Nomad 100 Channel 3 Master

[cscotto]

Hi,

I have a Nomad 100 2X12, and I want to know if the behavior of my channel 3 is typical or if I might need to change a pot. The amp has all new good tubes.

First, I am assuming something about this amp that may be incorrect. When you have channel 2 in modern mode, I am assuming it is basically a clone of channel 3 in normal (modern) mode. When you flip channel 2 into modern mode, it get louder. It seems to be working as it should. Also, flipping channel 3 into vintage mode makes it softer, as it should.

Here is the problem. I set the output to 9:00. In channel 2 in modern mode, I have the gain at 3:00 and the master at 9:00, and all the other controls are set reasonably. Channel 2 is loud, as I expect it be, and it sounds good.

Now switch to channel 3 in normal (modern) mode. I set the gain at 3:00 and the master at 9:00, and all the other controls are set to the values in channel 2. In my mind, channel 3 should be as loud as channel 2 with the controls set identically. However, the volume is much lower. To get the volume of channel 3 to equal channel 2, I have to set the master at 2:00. With the master set this way, the volume is identical.

So, is this how this amp normally behaves, or could the master pot on channel three be bad?

Thanks in advance! This is a great resource for Mesa owners.

 

[Rocky]

CHannel 2 modern and CHannel 3 normal are not identical channels. Very different voicings b/w the two.

 

[cscotto]

CHannel 2 modern and CHannel 3 normal are not identical channels. Very different voicings b/w the two.

Thanks, that clears up one thing. On my old Dual Rec you could do the channel cloning bit, which is what I assumed was going on here. The only real difference, however, that I can hear between them is that channel 3 saturates earlier and has more harmonic content.

Does this mean that I should not expect the master's on each channel to operate with the same range? The master on channel 2 seems to have less range, get louder quicker, while the master on channel 3 has more range, takes longer to get the channel louder. Is this normal? Thanks again.

 

[wilson]

CHannel 2 modern and CHannel 3 normal are not identical channels. Very different voicings b/w the two.

Thanks, that clears up one thing. On my old Dual Rec you could do the channel cloning bit, which is what I assumed was going on here. The only real difference, however, that I can hear between them is that channel 3 saturates earlier and has more harmonic content.

Does this mean that I should not expect the master's on each channel to operate with the same range? The master on channel 2 seems to have less range, get louder quicker, while the master on channel 3 has more range, takes longer to get the channel louder. Is this normal? Thanks again.

i have the nomad 100 head and it acts the same way. sounds like your amp is operating like it was designed to. it warns about the volume jumps in the manual. if you don't have the manual i believe you can download it from somewhere. the mesa site maybe?

 

[cscotto]

i have the nomad 100 head and it acts the same way. sounds like your amp is operating like it was designed to. it warns about the volume jumps in the manual. if you don't have the manual i believe you can download it from somewhere. the mesa site maybe?

Thanks, I downloaded the manual from Mesa, and I read about the volume changes. I just wanted to make sure that the pot for the master on channel 3 was not damaged. If you say the masters on channels 2 and 3 on your 100 head operate the same way, then I am satisfied this is how the amp operates. Thanks.

 

[nomad100hd]

the way channel 2 is voiced it always sounds louder to me.

 

[earachemyeye]

My 55 acts the same way. Man there are alot of Nomad posts this week!