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Mesa Subway D-800+

#783
MJ_Sotti said:
you guys are something. one of these days I'll figure what that things for.
Click to expand...
In non-technical terms it's for sounding great in spite of even the most challenging venue acoustics or just tightening up the low end as an additional voicing control.
 
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#785
Ewo said:
I can't recall who first mentioned it in this thread, but I really dig what happens tonewise on the 800+ when I flip the deep switch on and then rein it in by raising the variable HPF frequency. That's a really nice way to get a bit more punch without becoming boomy. (And on the non-plus 800 head, I don't use the deep switch.)
Click to expand...

On the 800 (no +), it can be useful to flip the deep switch, then cut the low end using the bass and low mid control.
 
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#788
In regards to active/passive inputs, I have never heard a single active one that sounded as good as the passive input. So I never ever use them. I too agree that they rob the tone of soul somehow. I've told a few guys about not using the active input over the years and they've been surprised at the improvement in tone.
Also thanks for the EQ tips, I'm going to try the bass boost button with low end roll off and see if that's something that will work for me.
 
#789
Kirk Bryant said:
In regards to active/passive inputs, I have never heard a single active one that sounded as good as the passive input. So I never ever use them. I too agree that they rob the tone of soul somehow. I've told a few guys about not using the active input over the years and they've been surprised at the improvement in tone.
Also thanks for the EQ tips, I'm going to try the bass boost button with low end roll off and see if that's something that will work for me.
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While I don't use padded inputs either, I don't understand how using one affects tone, per se. Doesn't it simply lower the gain. Shouldn't it sound the same if you were to turn your gain knob up enough to compensate for the db difference? ...just wondering @agedhorse
 
#791
TomB said:
While I don't use padded inputs either, I don't understand how using one affects tone, per se. Doesn't it simply lower the gain. Shouldn't it sound the same if you were to turn your gain knob up enough to compensate for the db difference? ...just wondering @agedhorse
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Yes this is correct for the Subways. There is no change of input impedance and zero difference in tone. It's just re-scales the gain control.

This is not true of designs that pad the input, resulting in a lower input impedance in the active position.
 
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#793
Kirk Bryant said:
Wellllll I do hear voices and occasionally a ghost or two, but, umm I thought it sounded different. I'm already going to meetings for it.
I'm not talking about the Subways cause I don't have one.
Agedhorse, do the GB SM amps have the same/similar active passive input design?
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Yes, it's something I have been doing for many, many years.

I have also tried to design ghost free amps, though they may not be the first choice for death metal where ghosts in the machine seem to be desirable. ;)
 
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#796
These amps are winners for sure. Love mine. There are lots of good amps, but very few check every box like the d800+.

1) Powerful
2) reliable
3) Versatile EQ w/deep bright
4) Stable down to 2 ohms
5) Versatile back panel. Lots of people overlook this. Mic/Line level section on the XLR out is very useful. Plus with Series effects loop, and tuner out you can send your signal lots of places in lots of ways.
 
#797
agedhorse said:
So, earlier I promised that I would locate the LM and HM frequency control positions on the D-800+ that mapped to the native mid eq points on the D-800 but I had some things come across my bench that needed attention and like many engineers I was easily distracted... hey look, squirrel...

Anyway the D800+ eq is the same as the D-800 with the Low Mid freq a tiny bit higher than the 9:00 position and the High Mid control a tiny bit lower than the 3:00 position.

The amps won't sound EXACTLY the same because there is some additional circuitry supporting the variable high pass filter, and other internal functions, but it should be very, very close.
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Realize this is an old post, but just wanted to clarify something about the native high mid control. The manual for the d800 says the high mid is center around 480hz I think. On my d800+ the high mid sweep goes from 300hz clear up to 5000hz. If the knob is close to 3:00 and thats 480hz, does it mean that the sweep is very non-linear? Or should it be 3:00 on the high mid? Or am I thinking of it like a clock and I should not be? Or is the d800 manual incorrect?
 
#798
Both are correct.

The points chosen on the D800 do not correspond to the 12:00 positions on the D800+ frequency sweep controls. They were chosen based on listening tests by our advisory board players. The sweep ranges on the plus represent a wider useable range for most players under a wider variety of playing conditions and instruments.
 
#799
agedhorse said:
Both are correct.

The points chosen on the D800 do not correspond to the 12:00 positions on the D800+ frequency sweep controls. They were chosen based on listening tests by our advisory board players. The sweep ranges on the plus represent a wider useable range for most players under a wider variety of playing conditions and instruments.
Click to expand...

So if the bottom value on the high-mid sweep range is 300hz and the upper limit is 5000hz, is noon 2650hz?
 
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