New mesa subway amps and cabs!

[NKBassman]

Just noticed this little tidbit...
I think it's interesting that the preamp is optimized for lower-gain 12AT7 or 12AU7 tubes.
12AX7s are soooooo played out.

 

[mmbass21]

Add that to all the other cool stuff announced today and most of us will need a second job to payoff credit card bills if we're not careful.

What else was announced?!?!?

 

[agedhorse]

Bravo, Andy @agedhorse !!!

Looks like you’ve made EXACTLY what many TB’ers have been clamoring for.

One Q I haven’t seen discussed is how well the WD800 works as a DI with no cabs? Did you look at getting that preamp voicing into the FOH?

New DI/preamp looks awesome as well. Well done!

DI works perfectly fine without a speaker connected. In post eq mode, all the tube gain and inherent voicing are present and unlike the original WA, the post eq signal routing is pre master (another strong TB request).

I'm just OCD about all my cab brands matching my heads

Clearly not going to be able to help you with this!

I have seen a lot of complaints about the demo on youtube. I thought it sounded like s**t, when I first heard it. When I got home I put and my headphones on, I played it over and over again..... listening through speakers doesn't do it justice as the headphones made a world of difference. Just remember the audio on you tube can be very compressed.

Let me address this because I saw a couple of very disrespectful comments on YouTube that kind of pissed me off.

First of all, with an early Subway demo we did, we used a really technically "superb" player who IMO way overplayed the demo and while it was impressive, it wasn't helpful in demonstrating the features of the amp and differences between the speaker models. We received some deserved criticism (including here on TB) for this so we changed to a more "plain vanilla" style more representative of real world applications that reflect how the amp's features might be used. It's starting to feel a bit like a no-win situation here.

Regarding "tone" quality, it appears that Internet speed, YouTube settings and other thing beyond our control may be responsible for different listener's experience. Forcing YouTube into higher bandwidth mode can certainly change the experience but even if the connection is fast but with a high error rate, it appears that the software will internally lower the bandwidth and quality to minimize glitches. Also, the playback system makes a huge difference. Unfortunately YouTube is the most globally universal platform for hosting.

Listening to the pre-you tube tracks, the quality is excellent. Listening through YouTube can yield different results each time the track is played, indicating variability with the platform.

Is the FX loop from the new DI pedal switcheable?

No, it's a line level loop for interfacing with the line level world. Instrument level effects will work better into the input, using the switching on the pedals (or a MIDI switching system).

Any chance for an all tube WD amp in the future?

I'm always working on new and different concepts. I really don't know, will have to see!

Oh man, just when I'm getting comfortable with the D800+ @agedhorse knocks it out of the park with this. Lots of D800's and pluses going on the used market including mine...

My only question is from looking at the manual, the parametric eq can only be bypassed with the footswitch and not on the amp?

Correct, for the few players who might use this feature, most were interested in footswitching primarily.

I think the demo is good. I’m not interested in hearing one tone that sounds good throughout a demo (or even a couple) - we KNOW the amp will have tones that sound good - I’m interested in hearing all the knobs twisted and knowing which knobs are twisted - I.e. knowing the capabilities of the amp. I thought it did a great job of that. And that growl when the input is pushed....

This is exactly the purpose of the demo. Self-indulgent wanking, no matter how good or impressive, is not very helpful in hearing and understanding the amp's features.

This was a conscious decision by the development and marketing team that I happen to agree with.

 

[lermgalieu]

What else was announced?!?!?

Not to be snarky, but look at the website.

 

[dawind99]

Your Freakn kiddn me...I just ordered a D800+....

And the folks, including some that play with me had the D800 then the + came out in no time and that was devalued, now the WD800 and the + is devalued. Not to be snarky but, short sighted engineering, brilliant marketing strategy, or greed driven? I am sorry but I just don't get it. The D800 was and is great but the addition of the high pass filter (which should be on every amp on the market imho and use to be on many; ie 80Hz switch on my GK800RB that's 20+ years old) was added to the + then the WD800 with a tube in it's pre and a designated 2 ohm switch and parametric. That said, I have always loved Mesa eq and general build quality of their amps but the sequential release of products in such a short time frame with minor additional features does not make me applaud.

 

[agedhorse]

View attachment 3230641

Just noticed this little tidbit...
I think it's interesting that the preamp is optimized for lower-gain 12AT7 or 12AU7 tubes.
12AX7s are soooooo played out.

There are some unique aspects of these tubes that are particularly attractive in this application. I have a long history of designing with them, including a 5 watt push-pull power amp.

 

[NKBassman]

Not to be snarky but, short sighted engineering, brilliant marketing strategy, or greed driven?

I would wager a guess at D) None of the above.

R&D takes time. Especially consider that each update has incorporated testing and feedback from real-world players on each iteration.

Similar to getting a new phone, by the time the latest and greatest model comes to market, you know the next one is already in the works.

 

[NKBassman]

There are some unique aspects of these tubes that are particularly attractive in this application. I have a long history of designing with them, including a 5 watt push-pull power amp.

I'm not complaining. I put a 12AU7 in my old SWR Interstellar Overdrive a long time ago and never looked back.

The driven tones in the demo video sound fantastic. I often feel that 12AX7 preamps can get a little too over the top in terms of gain.

 

[CapnSev]

Duuuuuude. I was all ready to amp-less and stuff. Maybe not anymore?

 

[mmbass21]

@agedhorse thanks for that answer and always being so helpful. I have a follow up question, any idea when they'll start shipping if I pre-order?

 

[red_rhino]

Has anyone else noticed : NO CONTOUR KNOB !!!!!!!!!!!

LOL. That was about the first thing I noticed. It's not something that I use a lot, but I do use it to fine tune the "character" of my EQ settings. Although I suspect that the passive Mid will serve some of that purpose, and you can pretty much achieve what you want with proper use of the parametric EQ section. I'm pretty sure I can live without a contour control.

I really really like the availability of the HPF and Damping controls, particularly for taming lows in a boomy room (which is pretty much every bar I've ever played in). Anything that tightens up the sound in a live application is a huge win, IMO.

The old Walkabout wasn't really my sound, but I'm looking forward to giving this one a try. I would agree that this is a different animal compared to the D800 series, but I suspect it's also different compared to the older Walkabout. In any case, I'm pretty sure one of those two will replace my GK MB800.

@agedhorse - I realize this is probably subjective, but how would you compare the overall character of the WA-800 to the M9 Carbine?

 

[lermgalieu]

And the folks, including some that play with me had the D800 then the + came out in no time and that was devalued, now the WD800 and the + is devalued. Not to be snarky but, short sighted engineering, brilliant marketing strategy, or greed driven? I am sorry but I just don't get it. The D800 was and is great but the addition of the high pass filter (which should be on every amp on the market imho and use to be on many; ie 80Hz switch on my GK800RB that's 20+ years old) was added to the + then the WD800 with a tube in it's pre and a designated 2 ohm switch and parametric. That said, I have always loved Mesa eq and general build quality of their amps but the sequential release of products in such a short time frame with minor additional features does not make me applaud.

Devalued? Those amps are holding value quite well, according to the internet. Plus, I buy an amp to play it. I don't see how the release of other amps can in any way change the capabilities or the rock-solid dependability of the amps that went before it. I have a D-800, and don't want a +, but realize its attractiveness to many. I love what I've seen of the WD-800, but its a TOTALLY different amp tonally than the D-800!?!

 

[agedhorse]

And the folks, including some that play with me had the D800 then the + came out in no time and that was devalued, now the WD800 and the + is devalued. Not to be snarky but, short sighted engineering, brilliant marketing strategy, or greed driven? I am sorry but I just don't get it. The D800 was and is great but the addition of the high pass filter (which should be on every amp on the market imho and use to be on many; ie 80Hz switch on my GK800RB that's 20+ years old) was added to the + then the WD800 with a tube in it's pre and a designated 2 ohm switch and parametric. That said, I have always loved Mesa eq and general build quality of their amps but the sequential release of products in such a short time frame with minor additional features does not make me applaud.

Wait a minute here...

The D-800 and the D-800+ versions appeal in large part to different players, the plus version is not an "upgrade" or "improvement" it's feature set is different and appeals to a different player. The D-800 still outsells the plus because there are more players that prefer the simpler approach.

Likewise, the WD-800 is even more different in terms of tone, features and especially packaging. For those who need a rack mount package, this addresses that need.

No one amp devalues another, they are distinctly different products for different players.

 

[agedhorse]

LOL. That was about the first thing I noticed. It's not something that I use a lot, but I do use it to fine tune the "character" of my EQ settings. Although I suspect that the passive Mid will serve some of that purpose, and you can pretty much achieve what you want with proper use of the parametric EQ section. I'm pretty sure I can live without a contour control.

I really really like the availability of the HPF and Damping controls, particularly for taming lows in a boomy room (which is pretty much every bar I've ever played in). Anything that tightens up the sound in a live application is a huge win, IMO.

The old Walkabout wasn't really my sound, but I'm looking forward to giving this one a try. I would agree that this is a different animal compared to the D800 series, but I suspect it's also different compared to the older Walkabout. In any case, I'm pretty sure one of those two will replace my GK MB800.

@agedhorse - I realize this is probably subjective, but how would you compare the overall character of the WA-800 to the M9 Carbine?

The voicing is inherent to the basic architecture of the Walkabout and the new WD-800. This serves a similar purpose as the voicing control on the D-800.

The WD-800 is much more similar to the Walkabout than the Carbine.

 

[mmbongo]

And the folks, including some that play with me had the D800 then the + came out in no time and that was devalued, now the WD800 and the + is devalued. Not to be snarky but, short sighted engineering, brilliant marketing strategy, or greed driven? I am sorry but I just don't get it. The D800 was and is great but the addition of the high pass filter (which should be on every amp on the market imho and use to be on many; ie 80Hz switch on my GK800RB that's 20+ years old) was added to the + then the WD800 with a tube in it's pre and a designated 2 ohm switch and parametric. That said, I have always loved Mesa eq and general build quality of their amps but the sequential release of products in such a short time frame with minor additional features does not make me applaud.

Nothing is 'devalued' here, it's three separate amps. Not improved versions of the same amp.

Many folks...including myself...prefer the D800 over the D800+. I don't need the extra features of the D800+, and the D800 is a much smaller amp that fits in my gigbag.

Also, ALL of the Subway amps have HPF's and are 2 ohm stable.

 

[dawind99]

Yes, they are different. The plus version imo is an upgrade due to the HPF as I mentioned. I'm not criticizing the quality of build or tone. I believe that's clear in what I wrote. The difference in the 800 and the WD-800 I get. And, anything can be rack mounted as you must know. I look forward to checking the WD out. It's long been a pet peeve of mine on every front (Apple comes to mind when subtle design changes spawn a new product in a line in such a short time frame. I understand that refinement is part of your job. Again, in case you missed it, I appreciate the quality of build of your bass and guitar amps.

 

[lermgalieu]

Nothing is 'devalued' here, it's three separate amps. Not improved versions of the same amp.

Many folks...including myself...prefer the D800 over the D800+. I don't need the extra features of the D800+, and the D800 is a much smaller amp that fits in my gigbag.

Also, ALL of the Subway amps have HPF's and are 2 ohm stable.

Exactly! I think it's actually a testament to how awesome the original D800 is that in spite of all these new releases, it's still the amp for me.

 

[PullThePlug]

The new Mesa Boogie Subway Vertical 215 bass cabinet weighs in at...

at...


at...

60 POUNDS.

WHUT.

Somebody needs to buy one so I can purchase it second hand. Thanks in advance.

EDIT: The new Mesa Boogie head only weighs 7 pounds. All those features too. What a time to be alive.

 

[Grahams Groove]

The D800 was and is great but the addition of the high pass filter (which should be on every amp on the market imho and use to be on many; ie 80Hz switch on my GK800RB that's 20+ years old) was added to the + then the WD800 with a tube in it's pre and a designated 2 ohm switch and parametric.

To be fair, the 800+ has parametric EQ - it's basically the latter 2 of the 3 bands on the WD-800. And all of the amps have a designated 2 Ohm switch. I will agree that all amps should come equipped with an HPF. It wasn't so obvious to me before, but now that I have it...

 

[agedhorse]

The differences between the models are anything but subtle.

Both the D-800 and D-800+ have HPFs, on the plus it's sweepable, on the 800 it's fixed.