortunately wooly for me, and your pushing up against headroom issues all night. I also can't use the WA with my 2ohm CN112 + CN212 ("CN312") rig, so there's that issue too.

Another POV is that 800w amps like the D800+ and Demeter VTBP-M-800DJ that I have at my disposal have ruined me for lower powered, and specifically, lower headroom amps. I absolutely love my Walkabout and have been gigging it steadily for about 14 years (got one the first year it came out). I just want one that has quite a bit more available clean headroom for when I really need it. When I don't, there is always the Master V knob.

so, any way. pip pip old chap and what what and mumsey's up a daisy (or something like that)

+1 to all of this! In LA venues can run the gamut all the way from required use of venue backline (usually war-torn Ampeg) all the way to huge rooms with only vocal PA reinforcement. The drummer I usually play with on the other hand rarely varies from LOUD, so I have to have the headroom available to match in case it becomes necessary. I also pair my Walkabout with a Berg NV610, and this gets loud enough- but sometimes at the point of such heavy compression that even the quietest of my basses will be microphonic! No such issue with my Mesa Prodigy, so that is the amp I rely on unless I KNOW what I’m walking into is something the Walkabout can carry both tonally and in cleanish headroom

 

[pfschim]

Hard cheese old bean

ha!, now yer just takin' the p*ss

 

[rodl2005]

ha!, now yer just takin' the p*ss

Would "stiff cheddar " be more appropriate?

 

[Luke the Fluke]

Bemused. Ha! you delightful Brits with your charming condescension. How droll
Different players/gigs, different needs. Because something works for you does not mean it works for everyone.

Bemused, not because it was a comment on how any y'all set your rigs up - but because this thread keeps coming back to the same conversation about a bigger walkabout, again and a again!
An analogy would be if this mega thread was for lovers of Chedder Cheese... and every few pages we all started lamenting that Chedder isn't a more powerful cheese like Stilton, cos after eating some Stilton the smell just can fill a bigger room... (When often it's all down to the cracker)

Anyway

 

[BassVibes]

Bemused. Ha! you delightful Brits with your charming condescension. How droll
Different players/gigs, different needs. Because something works for you does not mean it works for everyone.

I totally accept the premise when good FOH and good monitoring are available. For me that's about 90% of the time.
BUT .. for that 10% when good FOH/monitoring is NOT available for bass, then more coverage is called for. I get called out on sub dates often enough where the band has a decent PA but it's reserved for vocals, and kick and snare only. If this does not ever happen to you, that's great. But it happens to me.

Got the bigger cab thing covered too, thanks very much old bean. I have used my Walkabout thru a Berg CN212 (also an NV610) with and without FOH. It works fine until it hits the top end of the avail clean power ... after that it gets unfortunately wooly for me, and your pushing up against headroom issues all night. I also can't use the WA with my 2ohm CN112 + CN212 ("CN312") rig, so there's that issue too.

Another POV is that 800w amps like the D800+ and Demeter VTBP-M-800DJ that I have at my disposal have ruined me for lower powered, and specifically, lower headroom amps. I absolutely love my Walkabout and have been gigging it steadily for about 14 years (got one the first year it came out). I just want one that has quite a bit more available clean headroom for when I really need it. When I don't, there is always the Master V knob.

so, any way. pip pip old chap and what what and mumsey's up a daisy (or something like that)

If you look for perfection, you'll never be content. ― Leo Tolstoy. I have a Walkabout which is great for small gigs and a 212. But it has limitations like all the tools I use as a musician. But that's what makes life interesting . Just saying.

 

[Coolhandjjl]

Bemused, not because it was a comment on how any y'all set your rigs up - but because this thread keeps coming back to the same conversation about a bigger walkabout, again and a again!
An analogy would be if this mega thread was for lovers of Chedder Cheese... and every few pages we all started lamenting that Chedder isn't a more powerful cheese like Stilton, cos after eating some Stilton the smell just can fill a bigger room... (When often it's all down to the cracker)

Anyway

Good point. Is part of the magic WA tone due to it falling within a specific SPL that many peoples ears are most sensitive to or prefer?

 

[Kukulkan61]

Good point. Is part of the magic WA tone due to it falling within a specific SPL that many peoples ears are most sensitive to or prefer?

Yes

 

[bumble yeti]

Bemused, not because it was a comment on how any y'all set your rigs up - but because this thread keeps coming back to the same conversation about a bigger walkabout, again and a again!
An analogy would be if this mega thread was for lovers of Chedder Cheese... and every few pages we all started lamenting that Chedder isn't a more powerful cheese like Stilton, cos after eating some Stilton the smell just can fill a bigger room... (When often it's all down to the cracker)

Anyway

To me, this shows the love for this little amp and how everyone, including Mesa, would like to make this little guy louder.
I think it's very cool that folks are trying to different ways to make a louder WA. And Mesa is listening, or agedhorse wouldn't be here and responding so diligently.

 

[agedhorse]

It's a cool amp, no doubt, but we do recognize that it doesn't work for everybody's needs. It was never intended to do big, loud gigs by itself (especially without PA support), but it does it does well. It has some unique characteristics that make it a great choose for some players yet these same characteristics make it a poor choice for others.

 

[bigbajo60]

 

[pfschim]

If you look for perfection, you'll never be content. ― Leo Tolstoy. I have a Walkabout which is great for small gigs and a 212. But it has limitations like all the tools I use as a musician. But that's what makes life interesting . Just saying.

not really looking for perfection, just an amp with Walkabout tone and more available clean headroom.
For the past 8 years, my Walkabout + Berg CN212 have worked great for what I consider small and medium gigs, even without FOH.
With good FOH/monitoring, this combination works just great even for big to huge gigs

Due to its well known upper power limits, I actually abandoned my Walkabout for larger gigs in favor of another, more powerful hybrid amp, the Demeter VTBP-M-800DJ (I also picked up a Subway D800+ recently, hoping it would have more WA influence than it actually does).
I never could really get the Demeter to sound like the WA, but it has its own great tone. But .. as I have posted here before, whenever I had a moment to dust off the WA and play it in my home studio for practice or recording, I was/am always struck by how much I love the tone of this little amp ..... and that, pretty naturally, makes me start thinking of how I can use it in a more powerful rig for those times when I do need more power and I really want the WA tone.

FWIW, I will refer you all back to my post #3449 above where I ran the WA DI into the FX return of one of my 800w class D amps (Mesa D800+ or Demeter VTBP) and using 2 cabs (Berg CN112 and CN212) I let the WA drive the CN112 and the other amp drive the CN212.
This really does deliver a much higher powered WA rig. Its not perfect, but as I said above, I'm not looking for perfect, just a higher powered WA.

just sayin'

 

[bigbajo60]

One of the bands I'm currently in has decided to go all "amp-less" on IEM's. I am seriously considering turning my WA into a rather large DI box, since I've consistently gotten compliments from FOH guys on the tone I feed their boards.

 

[pfschim]

Bemused, not because it was a comment on how any y'all set your rigs up - but because this thread keeps coming back to the same conversation about a bigger walkabout, again and a again!
An analogy would be if this mega thread was for lovers of Chedder Cheese... and every few pages we all started lamenting that Chedder isn't a more powerful cheese like Stilton, cos after eating some Stilton the smell just can fill a bigger room... (When often it's all down to the cracker)

Anyway

well, this happens because users do come back to this need (or desire?) for an up-powered WA.
So, there must be some level of interest/demand for it.

On the product development side, similar model families with a range of power options are not at all unprecedented. All kinds of amp makers continually produce higher powered versions of prior designs. Mesa itself had a 600w member of the MPulse line ...and it's arguable that the Big Block 750 and Titan V12 were also higher powered members of the same basic design family as the WA, as they used multiple tube stage pre amps and a tube driven MOSFET power sections.

Now, as to whether or not the sound of the WA has to do with its lower power and whatever all went into that design, I am not technically adept enough to really know.

in any event, peace to all on this topic. We're all united by our enjoyment of the Walkabout and I have no desire to have a row with anyone over it.

 

[bumble yeti]

well, this happens because users do come back to this need (or desire?) for an up-powered WA.
So, there must be some level of interest/demand for it.

On the product development side, similar model families with a range of power options are not at all unprecedented. All kinds of amp makers continually produce higher powered versions of prior designs. Mesa itself had a 600w member of the MPulse line ...and it's arguable that the Big Block 750 and Titan V12 were also higher powered members of the same basic design family as the WA, as they used multiple tube stage pre amps and a tube driven MOSFET power sections.

Now, as to whether or not the sound of the WA has to do with its lower power and whatever all went into that design, I am not technically adept enough to really know.

in any event, peace to all on this topic. We're all united by our enjoyment of the Walkabout and I have no desire to have a row with anyone over it.

So true. The tone is in that box and nowhere else. Over the years a lot of folks here sold their WA only to pickup another because nothing sounds like it.
DON'T SELL YOUR WALKABOUT!
Use it where you can: home, studio, smaller gigs, FOH support, etc. You'll have it. It will always be there, like an old friend.
And bigbajo60, it's an absolute killer DI!!!

 

[Luke the Fluke]

One of the bands I'm currently in has decided to go all "amp-less" on IEM's. I am seriously considering turning my WA into a rather large DI box, since I've consistently gotten compliments from FOH guys on the tone I feed their boards.

I did this for a few gigs - sounded blooming amazing.
Then there was a burning smell and the transformer melted. The Mesa recommended tech who replaced it with the pricey custom transformer the Walkabout uses said that running it without a load was probably the cause... @agedhorse may be able to clarify, but I was warned against doing that again

well, this happens because users do come back to this need (or desire?) for an up-powered WA.
So, there must be some level of interest/demand for it.

On the product development side, similar model families with a range of power options are not at all unprecedented. All kinds of amp makers continually produce higher powered versions of prior designs. Mesa itself had a 600w member of the MPulse line ...and it's arguable that the Big Block 750 and Titan V12 were also higher powered members of the same basic design family as the WA, as they used multiple tube stage pre amps and a tube driven MOSFET power sections.

Now, as to whether or not the sound of the WA has to do with its lower power and whatever all went into that design, I am not technically adept enough to really know.

in any event, peace to all on this topic. We're all united by our enjoyment of the Walkabout and I have no desire to have a row with anyone over it.

i don’t think it was a row, just British English phrasing sounding condescending to American English ears when they wouldn’t to Brits. There was a post a while back where someone (prob Aged horse) gave a more technical explanation of why the Walkabout isn’t scaleable in the way other amps are. From memory it was something to do with the way the pre and power amp interacted together more like a electric guitar amp.
If you compare that to the majority of modern amps where a preamp is stuck in front of a third party class D module and they can swap in different modules for different price points and wattages.
If I were in your place I would be using it as an excuse to get a barefaced 810

 

[pfschim]

I did this for a few gigs - sounded blooming amazing.
Then there was a burning smell and the transformer melted. The Mesa recommended tech who replaced it with the pricey custom transformer the Walkabout uses said that running it without a load was probably the cause... @agedhorse may be able to clarify, but I was warned against doing that again

i don’t think it was a row, just British English phrasing sounding condescending to American English ears when they wouldn’t to Brits. There was a post a while back where someone (prob Aged horse) gave a more technical explanation of why the Walkabout isn’t scaleable in the way other amps are. From memory it was something to do with the way the pre and power amp interacted together more like a electric guitar amp.
If you compare that to the majority of modern amps where a preamp is stuck in front of a third party class D module and they can swap in different modules for different price points and wattages.
If I were in your place I would be using it as an excuse to get a barefaced 810

already have an NV610. Plenty of cab for me.

 

[agedhorse]

I did this for a few gigs - sounded blooming amazing.
Then there was a burning smell and the transformer melted. The Mesa recommended tech who replaced it with the pricey custom transformer the Walkabout uses said that running it without a load was probably the cause... @agedhorse may be able to clarify, but I was warned against doing that again

i don’t think it was a row, just British English phrasing sounding condescending to American English ears when they wouldn’t to Brits. There was a post a while back where someone (prob Aged horse) gave a more technical explanation of why the Walkabout isn’t scaleable in the way other amps are. From memory it was something to do with the way the pre and power amp interacted together more like a electric guitar amp.
If you compare that to the majority of modern amps where a preamp is stuck in front of a third party class D module and they can swap in different modules for different price points and wattages.
If I were in your place I would be using it as an excuse to get a barefaced 810

Running the Walkabout without a load was NOT the cause of your amplifier failure.

[edit for meaningful typo]