A Slut With No Personality

[Spherion]

... or at least that's how I've been describing my relationship with my Triple Rectifier over the last few days. It's like a hot chick that's crazy in bed, but has no personality. You WANT to keep her, but can't stand the rest of the stuff that goes along with the package.

LOVE, love, love the tone. It's exactly what I'm looking for. Yes, I like the "nu metal" (hold the tomatoes), wall of sound, crunch that the TR has BUT...

... I cannot, for the life of me, ...

1. Match a good FX level
2. Get rid of hum, even with a Pro Hush noise gate
3. Match a good level between the overdrive channels and the clean. The clean just doesn't feel like it has ANY punch/response to it. I would be comparing the clean to a Mark III that I had for a short time years ago which was totally punchy.

It's the FX level and noise issues that are really driving me nuts. I've spent about every night over the last two weeks trying to find one solution after another and I keep circling around to the same place that I started.

Guitar Center as a 30-day return policy. It's getting close and I'm SERIOUSLY considering the Triaxis. For those of you that have heard both could you PLEASE provide an opinion about the following?

1. I read somewhere that the Triaxis' master volume and FX loop are tied together (as is the TR which is virtually a NIGHTMARE for me). Is this true?

2. Should I expect noise/hum issues with the Triaxis as well? I'm thinking that my MP-2 is pretty noisy without the gate kicked in as well, but my Pro Hush has yet to silence anything successfully as far as I can tell.

3. I've read tons of comments where people are saying that the Triaxis is NOT a dual or tri rec sound. That's okay, I guess, if I have to give up *some* tone to at least have a system that I can work with. But, I DON'T want an 80's/classic rock sound. I'm not really concerned with soloing as much as a good tight, bottom end, rhythm. I DON'T want something that sounds like an amp model or an effects processed "copy". I bought a head because I thought I'd get a more "natural" distortion that way. Is the Triaxis too "80's"?

4. I've also read lots of comments that the 2:90 is an absolute necessity. I have an ADA G500S solid state preamp right now. I'll have to utilize it until I can do a second cash splurge, which could be awhile. I can live with *some* compromise for awhile. Will this thing sound like total crap with a solid state power amp?

Please advise.

 

[madryan]

IMO, the triaxis isn't going to do it for you. It's not nearly as aggressive as the Recto's. If you're going that route get the Recto pre and 2:100 poweramp. It'll integrate well with your effects at any rate.

My Dual Rec was killer, but I didn't want an amp that I had to mod to make the effects loop work. Also, Mesa preamp tubes suck IMO. Get yourself a nice Mullard Reissue for V1 and a Tung Sol for V2 and I'm betting you'll find the noise is better.

On the other hand, if you're not sure you want to keep it I'd take it back before doing anything serious, or before the 30 days runs out. It's simple to mod the FX loop to be serial which works much better.

 

[Pre-1000 Recto Joe]

The main problem with your Triple Rectifier is that any Rectifier after #999 sounds like ****. I'd return the Triple Rectifier and hunt down a Pre-1000 model. It has a built-in noise gate, 10 band EQ, and 7 other digital effects. The fx loop is serial also, and there's zero hum. They don't make em like this anymore!

 

[vic]

try the roadster

 

[kingster911]

The main problem with your Triple Rectifier is that any Rectifier after #999 sounds like sh!t. I'd return the Triple Rectifier and hunt down a Pre-1000 model. It has a built-in noise gate, 10 band EQ, and 7 other digital effects. The fx loop is serial also, and there's zero hum. They don't make em like this anymore!

I'm guessing this guy is finally defining the "that guy" character of the Board.

 

[nitrous2400]

i see where your coming from on some of this stuff i had plenty of problems with hum hiss and noise i run the tr with active emgs and a ts9dx thru the front end and my solution was running two boss ns-2 noise suppressors they cutout all noise that i have had and still allows me to run the tubescreamer and add a lil more gain without any noise

as far as the loop im running a bbe maximizer and a dbx 31band eq and between the send and mix knobs and the controls on the actual rack pieces its pretty solid. it just takes alot of adjusting and tweaking for days i dont have any noise in my loop but i would suppose adding a noise suppressor or gate in there would do the job, the only problem with the ns-2s are that they can be a slight bit harsh on tone and sustain and u have to carry around pedals constantly ... im still waiting to pickup my decimator to toss in the rack and deal with that

as far as the clean goes i really dont use mine at all its pretty much set up for an acoustic like sound with the mids completely scooped and running the neck pickup gets it pretty clean with the amp in tube rectifier mode and again if you have problems its probably an adjustment problem on your settings...id say check your manual and see if their settings are any better. but honestly the tr was never meant to have amazing cleans

and i havent been able to use a triaxis ....yet :lol: so good luck dude if u need any help pm me

 

[Shep]

Try the roadster!!!!

 

[MusicManJP6]

The Roadster has phenomenal cleans. I've got one for sale btw!

The pre-1000 rectos are sounding pretty cool...

 

[donbuyer]

Then, I switched to Monster Cables and that totally eliminated that nuisance.
Maybe a thought.
I currently play thru a 70's Fender Super Reverb but I am trying to gather info on Mesas. The cable cured it. Best regards, Don

 

[lailer75]

hmmm, never had any hiss noise issues with mine. i do not use the f/x loop though. emg`s into an overdrive pedal, into a rocktron hush super c, into the front end of my triple. once in a while i`ll use a delay pedal or a phaser/flanger, but not through the loop.

 

[Murphy Slaw]

Whoops.

I don't own a DR.

I thought you bumped into my ex wife.

Sorry....................

 

[domct203]

Previously owned an '01 Triple.

Now I own an '07 Roadster.

Don't miss the Triple at all !!

My $0.02

Dom

 

[fishyfishfish]

RETURN IT RIGHT NOW AND GET THE AMP YOU WANT. There is nothing worse then owning an amp you can't stand. You'll spend hundreds if no thousands of dollars buying pedals cables and misc. crap, just to polish a turd. And why your there, check out the Roadster.

 

[daveyboy]

Spherion:

Just a thought on the "hum" issue as my DR is
dead quiet through the speakers at any gain/volume setting.

Is it possible it may be a ground loop hum?? Does the amp still
hum when the effect isn't connected?? I chased noises like that
forever when I was running a rack setup so I sympathize with your
situation.

One other thing to check is your axe. I swore up and down
my Marshall was all abuzz. After days of checking the amp over
I ended up finding that the tailpiece on my LP had some
buildup/funk where it wraps around the height posts causing
a ground/continuity issue. Cleaned it and no more buzz.
Never was silence so beautiful!!!!

Good luck.

-dave

 

[Spherion]

Is it possible it may be a ground loop hum?? Does the amp still
hum when the effect isn't connected??

Yup, still hums without effects connected, UNTIL...

...I turn the FX loop down to nothing or bypass it (with no effects connected). I think I have two issues going on--a ground loop and an FX loop that requires that the SEND be all the way up. 'Makes for bad signal to noise ratio for sure.

About 10 minutes ago I disconnected everything except the speaker cables and the guitar cable. With FX loop off--still hum, but what I'd consider to be exceptable (CH3, GAIN setting on full blast). The hum was proportional to how loud I cranked it which is to be expected. 'Turned the FX loop on, raised the SEND level to twelve o'clock--hum was more obvious. Turned it down--hum went away. Plugged in one FX unit (TC Electronic M2000) and not really much difference between having it plugged in with the FX loop open and being unplugged with the FX loop open. I also had the amp plugged into a totally different wall outlet as to totally isolate it from anything in my rack (no chords touching, etc.).

 

[NoGlassNoClass]

Yup, still hums without effects connected, UNTIL...

...I turn the FX loop down to nothing or bypass it

V4 preamp tube?

 

[lyman]

somebody else already suggested this, but I'll add my vote to returning it. you might be happier spending time playing music, not struggling with the amp. the right guitar or amp should inspire you, not hold you back. i know that amp is complicated and can take a while to get dialed in, but it sounds like this might not be the best match for what you want out of an amp.

EDIT: of course, if it's just a matter of a bad tube or it needing a repair then see about getting it fixed first. you did say you love the tone of it after all.

 

[DaxNelson]

I've owned a couple duals, a triple, and 2 different triaxis/2:90 set ups. Since you talk about noise, I will say I find the triaxis to be more noisy than the rectifier heads. A couple of times when I was having Mesa service the triaxis units, I complained about the noise. They acted like they didn't think it was really all that noise, but with 2 different units that Mesa looked at for noise issues, I can say that a fully working triaxis is more noisy. The noise isn't really a problem, it's just more so than a rectifier head.

There are several different versions of the triaxis floating around out there, so be aware of that. Both units I have owned had LD1Red as a rectifier mode. When I had my triple and got my first triaxis in 2000, I spent a lot of time comparing the 2. I really thought I could get a tone that was nearly right on to the rectifier head with the exception that it didn't have that top of fizzle that rectifiers have - that sound that you just can't dial out of the heads. So... some people may find that this high-end fizzle/buzz type sound that sits on top of the rectifier tone adds to the aggressiveness of the amp, and you will not have that with the triaxis.

I would suggest trying a triaxis before you buy it for sure. I love mine, but it is much more of a pain in the *** than any head. Plus, it just sounds odd while you are trying to work out the sounds. I have been very happy with sounds I've gotten out of the LD1Red rectifier mode and the LD2Orange MarkII C+ mode. Having said that, I own an old dual and a triaxis now and I go back and forth. Triaxis definitely has more options, but there is something cool about the head.....

 

[Spherion]

V4 preamp tube?

Not sure. Stock tubes?

 

[NoGlassNoClass]

V4 (the 4th preamp tube from the right as you're looking in the back) is the fx loop send and return. Try swapping it out with a new one. Since it's not really part of the tone circuit, any 12AX7 tube will work. If the amp is new it's under warranty...they should just give you a new tube.