Deal breaker?

[MrMarkIII]

OK, someone please correct me if I'm wrong.
It seems to me, from reading the manual, that when switching between the "modes" within a given channel, the gain and tone controls must be tweaked to optimize the tone of that particular mode.
Doesn't this just put us back to the much-fabled square one of "shared controls", so often cited as the reason earlier Marks sucked?
IOW, if my fave sounds are the "IIC+" and "Extreme" in channel three,
I'm SOL. Not only that, they're not even foot switchable.
Of course, I'm picking nits, but what are forums for? :lol:

 

[JOEY B.]

Doesn't this just put us back to the much-fabled square one of "shared controls", so often cited as the reason earlier Marks sucked?

I'm glad that you are the one that stirred the oar located in the barrel of ****. :lol: I love my shared controls.

 

[danyeo1]

I brought this up months ago and i got a lot heat for it. First i complained about the fact that you can't footswitch between the IIC+ mode and the IV. And a lot of so-called tone experts claimed that there's no need to switch between them, just pick one and be happy with it since at a gig nobody would be able to tell. So, i guess these experts think there's no difference between a IIC+ and a IV? Yeah, sure there isn't. I also have 500 acres for sale in the Arctic...cheap.

Anyway, the answer is no. You can't footswitch between the modes. You can only channel switch. And my other complaint is that they SHOULD have put the IIC+ on channel 2 then, and keep the IV on channel 3. Honestly, i could care less about any Brit style tones so they should have left off any Edge or Crunch.


Here's MY ultimate Mark V.

2 clean modes on channel 1.
Mark I and Mark IIC+ on channel 2.
Mark III and Mark IV on channel 3,

And MAKE the modes footswitchable.

Peter Diezel seems to have figured out how to keep the volume levels even on the Einstein, and Marshall figured it out on the JVM. Why can't Boogie figure it out?

 

[iFreedom]

Send mesa an email, how dare they! :wink:

 

[GIG4FUN]

I brought this up months ago and i got a lot heat for it. First i complained about the fact that you can't footswitch between the IIC+ mode and the IV. And a lot of so-called tone experts claimed that there's no need to switch between them, just pick one and be happy with it since at a gig nobody would be able to tell. So, i guess these experts think there's no difference between a IIC+ and a IV? Yeah, sure there isn't. I also have 500 acres for sale in the Arctic...cheap.

Anyway, the answer is no. You can't footswitch between the modes. You can only channel switch. And my other complaint is that they SHOULD have put the IIC+ on channel 2 then, and keep the IV on channel 3. Honestly, i could care less about any Brit style tones so they should have left off any Edge or Crunch.


Here's MY ultimate Mark V.

2 clean modes on channel 1.
Mark I and Mark IIC+ on channel 2.
Mark III and Mark IV on channel 3,

And MAKE the modes footswitchable.

Peter Diezel seems to have figured out how to keep the volume levels even on the Einstein, and Marshall figured it out on the JVM. Why can't Boogie figure it out?

I've been thinking this ever since I read that manual. I am really not happy about all of that. I am hoping the next "version" has MIDI so we can do it right....

 

[danyeo1]

Send mesa an email, how dare they! :wink:

Nah, it's just a friendly rant, not a deal breaker. But why did they leave off a Mark III mode?

 

[phyrexia]

OK, someone please correct me if I'm wrong.
It seems to me, from reading the manual, that when switching between the "modes" within a given channel, the gain and tone controls must be tweaked to optimize the tone of that particular mode.
Doesn't this just put us back to the much-fabled square one of "shared controls", so often cited as the reason earlier Marks sucked?
IOW, if my fave sounds are the "IIC+" and "Extreme" in channel three,
I'm SOL. Not only that, they're not even foot switchable.
Of course, I'm picking nits, but what are forums for? :lol:

No, you are completely missing the point. The idea is that the modes are different enough that you'll need to change the tone controls if you switch between say, "Edge" and "Mark I". That is, the same settings won't work well for those two modes.

I don't know why everyone complains about not being able to switch between modes. The Rectifier amps have only been set up like this for 15+ years and I never hear anybody complaining about being unable to switch between "Vintage" and "Modern" on Ch2, for instance.

 

[Don]

Believe it or not, I have the same complaint about my Express 5:50!
My two favorite modes are Clean and Crunch, both on the clean channel. I can't easily switch between them because I like such different tone, gain and volume settings between them!

I guess you can't please everybody!

 

[danyeo1]

OK, someone please correct me if I'm wrong.
It seems to me, from reading the manual, that when switching between the "modes" within a given channel, the gain and tone controls must be tweaked to optimize the tone of that particular mode.
Doesn't this just put us back to the much-fabled square one of "shared controls", so often cited as the reason earlier Marks sucked?
IOW, if my fave sounds are the "IIC+" and "Extreme" in channel three,
I'm SOL. Not only that, they're not even foot switchable.
Of course, I'm picking nits, but what are forums for? :lol:

I don't know why everyone complains about not being able to switch between modes. The Rectifier amps have only been set up like this for 15+ years and I never hear anybody complaining about being unable to switch between "Vintage" and "Modern" on Ch2, for instance.

That's because Rectos sound like crap no matter what mode they're in. :wink:

 

[SeasonOfPain]

The solution is obvious: you're supposed to buy two of them.

 

[jaquetapus]

The solution is obvious: you're supposed to buy two of them.

Took the words right out of my mouth. Set up an older school Petrucci style rig with 3 of them and a 24 space rack next to them!

-dave

 

[Melodyman]

Peter Diezel seems to have figured out how to keep the volume levels even on the Einstein, and Marshall figured it out on the JVM. Why can't Boogie figure it out?

I noticed this with other amp makes as well. Mesa's modes are designed around a volume jump for the change in tone, where as other types of amps that have tone shaping switches/buttons just change the sound.

Which would lower the usefulness of having the modes footswitchable imo, unless Mesa re-designs their mode voicings.

 

[Rufuss Sewell]

Honestly, i could care less about any Brit style tones so they should have left off any Edge or Crunch.

Haha, what were they THINKing?!? As if they were trying to make the amp to your specifications. Haha.

They SHOULD have left off edge and crunch because you specifically could care less about Brit tones? Do you know how ridiculous that sounds?

Sorry, I don't mean to be an ***, but I see this weird self centered attitude all the time when it comes to products intended for the masses. You do realize there are people who will buy the V JUST for edge and/or crunch right? I run a recording studio and I bought a V because of it's versatility. I know with one amp I can get pretty much any genre covered. But I don't need a channel switching pedal. I can't believe those idiots included channel switching when I don't even need it. Didn't they think to call and ask me first??? Haha.

Sorry for the rant, this comment just put me over the edge and I had to reply.

 

[nicoroy123]

I brought this up months ago and i got a lot heat for it. First i complained about the fact that you can't footswitch between the IIC+ mode and the IV. And a lot of so-called tone experts claimed that there's no need to switch between them, just pick one and be happy with it since at a gig nobody would be able to tell. So, i guess these experts think there's no difference between a IIC+ and a IV? Yeah, sure there isn't. I also have 500 acres for sale in the Arctic...cheap.

Anyway, the answer is no. You can't footswitch between the modes. You can only channel switch. And my other complaint is that they SHOULD have put the IIC+ on channel 2 then, and keep the IV on channel 3. Honestly, i could care less about any Brit style tones so they should have left off any Edge or Crunch.


Here's MY ultimate Mark V.

2 clean modes on channel 1.
Mark I and Mark IIC+ on channel 2.
Mark III and Mark IV on channel 3,

And MAKE the modes footswitchable.

Peter Diezel seems to have figured out how to keep the volume levels even on the Einstein, and Marshall figured it out on the JVM. Why can't Boogie figure it out?

The reason why Mesa have organized the amp like this is technical, and not because they are moron. :wink:
The idea is that there are 3 main preamp circuitry in the amp, a low gain, medium and high gain section.

Each channel’s voicing are using most of their respective channel circuitry while the voicing switch only trigger few different components and settings.
Since the IIC+ and the IV voicing are probably very similar in term of electrical components, it make sense to have them on the same channel, while Brit and Mark1 modes are well paired together on channel 2 for the same reasons.

So a possible solution to address that would have been to create four channels instead of 3, but a lot of electrical components would have been duplicated between a IIC+ and IV channels so the amp price would have been even higher.

Another solution would be midi, but again, the amp price would go up a lot.

Hi also complained a few weeks ago about not being able to switch between the IIC+ mode and IV. But I still think the amp is good, very flexible and nice bang for the buck so I won’t be stopped by that design constraint.

My 2cents

 

[theroan]

It's a pretty dumb thing to have that as a deal breaker. Does that mean you want the amp to look like this?

 

[rispsira]

I am probably wrong but i have the feeling that in later version they will include a switch jack in the back to switch between the C+ and the IV. I actually asked mesa if i could have this mod for an additionnal fee. they said they wouldnt do it themselves but someone could do it for me (of course the warranty would be void) the whole point is that they didnt make it sound too complicated.

Not being able to switch between the 2 modes is NOT a deal breaker for me. Actually let me tell you something: ever since the Mark Iv has been discontinued i have been visiting the mesa website everyday to see a sign of the Mark V i wont ever forget how excited i got when finally i opened the page by reflex not expectinmg anything and saw it! LOL the first thing i complained was about that. I do think that you shouldve been able to switch between the two and should not be compared - IMO - to other channels of say a recto that you cant swoitch. I will not get into why i think that i know a lot of you will disagree anyway, and i respect your opinions. The point of this paragraph is it still was far from a deal braker TO ME.

I wanted a stereo rig anyway so i bought two. I will be able to switch between the modes if i ever get the amps before i die and thank God i am completely broke. But i dont see buying two as a solution!

 

[Koadogg]

That mod should be easy to do. I was thinking of that a while back when people were complaining about the IIC+ and the IV on the same Channel. Probably could use the tuner out jack if you don't neeed it.

Scott

 

[Silverwulf]

I'm sure it's an easy mod, but I just don't see it as being practical without all new controls.

The Mark III wasn't included because it isn't really a staple Mark tone. There's the I which people knew, the IIC+ which obviously people knew, the the IV in recent years had a cult following. The III's...they're great amps, but never had that distinct following and identity the others had, not to mention you coudl probably use the IV or IIC+ modes and get close enough. Plus, I could just see people complaining now..."It sounds too close to my IIC+/IV mode...how dare they use the Blue Stripe instead of the Red, why didn't they use the Green, etc"...because no one really cares...

 

[Mungo Zen]

It shouldn't be too hard, just buy a second head, set one up for IV and one for IIC+ and run a switch....

 

[DaveDaveDave]

OK, someone please correct me if I'm wrong.
It seems to me, from reading the manual, that when switching between the "modes" within a given channel, the gain and tone controls must be tweaked to optimize the tone of that particular mode.
Doesn't this just put us back to the much-fabled square one of "shared controls", so often cited as the reason earlier Marks sucked?
IOW, if my fave sounds are the "IIC+" and "Extreme" in channel three,
I'm SOL. Not only that, they're not even foot switchable.
Of course, I'm picking nits, but what are forums for? :lol:

Since you're not going to find a switching amp that does the Mark IIC+ or the IV sounds in any single, product, and since you're dead set on those two sounds, you can only do the following:
Get yourself a II C+ and a IV
Get an old Mesa Studio preamp and mod it to C+ specs, put it in the loop of a IV or a V
Build your own.