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New Mesa/Boogie Fathom Amp
- Thread starter Zooski
- Start date
I just got rid of my DB750
Is the M6 something that will be good for reggae/dub? Loved my DB750 but couldn't deal with the weight and hope the M6 will cure my tone GAS
Is the M6 something that will be good for reggae/dub? Loved my DB750 but couldn't deal with the weight and hope the M6 will cure my tone GAS
- Apr 3, 2003
- 35,515
- 19,944
- Disclosures
- Editor-in-Chief, Bass Gear Magazine
I just got rid of my DB750
Set 'flat', the M6 is not going to be ideal for reggae/dub, but you can probably dial in a great reggae/dub tone with a little effort.
Tom.
- Apr 3, 2003
- 35,515
- 19,944
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- Editor-in-Chief, Bass Gear Magazine
For the M6, Mesa/Boogie went for a more low-mid-scooped, upper-mid-bumped kind of tone. You can see the frequency response chart in my review. Many of their other heads, like the M-Pulse line, have a more full, warm low-midrange, but less natural articulation (only as compared to the M6, which is incredibly articulate).
Tom.
Tom.
- Apr 3, 2003
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- Editor-in-Chief, Bass Gear Magazine
It has its own voice, and I happen to really like it a lot. Finding a comparison is tough, because most heads with that kind of frequency response curve are going to sound a bit more on the 'clinical' side, and this is not the case with the M6. You can definitely hear the impact of the tube preamp. And to be clear, you really should be able to dial in a nice reggae/dub tone with the M6. That just isn't its 'natural' leaning when set 'flat.'
Tom.
I tried the M6 Carbine Combo with a pair of 8 ohm Bag End S15B-D's for a two ohm load.
Tweaking a Fender '62 RI Jazz and the Active Bass tone control, with the Pull-Deep engaged, I bounced between the Voicing settings of 1 or 2.
Tom is correct in stating, with manipulation, the M6 Carbine can get you there and it will generate some serious "Swamp Bottom" Reggae/Dub Tones. Especially with flatwounds.
YMMV and the usual disclaimers...
Cheers,
Mr. BEAR
Tweaking a Fender '62 RI Jazz and the Active Bass tone control, with the Pull-Deep engaged, I bounced between the Voicing settings of 1 or 2.
Tom is correct in stating, with manipulation, the M6 Carbine can get you there and it will generate some serious "Swamp Bottom" Reggae/Dub Tones. Especially with flatwounds.
YMMV and the usual disclaimers...
Cheers,
Mr. BEAR
Those two BagEnds in paralell would be a 4 ohm load...
That said, the combo should sound great!!!!
my mistake, sorry
No worries EduardoK
I could have been a wee bit clearer by stating that it was a 4 ohm, standard version, combo cab making it 4 +4 = the 2 ohm final load seen by the M6 and setting the load switch to 2 ohms to keep the Carbine's output section happy. And yes, that combination moved a serious amount of pants flapping air, very deep and very cushy, yet kept tight and articulate by the 2x12's and horn.
The Player Control Network, set at "Sheen" and dialing down the Hi-frequency L-pad control are incredibly helpful in making the Carbine go Chameleon and pump out Reggae/Dub tones. Plus the fact that one can add an extension cab/cabs without the4 extension cab/cabs disengaging the internal combo speakers.
Kudos to Mesa for doing their homework and making this head so versatile.
Cheers,
Mr. BEAR
anyone know what the freq. are for the bass/ uber bass, mid, and treble are? I can't find a listing of the specifics on the mesa site.
And do they make a pedal for it yet for all the mute/mid freq yet?
And do they make a pedal for it yet for all the mute/mid freq yet?
- Apr 3, 2003
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We have curves showing the Bass and Treble boost/cut in our review, though we did not do this for the Mid control. But we do have curves for the five Voicings, so you can see what they are doing. As for the Deep function, it engages an inductor which introduces a slight boost in the 27 to 35 Hz region.
The M6 does not come with a pedal, but there are standard 1/4" inserts on the back so that you can use a foot controller to select Voicings 1, 2, 4, or 5 (3 is 'Flat'), as well as mute.
Tom.
The curves for frequencies are a nice piece of information to have, well done BGM, although a bit of a PITA trying to view on-line, which is why I ultimately subscribed to the hard copy version.
Cheers,
Mr. BEAR
Cheers,
Mr. BEAR
A complete, all options covered, pedal for an M6 Carbine would, IMHO, not be an asset for live gigs. Me-thinks Mesa was correct in leaving how many footswitches to employ, as useful, as an option left to the operator to determine.
The Huge missing ingredient in the "BMG" EQ charts was the midrange control graph. If one carefully inspects the (published graphs) it leads one to believe that the M6 Carbine is, almost always, somewhat scooped in its EQ applications. The passive midrange control alleviates that theory in practice. (Glaring Omission?
, editors choice I surmise). Not a dig Tom, space prevails in publications.From the Mesa M6 Carbine Manual:
"BASS:
This control is responsible for the basic mix of low frequencies in the tube pre-amp. The BASS control is an active shelving type control as opposed to a passive style. This means that a center Q point has been chosen and this control allows you to either boost or cut that frequency. This control differs from the low bands of the Parametric in that it has a broader Q point with a more gentle ramp as opposed to the Parametric's narrow Q that is used with a separate GAIN control.
The BASS control is actually a gain and frequency control all rolled into one with a Q center at 55Hz and harmonics in both low and high directions are affected because of its broader band nature. As the control is increased past 12:00 there is a 6db per octave rise in gain with the frequency topping out at 321Hz. With 12:00 straight-up representing "flat" (a no boost/no cut setting). As the BASS control is dialed below 12:00, 55Hz and all associated harmonics are reduced and eventually notched completely out of the signal. Conversely, there is a 6db per octave cut beginning at 55Hz going down to 20Hz where the shelving ends with a cut gain of -20db as the control approaches 7:30 (off).
This type of broad band, active rotary control makes it possible to achieve bass characteristics far beyond that of a conventional passive type control. It can increase the low end to an almost absurd level and with a flick of the wrist, dip it to near transistor radio skinniness. Needless to say, with any control this powerful a certain amount of finesse must be applied to achieve musical results. Be especially mindful of this when using the VOICE control in conjunction with the BASS control.
Pull Deep:
The M6 CARBINE features a pull shift for the BASS control that allows you to choose between two different regions of low end and affects how the control will react.
When the control is pushed in (normal) the bass frequencies are higher and a cut-off is employed so that below a certain point, sub-low frequencies are not part of the mix. This results in a tighter, faster feeling response that is more articulate and will stand out and be heard in a live stage environment. This also works well for recording scenarios where the Bass part needs to sync-up with a complex kick drum line or anytime you need a defined, punchy sound that won't get lost as the layers of the parts are applied.
PULL DEEP (control pulled out) allows the entire range of low frequencies to pass and fill in the curves creating a warm, rich sound that is foundational for smaller groups. Along with these deeper lows, a subtle enhancement of the super-high frequencies is added to create a round, breathing cushion of air the whole band can ride. Be shure to check out this setting for three-piece Rock or Blues combos and playing R&B styles where you need to add juice to the thumbing part.
MID:
This is the only passive style control in the string of rotary controls. This scheme was chosen for its inherently musical blend and for the way the passive style midrange control, with its wide spread and smooth taper, fills in the holes. Unlike the BASS, this control is a boost only, and while it can competently remove this broad spectrum of midrange from the mix, it cannot provide the extreme attenuation of an active style control.
You will find, as we did, that this control works amazingly well for shaping the midrange frequencies with a natural earthiness and character that is a perfect counterpart to its neighbors. It is hard to find bad sounds with this more forgiving control as it seems to give you just enough and no more.
For radical and specific scooping or boosting of the midrange frequencies for modern R&B and Funk styles, there is plenty of control that is infinitely more accurate to be found in the VOICE control. Because of this, we opted for the tried and true passive style midrange control that has been working great in all of our amplifiers for decades. It's hard to improve on a classic."
Treble:
The Treble is also an active shelving style control like that found in the BASS and again, it was chosen for its ability to radically shape the upper harmonic region. Like the BASS, it also has a center Q point with harmonics, above and below, responding in harmony as it is dialed for either cut or boost.
As the control is increased past 12:00, it produces a 6db per octave rise in gain starting at 723Hz until +20db is reached. From this point, gain remains constant at +20db for all frequencies above 723Hz all the way out to 20Khz. This scheme lends a sweetness of sound while retaining all the necessary cut and focus associated with a traditional passive TREBLE control. As this control is dialed below 12:00, it begins a 6db per octave cut from 3.2Khz to the shelving point at 723Hz, where it remains constant until the control reaches 7:30 (off). The ability to cut these frequencies more radically makes it possible to obtain incredibly rich and warm old-school R&B and Jazz sounds that rival any recordings of the day.
This active shelving TREBLE control completes the rotary control string to create a powerful and extremely accurate network to use as your fundamental platform. It's no wonder many first time M6 CARBINE players make the comment that just these controls combined with the GAIN create the best tone they have ever heard.
NOTE: As with the BASS control, may we remind you that a control of this type with its increased power should be used with finesse. In the TREBLE'S case, almost more so, because higher frequencies seem louder to the ear and are generally more painful when set to extremes. Another reason to us care is that high frequencies tend to increase the ambient noise floor when set to high."
Again, from the Mesa Engineering Manual, with apologies but I'm pretty sure I typed it verbatim, that appears to be not yet available on-line.
YMMV and all other disclaimers apply.
Cheers,
Mr. BEAR
- Apr 3, 2003
- 35,515
- 19,944
- Disclosures
- Editor-in-Chief, Bass Gear Magazine
The Huge missing ingredient in the "BMG" EQ charts was the midrange control graph. If one carfully inspects the (published graphs) it leads one to believe that the M6 Carbine is, almost always, somewhat scooped in its EQ applications. The passive midrange control alleviates that theory in practice. (Glaring Omission?
Fair enough, Polar friend!
However, as the Mid control is passive, we could not have done the same kind of boost/cut chart as we did with the Bass and Treble. But ya, if we had more room, working in a chart that shows what the Mid control is doing would have been fun.
Tom.
