Don't send any powered signal into the power amp. That = terrible. You could damage it quite badly.

If anything you'll have to bypass the power section in the Line6 and send the preamp signal through the Mesa power amplifier. From there run a speaker cable from the power amp to the cab, making sure to match impedances.

P.S - Why would your friend buy a Line6 head and a Mesa power amp. Why not get a Mesa amplifier and call it good. It would sound much better and probably cost about the same.

Line6 HD147: XLR L/R out to the mesa. Use the trim to adjust output.

Mesa: Use an XLR - 1/4" Turnaround to connect to Input A/B.

Pretty simple, really.

L6 Manual -
http://www.americanmusical.com/manuals/line6/linhd147_manual.pdf

MB Manual -
http://www.mesaboogie.com/manuals/2-Fifty.pdf

Many thanks to both of you for the help. I will pass on the information.

Anytime!

Not a problem. Hope it all works out well.

nickeveslage wrote: Don't send any powered signal into the power amp. That = terrible. You could damage it quite badly.

If anything you'll have to bypass the power section in the Line6 and send the preamp signal through the Mesa power amplifier. From there run a speaker cable from the power amp to the cab, making sure to match impedances.

P.S - Why would your friend buy a Line6 head and a Mesa power amp. Why not get a Mesa amplifier and call it good. It would sound much better and probably cost about the same.

Yeah, this makes NO SENSE at all!!! Taking a high-powered solid-state guitar amp and, essentially using it as just a preamp to drive the Mesa...
Who advised this guy on his gear? It isn't a good idea to run ANY amplifier-tube or solid-state- without a speaker load on it, unless the manufacturer has taken steps to provide for that application (like a headphone function on one of your smaller practice amps). The HD is a beast designed to pound a 4x12 cab. But your buddy ain't doin' that, is he?
Now, if he was to add a second cab to his rig so that one is on the HD and one is on the MB... BTW, when's he playing the SuperBowl?

Hmmm...before he does this...slap him.

Hard.

Is he looking for more "loudness" from the Mesa?

If so, WHY? The Mesa sounds F'ing amazing and you don't even need to get up to 11 (sorry, only 10 on the M/B dials).

I just recorded a Mk IV today and we had the thing f'ing SCREAMING at 3 on the dial. It was loud enough that I couldn't move mic positions in the room without ear plugs!

Oh...and the sound was god-dang amazing. No Line6 pre (err...amp) would EVER improve on this sound!

This would be the equivalent of buying a Ferrari Testerosa and then saying..."You know, this is cool, but I bet it would be awesome if we put a Miata engine in it too!!!"

It's wrong. Just plain wrong.

I don't care that there *are* ways to do it. It's a matter of *WHY* would someone do it!

Give me this guy's address. I'm going to hop in my Honda right now and go pimp slap this ho.

;-)

Moonbaby, did you read the first post? or mine?

edit: Maybe I'm misreading what you said? haha

I'm agreeing with you, Nick. What Vinnie is describing is not a good idea. In fact, it's crazy!
He needs to add a REAL speaker load to the Line6.

Jeremy: If you think that a Mark IV is loud, you ought to hear a friggin' Triple Rectifier. Or as they call it in the South, a Triple Rectumfire, cause it's so loud, you can tell everyone to blow it out there ass...!

Vinnie:We love you here. You've posted some real classics. I liked the one when you were standing INSIDE the GC, asking which mic pre to buy. Don't ever change, baby!
I'm curious about how this whole thing got started. Didn't you post here a couple of months ago about owning a Mesa power amp that blew its' tubes out, and a 4x12 cabinet with some issues? I hope that this isn't the result of your goading your buddy into buying your rig to use with tha Line 6... :lol:

I see that now. Sorry, I was just getting ready for sleep...I hate how real intentions can get confused easily over the internet.

Wow... I had no idea this thread would attract so much attention!

Ok, looks like I got some 'splaining to do-

moonbaby: He wants the tone from the HD but also wants tube power behind it. This is why he wants this setup. Thanks for the compliments! I did not make him want my type of setup, my tone merely speaks for itself. While I do still have much to learn about power amps in general, my problems in the past have never been from my doing something stupid. Tubes go bad, other people do stupid crap to my cabinets when I leave them at their house, but I take care of my stuff and run it by the book. Personally I wish he would just get the X3 and call it a day...

Cucco: As said to moonbaby, he wants to add a tube power roundness to the sound he gets from the HD. I believe you misinterperet, as he is not using a Mesa-Boogie head, merely a Mesa power amp. He would do the same as I in that he would overdrive the tubes, and use the HD volume as a trim-control.

Now... if it was me? I would have two main rigs that I would choose from:
1) A Line6 POD X3 -> Mesa 2:100 poweramp -> Madison full stack (other rack gear aside)
2) Mesa-Boogie Dual Rectifier Roadster -> Madison full stack

Have any of you ever played through a Roadster before? Holy crap....... Four channels of pure Mesa tube goodness, each channel selectable for how many watts, hands down the most versatile, pure tube amp on the market today.

Vinnie:
First off, I meant no disrespect to you. It was just a little ribbing. If I didn't give a rat's ass about you, I'd have left you twisting in the wind...
We're all trying to HELP you and keep your buddy from blowing up his new amp!!!
NOW, the rig YOU listed (the Pod>Mesa>cabs) is totally cool. Personally, I don't need that kind of power, I use a Pod into one or more of several vintage tube amps I own ('63 Princeton, '65 Supro, and others). NO issue there with me. The issue I (and others ) have is that you don't run the HD head WITHOUT A SPEAKER LOAD. Even if you are "just" using the preamps XLR outputs to feed the Mesa. Even if you "trim down" the level control to the power amp section. It is a high-powered, direct-coupled power amplifier that needs to "see" a load on its' speaker outputs. Eventually, the output devices (transistors) will overheat and fail. The manufacture will NOT warranty that...I spoke with a guy at Line6 about this last year regarding a Flextone II a client brought in to my (then)studio. He wanted to run it into a THD Hotplate. I had the right version for the amps load requirements, but insisted that we check with the tech support at Line6...NO!!! Not even that was acceptable for their output designs. When a manufacturer even smells misuse, they'll put it up your...

moonbaby wrote: Vinnie:
First off, I meant no disrespect to you. It was just a little ribbing. If I didn't give a rat's ass about you, I'd have left you twisting in the wind...
We're all trying to HELP you and keep your buddy from blowing up his new amp!!!
NOW, the rig YOU listed (the Pod>Mesa>cabs) is totally cool. Personally, I don't need that kind of power, I use a Pod into one or more of several vintage tube amps I own ('63 Princeton, '65 Supro, and others). NO issue there with me. The issue I (and others ) have is that you don't run the HD head WITHOUT A SPEAKER LOAD. Even if you are "just" using the preamps XLR outputs to feed the Mesa. Even if you "trim down" the level control to the power amp section. It is a high-powered, direct-coupled power amplifier that needs to "see" a load on its' speaker outputs. Eventually, the output devices (transistors) will overheat and fail. The manufacture will NOT warranty that...I spoke with a guy at Line6 about this last year regarding a Flextone II a client brought in to my (then)studio. He wanted to run it into a THD Hotplate. I had the right version for the amps load requirements, but insisted that we check with the tech support at Line6...NO!!! Not even that was acceptable for their output designs. When a manufacturer even smells misuse, they'll put it up your...

Thanks for the elaboration. I now understand that any kind of power amp must have a speaker load on it. Honestly, I knew things did not sound like they would be ok in the first place (the GC guy probably told him it would be fine), but I did not know what, how, or why; thus, ultimately, leading me to you guys.

Moving on, I think he will do ok using the preamp outs that someone described. Using that method I am sure that he will not have a problem.

What a fustercluck! What a waste of money! A pod, a little power amp, and a 2x12 cabinet would have been all he needed.

That GC salesman really saw your buddy coming.

WOWOW I will have to go with everyone else man..........first off y would u waste ur time with a line 6 pre amp on a mesa????? and what are u going to need all that power for any ways!?!?!