Mesa Subway D-350!

[ole Jason]

Everyone always says not to use a 15 with the upright, but that ain't just any 15" driver. Glad to see I'm not the only one running a Kay through a big subway cab

People saying that are probably trying to maintain as much of an acoustic sound as possible. You'll notice a lot of guys on the DB side want amps to work with with the acoustic volume of their bass, not replace it. Probably a bit of a different use case than you're going for. I use a 1x12 with my upright, I like the extended lows it can push out to really beef up the sound of a band.

 

[Wannabass]

I only posted a link to the adapter that @Al Kraft suggested, in the post I quoted. There are also pre-made cables with a Neutrik Speakon connecter on one end and a 1/4" on the other, if you'd prefer one of those.

Thanks to all for getting me up and running. Sounds pretty amazing with the 12" speaker with little effort. I was always messing with the knobs on the Eden and the MB to just get it to sound a little better. The Mesa seems to bring out the sound of witch ever bass I have plugged in better. Loving the simplicity!
I cant imagine what the subway 115 will sound like but for now waiting is not a problem!

 

[DJ Bebop]

People saying that are probably trying to maintain as much of an acoustic sound as possible. You'll notice a lot of guys on the DB side want amps to work with with the acoustic volume of their bass, not replace it. Probably a bit of a different use case than you're going for. I use a 1x12 with my upright, I like the extended lows it can push out to really beef up the sound of a band.

So I used my GS 112 and amp, WD now.
But this is something I do at times, I play my bass with the volume off. Then I have my amp set to a dubby subby setting. Then I turn that up to the point that the volume is a hair below the nature volume of the bass.

 

[MarkA]

So I used my GS 112 and amp, WD now.
But this is something I do at times, I play my bass with the volume off. Then I have my amp set to a dubby subby setting. Then I turn that up to the point that the volume is a hair below the nature volume of the bass.

Interesting -- I used to practice unplugged, a lot (and I'm aware of most of the arguments for and against that, I think), and, now, I often practice amplified but with the volume turned quite low. Not sure I've tried this approach, though -- the natural mids and highs from the bass with lows filled in.

I have done something perhaps partially analogous a handful of times, at gig volume, though, bringing in a sub, bit by bit, to taste (did this both bi-amping and running the top cab full range -- literally only a handful of times, though).

Anyway, I might try this.

Thanks to all for getting me up and running. Sounds pretty amazing with the 12" speaker with little effort...

Glad you're up and running in the "open air" (i.e. with a cab)!

 

[JohnnyBottom]

Anybody playing the 350 into an 8ohm cab ? Considering for use with a Barefaced Super Compact and a BF one 10 separately, and wondering of course about the through put. I guess its ..'whats the length of a piece of string ?' type question, but any opinions welcome. thx

 

[lermgalieu]

Anybody playing the 350 into an 8ohm cab ? Considering for use with a Barefaced Super Compact and a BF one 10 separately, and wondering of course about the through put. I guess its ..'whats the length of a piece of string ?' type question, but any opinions welcome. thx

I have a BF One10 but have not had occasion to use it with my D350. When I do, I will gladly report back. My prediction is wonderfulness.

 

[mikeswals]

I've gigged several times with my 8ohm PH212, works fine.

 

[Michael Vee]

I've used the D-350 with my Acme B-1, and although it won't get very loud with 175 watts, it still sounds great. The Barefaced One10 is a more efficient cab, so the output should be adequate for lower-volume settings.

 

[agedhorse]

I've used the D-350 with my Acme B-1, and although it won't get very loud with 175 watts, it still sounds great. The Barefaced One10 is a more efficient cab, so the output should be adequate for lower-volume settings.

I would expect the amp to work better with a more efficient cabinet than the Acme.

 

[Al Kraft]

Anybody playing the 350 into an 8ohm cab ? Considering for use with a Barefaced Super Compact and a BF one 10 separately, and wondering of course about the through put. I guess its ..'whats the length of a piece of string ?' type question, but any opinions welcome. thx

IME (and I've been playing the D-350 for a long time) with an 8 Ohm cab that has a decent sensitivity (e.g. GK Neo 112 II, Mesa SW cabs like the SW 115, etc.) it does just fine. It is surprisingly loud into multiple driver 4 Ohm loads.

 

[BlueTalon]

Anybody playing the 350 into an 8ohm cab ?

My standard rig now is a D-350 into an 8 ohm Phil Jones C8 cab. I love it! I have all the volume & tone I could want at my disposal.

Not that that would help you for comparisons with 10" cabs.

 

[vates]

Anyone tried a D350 with an Epifany UL112?

 

[Chuck M]

[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

 

[Sean Pat]

Hoping someone can help me with question regarding my D350 and compression. As stated in the manual, the D350 has a fixed HPF for subsonic frequencies etc. I would very much like to know more about the dynamics of HPFs and compression pedals.

I have been playing for a little over a year. Initially learning on some inexpensive gear. My playing and ear improved enough to justify getting my D350 and a SW115. Great decision on every level. But, we all know that.

So, my question is, will a compression pedal have a significant impact on my simple rig? I don’t own any pedals. Play motown/blues/classic rock. I LOVE the sounds I get now with just the amp and cab. Am I just gassing? This is my first post. Sorry if this issue has been covered.

 

[TomB]

Welcome to Talkbass. Indeed, there are many great threads here on both compression and HPF - two TB’s favorite topics. Enjoy the exploration!

 

[Al Kraft]

Hoping someone can help me with question regarding my D350 and compression. As stated in the manual, the D350 has a fixed HPF for subsonic frequencies etc. I would very much like to know more about the dynamics of HPFs and compression pedals.

I have been playing for a little over a year. Initially learning on some inexpensive gear. My playing and ear improved enough to justify getting my D350 and a SW115. Great decision on every level. But, we all know that.

So, my question is, will a compression pedal have a significant impact on my simple rig? I don’t own any pedals. Play motown/blues/classic rock. I LOVE the sounds I get now with just the amp and cab. Am I just gassing? This is my first post. Sorry if this issue has been covered.

First off, congratulations on picking two absolute winners from the Mesa SW line.

I think only you can answer the compressor question based on your tone goals, but I find little to no use for one in order to get a wide variety of great sounds for rock, country and bluegrass. So IME it is not an essential accessory, but for many it is a part of getting to their sound. Before I get tagged as a compressor hater, I own Diamond and Aguilar TLC pedals and my Carbine M9 has an outstanding compressor...to me they are different tools for different jobs.

To get a sense for where to even start on a compressor quest, I would suggest looking at a website called ovnilab.com. There could be some better or more recent info out there, but for a basic education and sampling of what the world has to offer in terms of features and why they may or may not be of use to you, it's a gold mine of solid information. Under the "compression FAQ" section there are also lots of other useful things explained very simply that will help you a lot with the HPF question as well.

An HPF is totally different animal from a compressor and there are some good threads on them that will come up using the search function. Essentially it is type of EQ or filter that can be set to begin working at a fixed (not user selectable) frequency (like in the D-350) or be set to begin attenuating at different frequency points (this is a variable HPF like you see on some other SW amps). The fixed frequency point HPF in the D-350 starts at a point that will give you good full bass while preserving some headroom (very low frequency amplification can take a lot of power) and offering speaker protection from sub frequencies that you can't hear through most any bass cabinet anyway (i.e it's wasted and potentially destructive energy that costs you the ability to play louder without reaching the limits of your amp's capability).

Sorry for the long post, but I think/hope I gave you enough to get started finding your answers.

 

[TomB]

First off, congratulations on picking two absolute winners from the Mesa SW line.

I think only you can answer the compressor question based on your tone goals, but I find little to no use for one in order to get a wide variety of great sounds for rock, country and bluegrass. So IME it is not an essential accessory, but for many it is a part of getting to their sound. Before I get tagged as compressor hater, I own Diamond and Aguilar TLC pedals and my Carbine M9 has an outstanding compressor...to ne they are different tools for different jobs.

To get a sense for where to even start on a compressor quest, I would suggest looking at a website called ovnilab.com. There could be some better or more recent info out there, but for a basic education and sampling of what the world has to offer in terms of features and why they may or may not be of use to you, it's a gold mine of solid information. Under the "compression FAQ" section there are also lots of other useful things explained very simply that will help you a lot with the HPF question as well.

An HPF is totally different animal from a compressor and there are some good threads on them that will come up using the search function. Essentially it is type of EQ or filter that can be set to begin working at a fixed (not user selectable) frequency (like in the D-350) or be set to begin attenuating at different frequency points (this is a variable HPF like you see on some other SW amps). The fixed frequency point HPF in the D-350 starts at a point that will give you good full bass while preserving some headroom (very low frequency amplification can take a lot of power) and offering speaker protection from sub frequencies that you can't hear through most any bass cabinet anyway (i.e it's wasted and potentially destructive energy that costs you the ability to play louder without reaching the limits of your amp's capability).

Sorry for the long post, but I think/hope I gave you enough to get started finding your answers.

Excellent post!

 

[SJan3]

First off, congratulations on picking two absolute winners from the Mesa SW line.

I think only you can answer the compressor question based on your tone goals, but I find little to no use for one in order to get a wide variety of great sounds for rock, country and bluegrass. So IME it is not an essential accessory, but for many it is a part of getting to their sound. Before I get tagged as a compressor hater, I own Diamond and Aguilar TLC pedals and my Carbine M9 has an outstanding compressor...to me they are different tools for different jobs.

To get a sense for where to even start on a compressor quest, I would suggest looking at a website called ovnilab.com. There could be some better or more recent info out there, but for a basic education and sampling of what the world has to offer in terms of features and why they may or may not be of use to you, it's a gold mine of solid information. Under the "compression FAQ" section there are also lots of other useful things explained very simply that will help you a lot with the HPF question as well.

An HPF is totally different animal from a compressor and there are some good threads on them that will come up using the search function. Essentially it is type of EQ or filter that can be set to begin working at a fixed (not user selectable) frequency (like in the D-350) or be set to begin attenuating at different frequency points (this is a variable HPF like you see on some other SW amps). The fixed frequency point HPF in the D-350 starts at a point that will give you good full bass while preserving some headroom (very low frequency amplification can take a lot of power) and offering speaker protection from sub frequencies that you can't hear through most any bass cabinet anyway (i.e it's wasted and potentially destructive energy that costs you the ability to play louder without reaching the limits of your amp's capability).

Sorry for the long post, but I think/hope I gave you enough to get started finding your answers.

Always well said, Al.

 

[SJan3]

Hoping someone can help me with question regarding my D350 and compression. As stated in the manual, the D350 has a fixed HPF for subsonic frequencies etc. I would very much like to know more about the dynamics of HPFs and compression pedals.

I have been playing for a little over a year. Initially learning on some inexpensive gear. My playing and ear improved enough to justify getting my D350 and a SW115. Great decision on every level. But, we all know that.

So, my question is, will a compression pedal have a significant impact on my simple rig? I don’t own any pedals. Play motown/blues/classic rock. I LOVE the sounds I get now with just the amp and cab. Am I just gassing? This is my first post. Sorry if this issue has been covered.

Hello and welcome!
The short answer is, it will to varying degrees depending upon how much influence you allow it to have. Personally, I don't use one although I do own a SD Studio Bass compressor. Handy for slap or any other genre that requires dynamic control. I've used it for home recording although every commercial studio I've been in has their own compression.
I simply find a compressor takes away my own dynamic control to a degree.
I own the Mesa D-350 as well (great amp), and it has plenty of dynamic control within itself.
You have an awesome rig there. If you're happy with it's performance, leave well enough alone.

 

[Al Kraft]

I'm with SJan3 when it comes to compressor use in live performance. My Diamond is really more for tone fattening on those occasions when I use it. It is less intrusive than some other models (for me, my basses, and my playing style). I like to control my own dynamics and some compressors at some settings can limit that (by design).

The effects forum is a great place to learn about how a compressor might be a wonderful complement to other effect pedals. I'll save you the details, but using a compressor before or after some effects can make a noticeable difference in the net result.

If only you'd have asked how to solve world hunger...the answers would be more straightforward with the group getting to a consensus much faster.