hi everyone! I'm new! could you help me out? (MK IIC+)

[the_purist]

ok... I REALLY need help with my mark IIC+...

story:

I'm really a fan of Metallica and Dream Theater and I play progressive heavy metal. So... I found a near MINT IIC+ short head fully loaded and decided to buy it. I was expecting to have a very smooth HEAVY *** hell full sound like I heard on Master of Puppets or Awake etc.

So I tried the amp... ok... it was very "organic" and tried lots and lots of settings. no matter how much V shapes and mid cuttings I did and how high the gain was or balanced etc... I couldn't get that sound... it didn't sounded that heavy... many times I talked with alot of dudes raving and swearing about the IIC+ making it seem like it was HOLY... I can't find that holiness in it.

I do agree it sounds very good and stuff... but not exactly HEAVY for my progresive heavy metal band, and I'm the only guitarist in my band. Also... when I go to loud volumes... the amp simply sucks balls :? ...

I still have hope... I'm still wishing I can find that holyness in it...
whats wrong?... I'm dead shure the settings are not the problem...

I'm running my amp on a slanted metal grilled 4x12 mesa boogie cab with 4 MC-90s with my RR1 jackson... that's all, no effects or anything... just that.

how can I get that modern heavy sound from it? how can I make it not sound that "raw"?

some help please...

 

[the_purist]

I'm actually looking for something that can get near or even better than this sound clip on this page...

http://bareknucklepickups.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?t=2284

please... tell me I can make my IIC+ sound similar or better than that... what would I need?

I hope you can help this mesa mark noob... :shock:

 

[tony777]

he used the Engl powerball on that clip, which sounds a lot more scooped than the C+, so you won't get that sound, but check this settings out.

http://www.chain-metal.nl/mark3/?bg=2&d1=50&d2=95&p2=1&d3=35&p3=1&d4=70&d5=20&p5=1&d6=95&p6=1&d7=30&p7=1&p=85&g1=75&g2=25&g3=10&g4=25&g5=70&t=Try+this+metal

use this to start off, and then continue to tweak a bit more to your taste.

good luck, if you don't like the amp, you can always sell it to me.

Tony

 

[Boogiebabies]

Have you cleaned it up and retubed it?

Old amps are like used cars. Unless you have a history, you have to expect that they were not maintained. If they were not used is just as bad.
Go throught the amp amp look for bad caps, blown screen grid resistors, carbon spots etc. Clean the sockets and pots and retube it. I have never met a IIC+ I did not like. Even ragged out and totally abused amps sound good because they were used. More ofter, the closet classics are trouble becuase they were never used and all sorts of issue can pop up.

Anytime I get an amp I clean everything to perfection and then retube it.
Other than making sure it works before I buy it, I leave nothing to suspect when there is a tone problem or malfunction.

 

[the_purist]

Thanks for the settings... but you say that the clip sounds more scooped. James Hetfield tone sounds just as scooped as that clip with a IIC+. I just want to know how to get a sound similar to that and with that heavyness with my C+. Do you think a parametric EQ can get me there?

also...
something horrible happened tonight...

I was playing and the lights came out... the amp made a wierd noise and I turned the power off, and it made a hissing wierd noise! put the standby and still made a wierd noise and continued playing with no power :shock: ... and the amp died... now it can't even turn on or anything... it wont respond at all, it won't even start.

I was thinking to send it to mesa boogie... so that they could repair this problem and also do a complete scan and checkup on the amp so that they can leave it brand new working condition... (how much would all that be?)

what do you think happened? what can I do so that this problem won't happen again?...

thanks guys...

 

[Boogiebabies]

The Fuse Blew.

See previous post...

 

[tony777]

Do you think a parametric EQ can get me there?

Absolutely, you need a graphic eq if it didn't come with the amp. Go for the boss geq7

I was thinking to send it to mesa boogie... so that they could repair this problem and also do a complete scan and checkup on the amp so that they can leave it brand new working condition... (how much would all that be?)

Don't know but absolutely worth it

Good luck
Tony

 

[Boogiebabies]

You know, after reading your posts again, i think you have no idea what kind of amp you have and how to use it. You bought an amp and did no preventative maintenance and then you either blew a fuse or a the V1 preamp tube blew.
Now all of a sudden the amp sucks and it was'nt what you expected.
Come on and get with it. If this amp does not sound like the be all end all amp it is either in need of maintence, repair, tubes or you dont have a IIC+.
As far as MOP and Petrucci tones, they are multi layered and have been professionally recorded with heavy duty EQ's, Mic's, compressors and probably a Studer multi track reel to reel. If people dont realize that Petrucci mixed a IIC+ with a Recto or Triaxis, they are missing the point.
There is no doubt that with the right equipment his tone can be nailed.
I personally robbed JP's tone in my rig with two amps and one special pedal that runs a stereo out and blends the MK III and a 92 DR in Red mode.
I have happily copped the Images and words and Awake tone with this setup. For solo work, mixing a IIC+ into another IIC+ gives you a remarkable amound of serious gain and tone. Even alone it is is a remarkable amp. I am not nit picking, but noob or not you can do a few things to a 23 year old amp before bashing it. There are guy on this forum who not only share settings, but video clips. Mesie Booga/ Todd has had a few remarkable clips that are remarkable. My ultimate point is that very few problems arise with these amps and a little knowledgable advice will seem a bargain compared to a total overhual by Mesa.

 

[the_purist]

You know, after reading your posts again, i think you have no idea what kind of amp you have and how to use it. You bought an amp and did no preventative maintenance and then you either blew a fuse or a the V1 preamp tube blew.
Now all of a sudden the amp sucks and it was'nt what you expected.
Come on and get with it. If this amp does not sound like the be all end all amp it is either in need of maintence, repair, tubes or you dont have a IIC+.
As far as MOP and Petrucci tones, they are multi layered and have been professionally recorded with heavy duty EQ's, Mic's, compressors and probably a Studer multi track reel to reel. If people dont realize that Petrucci mixed a IIC+ with a Recto or Triaxis, they are missing the point.
There is no doubt that with the right equipment his tone can be nailed.
I personally robbed JP's tone in my rig with two amps and one special pedal that runs a stereo out and blends the MK III and a 92 DR in Red mode.
I have happily copped the Images and words and Awake tone with this setup. For solo work, mixing a IIC+ into another IIC+ gives you a remarkable amound of serious gain and tone. Even alone it is is a remarkable amp. I am not nit picking, but noob or not you can do a few things to a 23 year old amp before bashing it. There are guy on this forum who not only share settings, but video clips. Mesie Booga/ Todd has had a few remarkable clips that are remarkable. My ultimate point is that very few problems arise with these amps and a little knowledgable advice will seem a bargain compared to a total overhual by Mesa.

well...I really didn't bashed the amp. I didn't expected to have that problem and I will buy a power conditioner so that won't happend again. I have no plans on selling the amp or anything... It just seems wierd that I couldn't get some nice tones on the amp and all of them sound noisy and hizzy, so I suppose there is something wrong with it.

I will send it to mesa and they will fix all the trouble it has.

This is my first Mark amp and I really didn't bought it to copy those bands... I just wanted to use them as a guide, and YES I know those tracks are layered and all that studio stuff. Just wanted a really heavy sound from it, that's all. I know these amps are capable of doing it but I just wanted to ask for help because you know your stuff.


the amp does have the EQ on it. Just wanted to add a parametric EQ, but don't know which on to buy...