Author Topic: Alembic Pre amp to a Mesa Walkabout? (Read 203 times)

flpete1uw · « **on:** July 19, 2015, 11:24:37 AM »

Hey guys,
This may have been brought up before?
But has anyone ever used a Alembic pre amp (either one) to a Mesa Boogie Walkabout? I have a Scout. And although I have no real complaints with it (tube pre loaded) I'm always searching for the sound.
Curious what this crews experience had to offer.
Thanks!
Pete

edwardofhuncote · « **Reply #1 on:** July 20, 2015, 08:08:40 AM »

I'll be lurking on this one too...

My gig-rig is a Mesa Walkabout, either docked in a single Scout 15 combo-cab, or run through tandem Scout 12's. Only other thing ever in the signal path is an MXR analog chorus, or once in a bluemoon an MXR compressor. I had considered racking the Walkabout head with an F-1X preamp for a while, but the parametric-eq on the Walkabout is sufficient for this simple mind. =)

Really, the only gripe I've ever had with my setup is a nagging feeling that the mids are distorted at anything past flat response. I typically roll off a couple dB of 330-340Hz to get rid of the fuzz, and another 5 dB of 55-60Hz to trim some more phat. (Scout cabs with their passive radiators are notoriously squishy)

Not that there's anything particularly *wrong* with take-away eq'ing, but if an F-1X would help get me some more clean mids, then I'm in. I suspect my trouble is either cab deficiency or (more likely) a bad case of rabbit ears.

flpete1uw · « **Reply #2 on:** July 20, 2015, 09:55:09 AM »

Hi Gregory,
For whatever it's worth the MidLevel adjustment on the Walkabout is flat at around 10 o'clock not 12. I to was hearing a mid level scoping and after probing around it was confirmed.
Everything I read or hear about the Alembic Pre's indicate an easy adjust. So maybe a silly question but could you feed the Walkabout directly? There is lots of headroom. Or does this can only be done insert / return? With all its +'s and -'s
Pete

edwardofhuncote · « **Reply #3 on:** July 20, 2015, 10:51:28 AM »

Yessir IIRC, ten o'clock on both the bass & mid dials rather than noon.

Happy if not eager to be corrected here - but I would *guess* you'd either use the active padded input, or just roll off some input gain when using any outboard preamp in the signal path between the instrument and amp input.

Normally, a Walkabout will start to overdrive with the input gain at about one o'clock.

jazzyvee · « **Reply #4 on:** July 20, 2015, 11:01:54 AM »

I have done that when I was having problems with my mesa walkabout head send and return circuits. I used the return jack with an F1- for a few gigs. If I remember correctly, the master volume on the boogie is bypassed when you do this.

flpete1uw · « **Reply #5 on:** July 20, 2015, 11:06:00 AM »

Ha!!
Didn't know that about the Bass adjust but that is a where I set it! The bass end tends to get a little squirrelly and I love it when the guy who sets the sound asks me to lower the lower strings and raise the upper ones.

So both mid and bass have found themselves at 10!
That's my thinking as well using active side on the input. It would be tube on tube.
Great minds think alike,
Pete