Hotplate or Tube Screamer?

[xscottx9]

Hello. I am new here, been lurking the last couple days. I bought a used Dual Rectifier, and should receive it next week. My question is, what better suits the DR for High Gain, *LOUD* bedroom levels. The Tube Screamer/Boss SD-1, or a THD Hotplate?

Looking in the old posts I found a ppost by a guy named platypus? .. He posted webcam video of a problem he was having with his DR, .. I am curios if "you" read this, .. what volume were you playing at? I really liked the sound *CRUNCH* you were getting, and noticed you were in your *room* ..

Also, I have a DSL50, which I love for its Crunch Channel/Low gain setting .. That Gary Moore sound on the "Strat" pack DVD. I know the DR prolly wont cop that sound, .. but curious if anyone knows what I am refering to?

Thanks ..

 

[Platypus]

Hello. I am new here, been lurking the last couple days. I bought a used Dual Rectifier, and should receive it next week. My question is, what better suits the DR for High Gain, *LOUD* bedroom levels. The Tube Screamer/Boss SD-1, or a THD Hotplate?

Looking in the old posts I found a ppost by a guy named platypus? .. He posted webcam video of a problem he was having with his DR, .. I am curios if "you" read this, .. what volume were you playing at? I really liked the sound *CRUNCH* you were getting, and noticed you were in your *room* ..

Also, I have a DSL50, which I love for its Crunch Channel/Low gain setting .. That Gary Moore sound on the "Strat" pack DVD. I know the DR prolly wont cop that sound, .. but curious if anyone knows what I am refering to?

Thanks ..

Hi

Well you're talking about two different things here. I don't mean to insult your intelligence so I will explain it anyway, if you know what I'm talking about just ignore this.

The THD Hotplate is NOT a pedal, it is a power soak/signal attenuator, whereas the tube screamer and the SD-1 are pedals. The Hotplate allows me to set my amp where I would if I was playing at a gig and then it 'shrinks' that sound down to bedroom levels while still maintaining that cranked sound. I still get rich power tube distortion even though I'm in a tiny room (thank god I'm moving this week ).

I use the Tube Screamer or my Fulltone OCD as a boost pedal, simply to get a bit more fluid/chug out of my amp.. I set the gain very low on the pedal and let my amp do the talking.

Here's an indepth look into my rig:

Guitar -> TS9 Tube Screamer or Fulltone OCD -> Mesa Dual Rec
The THD Hotplate goes inbetween the Dual Rec and the Cab
FX Loop -> Boss DD3 Digital Delay

Dual Rec: (all settings are 'clock-face' oriented)
Here are the settings from the video

Bold Power Variac
Tube Rectifier
Channel 3: Modern Setting

Presence: 11:00
Master: 11:00
Gain: 3:00
Bass: 12:00
Mid: 11:00
Treble: 1:00 - 2:00 (to taste)

I use my guitar to control my volume so I set my amp for monster gain, then use my volume control on the guitar to go from creamy blues breakup to full on thrash.

^ There are all my secrets

As far as the low gain setting.. a Mesa just isn't a Marshall and never will be. That being said, there are some great tones that would be up your alley on Channel 1 with the 'Pushed' setting set or in Channel 2 on 'Raw' mode with the gain set low.

The only way to get the crunch you heard in my vid at that volume is to use an attenuator like the Hotplate. You can obviously crank it to get that sound but that defeats the bedroom level

Any other questions, feel free to respond here or PM me, there are lots of really great people on this board so fire away!

Oh, and my problem was fixed, it was a bad rectifier tube :roll:

 

[Boogiebabies]

I just refused to reply to a post with the word " Prolly".
At least now I can get my post count up.

 

[ryanj]

Platypus, Tell me about your OCD. Local music store has one and was thinking about picking it up. Want to use it in front of my Stiletto - Series 1. Hoping it will help push the amp "over the edge" when I need just a little more. Any thoughts or suggestions regarding this pedal. Am planning on trying it out at the store this weekend with my head. Heard great stuff about it, but want to know more from a players perspective.

THanks!!

 

[Platypus]

Platypus, Tell me about your OCD. Local music store has one and was thinking about picking it up. Want to use it in front of my Stiletto - Series 1. Hoping it will help push the amp "over the edge" when I need just a little more. Any thoughts or suggestions regarding this pedal. Am planning on trying it out at the store this weekend with my head. Heard great stuff about it, but want to know more from a players perspective.

THanks!!

It's a wonderful pedal, highly highly recommended. It takes a bit to get used to because if you put one control up too much, it's too compressed, and vice versa. I like it WAY more with EL-34 tubes than 6L6's so it should be perfect for your Stiletto. It has a really nice low end and high end boost but kind of a scooped mid nature, so the EL-34 tube is perfect for that since it's a midrange type of tube as it is, ESPECIALLY the mesa ones.

It was the only pedal I used with my DR until I switched back to 6L6's and now I prefer the TS9 again. I used to run EL-34 and EL-84 tubes in it.

The OCD responds really well to your picking style and to your volume control on your guitar. If you play harder, it will punch harder, softer if gives you a nice smooth tone. The lower your volume on your guitar the more apparent this effect is.

edit: And I've used it with a Stiletto Series 1 personally, I had that head for about 2 weeks and it was a great combo.

 

[xscottx9]

Thanks for the settings, looks like I will be buying a Hotplate.

ps .. Yeah, I know what the Hotplate is, .. I even know what pedals are .

 

[ryanj]

Platypus, Thanks for your thoughts on the OCD. Sounds like a great pedal. I tried it briefly through a VHT combo (I think it was called a Pitbull) and it was pretty cool. But I want to take MY guitar and amp into the store and see how it sounds. Like you stated, I was impressed with its interaction with the guitar volume knob and the nice "openness" (is that even a word?) of the gain. Not shrill and not boomy or muddy, but well balanced across the frequency range.

 

[CudBucket]

I just refused to reply to a post with the word " Prolly".
At least now I can get my post count up.

:wink:

 

[Platypus]

Thanks for the settings, looks like I will be buying a Hotplate.

ps .. Yeah, I know what the Hotplate is, .. I even know what pedals are .

I figured you did but wanted to make sure

Good luck, the DR is a monster amp

 

[xscottx9]

nice. thanks.

I bought the THD Hotplate lastnight, my Dual Rectifier should come in on Wednesday, cant wait ..

The THD did not seem to really do a whole lot for my Marshall DSL50 .. hopefully it will shine a little more with the mesa ..

 

[timmerel]

Too late if you've already ordered it, but I sold my THD Hotplate and bought a Sequis Motherload - does the attenuator thing, but has an extemely good speaker emulator for silent recording or monitoring of your amp. Worth checking out.

 

[diamondschwin]

nice. thanks.

I bought the THD Hotplate lastnight, my Dual Rectifier should come in on Wednesday, cant wait ..

The THD did not seem to really do a whole lot for my Marshall DSL50 .. hopefully it will shine a little more with the mesa ..

if it gave you better tone at lower volumes then the amp did by itself then its doing what its supposed to, i mean its not going to make everything great at tiny tiny volumes, especially if you are not one to rely on the gain knob for distortion (you enjoy pushing the speakers and power tubes)

 

[nocluejimbo]

Good choice. The Rectifiers never sound that good until you get the power tubes cooking. The Hotplate will allow you to do so at a (more) reasonable volume.

 

[xscottx9]

Platpus:

What Powertubes are you running?


Got my DR today, .. sounds pretty nice >back to the amp!

 

[xscottx9]

also .. with the Hotplate, and your settings:

Master at 11:00
Gain at 3:00

..this is insanely loud for Bedroom play !! .. hehe

 

[Platypus]

Platpus:

What Powertubes are you running?


Got my DR today, .. sounds pretty nice >back to the amp!

The settings I posted are with the stock Mesa 6L6's

Normally I use JJEL34L's and JJEL84s

 

[RR]

... The Rectifiers never sound that good until you get the power tubes cooking. ...

Gosh, last time I mentioned on this board about "pushing the power stage tubes" I get flamed down why am I pushing the power stage tubes on a Boogie when its all about pre-amp gain. :?

Shouldn't it be different strokes for different folks?

 

[xscottx9]

Well I dont need the Hotplate .. It sounds pretty good without out. Iam boosting with a Baber LTD "silver". Gain 0, tone 50%, volume 100% .. just adds the right amount of sizzle.

I have JJ E34L's in it, and it sounds pretty dang sweet. The Distortion on this thing just completely blows my Marshal DSL out of the water, .. exactly what i was looking for. Its clean, crunch stuff cant touch the DSL, .. but its Heavy Distortion .. yummy!! ..

I ordered some JJ 6L6C's this morning, cant wait to hear it in 6L6 mode ..

I am running it into my mesa boogie recto 2x12, it actually sounds a little tighter and more focused than my Marshall 4x12 V30's .. which is the opposite of what the marshall sounds in the cabs. Sure am glad I never sold this 2x12 ..

Peace..