Balanced volume between clean,LO, and HI

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Weird.

A guy was playing my Electra Dyne with a Strat at an outdoor gig. I could hear him fine on all the channels. I DO notice that if I set the gain trim switch to clean and run single coil pickups (Recently installed a push pull pot for coil tap on one axe) I have to open the clean trim pot to balance the levels. With Humbuckers, I often have the opposite problem where the clean channel is MUCH louder than the other two. Question, how hard do you play your guitars? The clean channel is EXTREMELY dynamic and is capable of many different levels of loudness depending on pick attack...
 
YJ makes a very good point. When I coil-split on my guitars, the clean level is low compared to the vintage channels, and I use the OD808 or a boost to bring up the volume. When I play with humbuckers (which I do 80% of the time), the clean mode is nice and loud.

Still, the clean mode is not GONE, just a bit lower. If you're playing single-coils, and/or running your guitar volume low, and/or picking very quietly, then you might need to add a clean boost pedal (micro amp, boosta grande, GE7, whatever) to even out your clean mode volume. But with guitar volume all the way up and some reasonable strum force, I never have a problem.

In my playing, it is very common for me to use a boost for various reasons, so I do it without thinking. But with my neck humbucker on clean mode, I pretty much never use a boost. And don't forget I always have gain trim set to clean. If I didn't, clean would always overpower the other modes. There's a reason that there is a separate clean volume control that CUTS volume. If you set everything to 12:00 (except master, which would deafen you), gain trim OFF and clean volume trim BYPASS, you should get plenty of volume from the clean mode with any guitar.

Also, I test the sound of my amp by muting the strings lightly with my left hand and smacking the strings with my pick. I get a HUGE Hiwatt-like transient pop that hurts a little. When my PI tube went bad, that transient pop went away, and overall the amp sounded a little soft, but still worked. Now I try that test often, and get a little reassurance each time my eardrums register that POP. You can't miss it - at high volume (master > 10:00) it's like getting punched in the ear. The only other amp I've had that does that is my F50, and it's even more obvious in the Dyne.
 
The part about "there is a reason" etc. I believe you are correct. I have never needed to bypass. I need a good amount more clean volume to equalize. This is what leads me to believe it is not right. That`s why the bypass is there!....You should have to bypass some of it according to the user`s manual..The two volumes are closer with Humbuckers but still not high enough clean. And with single coils on a strat....forget about balance!
 
jeffp said:
The part about "there is a reason" etc. I believe you are correct. I have never needed to bypass. I need a good amount more clean volume to equalize. This is what leads me to believe it is not right. That`s why the bypass is there!....You should have to bypass some of it according to the user`s manual..The two volumes are closer with Humbuckers but still not high enough clean. And with single coils on a strat....forget about balance!
Click to expand...

At low volumes, the clean channel totally blows away lo / hi. I was fiddling with it today.

With single coils, I have to run the gain trim switch in normal but when I do that, it balances fine. Just be aware, the amp has a TONNE of clean headroom so you can really dig in and get a lot more volume out of it. If you are playing like a sissy, you probably won't be able to hear yourself...
 
mine does not ever equalize-even with bypass...low volume...mid volume...high volume.........Doesn`t matter. I`m done. I have to say this amp is SMOOTH. Clean is outstanding, Gain is WARM! The RA i had was sounding awesome/mids were TOO MUCH.Clean was good...Gain was FANTASTIC! Both SMOOTHEST i`ve ever seen!But i can`t handle this split channel, shared eq`s, bypasses and no balance thing. I had to put an eq with 10DB gain in a loop just to get close on clean when switching w/ED. TOO MUCH WORK for something that is supposed to be SIMPLE? After one RA and TWO ED`s with mechanical problems(Quality control cards CHECKED from top to BTM/still bad units). i`ve had enough.Good Luck and thanks to all. I`m OUT... OUT.......!
The potential is definitely there for the best amp ever if the SHARED/SPLIT philosophy ever changes in the ED and the Atlantic series. Maybe one day they will make "THE AMP"
Somehow i think i`ll miss the Boogieboard and you guys more than this amp!
 
jeffp said:
mine does not ever equalize-even with bypass...low volume...mid volume...high volume.........Doesn`t matter. I`m done. I have to say this amp is SMOOTH. Clean is outstanding, Gain is WARM! The RA i had was sounding awesome/mids were TOO MUCH.Clean was good...Gain was FANTASTIC! Both SMOOTHEST i`ve ever seen!But i can`t handle this split channel, shared eq`s, bypasses and no balance thing. I had to put an eq with 10DB gain in a loop just to get close on clean when switching w/ED. TOO MUCH WORK for something that is supposed to be SIMPLE? After one RA and TWO ED`s with mechanical problems(Quality control cards CHECKED from top to BTM/still bad units). i`ve had enough.Good Luck and thanks to all. I`m OUT... OUT.......!
The potential is definitely there for the best amp ever if the SHARED/SPLIT philosophy ever changes in the ED and the Atlantic series. Maybe one day they will make "THE AMP"
Somehow i think i`ll miss the Boogieboard and you guys more than this amp!
Click to expand...

I have always been of the opinion that this amp would have benefited greatly from having a proper three channel architecture and I even wrote to Mesa Boogie and told them such. In fact, I almost didn't buy it because of what I consider to be design flaws. I have managed to get it to work OK and I have never had a problem with mine but man, I can't imagine what a headache this must be for you right now.
 
well;I don`t think theres a Mesa for me. I am looking at Marshalls and will probably go with a 210H JVM. Again I loved the cleans and also gains were smooth as silk...but i could not manage it together. I can only imagine this amp voicing in a conventional(USABLE) seperate channel, EQ`s,controlled configuration. I`d buy it today!........same way with the RA!.....
it`s not the voicing. That`s awesome! It`s the layout. Thanks guys.
 
It is a shame to ditch a well built and awesome sounding amp because of a couple of duds. It isn't like you're moving up in the world of reliability going with a Marshall.
 
i still think it was a "bad unit issue". But MB replied to the Dealer/repair service center....NORMAL... so i couldn`t fight it any more. I think MB was so uaccustomed to saying it was normal(about the volume bypass) for the ED they really didn`t listen to the specific problem as described way back. About the JVM it`s on the way and i can only hope for the best. It was hard for me to give up Handbuilt/Made in USA. I was very high on that and high on MB having had three(5;50,RA and ED)myself and a couple rectifiers in the family. The 5;50 was great. Moved on got the RA and personally could`t cope with the high mids. just wasn`t me. Nothing wrong with the amp.Then two ED`s......first would`t switch modes....and you know the story on the second. One thing stood out. All checkpoints on QC cards wer checked off and initialed from top to Btm. Even the# 83083 that was on and off/after initial plug in every time was all checked OK.Could it have happened in transit. Yes maybe.........
To sum it up when MB makes the same SMOOTH amp as this WITHOUT ALL THE COMPROMISES i`ll get one.And the RA was a better layout but still could have been better. It seems Mesa won`t go all the way with this series until at least another step is taken and another new amp is introduced. I WAIT! Thanks to all, jeff
 
What a strange, STRANGE mystery. I thought I'd HATE the compromise but I find that I dial in my dirt tone and then I adjust the level of my clean tone to match and it all works out in the wash. The amp is so bloody amazing.
 
My experience with Mesa amps is it seems they get really close on the design and then fall short when it’s finished. Don’t get me wrong I love mesa amps but they always have at least one major design flaw that you have to live with or they come out with a revision or you have to mod it. For me over the last 25 years it has been Mark III not a great usable channel switcher, Lonestar special not enough headroom and muddy dirty channel, Lonestar Classic too much low end in the dirty channel and not a stellar clean (totally my opinion and I owned it and used it for almost 2 years) Stiletto Ace almost unusable treble and presence and the ED not practical to switch between all modes in a live situation with stellar balance. This is just my personal experience. Every one of the mentioned amps have some great tones in them just not as user friendly as you might think. I think to really get the most out of this brand you need to own more than one amp. After all these amps the 2 I kept and continue to use live and for recording are the Stiletto and the ED. And by the way my ED has the same issues with the clean tone that Jeff is having. It’s been back to the factory for another issue but I was told that the clean trim was functioning properly.
 
Ya, the issue sounds like it is guitar related. With the 'volume' set high, weak output pickups will have a quiet clean compared to dirt since the signal is less compressed. With hot pickups, the clean channel will be LOUD because the signal is compressed much more on Vintage Lo and Hi. I have always found the clean channel to be louder than Lo and Hi, but I use pretty hot humbuckers. Of course, the compromises are annoying but for what I do, they are workable.

Oh, I also agree with the design limitations / flaws. My 2 Channel Dual Recto can do a good stiff rock music clean but it is primarily a rhythm amp. Red channel to modern is where the crunch is, and Orange Channel to Vintage is where the lead tone is. If I was ever to run and ABY box, I'd use the Dual Rectifier for crunch and lead and I'd use the Electra Dyne for clean.

The Electra Dyne works well by itself live for the more classic tones and in the studio, I'd just EQ each mode independently.


Generally, I think my conclusion is that the Electra Dyne would have been the 'perfect' amp had Mesa packed it with their usual array of features. I would have loved three fully independent and EQable channels as well as selecting between 90, 45, and 10 watts.
 
My "weak" vintage Strat pickups still balance fine, you just have to turn the volume up higher so that the vintage gain is compressing. Turning up the volume is a natural progression for me when playing a Strat to try and get some of the gain back that is lost from going from humbuckers to single coils. I can usually find a good spot from 2:30 to 3:00.
 
I agree with all of you! My thing is i could have bought a LP and pobably worked it out. That was one part of my initial "FIX". But i decided i won`t go to those extremes just to work out an OK solution.TOO MUCH TROUBLE. Not simple at all which is why i bought the amp!......seriously Yellowjackets last two sentences NAILED IT!
I would pay GOOD MONEY for that amp!
It just makes you wonder why don`t they do it?
 
I still think it's more than just a pickup difference. If that were true, then running volume a little higher or setting the gain trim switch off or to V Hi/Lo would fix it. Also, using a clean boost or compressor up front would fix it. All far less expensive than a new LP.

The volume control is ganged, with separate pots for clean and dirty. I suspect that Mesa either changed pot ratios somewhere along the way, or some of the pots have a jacked up ratio. So they measure OK on the bench, but the relative setting is different than on other units. It could be that they got a bunch of them that are similar all at once, so a dealer might have gotten 2 or 3 amps from the same build lot and they all act the same.
 

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