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Mesa Boogie Walkabout Megathread; Part Two
- Thread starter Chef
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ha ha
It's the great Mesa tone stack mystery, Joe!
I was sort-of of the opinion that 2 o'clock - 10 o'clock - 2 o'clock is 'flat', but this post suggests otherwise.
I'd love a definitive answer from somewhere...
It's the great Mesa tone stack mystery, Joe!
I was sort-of of the opinion that 2 o'clock - 10 o'clock - 2 o'clock is 'flat', but this post suggests otherwise.
I'd love a definitive answer from somewhere...
- Apr 3, 2003
- 35,515
- 19,942
- Disclosures
- Editor-in-Chief, Bass Gear Magazine
I generally leave most tone controls at about noon, with a slight treble boost through those Ampeg cabs (no tweeters). You can control a lot of the tone just by playing with the Gain and Master settings (higher Gain and lower Master for more grit/growl/overdrive and more warmth, and the opposite for a more clean, leaner tone). I do not believe that the Walkabout uses the traditional Fender tone stack. In fact, I thought that just the Mids were passive, with active Bass and Treble. But I could be wrong.
The Walkabout uses standard active shelving bass and treble controls (with the treble control shelving starting VERY low relative to other amps... more in the upper mids), with the 'relatively flat' setting at noon. So, no mystery there.
The 'passive boost only' mid control is the one that messes with everyone's head (since 'passive' and 'boost only' makes no sense). The way this works, from what I understand from many posts by the EE guys over the last few years, is that there is an 'active midrange boost' that is 'hardwired' into the preamp voicing. However, the actual midrange control is passive, and is used to 'passively cut the active boosted mids'! Holy moly. I guess it makes sense, and is similar to some of the on-board preamps for basses, like the Celinder, that have an active treble boost set internally, with a passive tone control to then set the level (i.e., to cut the internal active boost to the desired level).
Most consider the relatively flat setting on the Walkabout as bass and treble at noon, and the mid control cut to about 10 o'clock.
- Apr 3, 2003
- 35,515
- 19,942
- Disclosures
- Editor-in-Chief, Bass Gear Magazine
After a year or so of trying to understand this, I think I've finally got it.. thanks, Ken!
For my taste I use mainly 2 settings. 1 is clean, with gain at 11:30, semi-para eq controls flat (noon), paraeq mild lower mids scooped. 2 is the usual, with gain at 2, semi-paraeq flat, and para-eq low mids (around 3-500Hz) boosted a tad to 1 o'clock.
Total tonal satisfaction for me! My amp GAS has been absent since discovering the WA, and I have pruned my mini heads down to a GB3x8 used to practice. LM2 gone, WTX500 gone. Orange AD200 not really needed but still around for sentimental reasons
concur.
the 2-10-2 thing applies to the 400/400+.
As my "starting point;" I set input gain at one o'clock, bass, treble and para eq's flat, and mid at 10 o'clock; and tweak for bass/cab/room from there.
I try to use bass/mid/treble for "General Eq"...(Saaaalute!), and para for trouble spots.
the 2-10-2 thing applies to the 400/400+.
As my "starting point;" I set input gain at one o'clock, bass, treble and para eq's flat, and mid at 10 o'clock; and tweak for bass/cab/room from there.
I try to use bass/mid/treble for "General Eq"...(Saaaalute!), and para for trouble spots.
That's about the same for me too. Perhaps a little less gain and at lower volume levels a bit of a boost on the bass and treble, but otherwise...gloriously wonderful and easy to find tone through my AccuGroove cabinets!!!
fully agree on KJungs characterization of the controls.
That said, with an active Lull MV4 plugged into the passive input, I set my WA as follows:
Gain - 11:00 (clean, but with a touch of tube compression)
Bass - 12:30 (just nudged past straight up)
Mids - 10:30
Treb - 12:30 (just nudged past straight up)
Para EQ:
+1db @ ~40hz
- 2db @ ~300hz
+1db @ ~1.2khz
Master to taste
cab crossover at 5k (Full) unless I am using an extention cab, then I run the crossover at 4K (Sheen) and use the extension (either a Scout 15 on 5k), or an Accugroove Tri115 as a full range cab.
great tone
good luck
That said, with an active Lull MV4 plugged into the passive input, I set my WA as follows:
Gain - 11:00 (clean, but with a touch of tube compression)
Bass - 12:30 (just nudged past straight up)
Mids - 10:30
Treb - 12:30 (just nudged past straight up)
Para EQ:
+1db @ ~40hz
- 2db @ ~300hz
+1db @ ~1.2khz
Master to taste
cab crossover at 5k (Full) unless I am using an extention cab, then I run the crossover at 4K (Sheen) and use the extension (either a Scout 15 on 5k), or an Accugroove Tri115 as a full range cab.
great tone
good luck
Just curious, why do you boost deep bass, cut low mids, and boost high mids? It's usually the exact opposite for me.
It's not "deep bass," but shelving bass.
The BASS control is actually a gain and frequency control all rolled into one with the Q
center at 55Hz and harmonics in both low and high directions are affected because of its
broader band nature. As the control is increased past 12:00 there is a 6db per octave rise
in gain with the frequency topping out at 321Hz. With 12:00 straight-up representing “fl at”
(a no boost/no cut setting).
As the BASS control is dialed below 12:00, 55Hz and all associated harmonics are reduced
and eventually notched completely out of the signal. Conversely, there is a 6db per octave
cut beginning at 55Hz going down to 20Hz where the shelving ends with a cut gain of -20db
as the control approaches 7:30 (off).
This type of broad band, active rotary control makes it possible to achieve bass characteristics far beyond that of a conventional
passive type control. It can increase the low end to an almost absurd level and with a fl ick of the wrist, dip it to near transistor radio
skinniness. Needless to say, with any control this powerful a certain amount of fi nesse must be applied to achieve musical results. Be
especially mindful of this when using the 3 Band Semi-Parametric in conjunction with the BASS control.
The BASS control is actually a gain and frequency control all rolled into one with the Q
center at 55Hz and harmonics in both low and high directions are affected because of its
broader band nature. As the control is increased past 12:00 there is a 6db per octave rise
in gain with the frequency topping out at 321Hz. With 12:00 straight-up representing “fl at”
(a no boost/no cut setting).
As the BASS control is dialed below 12:00, 55Hz and all associated harmonics are reduced
and eventually notched completely out of the signal. Conversely, there is a 6db per octave
cut beginning at 55Hz going down to 20Hz where the shelving ends with a cut gain of -20db
as the control approaches 7:30 (off).
This type of broad band, active rotary control makes it possible to achieve bass characteristics far beyond that of a conventional
passive type control. It can increase the low end to an almost absurd level and with a fl ick of the wrist, dip it to near transistor radio
skinniness. Needless to say, with any control this powerful a certain amount of fi nesse must be applied to achieve musical results. Be
especially mindful of this when using the 3 Band Semi-Parametric in conjunction with the BASS control.
I'm beginning to think the secrets of the Walkabout eq are no less profound and obscure than those of the Kabala
.
. 
That was a nice explanation of the passive boost only mid control. It also makes total sense to me. My WA eq is also flat, (noon) on bass and treble, and my passive mids bumped up to around 2 or 3 o clock. I have yet to really utilise the semi para eq controls. Tone is absolutely creamy, and very punchy at the same time. I've had several other amps that came and went while owning the WA. It would be my only amp if I were forced to have only one.
Well, Chef (and the Walkabout Manual
) said it much better than I can. I find the Lull, with the Fralins, to already be a bit low shy, with some bumps in the low and upper mids, with plenty of sheen on top. I use 2 positions on the Lull p/u vol pots.
1 = both p/u on full
2 = neck p/u rolled off just a touch
I prefer to use just a bit of the 2band active EQ control on the Lull, touch of bass boost, highs set flat (indent), Fender "tone" (or mid control) is just dropped a bit off of full on.
On the WA, I am aiming to warm up/deepen the natural voice of the Lull with a touch of 40-50hz (just a nudge). I like to cut the potential clankiness of the 300hz range, and the nudge at 1.2khz is just a result of wanting a bit of zip in there when I run the pups full up to snap/pop (which is not too common).
The result of these settings is a nice bridge pup burpy thing that's warm, not too mid forward, with plenty of definition to cut through. Classic Fender bridge tone to my ears (and I have been abusing Fender Jazz basses for 40 years
). The full on bridge and neck pup tone is great for the old school tone I am looking for, much more Rainey/Graham than Miller/Wooten (with much respect).
ok, not sure if that explanation is meaningful, but there you go.
here you go. My Walkabout 12 on top of a Scout 15.
http://www.talkbass.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=140056&stc=1&d=1253062591
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