A Slut With No Personality

[daveyboy]

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.).

Spherion:

That stinks man!!! Other than a different axe, cable or tube(s) as has been suggested I'm not sure what the issue is. Seriously my amp is dead quiet under those same conditions. Maybe check another of the same at GC with your gear and see if the condition persists.

Hope ya get it resolved.

-dave

 

[NoGlassNoClass]

Was your amp new-in-box or out on the GC showroom floor? Some less-than-knowledgeable salesman or customer could have powered it up without a speaker load (damage to output tubes and possibly output transformer) or switched it to the EL-34 setting (which will cook the 6L6 tubes pretty fast)

If a swap of the V4 pre doesnt cure your problem, take the amp back and exchange it for another one. INSIST on a sealed box. I'm not going to be the one to turn this into a Guitar Center bashing, but.........just get one in a factory sealed box.

 

[Spherion]

Sealed box.

Perhaps shipping had something to do with it (i.e., "Ace Ventura Pet Detective", heh).

 

[NoGlassNoClass]

It has to be a tube...you have pretty much eliminated everything else. I guess it is possible something more serious could have been damaged in shipping, but Mesa amps are pretty tough.

If you dont have any spares laying around (you should, if you're going to gig with a tube amp) try switching V4 (loop driver) with V3 (last gain stages) and see what happens. I'm gonna guess you will now have a good level to the FX loop on your clean channel, but Ch2/3 will sound like *** with the gain turned up and may squeal uncontrollably or make other bizarre noises.

 

[jaredrutledge]

i just played my triple for about 4 hours today (i'm finally home!) and with a mexican strat the thing is insanely quiet. as in, volume at a level that slaughters my brother's drum kit and there is no noise with the guitar volume at like 10.

 

[Spherion]

Gain settings

CH3, Gain = Max (just to eliminate all variables), eveything at 12 o'clock, FX Loop ON, Send 12 o'clock, OUTPUT knob in front at tolerable level (around 8 - 9 o'clock). Bold setting, silicon diode. Still no hum?

If I recollect correctly, if the FX loop is bypassed, there's not nearly as much hum.

Just curious.

 

[JPIndustrie]

Take it back and show guitar center. Have them take out another triple recto and see if its just as noisy.

That might be your best bet, as most guitar centers around hardly ever have the roadster in stock.

 

[Spherion]

'Had to get it from the Vegas GC since it's the only Mesa dealer in Nevada. I live in Reno (it's an 8-9 hour drive).

 

[NoGlassNoClass]

...If I recollect correctly, if the FX loop is bypassed, there's not nearly as much hum.

If the hum goes away with the loop bypassed, it HAS to be either the V4 pre or a ground loop between the amp and something connected thru the loop.

 

[ChrisCst22]

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!

Reading this before I did a search on the subject, I yelled outloud "WHAT THE F!! 10 Band EQ? 7 digital effects!" You gotta put the winking smilie after posting like that!!

 

[Spherion]

Called Mesa/Boogie.

The guy didn't really seem well informed. He insisted that the Output knob had something to do with the effects level although the MASTERS are what determine effects loop level when the FX loop is active (not bypassed). Plus they want ME to pay to ship the unit to them after I've already paid to have it shipped HERE in the first place and have never (apparently) had a working unit as of yet. Not very happy.

As a last resort before returning it to GC tomorrow, I've uploaded some samples. Tell me if this sounds normal?!?

NGNC, I switched the the 4th preamp tube TO THE RIGHT, looking at it from the back, with the fifth one, just to see if there was any difference. This recording is the sound of it while in those positions, which doesn't sound any better or worse. I just realized you were referring to a different tube so I'm going to go back down and switch that one out and trade it with another spot. BTW, the 4th preamp tube to the right came with the rubber seal broken on it which was why it was my first suspect.

http://www.philipwhuff.com/temp/MesaTRHumSamples/Recording1.wav
http://www.philipwhuff.com/temp/MesaTRHumSamples/Recording2.wav
http://www.philipwhuff.com/temp/MesaTRHumSamples/Recording3.wav

The definitive control which causes the majority of the hum is the gain control on CH3. This is most evident with the guitar plugged in.

 

[Spherion]

No change after switching V4 with the preamp tube next to it.

 

[jamme61]

bring it back before you get stuck with it. Get another one or better yet try another out in the store and see if you get the same hum. If you want the recto sound with killer cleans and more, get the Roadster, if you love Marshal tones, check out the stilettos IMHO. Also there are some rumors about a MKV comming out soon, you may want to wait a month?

 

[alex1fly]

And if you need your recto fix while you wait and do more research, pick up a little Spider III for 100 or 200 bucks, its a great practice amp and the Mesa model sounds surprisingly good. Then return it to GC via shipping because it isn't quite as heavy as a TR

 

[NoGlassNoClass]

OK...hum occurs with loop bypassed so that eliminates V4, the loop send and mix pots, and the output/solo controls as the entire loop circuit is out of the signal path. (BTW, Output does affect the loop, as it is the return level with the loop engaged)

You say the problem is worse in Ch3...not a surprise as this is the hottest preamp channel and will amplify any noise more than the other channels will..

The 3rd clip...no guitar/loop bypassed...seems MUCH quieter. The hum is clearly at 60Hz and most likely caused by a bad ground or ground loop.

When your loop is bypassed, is your rack also physically unplugged from the loop? With guitar plugged in...single-coil pickups? Is there a computer monitor or tv in the room with you (even if not on the same electrical circuit)? Electrical outlet itself properly grounded? Any devices plugged into the amp front end and loop sharing a common power supply? Are you using a power conditioner with EMI/RFI filtering?

I'm starting to think the problem lies outside the amp somewhere, but if all the above checks out, then there is probably a bad connection inside the amp somewhere...take it back and exchange it. All tube amps hum/hiss a little bit, but that ammount of noise is definately NOT normal.

 

[Stonge]

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.

wow....that's an interesting mix...

 

[Stonge]

And if you need your recto fix while you wait and do more research, pick up a little Spider III for 100 or 200 bucks, its a great practice amp and the Mesa model sounds surprisingly good. Then return it to GC via shipping because it isn't quite as heavy as a TR

Roland micro cube has never let me down. It's even battery powered if you need to go on the road! set to go lol. these are 100 bux barand new.

 

[nomad100hd]

have you tried it at any other locations, sometimes a particular house or room can make noise. 2 thoughts on the clean channel not being touch responsive. Maybe you should have went with a single or dual rec instead of a triple, basically the same preamp just less power amp and that affects the responsiveness of the amp. Also some stomp boxes will kill the responsiveness of a guitar due to the buffer if not true bypass.