Mesa Boogie Walkabout Mega-thread Part 10

[mikeswals]

Why not just get a bigger cab for the walkabout? Having two amp sources isn’t going to improve the fidelity of your bass sound...

I dont need this for my use. I only did this test to answer the guy above that asked if the signals worked.

This is not my experience (low/poor signal level) running the WA output to another amp.
I recently went through this exercise (which I reported on up thread) by running the WA DI Out into the FX Return on a Mesa D800+ as well as a Demeter VTBP-M-800D.
I did have to run the WA DI level all the way up.

My sons' combo amp doesnt have an fx loop otherwise I would tried it too. But yes on the DI out I had to have the knob full up, and that signal is only as loud as the fx send signal.

 

[Leo was right]

Need a new 112 cab for my Walkabout. Currently playing through an Avatar 210 Neo and it's just not doing it for me. I feel the cab is lacking power and depth. I was looking into either the Mesa 112 or one of the new Ampeg 112AV. I plan on pairing with an idential 112 in the future.

I play alternative rock, some metal, punk, and occasionally blues, so a versatile cabinet will be perfect. Opinions? Thanks!

The subway serie?

 

[Luke the Fluke]

I dont need this for my use. I only did this test to answer the guy above that asked if the signals worked.



My sons' combo amp doesnt have an fx loop otherwise I would tried it too. But yes on the DI out I had to have the knob full up, and that signal is only as loud as the fx send signal.

I was aiming the question at the guy above

Question about the fx loop test- did you turn up the di volume knob? I’ve tried it before into a PA and it was because I had the di volume knob right down and didn’t realise

 

[sunbeast]

I gotta a question for the agedhorse.
Can I safely use a power attenuator for home use? I'm an apartment dweller and I'd love to be able get that gig level WA tone at home without getting evicted.
I'm not talking about cranking it, per se, just getting more in the zone.
If so, what would you recommend?
Thanks Andy!

The Weber Mass 200 works as long as you aren’t cranking it to the max or expecting 100% attenuation. I bought one to use recording with my Prodigy in an Air BnB that we set up as a live studio for a weekend and kept it around to experiment with and have used it successfully with the Walkabout. Ideally you want to do it at 8ohms though!

 

[bumble yeti]

The Weber Mass 200 works as long as you aren’t cranking it to the max or expecting 100% attenuation. I bought one to use recording with my Prodigy in an Air BnB that we set up as a live studio for a weekend and kept it around to experiment with and have used it successfully with the Walkabout. Ideally you want to do it at 8ohms though!

Thanks for the recommendation sunbeast. I'll def check it out. Unfortunately, I've got a 4 ohm speaker so that'd add to the expense. Hmm… Wonder how much an 8 ohm would be. Mine's a neo, if it matters. Thanks again!

 

[Leo was right]

Thanks for the recommendation sunbeast. I'll def check it out. Unfortunately, I've got a 4 ohm speaker so that'd add to the expense. Hmm… Wonder how much an 8 ohm would be. Mine's a neo, if it matters. Thanks again!

You can add a 4 ohms resistors in serie (not in parallel) with your cab so 4+4=8, doing that there is a 6 db of attenuation additionnal.

 

[agedhorse]

You can add a 4 ohms resistors in serie (not in parallel) with your cab so 4+4=8, doing that there is a 6 db of attenuation additionnal.

Not a viable solution (damping reasons), and the resistor would need to be fairly large too.

4 ohms in series with 4 ohms would drop the amp's power by 3dB not 6dB.

 

[Leo was right]

Not a viable solution (damping reasons), and the resistor would need to be fairly large too.

4 ohms in series with 4 ohms would drop the amp's power by 3dB not 6dB.

Sorry I mixup my formula in my calculator.

For damping I know but...

For the power dissipation of the the resistor, it depend of playing but I never had issue with the heat generate by, it is a cut and try experiment.

 

[agedhorse]

Not recommended.

 

[sunbeast]

Thanks for the recommendation sunbeast. I'll def check it out. Unfortunately, I've got a 4 ohm speaker so that'd add to the expense. Hmm… Wonder how much an 8 ohm would be. Mine's a neo, if it matters. Thanks again!

It’ll still work at 4ohms, you’ll just have to be more careful about not pushing the attenuator too hard with the 300 watts at 4ohms vs the 165 watts at 8ohms. I have messed with the attenuator through my 4ohm 15” Scout cab and it works great, you just couldn’t expect home stereo volumes while pushing the Master on the amp like you could do with a lower wattage guitar amp. Also the Mass 200 is pretty pricey

 

[bumble yeti]

It’ll still work at 4ohms, you’ll just have to be more careful about not pushing the attenuator too hard with the 300 watts at 4ohms vs the 165 watts at 8ohms. I have messed with the attenuator through my 4ohm 15” Scout cab and it works great, you just couldn’t expect home stereo volumes while pushing the Master on the amp like you could do with a lower wattage guitar amp. Also the Mass 200 is pretty pricey

Yessir. Andy said that previously but also said he didn't recommend it. Admittedly, I got all excited at the prospect but I think, with the expense and risk to my beloved WA, I'll defer to the agedhorse. Thanks again.

 

[Leo was right]

Yessir. Andy said that previously but also said he didn't recommend it. Admittedly, I got all excited at the prospect but I think, with the expense and risk to my beloved WA, I'll defer to the agedhorse. Thanks again.

Sure Andy is right! But just for fun, with which cabinet you are doing that?

 

[bumble yeti]

My Scout 4 ohm 12.

 

[sunbeast]

Yessir. Andy said that previously but also said he didn't recommend it. Admittedly, I got all excited at the prospect but I think, with the expense and risk to my beloved WA, I'll defer to the agedhorse. Thanks again.

Probably for the best! The Mass 200 was perfect for the 125ish watts of the Prodigy at half power into a small 2x10 (which was still being recorded at louder than apartment volumes!), but the Walkabout and most solid-state heads are just too much juice for anything but a custom job attenuator (and those generally cost more than a Walkabout!)

 

[agedhorse]

An proper attenuator is built differently than just sticking a resistor in series with the load. That's in part what makes them more expensive.

 

[sunbeast]

An proper attenuator is built differently than just sticking a resistor in series with the load. That's in part what makes them more expensive.

Definitely- I have a cheapo lower-wattage resistor attenuator as well that I used to use with a lower wattage guitar amp I have. Compared to the Mass 200 which apparently uses a speaker coil/motor the other attenuator makes the tone quite congested and lifeless. I know there are other attenuators that get much more sophisticated to try to emulate real-life action better

 

[MarkA]

Re. attenuators and being able to push an amp at more reasonable volumes, might it work to simply run the amp into a less efficient cab? The success of this would depend on the desired volume and finding a cab that will handle the requisite power while delivering a sound you like, but, from what I've read, there are sonic compromises with attenuators and a speaker cab should be free from the other drawbacks mentioned with regard to one.

For guitar, there are isolation cabs (the Rivera "Silent Sister" looks neat, and purports to solve the boxy, compressed sound issues of other isolation cabs), but I don't know if there's anything similar for bass. I'm not sure how suited it would be to @Phyzzbin's intended use, even if there were.

With a solid-state power head, an 8 or 16 Ohm (32 Ohm?) version of a driver you like might be another possibility.

 

[bumble yeti]

Re. attenuators and being able to push an amp at more reasonable volumes, might it work to simply run the amp into a less efficient cab? The success of this would depend on the desired volume and finding a cab that will handle the requisite power while delivering a sound you like, but, from what I've read, there are sonic compromises with attenuators and a speaker cab should be free from the other drawbacks mentioned with regard to one.

For guitar, there are isolation cabs (the Rivera "Silent Sister" looks neat, and purports to solve the boxy, compressed sound issues of other isolation cabs), but I don't know if there's anything similar for bass. I'm not sure how suited it would be to @Phyzzbin's intended use, even if there were.

With a solid-state power head, an 8 or 16 Ohm (32 Ohm?) version of a driver you like might be another possibility.

I have to wonder whether there are serious obstacles to overcome designing an attenuator that would handle so much power safely.
You'd think studios would have a desire for something like this.
Good stuff guys. Really! I love the conversation. The ideas. Communication. Tops!!!
Perhaps this spurs someone to create such a thing.

 

[Leo was right]

Probably for the best! The Mass 200 was perfect for the 125ish watts of the Prodigy at half power into a small 2x10 (which was still being recorded at louder than apartment volumes!), but the Walkabout and most solid-state heads are just too much juice for anything but a custom job attenuator (and those generally cost more than a Walkabout!)

Re. attenuators and being able to push an amp at more reasonable volumes, might it work to simply run the amp into a less efficient cab? The success of this would depend on the desired volume and finding a cab that will handle the requisite power while delivering a sound you like, but, from what I've read, there are sonic compromises with attenuators and a speaker cab should be free from the other drawbacks mentioned with regard to one.

For guitar, there are isolation cabs (the Rivera "Silent Sister" looks neat, and purports to solve the boxy, compressed sound issues of other isolation cabs), but I don't know if there's anything similar for bass. I'm not sure how suited it would be to @Phyzzbin's intended use, even if there were.

With a solid-state power head, an 8 or 16 Ohm (32 Ohm?) version of a driver you like might be another possibility.

The 10inches drivers for the 8x10 SVT cab is 32 ohms , you could make a cab with one like this.

 

[rodl2005]

Using less speaker cone area is what I do when using my Fender Super Bassman.
Into my 215 or an 810 it gets blisteringly loud and I would be seriously struggling to get anywhere near power tube break up at a level my bands play at, and we ain't quiet by any means.
But, into just one 115 (luckily my Super Bassman does 8,4 & 2 ohms) , I can push it pretty hard. I'm not usually going for full on power tube grind, just a touch of sweet break up, is what I'm going for.
Was the same with my old SVT2. I'd run that into an 810, LOUD AS! into a relatively inefficient 4 ohm 410, I could get it nice and dirty at ok levels too.
The WA is pretty much the same. Imo...