Are MK V Combo and Head Voiced the Same?

[LPJunky]

I've used the Mark IV combo with a Thiele cab since 1991. Despite playing regularly at high volumes with abundant bass response, I haven't had any problems with rattle or premature tube wear. The combo/cab pair make for a loud, versatile, and easily moved and set-up guitar amp. If I purchase a Mark V, I'm planning to get a combo and matching widebody theile cab. Just my two cents.

I'm sure it's a killer setup once all broken in when everything is up to specs. I do like the overall looks of the combo with matching cabinet.

 

[jtroska]

this may be a stupid question, but why should it be voiced differently? obviously it's not, but when would that even make sense?

Some amps--like my current Line6--feature different voicings for each format (combo or head) to optimize the sound for the expected cabinet. For example, the preamp section of the combo outputs more lows to compensate for the expected open cabinet. Likewise, the head outputs a different voicing optimized for the resonance of a larger closed cabinet.

But that means plugging a head into a open cabinet or a combo into a closed ext cabinet might not acheive the desired result. (Actually, a software update for the Line6 amp now lets the user select which cabinet to optimize the voicing for)

I had just wondered if the Mea/Boogie Mark amps featured different voicings for each format like the Line6. Then the thread moved on to other combo -vs- head topics.

 

[mejoshee]

this may be a stupid question, but why should it be voiced differently? obviously it's not, but when would that even make sense?

Some amps--like my current Line6--feature different voicings for each format (combo or head) to optimize the sound for the expected cabinet. For example, the preamp section of the combo outputs more lows to compensate for the expected open cabinet. Likewise, the head outputs a different voicing optimized for the resonance of a larger closed cabinet.

But that means plugging a head into a open cabinet or a combo into a closed ext cabinet might not acheive the desired result. (Actually, a software update for the Line6 amp now lets the user select which cabinet to optimize the voicing for)

I had just wondered if the Mea/Boogie Mark amps featured different voicings for each format like the Line6. Then the thread moved on to other combo -vs- head topics.

why don't you just tune the bass tone for the cabinet? or something? basically, if you stick with one thing as your setup, then there should be no problem.

 

[jtroska]

why don't you just tune the bass tone for the cabinet? or something? basically, if you stick with one thing as your setup, then there should be no problem.

Well in the case of the Line6, the difference between the two voicings is far more complex than can be compensates for with a bass control knob. It's a whole different eq curve. I guess you have to be familiar with digital amps to get what I'm babbling about. I guess it's something that doesn't happen often in tube amps.

But anyway the issue is moot now as it seems the Mark V head and combo are each voiced the same.

The Line6 is a completely different animal because it attempts to mimic the sounds of other amps. So if it's trying to make an open cabinet sound like a Marshall stack, it has to do some fancy eq work. The Mark V doesn't have the burden of having to sound like anything but itself.

Again, it's moot now because it seems both Mark V formats output the same thing. So I can plug a head into an open cabinet and it should sound like a combo if I want that sound. Likewise, I should be able to drive a 4x12 ext cab with a combo and get a stack sound. And, as you said, I can make minor necessary adjustments with the tone knobs.

That's what I needed to know.

 

[mejoshee]

why don't you just tune the bass tone for the cabinet? or something? basically, if you stick with one thing as your setup, then there should be no problem.

Well in the case of the Line6, the difference between the two voicings is far more complex than can be compensates for with a bass control knob. It's a whole different eq curve. I guess you have to be familiar with digital amps to get what I'm babbling about. I guess it's something that doesn't happen often in tube amps.

But anyway the issue is moot now as it seems the Mark V head and combo are each voiced the same.

The Line6 is a completely different animal because it attempts to mimic the sounds of other amps. So if it's trying to make an open cabinet sound like a Marshall stack, it has to do some fancy eq work. The Mark V doesn't have the burden of having to sound like anything but itself.

Again, it's moot now because it seems both Mark V formats output the same thing. So I can plug a head into an open cabinet and it should sound like a combo if I want that sound. Likewise, I should be able to drive a 4x12 ext cab with a combo and get a stack sound. And, as you said, I can make minor necessary adjustments with the tone knobs.

That's what I needed to know.

well i don't have an open back 1x12 in the similar construction as the combo cab itself, but i would imagine even then it'd be hard to get a good a/b sound between an amp through the combo speaker and the 1x12 open due to all the other weird thingies dangling from the chassis. what just blows my mind every time is that mesa makes such high gain stuff but then sells open back combos. i don't know if it's feasible for them to do it any other way due to the amount of heat generated by so many tubes, not to mention that if you close it off the tubes are now part of the internal acoustics-->microphony. but i'm sure they could find a way if they really wanted to get a tight, portable sound that could more closely rival a thiele style cab. (mimick, not match 100%)

 

[Heritage Softail]

I have always bought combo amps until the recent MKV purchase. At home I played the 5 thru the Celestion GT75 speakers in my JCM 2 X 12 combo (open back). Sounded NOTHING like the 4x12 MESA cab in the store. Went back and bought an oversized 2/12 cab that has a removable panel in the back to be flexible to have the open or closed back sound. Using my JP6 with the piezo pickup in the blend, routed to the Marshall on clean, with the mag p/u to the MKV at various distortion levels into the closed back box, it gives even more flexibility.