See this is the reason why I want to stay away from tubes! So you're telling me that having it on standby still requires a cab load? The back of the amp has slots for one 16 ohm, two 8 ohm and I think two 4 ohm cabs. If I have two 8 ohm cabs plugged in can I safely unplug one?
OK, will do on the MV settings.
Man I've really wanted a Matrix but they are so damn expensive! On top of just spending some cash on this gear. For the longest time (years ago) Cliff had made huge jumps in the power amp modeling. Do you think it's still not up to par?
Newer Mesas are better at mismatched loads, and INFINITE load (which is what no speaker attached is). Mesa uses circuitry to minimize the effect on newer amps. But, it's just never a good idea, on any tube amp having no speaker attached and powered, even in standby. In reality I would contact Mesa and specifically ask them. THe fact that you didn't blow the amp up, makes me believe you may be okay. Infinate load on an OT usually ends quite spectacularly. Output transformer basically takes high voltage, low current signal, and steps it to low voltage high current to the speaker. When no speaker attached, that current has no where to go, so reverses, and boom. As, I said, some amps have circuits to account for that, and keep it from blowing back. In standby, some amps, the current isn't making it to the OT, so no worries.
Reason, I mentioned, not a good idea, even in standby, is, there are more than one way to put standby in an amp. So, instead of remembering which amps are okay, with this or that, it is ALWAYS safe to follow the golden rule with tube amps, never have the amp on without a matched load plugged in.
Having blown up one amp, being sloppy like that, hate to see it happen to another.
On the 2 8 ohm, yea, if you disconnect the correct one (which might be either). Typically, when you have 2 8 ohm like that, when one is used, it uses the 8 ohm tap of the OT, with two, either the 16 ohm tap (and runs them in serial) or the 4 ohm tap (and runs them in parallel. Depends on the amp. Also some amps, you can use either of the 2 8 ohm for just one 8 ohm speaker, as the circuit only uses both WHEN both have a plug. Others, you have to use one for 8, and the other only when running 2. Not familiar with your amp. If it's the first doesn't matter, just keep one in. If it's the other, you have to keep the correct one in..