What I'd like to see from Mesa Boogie Next

[la szum]

You can't get Vox tones, even higher gain ones, without EL84's. The OR15H sounds amazing. Class A EL84's. Mini Rec, Mini Mark, Pink Taco, Dirty Shirley Mini, etc. There's a ton of great EL84 amps.

Aren't some of those Vox-inspired, higher gain, Bad Cat tones EL34 based, though.

 

[paisleywookiee]

Others have said this before me, but I think one of the challenges of that MIDI switching for Modes
approach is that there oare often HUGE Volume and EQ differences among the Modes. You'd have
to really have individual volume options for each Mode to pull that off.

That's 100% correct, and I've been told as such directly from Mesa. They purposely don't make those modes footswitchable/MIDI capable, because then people would get mad how their volume jumps all over the place when switching.

 

[paisleywookiee]

Aren't some of those Vox-inspired, higher gain, Bad Cat tones EL34 based, though.


View attachment 1737

There's the Hot Cat 15R as well, though I see now it's discontinued.

 

[JT]

EL84s mean I am "always" going to get power tube distortion. Even when I don't want it 99.9% of the time. That's why they are always a hard no in my book; even for low volume playing.

 

[paisleywookiee]

EL84s mean I am "always" going to get power tube distortion. Even when I don't want it 99.9% of the time. That's why they are always a hard no in my book; even for low volume playing.

By the time the Mark V:25 and ROV25 (both of which I owned) actually lose headroom on the clean channel, you're WAY beyond "low volume playing". I measured about 112dB at 8 feet.

 

[la szum]

4 x EL84 can give up a bit more headroom, and prevent that power tube stauration
that is gonna happen with a 2 x EL84 power section.

I agree that if you want the Mega-Chugz then you need a bigger bottle in the power
section of an amp (5881, 6L6, EL34, KTs, 6550s).

I never had any issues when using an Orange TH30 (4 x EL84) in a hard rock/modern rock
setting... or the Mesa TA-30 (4 x EL84). They both sound killer.

Went through a lot of amps and much trail and error, and discovered that about 30 watts is
the lower threshold of what I could use to keep things reasonably tight and not flubbing/mushing
out due to duress.

 

[spawnofthesith]

You can't get Vox tones, even higher gain ones, without EL84's. The OR15H sounds amazing. Class A EL84's. Mini Rec, Mini Mark, Pink Taco, Dirty Shirley Mini, etc. There's a ton of great EL84 amps.

I certainly can't knock Vox. I'm mostly being cheeky but I've ultimately ended up hating every EL84 amp I've owned, even if I liked them at first, and the lunchbox amp trend got pretty tiresome. I wanted to like the V:25 and V:35 but I did not enjoy the ones I tried at all (owned and loved a V:90 for while)

 

[paisleywookiee]

I certainly can't knock Vox. I'm mostly being cheeky but I've ultimately ended up hating every EL84 amp I've owned, even if I liked them at first, and the lunchbox amp trend got pretty tiresome. I wanted to like the V:25 and V:35 but I did not enjoy the ones I tried at all (owned and loved a V:90 for while)

I mean, realistically I agree to a point. I sold my two because I played the Badlander. Literally listed them the next day. I got my little Boogies sounding really good, but then I played the BL50, and JFC the balls. Big hairy balls.

 

[Desertdweller]

Others have said this before me, but I think one of the challenges of that MIDI switching for Modes
approach is that there oare often HUGE Volume and EQ differences among the Modes. You'd have
to really have individual volume options for each Mode to pull that off.

Nah they pull it off perfectly with the JP2C and Triple Crown amps. They had it down back in 1992 with the triaxis. EVH amps have this now, among others. It's honestly stupid simple to add a MIDI board. It's 1982 technology.

 

[paisleywookiee]

Nah they pull it off perfectly with the JP2C and Triple Crown amps. They had it down back in 1992 with the triaxis. EVH amps have this now, among others. It's honestly stupid simple to add a MIDI board. It's 1982 technology.

It's relatively future proof for that reason. I think MIDI 2.0 still can use the same connector, correct? I cringe every time I look at the back of the BL, and see the USB-B connector.

 

[JT]

Bout to hit that 90watt life with some luck

 

[paisleywookiee]

Bout to hit that 90watt life with some luck

Mark V?

 

[JT]

Mark V?

what we talked about the other day

 

[paisleywookiee]

what we talked about the other day

Oh right. I forgot that's 90w too.

 

[Desertdweller]

It's relatively future proof for that reason. I think MIDI 2.0 still can use the same connector, correct? I cringe every time I look at the back of the BL, and see the USB-B connector.

I hear you, but USB-B is super common for pro audio gear. I have three other devices plus my BL that all use those. All the Fractal gear for example uses that.

 

[paisleywookiee]

I hear you, but USB-B is super common for pro audio gear. I have three other devices plus my BL that all use those. All the Fractal gear for example uses that.

While that’s true, the computer industry as a whole doesn’t give two shits about moving past standards. I’m afraid that day will come some day. I guess we just use adapters then.

 

[Bruce]

While that’s true, the computer industry as a whole doesn’t give two s***s about moving past standards. I’m afraid that day will come some day. I guess we just use adapters then.

No does the computer industry care about anything audio. Windows is a nightmare to get to play nice with multiple audio and midi drivers.

 

[la szum]

Nah they pull it off perfectly with the JP2C and Triple Crown amps. They had it down back in 1992 with the triaxis. EVH amps have this now, among others. It's honestly stupid simple to add a MIDI board. It's 1982 technology.

And yet Mesa Boogie/Randall seem to disagree with that conclusion.

I have a Dual Rec Trem-O-Verb, a Mark V, a TA-30---and none of those
Mode switches on those amps are feasible without some Volume and EQ
tweaks---sometimes dramatically so.

 

[la szum]

what we talked about the other day

Shiva?

 

[JT]

Shiva?

Electra-Dyne