Mesa D800+ Disappointment

[pigpen1]

Ok, just gonna ask, but just how loud do people expect a single 15 to be?

We just to have 300 watts and 8 drivers. Now we have 800 (400 in this case) watts and 1 driver.

 

[agedhorse]

Voicing of an amp can very much influence the perception of loud, punch, slam etc. Since every player has a different personal taste, it would be absurd to think that every amp will be the right choice. The example of the D-800 versus the WD-800 really shows this to be true, the WD is voiced quite differently from the D-800 but this doesn't make it a better amp, it makes it a better a,p for SOME players and of course it won't be as good for others.

It's REALLY IMPORTANT to find an amp (and speakers) that have a voicing that works for your tastes. That's why there are so many different amps to chose from.

 

[4Mal]

Based on experience with the Subway DI pre... I would say that the amp probably takes a while to suss. I felt the pre took me a long time to ‘get’. When I took the time and really worked it I was very happy with the results. A Tone Hammer in comparison gave up the goods easily but I was never able to get it to the place I liked with the Subway.

On the other hand, I can make nearly any GK work for me easily.

Once revenue season is in full swing I intend on trying the 800+ long term.

 

[Az4stringer]

Thanks again everyone for the great responses. Your information gives me a lot to work with at next practice. Just to be clear, the tone is awesome just no real volume. I realize a 1x15 cab may not be optimal but when I connect my Markbass to the 1x15 there is much more overall volume. On the Markbass gain is set to 10 o'clock and master set to 1 o'clock. With the D800+ I adjusted both the gain and master to 2 o'clock and still the volume was much lower overall than the Markbass. I did not go over 2 o'clock as I saw the Limit LED flashing and thought I was pushing the amp too much.

Regarding the EQ, it is set pretty much set flat with the Voicing set to around 10 o'clock. I have a Fender Bassman Neo Pro 6x10 4 Ohm cab I normally use and will try using the Fender cab next practice. I really want to make this work as the tone is just what I am looking for. Even my band mates love the tone

 

[joel406]

Thanks again everyone for the great responses. Your information gives me a lot to work with at next practice. Just to be clear, the tone is awesome just no real volume. I realize a 1x15 cab may not be optimal but when I connect my Markbass to the 1x15 there is much more overall volume. On the Markbass gain is set to 10 o'clock and master set to 1 o'clock. With the D800+ I adjusted both the gain and master to 2 o'clock and still the volume was much lower overall than the Markbass. I did not go over 2 o'clock as I saw the Limit LED flashing and thought I was pushing the amp too much.

Regarding the EQ, it is set pretty much set flat with the Voicing set to around 10 o'clock. I have a Fender Bassman Neo Pro 6x10 4 Ohm cab I normally use and will try using the Fender cab next practice. I really want to make this work as the tone is just what I am looking for. Even my band mates love the tone

You’ve probably already checked this as it’s been mentioned more than once already.

Check on the back of the Mesa Subway amp. There is a switch that sets the amp to either 2ohms or 4/8ohms.

If you are running a single 15. It is likely a 4 or 8ohm cab.

If the switch is set too 2ohms this will result in the amp cutting power as much as half.

This amp should be plenty loud even through just a single 15.

Personally I was running mine through an 8ohm 410 cab. Volume was never a problem but technically I have three more speakers than you and it moves a lot more air.

And while I didn’t get the “punch” I got from GK it still held its own.

This was in a seven piece band. Two loud guitars. Loud keyboards. Two females singing along with two males singing and a drum set Neil Pert would look at an go...dayuuuuum.

Long post a little longer.


Check switch.

 

[agedhorse]

Let the limit LED flash.

 

[mmbongo]

Thanks again everyone for the great responses. Your information gives me a lot to work with at next practice. Just to be clear, the tone is awesome just no real volume. I realize a 1x15 cab may not be optimal but when I connect my Markbass to the 1x15 there is much more overall volume. On the Markbass gain is set to 10 o'clock and master set to 1 o'clock. With the D800+ I adjusted both the gain and master to 2 o'clock and still the volume was much lower overall than the Markbass. I did not go over 2 o'clock as I saw the Limit LED flashing and thought I was pushing the amp too much.

Comparing knob positions on two different amp means nothing. 12 o' clock on the Markbass might mean it's at 98% capacity, while 12'o clock on the Mesa might mean it's at half capacity.

 

[Tim1]

The other day I went back to the sample settings in the 800+ manual. So much more grunt on fingerstyle/funk recommendation. I think I had inadvertently over eq'd over a period of time, plus I had been experimenting with cab configurations. Agedhorse's advice is absolutely correct btw, I would even go a step further and say ignore the limit led. This is one loud and extremely versatile head.

 

[Jazz Ad]

What is it with people being affraid of clip LEDS? I never understood this.
The LED blinking means you barely start sounding good and should push further.

 

[Az4stringer]

Tried the D800+ with my Fender Bassman Neo Pro 6x10 4 Ohm cab at practice today. All I can say is wow! Sounded great with lots of volume and punch. The limit LED never blinked. The Markbass Little Mark III Tube 800 is a great amp but will now become my backup Here's my current EQ on the D800+, I did turn the Treble knob up just a titch after taking this pic:

Lesson learned is the cab can make huge difference. I can't wait for my two Revsound 2x10 cabs to arrive soon! Thanks everyone for your responses, your responses helped me understand the characteristics of the D800+ compared to experiences I have had with other bass amps.

 

[alaskaleftybass]

Thanks again everyone for the great responses. Your information gives me a lot to work with at next practice. Just to be clear, the tone is awesome just no real volume. I realize a 1x15 cab may not be optimal but when I connect my Markbass to the 1x15 there is much more overall volume. On the Markbass gain is set to 10 o'clock and master set to 1 o'clock. With the D800+ I adjusted both the gain and master to 2 o'clock and still the volume was much lower overall than the Markbass. I did not go over 2 o'clock as I saw the Limit LED flashing and thought I was pushing the amp too much.

Regarding the EQ, it is set pretty much set flat with the Voicing set to around 10 o'clock. I have a Fender Bassman Neo Pro 6x10 4 Ohm cab I normally use and will try using the Fender cab next practice. I really want to make this work as the tone is just what I am looking for. Even my band mates love the tone

What kind of 15 do you have? Is it a Mesa? If it's one of the new lite series, get a matching 15 to double your output. Also, maybe you haven't experimented enough with the tone and volume controls to match the perceived loudness of the Markbass. Right now Mesa, especially the D800 is somewhat the darling of the industry-- it seems to have gotten everything right.

Second, I'll bet your Fender will perform better than the 15 due to more speakers and a 4 ohm load. Keep us posted!

 

[agedhorse]

The manual describes the operation of the LEDs, what they mean, and how/why they work las they do.

 

[Jim C]

What is it with people being affraid of clip LEDS? I never understood this.
The LED blinking means you barely start sounding good and should push further.

The first LED input overload indicators I ever saw were used in pro recording and live sound use.
A blinking LED often meant you were at the verge of distortion which on a vocal track is usually a very bad thing.

I think that many of the MI amps of today use the LED as a much more gentle indicator that the signal is getting closer to distortion but not that close yet. Honestly, I don't think that many would be able to hear even up to 10% distortion in a band mix.

IMO, digital recording is much more unforgiving than analog tape and being respectful of a blinking LED going to a hard drive is really important.

 

[agedhorse]

In bass and guitar amps, a bit of distortion (provided its musical) is often desirable. This is why some products and/or models indicate clip or limit, or overdriven operation in this way.

It's much the same as fixating on an amp's distortion specs being in the .001% (or whatever the fixation might be) range when that is not the intent of the designer, or the player that the amp is targeted.

 

[Az4stringer]

The Limit LED is different than the input Gain O/D (Clipping) LED if I understood the manual correctly. The Gain O/D LED provides a visual indicator of the amount of preamp overdrive is being achieved. The Limit LED indicates the power amp nearing maximum power and is entering the soft clip/limit output tube emulation mode. The Limit LED was blinking when connected to the Mesa Subway 15in cab. It was not blinking when connected to the Fender Bassman Pro Neo 6x10.

I have two 2x10 Revsound 8 Ohm cabs on the way, I expect the D800+ will sound just as good or better than connected to the Fender Bassman Neo Pro 6x10.

 

[agedhorse]

The 610 is likely higher sensitivity as well as 4 ohms, meaning you will get at least 6dB more SPL. The cabinet is also bigger. If you were to use the Subway 215, I would expect similar results to the 610 but with the Subway tone.

 

[Mark Andrew]

Let the limit LED flash.

I'm having troubles finding a good demo of the preamp pedal version of this head. I'm orientating in the world of di/preamps but am not keen on tapdancing. Hence no big pedalboards for expansion me. I want reduce my number of pedals. Can this head give a tube like crunch when pushed? Would the preamp pedal perform the same? If so it may be a candidate to replace my HPF and Distortion pedal. Apologies if there is a better thread for this or a video I missed .

 

[BassmanPaul]

IMHO, for what it’s worth, before starting a thread to dis a product it might be an idea to learn how to use it first!!

 

[Az4stringer]

Not really dissing the product, just giving my experience with the D800+ compared to my Markbass Little Mark III Tube 800 when connected to the same cabinet (Subway 15). I have read the manual several times, and yes, I will admit I did not have a complete understanding of some of the D800+ controls and LEDs. But if we all knew everything then there wouldn't be a need for talkbass forum. Might be best to read through the thread again.
The D800+ sounds great with my 6x10 4 ohm cab. Revsound cabs should arrive this week

 

[Foz]

Put a bit of tape over the offensive LED