50/50 + studio pre , not what I thought (EDIT)

[Nick_cor]

So I came home today and I was suprised to see my package has arrived! I ran upstairs opened it up and hooked everything up. I turned it on and in one hour I could not find a decent tone yet. I realize mesas have a HUGE learning curve but this isn't my first mesa. I was playing fairly low volume, not that low, so can anyone give me any tips? I'm using all the settings when plugged in the mark IV. That sounded awesome, but not going into a poweramp.

So i'm sort of dissapointed. It feels that it has alot of low end even though I'm dialed in very low. ALSO my 3 adjacent strings get lost in the mix and when I play single notes I feel it still sounds too clean and that it's not distorting properly

 

[Nick_cor]

OK I GOT A DECENT TONE!!! but it would still help for some tips on how to improve!

 

[zamp]

Actually, i'd be interested in some tips as well. I too am using the Studio Pre Mesa 50/50 combination along with A G&L strat copy and 2 single 12 Mesa cabs. I have been playing more country (or Nashville type rock) lately and i have been having a hard time with dialing in a good distortion on the lead channel. I usually have the bass set to a 2 wit hthe mids set to a 5. I find that my sound is a little better if i run the Pre's output levels at seven and keep the power amp levels low. The clean side sounds pretty good, but i cannot seem to find settings with the lead drive and lead master. I have played with the EQ, but still I am not not crazy about the overdriven sound. Maybe it's time to throw a floor effect in the mix?

 

[Telelee]

I also just purchased a 50/50 Power Amp and a Studio Pre Amp but before I put them into service, there going to a good tube amp tech. I also have a 295 power amp I can use as a back up, but I just got it too and it must wait its turn to go to the amp guy.

I had the 295 and Studio Pre before and loved the sound. I also played Country (music with an edge) with it including a Carvin 2x12 cabinet with Carvin 100 watt Vintage speakers (I wired for stereo) and I also had a couple of other options for speakers including 2 - 2x12Mesa cabs (the ones with the metal grills and man could they peal some paint!) and the smaller 4x12 open back cabinet (wow, that one sounded the best for me) however, this time around I'm thinking of going into the 1x12 Mesa open back smaller cabinets only because I need lighter weight, smaller and something easier to move around.

My humble suggestion is, if you don't know the history of the amp, make sure its running correctly, have it checked out. There may be something in the signal path holding up the tone. You know its going to sound good because these are excellent sounding pieces of gear, so if it isn't sounding good soon after some dialing in, get a check up for both units...its amazing what a little attention can do for these tone monsters.

I'll see if I can give an update on my new rig, but it may be a few weeks or at least until I can settle in on some decent speaker cabinets. As a new Boogie Board member, I enjoyed reading the eariler posts as it helps to know others are faced with the same type issues and we get to see/read how others deal with the problems.

 

[Nick_cor]

I also just purchased a 50/50 Power Amp and a Studio Pre Amp but before I put them into service, there going to a good tube amp tech. I also have a 295 power amp I can use as a back up, but I just got it too and it must wait its turn to go to the amp guy.

I had the 295 and Studio Pre before and loved the sound. I also played Country (music with an edge) with it including a Carvin 2x12 cabinet with Carvin 100 watt Vintage speakers (I wired for stereo) and I also had a couple of other options for speakers including 2 - 2x12Mesa cabs (the ones with the metal grills and man could they peal some paint!) and the smaller 4x12 open back cabinet (wow, that one sounded the best for me) however, this time around I'm thinking of going into the 1x12 Mesa open back smaller cabinets only because I need lighter weight, smaller and something easier to move around.

My humble suggestion is, if you don't know the history of the amp, make sure its running correctly, have it checked out. There may be something in the signal path holding up the tone. You know its going to sound good because these are excellent sounding pieces of gear, so if it isn't sounding good soon after some dialing in, get a check up for both units...its amazing what a little attention can do for these tone monsters.

I'll see if I can give an update on my new rig, but it may be a few weeks or at least until I can settle in on some decent speaker cabinets. As a new Boogie Board member, I enjoyed reading the eariler posts as it helps to know others are faced with the same type issues and we get to see/read how others deal with the problems.

Hi, the gear is in TOP shape. After I had posted that I got this pretty **** good tone, I guess i was looking for a tone that could easily beat the mark IV, becaues that's what i've been playing through. I just find it , even though I can get awesome crunch tones for chords, i personally feel the tone isn't good for singel note, but i've been really busy with my calculus and physics :roll: so i'll spend more time tweeking it later!

 

[triodal]

maybe its not working for u cause the 50/50 is not a simulclass power.

 

[Nick_cor]

I never really used simuclass on the mark IV and even then all the tubes were 6l6s

 

[ytse_jam]

Hi, the gear is in TOP shape. After I had posted that I got this pretty **** good tone, I guess i was looking for a tone that could easily beat the mark IV, becaues that's what i've been playing through. I just find it , even though I can get awesome crunch tones for chords, i personally feel the tone isn't good for singel note, but i've been really busy with my calculus and physics :roll: so i'll spend more time tweeking it later!

are you studying physics? me too! i'm gonna finish the last exams before i get the degree.
so, would you say that maybe Studio Pre and 50/50 aren't exactly made one for the other? Although i play my studio pre through a mosfet poweramp (Randall G3 100 power section, two celestion seventy 80's in the cab), i find its tone to be really really good both for soloing and heavy rhythms. But where it shines in my opinion is in soloing: i can get the smoothest tone i've ever heard, and single notes are really big and fat and defined. I'm really in heaven when soloing with my single coil strat!

 

[Nick_cor]

WOW, NEVERMIND THE STUDIO PRE IS AWESOME!!!! I JUST TURNED THE POWERAMP REALLY HIGH AND THE OUTPUT ON THE TSUDIO PRE REAL LOW< IT"S LIKE HEAVEN!!!

 

[ursinus]

I don't remember how the sends are on the Studio, but I used to send the preamp out of my old Quad directly into my Strategy 400. The reason I did this is I heard added compression from the return buffer tubes when I hooked it up normal. I seemed to be able to get a clearer sound this way. Give it a shot if it is possible on the studio.

 

[ytse_jam]

I don't remember how the sends are on the Studio, but I used to send the preamp out of my old Quad directly into my Strategy 400. The reason I did this is I heard added compression from the return buffer tubes when I hooked it up normal. I seemed to be able to get a clearer sound this way. Give it a shot if it is possible on the studio.

is it safe? i know there aren't high voltags or currents, but does the pre have a right output impedance to match with the poweramp in this way?

 

[Nelg]

Out of curiousity, are you using the main or recording outs?

 

[Nick_cor]

Out of curiousity, are you using the main or recording outs?

Hey, try turning your poweramp up high up and the studio pre low, t his way will give you the tone you're looking for

 

[ytse_jam]

Out of curiousity, are you using the main or recording outs?

Hey, try turning your poweramp up high up and the studio pre low, t his way will give you the tone you're looking for

do you notice more noise in this way?

 

[Nelg]

Out of curiousity, are you using the main or recording outs?

Hey, try turning your poweramp up high up and the studio pre low, t his way will give you the tone you're looking for

This is what I do anyway, the sound is much bigger and natural sounding. But, I always use the recording out, when I use the main outs in the preamp, there is a terrible fizz that I can't get rid of, and it sounds permanently scooped. I'm quite happy with my recording-out-tone, but I'm just wondering what the hell I'm doing wrong with the main out.