Mesa Strategy and Prodigy discontinued. Also PH cabs.

[bassboysam]

As much as I like the idea of a Mesa tube amp, I've almost never seen them in the wild. Ampeg and Orange are so dominant in that market that it seems it would be hard for Mesa to grab a decent share.
Maybe the Prodigy is too "modern" looking for the nostalgia enthusiasts.

the look definitely was a turn off for me. the amps looked like they belong more in a fast and furious movie than a rock stage.

SVT remains the king. Orange has done well to remain relevant, not long ago they were on the brink. Matamp somehow have managed to stay alive. they dabbled in some solid state designs and then came back to their senses and have found a large enough market to remain viable. Other than the SVT though I think all mass produced tube amps will likely be gone in the next 20 years.

 

[donahue]

The M-pulse is more of a dry, neutral sounding Walkabout.

Thanks. A very nice simple way I can understand it. I've been looking for a description like that.

 

[Leo was right]

The M-pulse is more of a dry, neutral sounding Walkabout.

Do you mean by this, more hifi?

 

[agedhorse]

Do you mean by this, more hifi?

Maybe, but not in the sense that it's more detailed or such.

 

[HeyyyyyJoe]

agedhorse

Any chance we can get a hint or spoiler to what Mesa's developing in light of discontinuing the Strategy, Prodigy, Powerhouse cabs, and Walkabout?

 

[agedhorse]

Sorry, I can't discuss any specific products in development. As you know, I listen quite closely to what you guys suggest though, both wants and needs.

 

[Anachronism]

Sorry, I can't discuss any specific products in development. As you know, I listen quite closely to what you guys suggest though, both wants and needs.

My guesses
1. A hybrid tube pre/class D power prototype being tweaked right now.
2. A new tube head in the early design stage.
3. A new line of cabs that sit somewhere between the Subway and PH lines.

 

[donahue]

A new lightweight 215 would be my #1 wish! A 50lb subway 215 with tilt back or even 4 casters would rule!!

 

[sigterm]

My guesses
1. A hybrid tube pre/class D power prototype being tweaked right now.
2. A new tube head in the early design stage.
3. A new line of cabs that sit somewhere between the Subway and PH lines.

My dream is a subway DI+ with HPF. That gets my $$$ the moment it's on shelf.

 

[boamedt]

A new lightweight 215 would be my #1 wish! A 50lb subway 215 with tilt back or even 4 casters would rule!!

I did get to play through a unreleased/new subway cab...i cant say what it was though

 

[Leo was right]

Maybe, but not in the sense that it's more detailed or such.

Ok, what I realise is that it seem very tubey for the preamp section. Warm sounding.

 

[bassdrop]

@agedhorse To keep you guys in the low-weight game with the next tube head, you should check out what Manley is doing with SMPS's. They've added them to their entire product range, both the Hi-Fi and Pro ranges, because of better performance and lower noise. Re: 6550s/KT88s: I had a heck of a time with new production versions and dumped money into some semi-reasonable NOS tubes for my Orange AD200B. I did own the Prodigy briefly in 2014, but I preferred the AD200 tone. As others have mentioned, a 6 x 6L6GC output section could have greater reliability, maybe with a nifty PI stage like the AD200 that gets really cool sounding at the edge of breakup.

 

[agedhorse]

I have designed several SMPS that could be suitable for a tube amp, the issue these days comes down to the considerable cost involved with safety and EMC certification for what is likely to be a low volume product.

 

[D-Smith]

... a dry, neutral sounding Walkabout.

Isn't that like saying "awfully good" or "jumbo shrimp"?

 

[agedhorse]

Isn't that like saying "awfully good" or "jumbo shrimp"?

Don't know man, it was the best I could come up with.

 

[Leo was right]

My guesses
1. A hybrid tube pre/class D power prototype being tweaked right now.
2. A new tube head in the early design stage.
3. A new line of cabs that sit somewhere between the Subway and PH lines.

Why not add to the wish list a tube compressor?

 

[/\/\3phist0]

" Now's your chance to speak up!". Just wondering, in your research, do you find that the Contour function, or whatever name you want to call it, on amps is still a viable feature on modern amps? Taking a small poll from local bass players, I've discovered that not a one uses this feature. Myself, I would much rather see an onboard compressor, but I'm probably in the minority there.

I mostly leave the EQ flat on my D800, the voice knob adjusts most of what I need, it's not your typical "contour" knob, there's a lot more going on.

 

[bassdrop]

I have designed several SMPS that could be suitable for a tube amp, the issue these days comes down to the considerable cost involved with safety and EMC certification for what is likely to be a low volume product.

Is it more expensive to obtain safety certs on a SMPS in a tube head than, say a Class D head? And a linear supply is also less expensive to get certified? Sorry if I'm opening a can of worms, just kind of curious.

 

[agedhorse]

Is it more expensive to obtain safety certs on a SMPS in a tube head than, say a Class D head? And a linear supply is also less expensive to get certified? Sorry if I'm opening a can of worms, just kind of curious.

Yes and yes.

The cost of certification for a high voltage power supply is generally higher because of the additional labor that goes into the higher degree of isolation, the creepage/clearances, and a few other things particular to high(er) voltage supplies.

For many class D amps with the supply integrated within the amp module, they are provided by a specialty vendor. They are designed and built at much higher production volumes than any single bass amp manufacturer could possibly sell on their own, so the certification costs are spread out over many more units.

Certification of a high voltage SMPS for both safety and EMC could run $30k with international endorsements, that alone is a significant development cost to absorb in any product IMO.

 

[bassdrop]

Yes and yes.

The cost of certification for a high voltage power supply is generally higher because of the additional labor that goes into the higher degree of isolation, the creepage/clearances, and a few other things particular to high(er) voltage supplies.

For many class D amps with the supply integrated within the amp module, they are provided by a specialty vendor. They are designed and built at much higher production volumes than any single bass amp manufacturer could possibly sell on their own, so the certification costs are spread out over many more units.

Certification of a high voltage SMPS for both safety and EMC could run $30k with international endorsements, that alone is a significant development cost to absorb in any product IMO.

Very interesting. I do know that Manley farmed out the SMPS as an OEM part from a third party (EveAnna Manley was on Bobby Owsinki's podcast recently). I'm curious if Peavey does the same for their VB-MA amp.