Fresh look at the Triaxis and 2:Ninety

[scottkahn]

In what was one of the more challenging in-depth reviews that I've written, we just published an in-depth review of the current Triaxis and 2:Ninety. Since many people are routinely asking questions here about getting a Triaxis, etc., I thought I'd share the link with my fellow Boogie Board Triaxis lovers .

http://www.musicplayers.com/reviews/guitars/2009/1209_MesaBoogieTriaxis290.php

I'm actually awaiting some confirmation of additional details from Boogie for an "Other Comments" section of the review where we will be publishing the official word on how to determine what version of a Triaxis you really have, phat or not, etc. including serial number ranges, and then info on the TX4 board to determine if your old Triaxis was retrofitted with the mod, or other ways to confirm which version you have (may be as simple as different settings in one or two of the preset sounds that were tweaked for the mod).

Happy holidays to all,

Scott

 

[gummx97]

this combination is destined to be a classic, or maybe it already is...

 

[masque]

great job....i enjoyed the review....I bought my triaxis in 1999 and have loved it ever since.....i use mine with a mesa 20/20 power amp and it sounds fantastic....my buddy uses his triaxis with a 290 and he has been on me for years to get a 290 as well....i've thought about it but the weight of the 290 and the freaking volume of that thing has kind of steered me away from them.....although i did talk my buddy into buying a couple of hot plates for his 290 that have made it much more manageable!!!! LOL.

 

[Danimal]

Fantastic review, thanks for mentioning!

The tedious editing of the SW fuctions can be made easier with the TriAxis editing software which is about as simple as can be to use.

I've been looking at the 2:90 to replace my beloved Randall RT2/50, this review may well have done the trick! :mrgreen:

 

[gummx97]

for me, the more important issue for the 2:90 is the weight rather than the volume. Volume is easily compensated for, but the weight...well...for an active musician, weight becomes a hurdle, not to mention the aging back/body!!! :mrgreen:

 

[scottkahn]

The weight is around 5-7 pounds more than the 2:Fifty. In my first Triaxis rig I had a 2:Fifty (and a 50/50 before that) because I was afraid of the extra weight. But when you build a rack around these items, throw in an FX processor, maybe a wireless system, and some other misc. gear, this weight difference is pretty much unnoticeable. Odds are you'll need two people to move your rig anyway . Plus, it's got wheels/casters, right?

As for the volume issue, keep in mind that you can drive a Mesa/Boogie Rectifier 2x12 cabinet beautifully with this if you don't want to be blown away by the volume through 412s. If your Boogie 212 is wired for mono, check out the Becos stereo jackplate -- best $30 I ever spent: http://www.musicplayers.com/reviews/guitars/2008/1108_BECOS.php

Scott

 

[masque]

yes volume can be "compensated" for as simply as turning it down but when you are running essentially a 180 watt class A power amp you are never going to benefit from the power tube tone as quiet as you have to play it.....the power tubes will never be pushed without running something like a couple of THD hotplates.

 

[Geiri]

Hi there rack dudes

If I wanted a simple way to control a triaxis/2:90 rig, could it be done with the boss gt 10, and also if I were to use that will it be sufficient to use only the midi cables or will I need to plug through the effects loop as well ?

Sold my last rack system 15 years ago and am starting to forget 8)

Thanks

Geiri

 

[scottkahn]

That would work very simply. Just a MIDI OUT from the BOSS to the MIDI IN of the Triaxis.

The GT10 would send MIDI Program Change Messages, and in the Triaxis, you can easily map the incoming PC number to any preset that you've saved. You could then have the GT-10 in the FX loop of the Triaxis.

Scott

 

[Geiri]

So it would be 3 cables on the floor from the gt. Hmmmmm Maby a tc g major 2 and a decent midi foot controller would be more up my alley. I hate floor clutter. Maby the rjm mastermind.

 

[scottkahn]

mastermind would work fine, and it accepts phantom power, which can pass through from the triaxis. you would have one cable on the floor -- a 7-pin DIN MIDI cable. You plug the mastermind's power supply (wall wort) into the back of the triaxis -- it has a pass-through power connector and doesn't generate the phantom power for itself.

g-major II would be a vast step up in quality from the gt-10. and no, i don't have any specific dislike for BOSS .

Scott