We review the Peavey MiniMEGA Bass Head. Turns out, great things really do come in small packages…
Peavey started a lot of trends in amplification that are now standard features on most amplifiers. Their MiniMEGA Bass Head captures pretty much every usable feature in a bass amp, all in a small chassis.
As the name states, this is a smallish bass head, but it cranks out 1000 watts continuous power into 4 Ohms. The front panel is loaded, with the usual gain, 4-band EQ and volume controls. Additionally, there is an optical compressor and a stacked KOSMOS Bass and psychoacoustic control. There are a series of buttons that relate to the control nobs above. The crunch, Q controls and bright functions really offer up some interesting tone sculpting, and the mute switch shuts things down, and routs the signal to the tuner output.
The front panel and controls are backlit, and the colors can be changed to pretty much anything you desire. They can also cycle through the range or colors, if you like. It has nothing to do with any of the other features, but it is a cool touch for lighting the controls on a dark stage.
Running it through a variety of cabs it sounded fantastic, and had more than enough power to run just about any rig – for real. The output end also has XLR DI, and headphone outs. The EQ is flexible enough to work with active and passive basses, while still giving plenty of well-defined bottom end. Players that explore the higher ranges will appreciate the fullness that doesn’t get muffled. It’s easy to get a great sound, regardless of the volume, bass or cabinets paired with it.
The real interesting option is the KOSMOS function, as it works like a subharmonic generator, along with the ability to make smaller speakers sound bigger — 10” drivers can get a lot deeper with this engaged. It’s like adding a neat low-end spice; a little goes a long way. Even the manual warns against extreme settings on this, especially at higher volumes.
There is an external footswitch that will allow turning on or off certain features — it’s not included, which is a bit of a bummer considering it’s really needed to tap into certain functions in a practical sense. Come on, Peavey. Let’s include a footswitch next time, eh?
Overall, if you need an ultra-compact bass head with modern features, plenty of power and great tone, this is certainly one to consider. With the street price being just $599, it shouldn’t be a hard sell.
PROS:
Great sound, plenty of volume, excellent features
CONS:
Footswitch not included
PRICE:
