Mark VII - Silent Practicing

[USA_Patriot]

The manual mentions that silent practicing is possible and there is some mention to an internal load. But, the manual does not seem to clearly explain exactly to connect things to ensure safe operations without a connected cab.

Can the amp be turned on without any rear connections (e.g., no cab, no headphone, no XLR)?
Does the internal load only engage in a certain scenario (e.g., headphones have to be plugged in)?

I typically want to practice with a recording and record directly to a DAW. To do this I run Direct Out from the Mark VII to a sound board to mix the recorded audio and use the headphones on the sound board. I would then run USB out of the Mark VII. So the only rear connection would be the XLR from the Direct Out and the USB connection. Is that safe to do?

Thanks for the advice!

 

[sloanthebone]

I would like to know the answer to this also. It’s the one thing the manual is not clear about. I thought plugging in the headphones would kill the speaker and it didn’t. I am afraid to unplug the speaker after over a decade of never ever do that haha.

 

[endofall]

From what I understand you can run the mark VII without a speaker load due to the cab clone+. I've done this for recording in a pinch. It should be safe

 

[USA_Patriot]

In the headphones section, the manual states this:
"NOTE: When using Headphones with no speaker connected, it’s best to keep your Channel Master levels below 11 o’clock. You should be able to get plenty of output level with the Input and Output Controls, and it will help reduce wear and tear on your output tubes."

So this gives me some concern that the "silent" feature even in the appropriate configuration (and I don't really understand what the appropriate configuration is) is safe in terms of not blowing up the amp, but not can still cause some negative effects.

 

[mace]

Yes, it is OK to just unplug the speaker whenever, no matter what (or maybe nothing) else is connected. That’s been my experience also, no issues so far. The internal load automatically kicks in. So, there is no ‘speaker on’ switch. Either plug a speaker in or don’t!


>Can the amp be turned on without any rear
>connections (e.g., no cab, no headphone, no
>XLR)?

Yes.

>>Does the internal load only engage in a certain
>>scenario (e.g., headphones have to be plugged
>>in)?

No, internal load engages in any scenario when the speaker is disconnected.

 

[mace]

In the headphones section, the manual states this:
"NOTE: When using Headphones with no speaker connected, it’s best to keep your Channel Master levels below 11 o’clock. You should be able to get plenty of output level with the Input and Output Controls, and it will help reduce wear and tear on your output tubes."

So this gives me some concern that the "silent" feature even in the appropriate configuration (and I don't really understand what the appropriate configuration is) is safe in terms of not blowing up the amp, but not can still cause some negative effects.

They are just saying that if you run you channel master high, like at noon, you are cooking the power tubes even though you may not realize it (headphone volume low). So, the negative effects of this is just running the power tubes all out full on, it is not because ’silent mode’ is being used. Silent mode is safe even when running masters high.

In other words, if running all out full volume with a speaker you’ll know if because your ears will bleed. The power tubes are also wearing and tearing (not harming them, of course). This same tube strain may not be obvious with ‘silent mode’ because your ears aren’t bleeding.

 

[USA_Patriot]

Thanks, Mace!

 

[USA_Patriot]

They are just saying that if you run you channel master high, like at noon, you are cooking the power tubes even though you may not realize it (headphone volume low). So, the negative effects of this is just running the power tubes all out full on, it is not because ’silent mode’ is being used. Silent mode is safe even when running masters high.

In other words, if running all out full volume with a speaker you’ll know if because your ears will bleed. The power tubes are also wearing and tearing (not harming them, of course). This same tube strain may not be obvious with ‘silent mode’ because your ears aren’t bleeding.

That makes sense. Thanks again.

 

[Trubador25]

Wanted to give this thread some love. I have had my Mark VII for several months now and still have not used it with headphones or tried the cab clone etc. I've had a lot of Boogies over the years and one of the main reasons I got the VII is to utilize these features and be able to record directly and practice silently. I'm just in the same boat where it has been engrained in me to never use an amp without a load plugged in. It feels so wrong, lol. But a change in schedule is kind of forcing me to finally try it as I need to get practicing done late at night and want to use the amp for this at times. So I was glad to find and read through this thread.
But I did want to ask if anyone has experienced any issues with their mark VII after using with just headphones; any tube problems or just the amp not sounding / feeling the same? I absolutely love the way this amp sounds and plays and feel like I'm going to break something by using it silently. I've owned quite a few of the Mark series amps and this one is really becoming one of my favorites. I'm running mine through a 2-12 cab loaded with Tone Tubby Purple Haze alnico's and it just sings. And I love that the lead channel seems to have a lot more headroom than some of the Marks I've owned in the past. Getting some really great tones out of it! Thanks for any input guys and have fun playin'!

 

[mace]

There is absolutely no risk for damage with silent playing through headphones. There is no extra stress on the components and the amp will sound just the same later. No worries! I’ve used silent playing quite a bit (CCIR output) and all is well.

 

[Trubador25]

Thanks Mace, I appreciate the reassurance.

 

[bandit2013]

Mark VII uses the same circuit that is in the Badlander, It will automatically switch over to an internal load when there is no speaker connected to any of the output jacks. This only applies to the models with the CabClone IR. Other amps that have the original CabClone will have a speaker off switch on the back panel. With those, they recommend keeping a speaker connected in case you were to accidentally turn on the speaker if you bump the switch.

It may be safe to operate the amp in standby mode when disconnecting the speaker cable from the amp. Never remove a speaker load while the amp is not in standby as this could result in some nasty transients that may result in damage. The same would hold true when connecting the speaker. The output jacks have an integrated switch as it uses the sleeve of the plug to keep the internal load disconnected. When you remove the speaker cable from the amp, that changes the switch connection and drives a relay to connect the internal load. Note that if you have a speaker plugged in and you remove the cable from the speaker cabinet, that will not work and could result in damage to the amp. Since the Mark VII uses a reactive load and set of resistors to simulate the speaker, it may not be that important to run at full power (90W). You could probably drop it down to the 25W mode. I have not explored the cab clone stuff so not sure if the power setting makes much of a difference.

When in doubt, you can always question Mesa directly through their customer support page. Sometimes the manuals do not have the information you need to understand how it works and is there something you need to pay attention to regarding the use of that feature.