Custom Footswitch for Mesa Recording Preamp

[user 19730]

Hi All, firstly let me apologise if this has already been covered, I'm new to Mesa Boogie having recently converted from Marshall...
I have a Recording Preamp (using live) into a Mesa 20/20 power amp - I love it. However, I find the footswitch very limiting considering all the great sounds that this unit can achieve via the front panel. Is there any upgrades or mods people have done to enable a modified footswitch to switch ch1-fat,clean,brit ch2-raw, vintage, modern ? My theory is that if you can switch the front panel switches in a live situation they must be able to be switched from a footswitch ? Looking at other Mesa products such as the Stiletto, this seems to be (dare I say it) a shortcoming of an otherwise brilliant well engineered product.

I have access to a full stainless steel engineering / fabrication shop, so I can get a footswitch chassis bent up and welded at basically zero cost, I'm a auto electrician by trade so I don't think the wiring should be a problem either.
I guess what I'm saying, has anybody gone down this road before and can they share their experience ? - I don't want to re-invent the wheel if somebody has already done this. Who knows, maybe if we come up with a bullet proof mod we can share the documentation and design ?

Any help at all would be greatly appreciated.

Regards!!!

 

[screamingdaisy]

It's been a long time since I last had my Recto Pre, but the issue with most of Mesa's multi-mode amps is that the volume levels between modes aren't volume matched, so using a footswitch to manually switch between clean and fat for instance will produce a volume jump, as will switching from raw to vintage and modern.

The only difference to that logic is that the Recto Pre is designed to switch from Modern to Vintage when you step on the solo switch, and it relies on the the solo output boost to compensate for the volume drop that normally happens when you switch between those two modes on other Recto's.

 

[user 19730]

Hey, thanks for the reply. I thought about your response, what if I could add a transparent volume cut/boost to the footswitch ? Centre position could be unity gain then you could either cut or boost the signal on each relative channel. Possibly, the trimmers could be counter sunk into the pedal to avoid knocking them around. One con is that you would have to plug your guitar into the footswitch then back out to your amp etc... Sound do-able ?

 

[screamingdaisy]

It's doable, but it would probably become tedious if you plan on gigging this setup.

If you need that much flexibility I'd be more inclined to add/switch to a Triaxis.

 

[94Tremoverb]

Adjusting the volume level from the footswitch would become seriously complicated. You probably wouldn't want to feed the signal out to the footswitch and back (likely to cause noise issues, and possibly instability - not something you want to risk), and the only other way to do it with the amp itself would be to build a logic circuit into the amp and have it controlled by the footswitch - certainly possible, but complex. If not that, you would need something in the FX loop that could be set to different levels and remotely triggered by the footswitch. (It must be in the loop, not between the guitar and the amp, otherwise you'll change the gain not the volume.) This would also be a fairly major electronics development task, to get it all to work right.

In other words, there is a reason why none of the Mesa amps with panel mode switches allow you to footswitch them...

 

[user 19730]

Thanks all for your replies - Mesa switching makes a lot more sense to me now.
Ok, trash the channel mode switching idea for now, however I might still talk to an electronics engineer friend of mine.

I read in the manual you can switch between Ch1(mode), Ch2(Vintage & Modern) - using the solo switch; at the expense of losing the solo feature.
Then do I need a volume pedal for soloing ? - I was thinking the Morley Steve Vai Little Alligator, this unit can either go in the front amp input or the FX loop - and has also got a minimum volume level. You say it has to go in the FX loop ? Before or after my chorus pedal ? I don't use a lot of effects ( Morley Tremonti Wah, Korg Floor Tuner, Boss Chorus Ensemble) - so I don't have a lot of experience in setting the chain up. (relied on a GSP 1101 for switching up to now)

I think for the music that we play (Covers band, 80's-90's rock, GNR, AC/DC, Eagles) that the Rec Preamp will be fine as long as I have 3 basic channels and a means to boost/solo each individual channel. If you guys have any other ideas than pass them on - thanks again for putting up with my noob Mesa questions. Such a different beast to the Marshalls I've always used.

Shayne, New Zealand

 

[94Tremoverb]

I would use an EQ pedal in the loop for a solo boost. That way you can set it for a slight (or serious!) mid boost as well as a straight volume boost, which will really help make your solo sound rise above the mix. You do need to put it in the loop, probably last (or you may overload any other pedals in the loop) not in front of the amp unless you want a gain boost not a volume boost. If the amp is heavily into distortion already that just makes it even more overdriven, not louder.

 

[screamingdaisy]

I read in the manual you can switch between Ch1(mode), Ch2(Vintage & Modern) - using the solo switch; at the expense of losing the solo feature.

You don't loose the solo feature. If you're already in vintage or raw the solo function will simply raise the volume to the level set by the solo volume knob. However, if you're in modern stepping on the solo button will switch the preamp over to vintage mode as well as boosting the volume to the level set by the solo knob.

The idea is that modern is a naturally scooped voice that is good for rhyhtm while lead produces a lot more midrange and is better for soloing.