Is boosting a Recto overrated?

[V3]

I use a Maxon 808 sometimes with my Roadster, but I like to think of it as seasoning food. It's nice to have, but not absolutely necessary for good tones.

 

[caustic69]

My experience with Mesa's is limited but I own a Roadster and have owned an F100 and a MKV 25. All great amps but I found the recto tone is my favorite of these for metal.

I have found that for really tight sounding, palm muted riffing, I get best results by boosting with some sort of overdrive. Not that it needs more gain. Just more defined, tighter low end. I could get there maybe by raising the mids but I prefer the overall tone when the OD is engaged.
I have experimented with different ODs and they don't all get the job done, or as well as others.
My favorite is the Pro Tone Keith Merrow OD. Very usable as a stand alone OD on a clean channel but sounds great as a boost into gain channel.
I tried the Pro Tone Dead Horse, which the Merrow is based on but it's not quite the same.

I have to admit I have never tried the BOSS SD-1 but sounds like I should give it a try.

 

[Jorn218]

I use a SD1 to boost my Dual. I used to use a Maxon OD808 that was stolen from my car along with some other stuff a couple years ago. I wound up liking the Boss pedal's addition to my tone than the Maxon for one it lacks the mid bump the Maxon or other TS types add. The Boss adds what I would call a cleaner type of push. I run mine level maxed out. Tone somewhat centered, I move it depending on venue/humidity but it never goes outside of 1030-130 area of the tone sweep. The tone knob is not as noticeable as a more typical TS boost pedal. The tone knob affects more of the tonal flavor of the gain knob. If you do not run any gain with the pedal the tone filter isn't really all that. When you turn the gain up a little you start to notice tone knob changes. I usually run the gain from 9-1030. Which is right before it negatively affects the amp's gain (read horrid microphonic squealing unless gated). This is enough to make Channel 2 or 3 with gain knob set to 1230-2 enter its Dominion zone. Articulation and percussive picking is perfect. At the same time tremolo rhythm picking gets just liquid enough to slightly smear similar to Kill Em All/ Hell Awaits/ Pleasure To Kill speed picked riffing vs an Anthrax type over compressed dry tremolo picking on say Spreading The Disease or second wave Bay Area Thrash.

I feel the SD1 bridges the gap between Recto and OTT pushed MV than into Mark amp areas. The SD1 is a overdrive with a more aggressive gain circuit due to the asymmetrical clipping. The version I have is a Japanese made pedal and the old Japanese Boss pedals utilize an ACA power supply which is unregulated supply and really needs to be hit with 12V DC to get the most out of the pedal. Running he old pedals on 9V will either show the LED power to be dim or not on at all.

Simply said, the SD1 kicks *** in front of a Rectifier amp and doesn't squash the amps signal like other od pedals do.

 

[stephen sawall]

I can highly recommend a VFE Dragon. The voicing is fairly clear and articulate. Can make for some extremely tight aggressive rhythm sounds.
I see the pedal as part pre-EQ. Part boost. The HPF and 6dB/12dB switch allows for complete control of how tight the bass is. LPF covers from cutting highs to smooth midrange.
Level has plenty of range to boost. Entire range of the Drive is usable.

 

[domct203]

Another good OD/Boost is the Horizon Devices Precision Drive. I'm hardly a Djent kinda guy, but it does add clarity and cut, and seems to really make the amp 'sizzle' in a good way.

I also like the Mesa Grid Slammer as a boost, it's a much clearer 'tubescreamer' that helps add clarity.

 

[MkIII Renegade]

The whole POINT of having a Mesa/Boogie is that you already have ultimate hotrod tone from the factory! I've never felt the need to boost any Mesa....

If anything, a clean boost could be useful.

 

[Jorn218]

After several years of boosting the front end, I had to go to rehearsal this last Wednesday sans pedal board. I was migrating from my old DIY board to a Temple board and needed a IEC female to regular power cable female extension cord to connect the board's power to my power brick adapter. MkIII Renegade is right, there isn't a real need to boost the front end of a Rectifier. I still used my 10 band EQ through the loop, but it wasn't necessary either. I had forgot just how heavy these amps are on their own.

 

[jcobb78]

Depends...... I have the Grid Slammer pedal (gain 0, volume noon, tone 2 o clock) and I’ve noticed the feel of my Dual is better with it on but if I really crank up the volume/tubes with the pedal off, the attack improves to where I could just forgo the pedal all together but I do dig it on.
I tried the pedal with my 6505 amps and those amps did not need it at all but I find that the Dual does benefit from a clean boost. Just my opinion...