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Mesa M6 Carbine Mega-Thread Pt Deux

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#181
Last post for awhile. Can some of the Titan, BB750, Mpulse, Scout owners verify the FX loop is the same as the M6. Meaning the signal strenght to the send is affected by the master.

c'mon Alan, I know you have a scout and there has to be some other Mesa owners out there as well.

Ken,

I am not giving up on the M6 at all, but just trying to figure out why Mesa gave conflicting information and why it is done that way. I can live without the effects loop, but if it doesn't work in some logical manner why add it. Take the '09 price increase out and remove the FX loop, I mean slave out.;)
 
#182
Saluki said:
Regarding the compressor and FX loop. On the Mesa Mpulse the compressor is wired inbetween the pre and amplifier just like one might want to do with a properly designed FX loop.

From Mpulse manual:
Next in the signal path is a new improved Compressor that features both THRESHOLD and RATIO controls. First included on our M-2000 Bass amplifier, this updated version allows for much greater fine-tuning of the dynamics. The THRESHOLD control is extremely sensitive to your attack and can be set for either subtle or dramatic compression effects. The RATIO control allows for anything from slight dynamic trimming all the way to a hard knee squash with a range from 1:1 to Infinity. The Compressor is also assignable On, Off or Footswitch giving you the choices of active or inactive all the time or triggering it remotely during a performance as an effect.

After the Compressor we jump over to the Output section that serves up the mighty SIMUL STATE power with its awesome 600 (or360) watts of rich, tube-driven MOSFET tone. This innovative circuit combines the best attributes ot tube and solid state technology to arrive at a magical blend that breathes and yet, tracks tight while producing massive power.

Again I am sorry. Not trying to be an a** on the issue but I don't get the thought process and calls to Mesa have left me wanting more. The FX loop circuitry in the M6 should really not be any different than the circuitry for Mpulse Compressor. I knew i should become an EE instead of a CE. Anybody have any questions about bridges:D
Click to expand...

I never used that either:p

Hey, guys, do what you want here. I'm just providing another point of view that you can take or leave:)
 
#184
Saluki said:
So point #1 is that with the Scout, Mesa thought the DI signal should be a post signal and tied to the Master volume, but there is a patch for removing it. Mesa, how 'bout a patch on that for the M6 and a patch to make the FX loop useable or at least a label to call it "slave".
Click to expand...
Again, on the simulstate amps, they did have a valid reason for tapping the DI where they did, but on the M6, I'm don't think the same reason exists, and I have no idea why they tapped the effects send where they did on any of the amps affected by master.

Again, completely moot for me, as I can't remember the last time I used an effects loop, but I do agree it's non-intuitive and most likely inconvenient for those who would use it. I'll probably bring this up in the Mesa booth next week. Pretty baffling, really.
 
#185
KJung said:
Well, I guess what it comes down to is if you don't use the effects loop, it's still a totally killer, amazing head. If you are a bassist who places very high importance on using an effects loop, then this might not be the amp for you, given the way it works.
Click to expand...

The more I play, the more I've gravitated to the "Less is More" school of thought. Plug and play! Set it and forget it. So That's a big +1 to Kjung! Or, if less is truly more,... would that be -1? :rollno: Ha!

That said, there is a case for using a DI. I rarely run across it however.
 
#186
I tried it with my Walkabout. Yes, the master does affect the effects send.

Mesa makes it really hard to like the company. It's one of those cases where the service is good - and I deeply respect the proactive nature of their dealing with Walkabout issues in the past unlike some companies that stay mum about known issues and let amps die on gigs - but it'd be nice if their service wasn't needed so often.

I really wonder about their attention to detail. The Walkabout manual for instance, claiming there's a DI pre/post switch and that the passive mids boosts the mids. And the build isn't that great on the whole M-Pulse line when you consider the cost and issues.

Someone said the lack of DI volume for the Carbine was a cost issue? Given that Mesa has never tried to compete on price, what's the problem with adding ... $2 or $20 to the cost of a $1000 amp, especially for such a pro feature?

I had a look at the Carbine combo. Looks nice. Smaller than I expected. It was buried amongst other gear so I didn't try to lift it. The Carbine head sounds fine, but seems unremarkable to me. If I'm going Mesa I'd prefer something else from their existing or past line, and also avoid being a beta tester. The push/pull mute was easier to use than I expected, but that's just a goofy way to mute. If I were to use that amp, I'd just unplug to mute instead.

Tried the Scout 15" combo and was surprised that it seems to weigh the same as the 12" combo. Loved the 15" Scout extension cab, and it's really light too. Might have to get some of those.
 
#187
I really do wonder about the designs some of these companies come up with. I can think of at least two Aguilar products where if I was the lead director for new products, and the design team brought me those designs, I would have slapped them silly. Just common sense stuff that they chose to do in a bizarrely non-common-sense way. Sounds like Mesa's got the same problem.

I'm reminded of a large Japanese manufacturer of soymilk, where once a year or so they'd try to boost sales in the US by hiring a new product manager, and every time the new guy would assert himself first thing by changing the packaging in some useless way that made the products even harder to retail. Changes that any retailer could have said were dumb.
 
#188
Ya know, I spent some time last night a/b ing various gear I've got, and I realized, again, why I bought the M6. It sounds so damn good that I'm past caring about the weirdness-it flat kills. If I decide at some point that I'd really like a compressor again, I'll get a pedal.
 
#192
Why is a reasonable Q.

Two days since mine left for warranty repair.
I hope they can make it shutdown, and figger why.
I was not able to reproduce the symptoms "on command."
Just, "every few days, it would snap off for no reason, then wake right back up."
Didn't matter: what bass, active, passive 4 string, 5 string, what cab, what ohm load...just....curious.


I was never able to make Tom's Fathom misbehave under any circumstance.

Hard to diagnose, prolly.
 
#194
Saluki said:
Even if I don't use the compressor or effects loop, I still ask why? 57 days since I ordered mine and still waiting.:hmm:
Click to expand...
Yeah, this is ODD, because I've seen where other people have been able to get them other places while you wait. I'd be talking to that dealer again, and maybe even call Mesa if the dealer didn't seem to wanna' pursue it. That's insane.
 
#198
Chef said:
Why is a reasonable Q.

Two days since mine left for warranty repair.
I hope they can make it shutdown, and figger why.
I was not able to reproduce the symptoms "on command."
Just, "every few days, it would snap off for no reason, then wake right back up."
Didn't matter: what bass, active, passive 4 string, 5 string, what cab, what ohm load...just....curious.


I was never able to make Tom's Fathom misbehave under any circumstance.

Hard to diagnose, prolly.
Click to expand...

Well, Chef mine just got back to Mesa yesterday so hopefully between yours and mine one of them will shut down and they'll be able to figure it out.
 
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