help with Roadster / Road King II settings

[scott from _actual time_]

hello all-

i'm a long-time Boogie power amp user, really glad to have found this forum. i'm considering replacing my rack with a Roadster or a Series II Road King. i played a RK II combo for an hour this morning. the clean channels sounded great, but i couldn't dial in the dirty channels.

i need a high-gain metal tone with tight lows, like say early Dream Theater or Meshuggah. i was using the factory sample settings from the RK manual [like this one for Ch 4: Gain 1 o'clock, Treble 12, Mid 11, Bass 1, Presence 12, Master 8; diode rect., 4x6L6]. i was playing a mahogany Ibanez with a maple cap and high-but-not-insane output DiMarzio humbuckers.

my two main problems with the dirty channels:
the top end was sizzly and harsh, with the diode rectifier or the tube one. i tried dialing back the Presence, but it didn't help. what're some good settings to get a darker high-gain tone out of this amp?

and the low end was really loose and boomy on any note below the A string. especially on palm muted stuff--really farty. i play 7-string guitars, so they do go lower than normal, but still. any tips or tricks to get the low end tight?

thanks for any suggestions. i've already copied down some of the settings from other threads and the settings database, to take when i go back to play the amp again.

 

[confused]

I might be able to help.

What guitar and pickups are you using.

 

[tele_jas]

Try those settings on channel 3 instead, it's voiced just a bit different and bump the gain up just a hair to maybe 2:30 or 3:00. The combo just doesn't have a lot of low end and Rectifiers, in general, just really don't have a real tight low end and then you're going through an open back combo so it has 2 strikes against it if you're looking for lots of low end thump. I think the Roadster has a closed back combo, if you could try one of those out the closed back will make it tighter and maybe a bit darker to get rid of that sizzle you don't like.

Just some FYI: even with my RK combo, my sound man doesn't like me to run the bass any higher than 9:00-10:00 and when I try to and step out front I can hear why when I chug on the E string - WOMPH-WOMPH in the subs, but it doesn't sound like that through my combo?? I guess it produces quite a bit of bass but I just can't hear it in the combo.

 

[scott from _actual time_]

Try those settings on channel 3 instead, it's voiced just a bit different and bump the gain up just a hair to maybe 2:30 or 3:00.

thanks. actually, i did try those same settings on channel 3, because i had different rectifier and power tubes running on that channel. it still sounded really loose and flabby.

The combo just doesn't have a lot of low end and Rectifiers, in general, just really don't have a real tight low end and then you're going through an open back combo so it has 2 strikes against it if you're looking for lots of low end thump.

i know any combo isn't going to be siesmically thumpy in the low end, but this particular one sounded so loose that a different cab wasn't going to change it from night to day. i need to tweak the settings to get it closer, then worry about the cab.

when i play it again, i'm going to try using the Output as my master volume and running the channel Masters as hot as i can. maybe that'll give me more breakup from the power section and tighten up the sound.

thanks for the tip.

 

[ibanez4life SZ!]

Have you tried different rectifier tubes? I hear the JJ ones really tighten up the amp.

As for settings, try putting the treble and presence at 10 o'clock, with the mids at 2 o'clock.

This is a very different setting that what most use, but it takes all the harshness out. The mid control still brings back the highs, so all works well!

 

[scott from _actual time_]

Have you tried different rectifier tubes? I hear the JJ ones really tighten up the amp.

i'm not sure the music store would appreciate me swapping the tubes in an amp i haven't bought yet!

As for settings, try putting the treble and presence at 10 o'clock, with the mids at 2 o'clock. This is a very different setting that what most use, but it takes all the harshness out. The mid control still brings back the highs, so all works well!

thanks, i'll definitely give that a try.

 

[mloiaco]

Later tonight, I'll post complete settings, but for now, try this:

1. Channel 3. VINTAGE Mode
2. Change the variac to Spongy
3. Gain around 2:30-3:00
4. Bass no higher than 10:00
5. Mid no higher than 12:00
6. Treble greater than 1:00
7. Presence no higher than 10:00
8. Set the power tubes to 2x6L6 + 2xEL34

This sounds stupid, but make sure the guitar's tone control is all the way down...sometimes you can get flub if the tone is way up.

Also, speakers emit harsh-sounding high-end frequencies that you can only hear when standing directly in front of the speakers. Therefore, when you test the settings, stand off to the side of the speakers so you aren't fooled by those harsh frequencies.

Finally, I believe that using a RK 4x12 cab will greatly improve the sound over a combo. If you are willing to go that route, then try the settings using both the opened and closed speakers simultaneously. Closed speakers will definitely tighten up the sound, but I noticed on my RK that using both the open and closed speakers together gives an optimum blend of tight-focus and big tone.

 

[Finnster]

When I bought my roadster 2X12 combo I played it next to a RK 2X12 combo and found the low end much tighter and thumpier on the roadster. I could only figure it was due to the enclosed back of the roadster's cab. It is contained all by itself....I am thinking of adding a 2X12 recto cab to add to the thump! This wasnt the only reason I bought it over the RK....the money thing was a consideration as well.

 

[kingster911]

so if i use my 2x12 cab with my RKII combo then I'll get a more bassy sound for those hard parts?