Transatlantic owners help :)

[tommo]

Hi to everybody,
I'm new in the forum, and I'm also new about mesa boogie amps.
Yesterday I bought my first mesa amp, a Transatlantic Head with 2x12" Vertical recto Cab
I really love its sounds and versatility, but I found a "problem", and I want to know from the others transatlantic users if they have the same issue.

The problem is the following: when I change channel from the red one to the green one, I hear a "POP" noise coming from the amp: this noise is at fixed volume...no matter how high is the master volume of the amp, the noise level remains the same.
This noise occurs only when I change from red to green and not vice-versa; this occurs both with manual and foot switching, but ONLY if I set 15 or 25 watts. If I set 5 watts for both channels, I don't hear any POP.

Is this a "normal" problem of this amp?do you notice the same behavior? I've heard that this is a pretty common issue with mesa amps, especially rectifiers....

Thanks for the answers

P.S sorry for my english, I'm an Italian guy

 

[AcoS]

Hi Tommo
im a transatlantic owner too, i use a 1X12 express cab with it due to the small gigs i play.
i have the same POP sound coming from the amp, but tought its pretty normal due to the lamp. I don't know why is it that, but just heard thats *normal* :OP
hope its help.
Frank

 

[tommo]

Hi Frank, thank you for the answer
I'm more relaxed now.....By the way, it's not a great problem if you're playing at gig volumes, since it will be completely covered by the other instruments......I was just curios to know if anyone had noticed the same thing

thank you again

 

[user 4242]

I'm glad you created this thread. I have the same issue. I've taken my back to the shop and their floor model do this too. They said it is normal.

I've heard pop on channel selectors for other amps before but this is much louder. For reference I've owned the Nomad 45 combo, Nomad 100 head, Express 25. Also own/owned Fender & H&K tube amps and played other amps in rehearsal studios.

I also find the 15 and 25 modes on the green channel to have a large amount of background hiss (with the knob pushed in). Again, the shop floor model did the same. I tried some other known good tubes but get the same hiss. I wonder if it is to do with the amp design. For the record, I thought that the Express 25 also had a large amount of hiss.

Too many features in small space? A problem with the power transformer (I live in UK, Mesa is a US amp and US owners don't seem to have this problem?)

Loving the amp, just wish it didn't have so much hiss and pop!

 

[tommo]

Hi,
last saturday I went to the same shop here in Italy where I bought my TA. I tried the test model they have, and noticed the SAME issue as mine. I talked to other guys who own a TA, and they noticed the same thing. So I think it's a "feature" of the amp itself.....as said before, to me it's not a big deal if you use it in a live situation or if you change channels with still the sound of the guitar ringing.....

 

[mrd]

Same thing happens to my RoadKing. I've heard that's it's a discharge of static electricity build up. Not sure how that happens or why, but I've heard and had some success with cycling through all the foot-switch buttons while the amp is on standby, before you power it up fully. Either that, or power it up and cycle through them all and get that pop out of the way before you start playing :lol:

 

[JAZZGEAR]

I'm glad you created this thread. I have the same issue. I've taken my back to the shop and their floor model do this too. They said it is normal.

I've heard pop on channel selectors for other amps before but this is much louder. For reference I've owned the Nomad 45 combo, Nomad 100 head, Express 25. Also own/owned Fender & H&K tube amps and played other amps in rehearsal studios.

I also find the 15 and 25 modes on the green channel to have a large amount of background hiss (with the knob pushed in). Again, the shop floor model did the same. I tried some other known good tubes but get the same hiss. I wonder if it is to do with the amp design. For the record, I thought that the Express 25 also had a large amount of hiss.

Too many features in small space? A problem with the power transformer (I live in UK, Mesa is a US amp and US owners don't seem to have this problem?)

Loving the amp, just wish it didn't have so much hiss and pop!

Wrong, I just picked up a brand new TA, and posted last night about the same hiss problem. It is so freaking loud, that despite loving the tones in this amp, I may have to return it and ....gulp? ..... buy the Egnater Tweaker or Rebel 30. If I'm gonna get hiss, then I don't want to pay almost $1k for it

 

[BoogieJem]

I have a UK model and only get too much hiss with the gain and master volme maxed out and I never get close to those settings in any of the sounds I want to use so have not found it a problem.

 

[JAZZGEAR]

I have a UK model and only get too much hiss with the gain and master volme maxed out and I never get close to those settings in any of the sounds I want to use so have not found it a problem.

Channel 2 is not that bad...the problem I notice is mostly in channel 1, 15 or 25 watts, with the Cut knob pushed in (non-master vol mode).

 

[mke52]

The pops occur when the two channels are set at diferent output power like Ch1 15W ch2 25W or any other combination. This is due to the diferent tube combinations. It actualy says this on the operating manual

 

[Sacausey]

Yeah, you should only get the pop when you're changing power settings across the channels.

For the record, I use one in the US, and don't have the hissing problem (unless I have an OD in front).

 

[geetarplayer]

I do not have the hiss problem, but I do have the pop problem. Matches the OP's description exactly. All combinations of power level do it except if both are on 5W.

So, there is no solution to this?

 

[geetarplayer]

The pop is fixable. I took mine to my Mesa tech and he fixed it. I only expected it to be fixed for switching between disparate wattage levels, but he fixed it for all permutations of switching! Very happy. It is true that, when I first power on, there is a slight pop for the first couple of switches. But that's gone after the first few. So if I'm gigging, I make sure I switch a few times to air that out, while on standby. Then I'm good.

Also, I don't know if he did this on purpose or it's just a side-effect of his fix, but there is not as much of a silence when switching channels. Before, there would be a definite qtr second silence while switching. Now, there is a quick lowering of the level, but it doesn't go totally silent. Not perfect, but more transparent.