Mesa Boogie WD800

[PercPiskot]

I searched all over but cant find a store that is selling a WD-800 in Europe, anybody has any information? I read somewhere that it will be available again in Europe in October, but there is no possibility to get it before that date? Thanks!

 

[agedhorse]

I searched all over but cant find a store that is selling a WD-800 in Europe, anybody has any information? I read somewhere that it will be available again in Europe in October, but there is no possibility to get it before that date? Thanks!

That sounds about right, could ce a little quicker depending on how shipping tone and delays affect the container ship industry.

 

[PercPiskot]

That sounds about right, could ce a little quicker depending on how shipping tone and delays affect the container ship industry.

Thank you. I have one more n00b question. If my friend brought me amp from US, he is business travelling in Las vegas currently, would it work on the european electricity network or would i need some special converters too? Is it even available in some store near Las Vegas? Thank you!

 

[Chuck M]

Thank you. I have one more n00b question. If my friend brought me amp from US, he is business travelling in Las vegas currently, would it work on the european electricity network or would i need some special converters too? Is it even available in some store near Las Vegas? Thank you!

The Subway heads are designed to work on 110 and 240 volts. No converter is needed only a proper A/C cable.

 

[PhatBottomBass1]

Is this thing on...?

So, I'm going back into the Mesa/Boogie Class-D camp after loving a TT-800 when it came out. I left to put more love on tube heads for a couple years. It's the maintenance that will kill ya! Or the worry...and the cost of big glass with a world of uncertainty.

Then I went into the IR ampless technology, but I just prefer knobs and switches to more time with a computer....wired, I know?

Anyway, I've owned a nice Walkabout and played a guys WD-800 in 2022 and really liked it very much, through one of his two (2) SW212 vertical cabinets. Just sublime!

Just sold off the floor rig and ordered the WD-800 as the replacement. Surprise...I'm likely going to try the cool features of HPF and the dampening control on a beast of a MESA cabinet...PH1200. booo, booo

I think the Jazzy Dubby Synthiness will love it!!

 

[SteveMoodie]

Does anyone know if the Q of the mid controls differ from each other? I find I’m unable to get an exact match of frequencies on each dial and i wonder if it’s because they have different widths.

any chance you have time to answer @agedhorse ?


I’m still loooooving this amp, by the way

 

[agedhorse]

The Q’s are pretty similar but the manufacturing tolerances in the controls can result in a lack of precision if the relative centers. This is always a challenge with variable frequency designs, has been for as long as I have been designing filter circuits. Custom trimmed controls Conan be used, but the cost skyrockets.

 

[kesslari]

The Q’s are pretty similar but the manufacturing tolerances in the controls can result in a lack of precision if the relative centers. This is always a challenge with variable frequency designs, has been for as long as I have been designing filter circuits. Custom trimmed controls Conan be used, but the cost skyrockets.

Once again I find myself really appreciating the depth of your experience in this field, your knowledge, and willingness to share with those willing to listen. Thank you.

 

[Al Kraft]

The Q’s are pretty similar but the manufacturing tolerances in the controls can result in a lack of precision if the relative centers. This is always a challenge with variable frequency designs, has been for as long as I have been designing filter circuits. Custom trimmed controls Conan be used, but the cost skyrockets.

As a approximate starting point I'm pretty sure the manual indicates that the semiparametric frequency controls affect roughly a 1/3 of an octave on each side of the center frequency selected...it's been a while since I looked at it, but I seem to recall that information was included in the narrative (not in the spec table at the end).

Not sure if that information is helpful relative to the question asked, but it at least gives a sense of the filters' impact when used.

 

[agedhorse]

Because of the logarithmic nature of RC frequency controls, a small deviation in tolerance can appear to be greater than it is when the inverse log is taken of the impacted value.

Because reverse log pots are used in the frequency controls, the manufacturing process of these are particularly prone to tolerance challenges. Where dual controls are used (as they are in these circuits), it’s even more challenging because there are now superimposed “relative tolerances” too. Fortunately, in practice this is not nearly as bad as the math might suggest.

 

[SteveMoodie]

Because of the logarithmic nature of RC frequency controls, a small deviation in tolerance can appear to be greater than it is when the inverse log is taken of the impacted value.

Because reverse log pots are used in the frequency controls, the manufacturing process of these are particularly prone to tolerance challenges. Where dual controls are used (as they are in these circuits), it’s even more challenging because there are now superimposed “relative tolerances” too. Fortunately, in practice this is not nearly as bad as the math might suggest.

Thanks for detailed explanation. This is really useful information for other pieces of gear too!
And also, now i know that I’m not going mad.

 

[slagheap]

Because of the logarithmic nature of RC frequency controls, a small deviation in tolerance can appear to be greater than it is when the inverse log is taken of the impacted value.

Because reverse log pots are used in the frequency controls, the manufacturing process of these are particularly prone to tolerance challenges. Where dual controls are used (as they are in these circuits), it’s even more challenging because there are now superimposed “relative tolerances” too. Fortunately, in practice this is not nearly as bad as the math might suggest.

No, the problem is likely to be magneto reluctance. It needs one of these:

 

[Scotty4string]

Got a question for you guys/gals. On the Mesa/Boggie website, under "amp features", it mentions that the WD-800 has a "cabinet simulation direct live recording output". Does that mean there is a bult in cab sim of some sort?

 

[agedhorse]

Got a question for you guys/gals. On the Mesa/Boggie website, under "amp features", it mentions that the WD-800 has a "cabinet simulation direct live recording output". Does that mean there is a bult in cab sim of some sort?

It’s a very mild cab sim, based on the Subway 115 which is very close to FRFR. This is primarily in post mode too.

 

[DJ Bebop]

It’s a very mild cab sim, based on the Subway 115 which is very close to FRFR. This is primarily in post mode too.

That makes some sense. I have been raving about the FRFR nature of the WD/SW 115 combination. But before I got the cabinet I had the head and had use it for recording in post mode a lot. When I got my SW 115 it was like huh? This sounds a bit like the amp did on it own. It was like the DI signal out loud through the speaker. Does that make any sense?

I really dig the set up.

 

[Scotty4string]

It’s a very mild cab sim, based on the Subway 115 which is very close to FRFR. This is primarily in post mode too.

Thanks for the reply. Is there any high frequency roll off? I'm just wondering if it is enough of a sim to take the buzz out of outboard fuzz pedals and distortions when using the DI to FOH? I guess I'll know myself in a few days. I just ordered one.

 

[agedhorse]

Thanks for the reply. Is there any high frequency roll off? I'm just wondering if it is enough of a sim to take the buzz out of outboard fuzz pedals and distortions when using the DI to FOH? I guess I'll know myself in a few days. I just ordered one.

It’s similar to the Subway 115 with the tweeter control at 12:00. I wouldn’t suggest that it would be ideal with distortion and fuzz, unless there’s a low pass filter on the distorted signal path.

 

[DJ Bebop]

It’s similar to the Subway 115 with the tweeter control at 12:00. I wouldn’t suggest that it would be ideal with distortion and fuzz, unless there’s a low pass filter on the distorted signal path.

These kids and their distortion.

 

[LetItGrowTone]

It was like the DI signal out loud through the speaker.

Wow, that's (one kind of) holy grail.
*
I guess the 215 has a bump before it starts rolling off the lows. Could someone tell me approximately the frequency and amplitude of that bump?
Thank you.

 

[agedhorse]

Wow, that's (one kind of) holy grail.
*
I guess the 215 has a bump before it starts rolling off the lows. Could someone tell me approximately the frequency and amplitude of that bump?
Thank you.

If you are talking about the Subway 215, there is a very small ~1dB bump centered around 60Hz… extremely mild by any standard.