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Mesa Powerhouse vs Subway cabs

#61
Never tried the PH cabinets, but totally enjoy my Subway Amps/Cabs!
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#64
The problem I see with guys trying to buy modern gear and still retain their "sound", is that nothing new sounds like the gear you replaced. The truth is it never did.

Cabs, amps and basses, it's not just a modern phenomenon, new gear never sounded like old gear. The only solution is to either accept the new sound or stay with what you know and can't move away from.

IMO my modern cabs and amps are making my sound better today than it ever was in the past.
 
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#66
mikeswals said:
Phoenix33, nice combination: Mesa + Wal.

I cant remember... Did you ever visit/join the Wal club thread here on TB?
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I miss those old powerhouse handles. I have the newer powerhouse with retractable handles (same as subways) and are not feeling as good as those old sturdy handles.
I ordered some corner handles online to replace them, but I hasnt found the time to cut my powerhouse cabinets, patch old handles holes and retolex.
 
#67
agedhorse said:
The general voicing of the Subway cabinets is greater LF extension, rounder low end, and less edgy mids than the powerhouse line. The Subway cabinets also handle more power, have greater LF sensitivity, are smaller and lighter.
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Can I cheat a little and ask for EQ settings on the TT-800 that would make my Subway cabs sound more like the PowerHouse cabs? I have been looking for that mid-forward edgy setting and haven't quite captured it yet. There's a PH 2x10 for sale near me, but I really don't need more cabs (famous last words)

I run the 2x10 and 1x15 with the TT-800 and have a second system with a D-800 into a 1x12 so I can do some mixing and matching if needed.
 
#68
ghunter said:
Can I cheat a little and ask for EQ settings on the TT-800 that would make my Subway cabs sound more like the PowerHouse cabs? I have been looking for that mid-forward edgy setting and haven't quite captured it yet. There's a PH 2x10 for sale near me, but I really don't need more cabs (famous last words)

I run the 2x10 and 1x15 with the TT-800 and have a second system with a D-800 into a 1x12 so I can do some mixing and matching if needed.
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The bright switch would be a good start, and on the Subway channel, you can boost a little ~3khz mids too.
 
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#69
ghunter said:
Can I cheat a little and ask for EQ settings on the TT-800 that would make my Subway cabs sound more like the PowerHouse cabs? I have been looking for that mid-forward edgy setting and haven't quite captured it yet. There's a PH 2x10 for sale near me, but I really don't need more cabs (famous last words)

I run the 2x10 and 1x15 with the TT-800 and have a second system with a D-800 into a 1x12 so I can do some mixing and matching if needed.
Click to expand...

I found some blended RAT dirt with the tweeter bumped to about 3 o' clock helps get some of the grind back.

I love my PH 2x10, but it's chilling in the dust cover until someone comes over to help me lift it :D
 
#71
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Out of all of the different amp setups that I’ve owned since I started playing bass in 1976, this Demeter HBP-2/Crest CA9/Mesa PH610, and my GED-2112/Yamaha PX5/Mesa PH212x2 are the best amp setups that I’ve plugged into.

Yes, the Demeter/CA9/PH610 is quite the workout to move, mainly the PH610. But I have help, which is necessary when stairs are involved.

The Yamaha PX5 is Class-D, and the GED-2112 together in their rack is very easy to move IMO.
And I still find the pair of PH212s not bad at all to move alone, but everyone pitches in on load ins and load outs, so it’s not difficult in the least.

I’m very happy to own both setups, and I’m extremely pleased with the performance of both. I really like the GED-2112, and running a separate Dirty/Clean cabinet setup. For the Hard Rock project that I’m a part of, it’s incredible.
 
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#72
agedhorse said:
In general, the Subway cabinets are fairly flat compared with the Powerhouse cabinets that a more mid and high mid forward voicing. In the PH line, the 15" cabinets with EVM-15L's (I believe these would be the earliest version) would be the flattest in the mids but even these are more mid forward than the Subway 115/215 which are quite flat in the mids.

In the Subway line, the 112/212 are more high mid forward than the 15" or 10" models.
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Hi Agedhorse, it's a pleasure to be in touch with you! I'm wondering how the current single 12" Subway cabinet compares to the discontinued Powerhouse single 12" cab (I'm assuming the PH were only available in the "Traditional" model at that small size, as I don't see a single 12" available in the heavier "Standard" model on their legacy web pages). Regarding their mid forwardness, would you consider one or the other a little stronger in the lower mids right beneath the high mid frequencies?
Thanks so much! Lucca
 
#73
The PH-112 was not very popular compared to the larger PH cabinets at the time, they were still pretty heavy at the time other manufacturers were lightening up their smaller cabinets.

The PH-112 was more upper mid forward compared with the Subway 112, just more in your face and less polite/sophisticated. This was an era where Mesa was more entrenched in the harder music scene on the guitar side, and the bass line went along for the ride with this voicing.
 
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#74
Hi Agedhorse, thank you very much for kindly replying. I'm excited about getting a used one in nice condition. When you have a moment, please recommend one of the current Mesa Boogie amp heads that would be best for adding the most aggressive lower mids to the sound, when paired with the PH-112. I greatly appreciate it! :)
Have a great weekend!
Lucca
 
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#75
agedhorse said:
The PH-112 was not very popular compared to the larger PH cabinets at the time, they were still pretty heavy at the time other manufacturers were lightening up their smaller cabinets.

The PH-112 was more upper mid forward compared with the Subway 112, just more in your face and less polite/sophisticated. This was an era where Mesa was more entrenched in the harder music scene on the guitar side, and the bass line went along for the ride with this voicing.
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My results were different. I A/B tested these two cabs and found the low mids in the PH112 were deeper than in the SW112. The weight difference was significant although the outside dimensions were identical.
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#76
Lucca said:
Hi Agedhorse, thank you very much for kindly replying. I'm excited about getting a used one in nice condition. When you have a moment, please recommend one of the current Mesa Boogie amp heads that would be best for adding the most aggressive lower mids to the sound, when paired with the PH-112. I greatly appreciate it! :)
Have a great weekend!
Lucca
Click to expand...
I would start with the D-800/800+ which is relatively neutral. The low mid controls easily cover the range you are talking about.

The WD and TT can get there as well, but with a little more effort.

I would also recommend looking at subtracting some high mids rather than, or in addition to adding low mids. A little eq can go a long way, don’t overdo it
 
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#77
agedhorse said:
I would start with the D-800/800+ which is relatively neutral. The low mid controls easily cover the range you are talking about.

The WD and TT can get there as well, but with a little more effort.

I would also recommend looking at subtracting some high mids rather than, or in addition to adding low mids. A little eq can go a long way, don’t overdo it
Click to expand...

Thank you so much for your very valuable guidance, Darkhorse. Since there are so many options and I can't afford to make a costly mistake, your experience and recommendations are greatly appreciated! :)
Lucca
 
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#79
Hi Darkhorse, I've also had a few other cabs in mind which are rear ported, but the way we set up on stages most of the time is with the bass cabinet angled and facing toward me as a monitor, while I connnect from the head to our band's PA. My bandmates want to hear me and feel the bass onstage, but when I'm at a volume that I can hear myself at, the rear ported cabs I have tried have led to them complaining that the air/bass being pushed out from behind disrupts what they hear out of their monitors. A front ported Mesa cab would likely be the easiest solution, but if in case my carpooling restrictions become stricker and I need to choose something else, is it possible to plug rear ports, or would that be highly detrimental to the life of a rear ported cabinet? Or, is there a way to funnel the sound coming from the rear ports out to the front of the cab? If there's a way, I certainly have the will! :)
Please share your thoughts at your earliest convenience.
Thanks again!
Lucca
 

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