Using a combo amp with separate power amp?

[toejam]

I currently have my Mesa F-30 1x12 combo hooked up to two 8-ohm Jackson vertical 2x12 cabinets. I've disconnected the combo's 8-ohm speaker and am using the two 4-ohm outs into the cabs. Say I want to use a delay pedal as a stereo effect into the cabs to get a ping-pong type of delay bouncing back from one cab to the other, I assume I have to hook a separate power amp up to do this. Do I connect the Mesa's effects loop send to the power amp or the Mesa's return to the power amp? My Mesa manual says to hook up a power amp to the effects return, but won't that just bypass the amp's preamp controls and I'll have to use a separate preamp? Or can I still use the amp's preamp and just use the effects send as a hookup to the power amp? I'm a little confused and don't want to mess anything up.

[thurston]

Re: Using a combo amp with separate power amp?

You do have to run a separate power amp.
Your chain should look like this
FX Send - Delay In
Delay Out A - FX Return
Delay Out B - Second Power Amp or FX return on second amp.

[toejam]

Re: Using a combo amp with separate power amp?

So what about the two speaker cabinets; I could run one off the Mesa and the other one would have to be off the separate power amp? [img]/images/graemlins/scratchhead.gif[/img]
The power amp I'd be using anyway would be a two-channel Carvin, but I'm just confused as to how to hook everything up to the power amp.

[Dreamland_Rebel]

Re: Using a combo amp with separate power amp?

split the signal off the effects unit. (unit should have left and right outs) send one back to the boogie powering 1 cab. and send the other to the power amp input, ch 1, connected to the other cab, and adjust the level of pwr amp ch 1 to match the volume of the boogie.

[toejam]

Re: Using a combo amp with separate power amp?

Ah, now it makes sense. Thanks!

[rodrigo_echeverri]

Re: Using a combo amp with separate power amp?

The way I would do it:

Connect your guitar to the Mesa. Take the FX send of the Mesa into the input of the effects unit (check the position of the FX mix). This way you will be using the Mesa's preamp. Take the stereo out of the FX unit into the stereo power amp. Take the output of each channel of the power amp into each cab.

You can also do like dreamland said and use one of the outs of the effects unit into the FX return of the Mesa in order to use its amp section to power one of the cabs... you can probably get a nice mix of tones this way.

I like your Jackson cabs by the way!...

[toejam]

Re: Using a combo amp with separate power amp?

Thanks, Rodrigo! [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img] I also like the Jackson cabs... very smooth low end without getting muddy. The combo's Vintage 30 isn't doing much for me lately; though, it is cool, I just have to mess with my eq a little more.

[lerxstcat]

Re: Using a combo amp with separate power amp?

If you follow Rodrigo's first instructions though, hook back up the internal speaker to the F-30 so your power section's got a load, otherwise you could damage your Mesa's output section. The amp has to have either a speaker or a load resistor hooked up to the output.You can run that speaker as a dry sound and the left and right of the Carvin as wet, or turn down the output level of the F30 and use it only as a preamp so the volume of the Carvin through the Jackson cabs is predominant.

[toejam]

Re: Using a combo amp with separate power amp?

[ QUOTE ]
If you follow Rodrigo's first instructions though, hook back up the internal speaker to the F-30 so your power section's got a load, otherwise you could damage your Mesa's output section. The amp has to have either a speaker or a load resistor hooked up to the output.You can run that speaker as a dry sound and the left and right of the Carvin as wet, or turn down the output level of the F30 and use it only as a preamp so the volume of the Carvin through the Jackson cabs is predominant.

[/ QUOTE ]
Ah, I didn't think about that. Thanks, Rich! [img]/images/graemlins/toast.gif[/img] That should actually work out pretty well with the V30 also mixed in. [img]/images/graemlins/headbang.gif[/img]

[Dreamland_Rebel]

Re: Using a combo amp with separate power amp?

and i prefer the mesa's pwr section.