CLEANING UP MY SOUND

[MiSeRY]

in addition to replacing the power tubes check the inner support of your cab.

take off one of the handles and inside you'll see a board that connects horizontally to the back panel and the speaker baffle board. mesa glues these supports to the back panel and after some hard playing they can come loose and sound just like a speaker farting out, especially with a lot of bass and volume. it may need reglueing.

my cab did this and it took me forever to figure out what was causing it.

hope this helps.

thanks man. i'll pop it open and take a look.

 

[Platypus]

Are you using the Dragon II set in your PRS?

Are you using the FX loop or do you have it switched out?

Post your settings for second channel.

If that is what comes stock in the PRS CE Standard 22, then that's what I have. Seems that when playing open the guitar doesn't sound too bad with those pickups but it suffers with the low end. Like I said though, even with pickups as hot as EMG's....I still get the noise (which now it seems may be a result of old tubes).

I have gone back and forth between FX loop and no FX loop, just trying to make a difference. As of today, I am not using the FX loop.

MAIN - 10:30
PRESENCE - 7:00
BASS - 10:00
MID - 12:00
TREBLE - 2:00
GAIN - 11:00

I had to ditch the Dragon II in my Custom22... just sucked for what I wanted out of it. If you're still having troubles with the EMGs then it's a different story.

Presence completely wiped out? That is making your tone more loose. Try something like 11:00 there. In fact, try these settings:
-------------------------
FX Loop engaged, output master at 12:00 (or to taste)
Channel 2: Modern
Presence: 11:30
Vol: 11:00
Gain: 1:00-2:00 (to taste)
Bass: 5:00 (I know this sounds weird and counterintuitive.. if you don't like it on 5:00 go to 11:30)
Mid: 11:00
Treble: 2:00

Use tube rectifier, bold power setting.
-------------------------

This is more or less for after you try out some new power tubes but give it a whirl now for grins.

 

[MiSeRY]

thx man. i have practice tonight, so i'll try it out!

 

[Platypus]

Sounds cool, definetly let us know how they work out.

 

[triple rectumfrier]

+1000 on the OD808. Also I use the FX loops in order to use the output and solo. I turn my channel masters down to around 8 oclock. then turn the output to around 2 or 3 oclock. This gets the power tubes COOKIN. Sounds absolutely amazing.

I have my gain around 1 oclock. The OD boosts it a LOT.

Many would say they HATE the Sonic Maximizer, but I have an 882i in my rack and it sounds absolutely fantastic.

I have a 3 channel triple rec

 

[siggy14]

Yes pedal in front, the purpose of the pedal is to push your pre amp tubes into distorting, so wont help the middle.

Ss to the AM/PM, that was me on lack of sleep, just take off the AM/PM's.

Here are my settings and I get a nice tight sound.
effects loop off
Master maxed
Channel master to room size etc..
Bass 12PM
Mid 2PM
Treble 2PM
Gain around 2PM
Presense around 10AM
Switched to modern
Silcone diodes.
Ibanez TS9 Reissue, tone set to liking, level on high, OD all the way off.

do you use this pedal in front of the amp or through the loop? how do you differentiate AM and PM when dialing in your levels?

thx

 

[Accio Recto]

Put some KT88's in there and you should be good in the low end department! What are you bass and gain settings?

Greg

well, i have changed it up a lot since trying to do some tweaking lately. i am admittedly a guitar PLAYER and not very good or patient when it comes to a mystery like the RECTO. i know these amps are great, but after having it for two years, i still have not found the magic sound that i'm looking for. typically the bass is around 10:00-12:00...gain right now is around 11:00-12:00, though it's not as high as i like, but any higher on the gain and it sounds like sizzled ***.

thx

I assume you're using the red channel. What are your channel cloning settings? Remember that the presence control on the orange channel has an effect in the red channel, especially if you have red cloned to orange. I don't know why this is, but it does that for some reason.

Back off the treble a bit, and you might be able to get some more gain out of it without so much ***, especially if you put an OD in front.

Also, try using Diode rectifiers and bold power settings. And like some others said, keep the channel masters low, just barely cracked open, and get your volume with the loop active master control. (You'll have to have the effects loop on for this to work.)

One other thing you might try is to put an EQ in the effects loop. I do that, and it helps the amp to not sound so sterile. Makes it a little more "hi-fi". But don't go crazy with it, just a very slight smiley shape on the EQ to start with.

 

[MiSeRY]

well, i used some of the settings you guys posted last night and it made a noticeable improvement. still breaking up a little too much, so i hope that the new tubes will make a difference. i also tried a metal zone in front as a clean boost and it sounded like ***. maybe i need a different OD pedal for that application?

 

[Platypus]

well, i used some of the settings you guys posted last night and it made a noticeable improvement. still breaking up a little too much, so i hope that the new tubes will make a difference. i also tried a metal zone in front as a clean boost and it sounded like ***. maybe i need a different OD pedal for that application?

Cool, I'm willing to bet you'll be happy with newer tubes.

On the MZ... that pedal sucks stock (I've owned 2, one modded and one not), way too sterile and shrill. You don't need anything that high gain for your purposes.. a simple OD will suffice.. and make sure you pull your gain down a bit on the amp as well.. too much gain = squashed tone

Borrow a tubescreamer from someone, can't be that hard to find, try it out with your rig before you buy one. There are a million and one variations on the theme but the basic idea will be discernable with a simple TS9.

 

[MiSeRY]

well, i used some of the settings you guys posted last night and it made a noticeable improvement. still breaking up a little too much, so i hope that the new tubes will make a difference. i also tried a metal zone in front as a clean boost and it sounded like ***. maybe i need a different OD pedal for that application?

Cool, I'm willing to bet you'll be happy with newer tubes.

On the MZ... that pedal sucks stock (I've owned 2, one modded and one not), way too sterile and shrill. You don't need anything that high gain for your purposes.. a simple OD will suffice.. and make sure you pull your gain down a bit on the amp as well.. too much gain = squashed tone

Borrow a tubescreamer from someone, can't be that hard to find, try it out with your rig before you buy one. There are a million and one variations on the theme but the basic idea will be discernable with a simple TS9.

yeah i'll try a TS and see how that does. i might be returning those G12's after all...

 

[triple rectumfrier]

wait. the orange channel presence control affects the red channels presence? Anyone to verify

 

[siggy14]

On the two channel yes if you clone it a certain way, read the 2 channel manual that you can get off mesa website.

wait. the orange channel presence control affects the red channels presence? Anyone to verify

 

[mlockett]

wait. the orange channel presence control affects the red channels presence? Anyone to verify

From page 11 of the Rect manual (2 channel)...

NOTE: When the CHANNEL STYLE SELECT feature is used and the Modern Red channel is cloning Red to Vintage (so that it
sounds like the Orange channel) - be aware that both the Orange and Red channels' PRESENCE Controls are active in the (bottom)
Red channel in this setting only. Some amazing sounds are possible because the two PRESENCE Controls maintain their respective
voicing differences giving you two regions of top end harmonics to play with in this Mode.

 

[triple rectumfrier]

this is only for the 2 channel recto then? no affect on the 3 channel?

 

[oyster]

Sounds like you need a solid state amp :shock:

 

[RoadKinger483]

I use to have a DR 3 CH. head and a 4X12 Standard recto cab a while back and the punch I was getting was AWESOME!!!!!! This is what I was running... PRS Custom22 with SH-14 (Custom 5) in the bridge and SH-2n (jazz) in the neck. Monster cables for everything including from the head to the cab (i found the Monster speaker cable made a BIG difference in my setup); except my pedal board which is all custom made George L's. The head was tubed with all Electro Harmonix tubes. EL34's, 12AX7's, and 5U4GB's. The sound was PURE AUTHORITY!!!!!! However, I'm now using a RK Series I 2X12 combo and I switched out the higher gain SH-14 bridge pup to a lower gain SH-1 '59 and I prefer this pickup a lot better. The DR or the RK both have enough gain to be able to push any type of pickup. The puch I had with the other set up is still there just not as domminant as before as I'm only using 2 speakers now instead of 4. The RK is also tubed with JJ's for the power section and Tung-Sol's for the pre-amps. I find JJ preamps to be harsh. Hopefully some of this info helps.

 

[MiSeRY]

Well, after retubing my Recto with JJ KT88's and the Hi Gain preamp section...as well as doing an X config in my oversized Recto cab with some G12-75's....still terribly unhappy. I'm going to try a BBE Sonic Stomp and a Clean Boost to see if that helps but other than replacing the guitar, the Dual Rec just may not be for me. This is a real pain in the ***... my old JCM 900 held better low end than this does. I still think it is the oversized cab. I hooked my rig up to my friend's regular sized Recto cab and it sounded A TON different....much tighter and less break up.

 

[triple rectumfrier]

oversized cab...thats weird, I have an oversized cab and it sounds amazing. I am more than happy with my sound. does your guitar have active pickups? namely, EMG's? I cant remember if you said it does or not. I am running mine with an ESP KH2 with EMG 81's, front end slammed with Maxon OD808, BBe sonic maximizer 882i in the loop.

Channel master (red) in between 8 and 9 oclock and the output master at about 2 oclock. Have it set to vacuum tubes (sounds way better than silicon diodes IMO) I ran silicone for the last 4 years...retubed and decided to try out the rectifiers after hearing the silicones and not being entirely happy. Sounds absolutely amazing. Back off the bass a bit, I am running mine at 11 oclock sometimes lower, I control the bass with the BBe.

AND DO NOT mess with your settings while wearing earplugs!!! Worst mistake I have EVER made, your sound becomes very trebly when you take your plugs out. Sounds absolutely hideous. Make all changes at band volume with out plugs in.

 

[MiSeRY]

oversized cab...thats weird, I have an oversized cab and it sounds amazing. I am more than happy with my sound. does your guitar have active pickups? namely, EMG's? I cant remember if you said it does or not. I am running mine with an ESP KH2 with EMG 81's, front end slammed with Maxon OD808, BBe sonic maximizer 882i in the loop.

Channel master (red) in between 8 and 9 oclock and the output master at about 2 oclock. Have it set to vacuum tubes (sounds way better than silicon diodes IMO) I ran silicone for the last 4 years...retubed and decided to try out the rectifiers after hearing the silicones and not being entirely happy. Sounds absolutely amazing. Back off the bass a bit, I am running mine at 11 oclock sometimes lower, I control the bass with the BBe.

AND DO NOT mess with your settings while wearing earplugs!!! Worst mistake I have EVER made, your sound becomes very trebly when you take your plugs out. Sounds absolutely hideous. Make all changes at band volume with out plugs in.

thanks for the advice dude. what kind of music do you play mostly? without the 5U4 tubes in, can you still use the vaccuum tube setting? reason i ask, is that i pulled mine out when i retubed the amp.

 

[MiSeRY]

i have also seriously considered running EL34's in my Dual. Has anyone else done this or have any sound clips of it?