Who has the HX/DA head and what speaker cab are you running?

[andy474x]

I'm excited to try out the options!

My existing 212 has 1 creamback and 1 v30. Since Im adding this PRS cab with 2 v30s, I'm thinking of putting another creamback in my existing cab so I have a 212 with v30s, a 212 with creambacks and a 412 with greenbacks (in the near future).

That should give me some good all around differences. Plus my existing 212 is convertible so I can try out endless combos in that switching out speakers and open vs closed back.

I think sampling the various cabs is going to be the fun part.

Thanks for everyones input. Always learning something in the forum.

This sounds like a great plan!

 

[László]

Ok, I can add my name to the “Fans of Mesa V30s” group. I moved one of my HXDAs into a 1x12 combo cab, and because I had a Mesa-edition V30 from an amp long ago (90s version, if I recall) I decided to give it a try. It sounds incredible! I’ve not been a V30 guy except in Mesa Recto 2x12 cabs, and now I know why. Their special V30s sound good!

I've always liked their cabs that have them, too. And they do sound nice with the HXDA.

 

[Em7]

I have never seen a cabinet that did not sound good with an HXDA. It is my favorite PRS amp.

 

[László]

I have never seen a cabinet that did not sound good with an HXDA. It is my favorite PRS amp.

Em7 knows his stuff about amps.

 

[Egads]

I have never seen a cabinet that did not sound good with an HXDA. It is my favorite PRS amp.

I don't know. THAT sounds like a challenge!

 

[Em7]

I don't know. THAT sounds like a challenge!

The amp has nice build, but it is all about the Cinemag transformer in that old Marshall circuit. The Cinemag transformer has very limited bandwidth, even when compared to the typical tube guitar amplifier output transformer. That limitation makes it useless as a hi-fi amplifier output transformer, but great as an overdriven amp transformer.

 

[Egads]

The amp has nice build, but it is all about the Cinemag transformer that old Marshall circuit. The Cinemag transformer has very limited bandwidth, even when compared to the typical tube guitar amplifier output transformer. That limitation makes it useless as a hi-fi amplifier output transformer, but great as an overdriven amp transformer.

I'm with you!

I was being a smarta$$ about finding a cab that didn't sound good with the HXDA. I've owed some dogs that nothing sounded go through. Time to go buy and HXDA and some sh!tty cabs!

 

[Davey]

Picked up a 2nd 65w creamback. Removed the one v30 and put it in the 212 with the other 65 creamback.
First impressions, the creambacks are much smoother than the V30s.
I like the V30s and the little extra snap they have, but I'll need to put some hours on those creambacks and get them broken in before passing judgement.

Still need to pick up a quad of greenbacks for the 412. More feedback to come.

I did manage to find a matched pair of NOS winged C's and those sound spectacular. Nice low end, but not flubby. mids are smooth and highs are clear and clean. Just a great all around tube. Now I know what all the fuss is about.
Reading back thru some of Les' advice, I also went to Mesa and picked up a set of NOS Siemens to try as well.

 

[László]

Picked up a 2nd 65w creamback. Removed the one v30 and put it in the 212 with the other 65 creamback.
First impressions, the creambacks are much smoother than the V30s.
I like the V30s and the little extra snap they have, but I'll need to put some hours on those creambacks and get them broken in before passing judgement.

Still need to pick up a quad of greenbacks for the 412. More feedback to come.

I did manage to find a matched pair of NOS winged C's and those sound spectacular. Nice low end, but not flubby. mids are smooth and highs are clear and clean. Just a great all around tube. Now I know what all the fuss is about.
Reading back thru some of Les' advice, I also went to Mesa and picked up a set of NOS Siemens to try as well.

I think you'll find them tighter in the low end, and crisper in the midrange than the Winged Cs that came in my HXDA (2014). I also find them more reliable, but that's to be expected, since the Winged Cs are recent tubes, and the Siemens were made for medical equipment back in the late '70s/early '80s when tubes were still important technology.

 

[RickP]

Picked up a 2nd 65w creamback. Removed the one v30 and put it in the 212 with the other 65 creamback.
First impressions, the creambacks are much smoother than the V30s.
I like the V30s and the little extra snap they have, but I'll need to put some hours on those creambacks and get them broken in before passing judgement.

Still need to pick up a quad of greenbacks for the 412. More feedback to come.

I did manage to find a matched pair of NOS winged C's and those sound spectacular. Nice low end, but not flubby. mids are smooth and highs are clear and clean. Just a great all around tube. Now I know what all the fuss is about.
Reading back thru some of Les' advice, I also went to Mesa and picked up a set of NOS Siemens to try as well.

You’ll like them. I’ve got Siemens in both of mine now. The Winged C actually sound more Plexi-like if you were looking for that exactly. The Siemens tubes sound more tight all around, with less high end sizzle than the Winged C. Either are among the best you’ll find!

 

[László]

You’ll like them. I’ve got Siemens in both of mine now. The Winged C actually sound more Plexi-like if you were looking for that exactly. The Siemens tubes sound more tight all around, with less high end sizzle than the Winged C. Either are among the best you’ll find!

When I got the HXDA, I was looking for that Duane Allman 'Live at the Fillmore' thing, and when I turned up the HXDA with the Winged Cs, there it was in all its glory. I could hardly believe it. So chalk one up for the Winged Cs.

On the other hand, with Siemens tubes, I think my HXDA delivers tones closer to the first Plexis I tried out back in the late '60s. However, that's an awfully long time ago, and it really isn't fair for me to claim I have a particularly accurate tone memory for that period of time. Maybe it sounds a little closer to the Hendrix type of sound with the Siemens? Because it still strikes me as a very vintage, authentic Plexi tone.

One caveat is that my recording room has acoustical stuff, and a thick carpet and on top of that, a rug. it's not a bright sounding room. With the Winged Cs, I had to really cut the bass. I do that less with the Siemens. So for me, a big part of it is what works in my recording room, and in that room, with my speaker cab, I find the Siemens to be a better fit.

 

[RickP]

Yes sir, I’ve settled on them too. For what I do, they deliver a punchier sound that I can’t describe better than to say authoritative. Kind of “fury under control.” I never thought I’d find a tube to top the Winged C, but in the HXDA the Siemens have the edge.

 

[Serious Poo]

Thought I'd share a couple of pics from my studio. I run my amp heads through a deLisle switching unit, which is proving to be one of the neatest pieces of studio gear I've ever installed.

Any of these (my HX/DA is the 4th amp down):

get routed into any of these:

courtesy of one of these (deLisle switcher is the lowest unit):

FWIW, I haven't messed around with tubes on my HX/DA, I might once they start to wear but right now it gives up the goods just fine.

 

[alantig]

Thought I'd share a couple of pics from my studio. I run my amp heads through a deLisle switching unit, which is proving to be one of the neatest pieces of studio gear I've ever installed.

The deLisle thing looks really cool. Does it handle things if there’s an impedance difference between the cabs? Or do you have to switch the impedance at the amp if you switch between an 8-ohm cab and a 16-ohm cab (for example)?

 

[Serious Poo]

The deLisle thing looks really cool. Does it handle things if there’s an impedance difference between the cabs? Or do you have to switch the impedance at the amp if you switch between an 8-ohm cab and a 16-ohm cab (for example)?

Currently you have manually switch your amp impedance, or wire all your cabs at 8 ohms like I do.

FWIW, my 4x12 is wired in stereo @ 8 ohms a side. For this setup, I use the DeLisle unit to switch between stereo sides. I suppose I could run it in mono @ 16 ohns, but there’s no real benefit for what I’m doing.

 

[Davey]

I think you'll find them tighter in the low end, and crisper in the midrange than the Winged Cs that came in my HXDA (2014). I also find them more reliable, but that's to be expected, since the Winged Cs are recent tubes, and the Siemens were made for medical equipment back in the late '70s/early '80s when tubes were still important technology.

Nice. I picked the Siemens up because you had mentioned in a previous thread about the quality and tone. The winged C's I first got were out of another hxda.
When I purchased this (2012) one, Dave's ad stated it had winged C's, but when it arrived, it had EH 6L6's. I called Dave's and they gave me a couple options and I decided to have them pull existing ones out of their other one for sale. Those were indeed SEC winged C's from 2004.

I have since picked up a few pairs of backups.

The Siemens havent arrived yet. Anxious to try those out and see as I have my bass reduced due to my room acoustics.

 

[Davey]

You’ll like them. I’ve got Siemens in both of mine now. The Winged C actually sound more Plexi-like if you were looking for that exactly. The Siemens tubes sound more tight all around, with less high end sizzle than the Winged C. Either are among the best you’ll find!

Thanks Rick. Can't wait to try and compare both sets. If the Siemens turn out to be a better sound to me, I'll be ordereding a few more sets for backups.

When I got the HXDA, I was looking for that Duane Allman 'Live at the Fillmore' thing, and when I turned up the HXDA with the Winged Cs, there it was in all its glory. I could hardly believe it. So chalk one up for the Winged Cs.

On the other hand, with Siemens tubes, I think my HXDA delivers tones closer to the first Plexis I tried out back in the late '60s. However, that's an awfully long time ago, and it really isn't fair for me to claim I have a particularly accurate tone memory for that period of time. Maybe it sounds a little closer to the Hendrix type of sound with the Siemens? Because it still strikes me as a very vintage, authentic Plexi tone.

One caveat is that my recording room has acoustical stuff, and a thick carpet and on top of that, a rug. it's not a bright sounding room. With the Winged Cs, I had to really cut the bass. I do that less with the Siemens. So for me, a big part of it is what works in my recording room, and in that room, with my speaker cab, I find the Siemens to be a better fit.

Yep, Exactly what I was thinking before I got to this post. I'm going to try them both out and move the amp and cab around the room as well to see what sounds best to my ears.
Thanks again for the advice.

 

[Davey]

Thought I'd share a couple of pics from my studio. I run my amp heads through a deLisle switching unit, which is proving to be one of the neatest pieces of studio gear I've ever installed.

Any of these (my HX/DA is the 4th amp down):

get routed into any of these:

courtesy of one of these (deLisle switcher is the lowest unit):

FWIW, I haven't messed around with tubes on my HX/DA, I might once they start to wear but right now it gives up the goods just fine.

That is something I have been thinking about and looking around for. That DeLisle looks like exactly what I need.
I am going to look into more info about those.

Thank you for sharing!

 

[László]

Thought I'd share a couple of pics from my studio. I run my amp heads through a deLisle switching unit, which is proving to be one of the neatest pieces of studio gear I've ever installed.

Any of these (my HX/DA is the 4th amp down):

get routed into any of these:

courtesy of one of these (deLisle switcher is the lowest unit):

FWIW, I haven't messed around with tubes on my HX/DA, I might once they start to wear but right now it gives up the goods just fine.

Your studio setup looks superb! I'd love to see a wider shot showing the whole setup, if that's possible. In addition to your rack (console?), the shelving unit for the amps is also very cool. Did you have that made?

By coincidence, a week or so ago I bought a KHE 8x4 amp/cab switcher that's similar to the deLisle, only in a single backspace with MIDI, etc. I had forgotten all about the deLisle; it looks like a high quality unit as well.. Anyway, the KHE was shipped from Switzerland a few days ago, and I'm looking forward to installing it in my guitar rack area.

Also have to compliment you on how absolutely pristine your 2290 looks! In the '90s I had a TCM5000, the successor unit, and it sounded absolutely fantastic, as of course does the classic 2290.

 

[Serious Poo]

Your studio setup looks superb! I'd love to see a wider shot showing the whole setup, if that's possible. In addition to your rack (console?), the shelving unit for the amps is also very cool. Did you have that made?

By coincidence, a week or so ago I bought a KHE 8x4 amp/cab switcher that's similar to the deLisle, only in a single backspace with MIDI, etc. I had forgotten all about the deLisle; it looks like a high quality unit as well.. Anyway, the KHE was shipped from Switzerland a few days ago, and I'm looking forward to installing it in my guitar rack area.

Also have to compliment you on how absolutely pristine your 2290 looks! In the '90s I had a TCM5000, the successor unit, and it sounded absolutely fantastic, as of course does the classic 2290.

Hi Les, here's a quick 360 view of my studio. It's small but organized pretty well. The desk is by JamRacks, acoustic panels by GIK Acoustics, and shelving by Ikea. Hope it gives you some useful ideas.