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Mesa Boogie Walkabout Mega-thread part Four!
- Thread starter Chef
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The modular setup is really handy. I'm yet to meet a gig where the 2 x 112's didn't cut it. And for smaller gigs and jams a single 112 is a 1 trip load. I have my 2 cabs currently set up in 2 different rehearsal rooms ATM so lugging is pretty minimal. I've heard a couple of people say the DB112s are mid heavy but I don't get it. Today I was comparing the W.A through a DB112 and through my B15N cab - the Aggy was a really smooth, bassy and powerful tone in comparison. Not a fair test I might add but given the B15 is seen as a bit of a bass tone yardstick, the DB112 is anything but middy.
Here's a question for you WA guys that came up in another thread. When you use the head at a 2 ohm load, does the wattage increase, or stay at 300 watts ?
Not a full recomendation but I had a gig last night where the other band had already loaded in and there was a cute little Schroeder cabinet which the bass player was more than happy for me to use. I thought it was a 1x12 (as only 1 driver is clearly visible) but it turns out to be a 2x12 (their model 1212). The box was tiny, 23 1/2" x16" x 16".
Room acoustics were not particularly good but the sound was impressive; might be worth a try.
$780 shipped (54 lbs) or $860 (42 lbs) for the Neo version
Brand aside, (personal preference), the WA really "opens up" with 2 12's. As much as i loved the idea of a 1x12 Scout package, it never worked for me, and my eyes were opened first with an Epifani UL2 212, and currently a Genz Benz Uber 212. Using a 4 ohm 212 and an 8 ohm 112 is an easy way to "expand" even further.
My Walkabout Scout + Radiator stack sounds a tad more "plush/pillowy" in comparison to the more "up-front" presence of a Powerhouse 2x12 that I ran the WA head through a couple of times (before selling the PH 212 off...). I could see where some might feel the PH 2x12 is better suited for more "hard-rockin" genres.
That said... I don't feel as though the WA stack leaves me lacking for anything in the way of tonal "ooomph" onstage!
That said... I don't feel as though the WA stack leaves me lacking for anything in the way of tonal "ooomph" onstage!
I've recently been using a WalkAbout with Schroeder 1212R and like it very much, both solo and in a mix.
The WA's big bottom fills out that cab's lows pretty well, and beyond that it's very simple and slight EQ'ing for me, as it is with most cabs, to get a great tone.
With the Schroeder on it's side and the Boogie in the Mesa headcase the amp is a perfect fit on top too. Makes for a cool little stack with very small footrint, something like that new Ampeg 2x10 with the little SVT look-alike top.
The WA's big bottom fills out that cab's lows pretty well, and beyond that it's very simple and slight EQ'ing for me, as it is with most cabs, to get a great tone.
With the Schroeder on it's side and the Boogie in the Mesa headcase the amp is a perfect fit on top too. Makes for a cool little stack with very small footrint, something like that new Ampeg 2x10 with the little SVT look-alike top.
My Schroeder 1212BMF is an upright 212 and my Scout cab stacks perfectly on top. Used together, its a 2 ohm load but the three 12 inch drivers together are freakin loud. But the Walkabout head into the Schroeder by itself is really nice sounding and very well balanced. Its a 4 ohm cab, handles 800 watts and weighs about 36 pounds. I cab carry the cab in one hand and toss her on my back seat with no effort. Great cab for sure.
You can plug a microphone with an XLR - TRS cable into three clean pedals, and eventually you'll have a signal that can drive a line-level input. But is it a good practice? Even if *you* don't hear any signal to noise issues?
We can all, of course, do whatever we like. But we ought to be in the business here of educating members of TB on legitimate gain-staging and impedance handling issues. After all, we come to TB for information. You can always solder crazy cables that have completely whacked out impedance mismatches -- hey, that might even be *your tone*! -- but whether you ought to advertise this as a solution to an issue because *you don't hear S-N issues with your particular bass, FX, amp setup and your particular listening skills* is questionable.
I've received a lot of sound information here. We should all return the favor.
And, Vic, BTW: Markbass published impedance specs.
That's completely out of line to imply and an accusation made without any foundation.
It is very possible that 2 bass guitars could be connected to a single input jack on a MI amplifier without impedance issues.
If you have technical specs that show otherwise for the amp in question it would be helpful to post them.
FWIW, I'm not sure I read that as an accusation, but rather, just a statement that just because a given scenario seemed to work subjectively, is no assurance it's a generally safe practice. I tend to agree with that.
Basically, while it might be true it works in many cases, unless an amp had dual input jacks and an explicit claim it was designed to have two instruments connected concurrently, I probably wouldn't rely on it always being a safe practice with a given rig. Admittedly, you're not gonna' blow anything up, so it really is just a tonal question, so it's not really that big of a deal in the grand scheme of things, but if the goal here is to focus on what best practices are, then it's a good argument.
I think a lot of it has to do with active/passive too... I think you're more likely to have success with a Y cable approach with active basses, but with passive basses, I'm not so sure... because of the buffering present in the preamp in the bass. Then again, driving an output stage of a bass's preamp with the output of another, might possibly yield some really strange results. Back in the day when I used to repair circuit boards, we called that a "buffer fight" when you had two outputs tied together. Did some really strange things with the signal, and with some more sensitive electronics, could actually damage the chips. I don't know if that risk applies here, but FWIW I guess.
Good point about active and buffering but with passive basses I would think that the input impedance of the amp is the biggest factor. It could go eother way IMO.
It was the "listening skills" statement that is over the top.
Since he has no idea of my accomplishments both in the studio and onstage, I feel it is just another cheap internet shot by one disagrees and lacks either experience or humility.
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It was the "listening skills" statement that is over the top.
Since he has no idea of my accomplishments both in the studio and onstage, I feel it is just another cheap internet shot by one disagrees and lacks either experience or humility.
.02
- Feb 3, 2005
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- Endorsing artist: Bergantino Audio Systems and GHS Strings
Got a gig on Feb. 5 and bringing the Walkabout out with my 2 GK NEO 112 II's. Really looking forward to finally gigging this rig with the band I bought it for (only have used it so far filling in with another band doing a totally different type of stuff).
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