DC 5 Bottom end thump.

[Green2002]

Just a quick one, has anyone with a DC 5 found it to thump or woof in the bottom end when palm muting? On the lead channel the gain is at 8 bass 5 mid 4 treble 6 pres 8 and a V in the GEQ with the 80hz only to the first line master on 3 to 4ish and output to 4. I'm running it through a orange 4 x12 with V30s. It seems to go away for a short time after a power re tube. It has been explained to me as a issue with the power section not being able to deliver, kind of like a tube "clip". Is this so or could there be another issue with my DC? Cheers

 

[MusicManJP6]

For the tightest bass response turn the bass in the channel EQ down as much as possible and boost the bass with the GEQ. I run my bass at like 1 or 1.5 and have the low EQ slider at the top line. Try it out and let me know what you think.

Also, the combo is not going to have quite as much (or as tight) bass as a closed back. I'm running a DC-3 head through a recto 1x12...

 

[Green2002]

Cheers I will give it a bash. I was also considering trying JJ KT 66's out in the power section. Bob from Euro Tubes said he has them suited for mesa amps with fixed bias. Any thoughts on this? Will the different tubes help with the bass response? I think they should fit.

 

[MusicManJP6]

Sure! They will certainly help with the low end. Bob can easily pick out some Mesa spec'd tubes for ya so no worries on their performance in our fixed bias Mesas! If you go that route be sure to update us on the difference!

 

[Monsta-Tone]

I use my DC-5 combo with a 1x12 3/4 back Mesa cab under it. Both the combo & the cab have a C-90 in them.
I haven't tried to play metal with it though.
I just bought a Rectoverb combo to play with the DC for a new Metal band that I just started though!

I actually haven't really tried the 'V' with the EQ either, because I've always used the EQ for a Solo boost.


Adam's right though, closed back cabs tend to sound more tight for metal tones.
You might try a closed back cab under it and see what happens.

 

[lockbody]

There's more than enough thump with my 4x12 c-90/g12-65 half back, which is fully enclosed, and my DC-5.

 

[Sixstringpsycho]

I have played several metal bands with my DC-5 running into a standard recto 4x12. I found my sound was "flat" with alot of bass on the channel EQ. I run my treb 9 mid 8 bass 1.5 and V the EQ. I just tweaked until it sounded right. My DC seems to be really bass heavy though. BUT on the DC-5 in general for a tighter bass response keep the channel bass knob under 4.

 

[Monsta-Tone]

I guess that's just with closed cabs. I always have my bass around 6-8, but I always use open cabs, so it doesn't get flubby until I turn it above 8.

 

[Sixstringpsycho]

I guess that's just with closed cabs. I always have my bass around 6-8, but I always use open cabs, so it doesn't get flubby until I turn it above 8.

Agree, I use closed back so for me it is lower when it gets flubby, you use open so I bet it takes more, good insight monsta

 

[eschoendorff]

Just a quick one, has anyone with a DC 5 found it to thump or woof in the bottom end when palm muting? On the lead channel the gain is at 8 bass 5 mid 4 treble 6 pres 8 and a V in the GEQ with the 80hz only to the first line master on 3 to 4ish and output to 4. I'm running it through a orange 4 x12 with V30s. It seems to go away for a short time after a power re tube. It has been explained to me as a issue with the power section not being able to deliver, kind of like a tube "clip". Is this so or could there be another issue with my DC? Cheers

I find that this also has a lot to do with the guitar and pickup combination you are using. I have a flying V (Epiphone 'caus it was on clearance) and I put an Invader in the bridge. That one WILL get flubby of you aren't careful with the EQ. Also... the Alnico pickups I've used are also woofy at times. But with an EMG-81 or even and EMG HZ h4, the sound stays noticeably more tight. Food for thought...

 

[silentrage]

If you want tight modern metal tones from the DC-5 then you should try another amp.

I tried various things with my dc-5 and it could do pretty much anything BUT all out brutal, IMHO.
I tried a closed back ported cab, various guitars, alder body, basswood body, mahogany body, with a ceramic warpig bridge pickup.
I havn't tried different tubes but I think 6L6s might be the tightest you could put in a dc-5, but I'm not sure.
I also tried boosting with a OD and cutting the low mids on the GEQ and keeping the bass knob below 2.

With all that it got pretty close to a good tight PM tone, but still flubs/thumps a little too much.

However it's so **** good at everything else that you should probably keep it and maybe get a 5150 or ultra plus for your metal needs.

 

[MusicManJP6]

However it's so **** good at everything else that you should probably keep it and maybe get a 5150 or ultra plus for your metal needs.

good idea.

 

[kekam35]

The problem with master volume amps is when you crank the the gain you get pre-amp distortion, which sounds good at low master vol settings but when you turn up the master and output controls you start getting power amp distortion combined with pre-amp distortion which is why it loses definition and starts to get "flubby". Try turning your gain control down to about 6, treble 9, mid 3, bass 3-5, presence 7-8, reverb 0, master 4 and output 3.

Set the graphic as follows; 80hz-just below top line,240-just above center line,750-all the way down,2200-between center and top lines,6600-top line.

With this setting thru my Stiletto 4x12, I get a great "justice" tone which was super dry and super tight. If you actually listen to a lot of metal bands they use a lot less gain than you might think. Just my 2 cents.

Cheers, stay metal !!

Keith.

 

[eschoendorff]

The problem with master volume amps is when you crank the the gain you get pre-amp distortion, which sounds good at low master vol settings but when you turn up the master and output controls you start getting power amp distortion combined with pre-amp distortion which is why it loses definition and starts to get "flubby". Try turning your gain control down to about 6, treble 9, mid 3, bass 3-5, presence 7-8, reverb 0, master 4 and output 3.

Set the graphic as follows; 80hz-just below top line,240-just above center line,750-all the way down,2200-between center and top lines,6600-top line.

With this setting thru my Stiletto 4x12, I get a great "justice" tone which was super dry and super tight. If you actually listen to a lot of metal bands they use a lot less gain than you might think. Just my 2 cents.

Cheers, stay metal !!

Keith.

****, beat me to it! Here was my .02:

There are some who claim that the DC-5/10 has as much gain as a recto. Others claim that the lead channel comes from the mark IV. I guess it all depends on what you call "brutal." In my humble opinion, my DC-5 can get plenty brutal with my Marshall 4x12. It hangs with my DSL 50 without problems. It does, however, like my EMG-equipped guitars the best, though, at "brutal" settings. Also, in my search for brutal, I have also found that the real brutality comes from how you hit/attack the strings. If you are just doing some relaxed strummin, you won't get any brutallity at all. The DC-5 seems to be more sensitive to the dynamics of the individual attack of the notes. Hit them all consistently hard and you should get a more brutal sound.

Some other thoughts.... EQ can really help fine tune the sound. For example, with the gain at on the lead channel I can go from a glam rock setting to a metal setting by changing EQ and my note attacks. No change on the gain at all. I really want to get a parametric EQ so that I can mess with the EQ a little more.

Finally, the way these amps sound at volume 2 changes completely when you crank it to volume 4. That's really when the brutality starts.


FWIW, I agree with kekam35.

 

[silentrage]

Yeah I agree with the above, it sounds drastically better when it's cranked, but **** it hurt my ears, lol.

 

[edward]

The eq knobs affect the signal at the preamp stage; the GEQ affects the signal afterward, just before the poweramp section. Given this design, I've found that tweaking for best tone it is best to understand this. Like adding bass at the knob is dramatically different from adding at the 80hz slider. Same with treble. Same with mids. Experiment and you'll find the same. And this was even more apparent when learning my MkIII ...once I got it in my head, the tone I wanted was easy to get. And for tight "thump" that 750hz slider is very important.

Edward