is there any usable volume past 4.5 or 5?

[tunta]

Okay i got my two 8 ohm mesa recto 4-12 cabs hooked up to the two 4 ohm jacks, and the neighbors were gone so i decided to turn it up halfway because everyone knows the louder you push the tubes the better they sound, not the case i put the volume on 5, channel 2 modern, output on about 3.5 or 4 , and it sounded like pure-t ****, it started breaking up and just did not sound good at all, Whats the deal,my tubes are not even 6 months old? It was LOUD and my ears are still ringing but it did not sound good at all.

 

[fluff191]

The Recto isn't a Marshall. It's made around the preamp, not the power amp, so cranking it doesn't have the same effect as it would on a Marshall. I have cracked mine out of curiosity and the tone and sound in general falls apart. If you want more volume, its time for a Triple Recto!!!!

 

[ibanez4life SZ!]

^What fluff said.

Though I LOVE the sound of my Roadster as I push it harder....at that point, I'd say it has a lot to do with what power tubes you're using. IMO, EL-34s break up more pleasantly than 6L6s....to my preferences atleast.

ALSO, a big thing that hasn't been mentioned yet...RE-EQ....your low volume EQ will always sound like **** when you turn it up...there are different frequencies emphasized as you push the speakers harder, so you need to readjust for that.

Final thing...the response of the amp REALLY changes when running at 4 ohms....try pushing it hard through one cab at 8 ohms. I feel the amp holds up better when running at 8 ohms...which is why I have two amps...each pushing a 4x12 at 8 0hms :twisted:

Eric

 

[YellowJacket]

I'm pretty sure when you get past 12 noon on the modern channel, you've basically maxed out the headroom on that channel. (afterwords, the poweramp begins to clip hard) The master volume and volume pots are designed so you can turn up Raw or Vintage loud enough to balance with modern on another channel since the preamp runs incrementally louder each time you add a gain stage. On my dual, the sweet spot is basically between 9:30 to 12:00, that is where it sounds best. I've put it on diode rectifiers and cranked the bugger. BOY does it get LOUD! Basically, you shouldn't have to turn up the amp over half, EVER! I honestly don't see how any drummer could ever keep up with that much juice.

 

[jtroska]

...a big thing that hasn't been mentioned yet...RE-EQ....your low volume EQ will always sound like sh!t when you turn it up...there are different frequencies emphasized as you push the speakers harder, so you need to readjust for that.

This is a very important point. It has to do with what audio folks refer to as, "the Fletcher Munson Curve". And it's not a fault of the amp, it's a fault in human hearing.

Basically, our hearing is disproportionately less sensitive to high and low frequencies at low volumes. Our hearing doesn't even out until the volume gets high. So when crafting tones at low volume, it's tempting to over-do the lows and highs to compensate. Trouble is, when that same tone is pushed at high volume, the extra lows can wreak havoc on the sound quality.

So you have to tweak your tones at the volume you will be using them.

Also, don't try to mimic the tones you hear on recorded albums too closely. Those recorded tones have been EQed and compressed beyond recognition to sound good through teeny iPod ear bud speakers. But they won't necessarily translate to concert volume.

 

[tunta]

Im not going 2 turn it up that loud again anywayz cause my ears are still ringing 2 days later! Please make it stop! Once again thanx 4 all ur tips and advice Guyz!

 

[volatileNoise]

Agree with most other replies here, but it is surprising how many people use the Recto, kinda back to front :?

There is definitely usable volume, with the right settings to suit each channel, but for instance the settings I run, kick *** and can go real loud in a band, but would be very disappointing if played in a bedroom/without a band at low levels...

 

[ad-iain]

Im not going 2 turn it up that loud again anywayz cause my ears are still ringing 2 days later! Please make it stop! Once again thanx 4 all ur tips and advice Guyz!

1st thing to note is USE EARPLUGS!!!!! Great tone doesn't matter if you can't hear it, and if your ears are buggered that "great tone" won't sound even half decent to someone with ears that can hear properly.

That said, basically second everything else that has been said.
Settings for low vs high volume must be completely different, (try using different channels if you dont need them all),
Even though amps go to "10" doesn't mean they should be, just as your bass knobs go down to nothing, doesn't mean they should be used in that way.

Have fun, tweak as needed and look after your ears #1.

 

[screamingdaisy]

I found the sweet spot on my master was around 4 to 6.

 

[mrd]

I suddenly feel like an outcast, having had my RK up to 8 master volume :lol:

Was running my gain at about 8:30 o'clock though... sounded pretty sweet.