Mark IV R2 uses?

[dmcguitar]

I've been browsing through here looking for as much info about the Mark IV as possible. It appears that most everyone uses the lead channel as there main Dist. channel. That's fine by me it seems to have the sound I want. BUT... What does R2 do? Can it do VH, or GNR? or is it really only good for AC/DC light crunch applications?

thanks

 

[mrd]

It's not a light crunch channel. R1 is a light crunch channel. R2 can get some very ballsy and barky distortion going when you turn it way up, and it's very tight like the lead channel. The MAIN difference I'd say with the Lead channel is that it has almost ridiculous amounts of (useful) gain saturation. R2 doesn't have quite that much, but it is still a very usable channel. It also cleans up very nicely (so does the Lead channel by the way) when you turn the gain way, way down. I actually use the Lead channel as a clean channel very often, pair up with my Road King. Just turn the input gain to about 1 or 2, and Lead drive to about 0.5 to 1.5 and it has a great singing clean voice. You'll have to jack up the volume quite loud though.

 

[ToneAddictJon]

r2 was actually my favorite channel on the mkIV, it was nice and full and wasn't as "surgical" as the lead channel. You've got to turn up the output to get r2 sounding how it should though IMO.

 

[Hailstorm350]

if you EQ your channels like most ppl on these boards do for metal then you'll have nearly no bass on the lead channel, R2 allows you to have a lot more definitive bass. Actually IMO, using R2 can be better for chugging because it doesnt have the flabby bass people describe (and I hear) on the lead channel.

Sometimes when I have my channels EQd differently (and probably wrongly) I can't go to Lead because R2 sounds that much better (more definitive, clear and crisper.) Also allows you to achieve a better more balanced tone used well with a full band.

my 2 cents :wink:

 

[metalblitz84]

I use R2 to envy the Lead channel and know who's really boss!

 

[trem]

Glad to see more people realizing the potential of R2.

~trem

 

[ibanez4life SZ!]

R2 is my main rhythm tone. It's the channel I use the most. Much less compressed than lead, and IMO, has more definition. Crnchy and aggressive as all hell though :twisted:

 

[dodger916]

My favorite channel. I can find most of my sounds here.

 

[eecamichael]

The best description of R2 is the "Rush" channel.

 

[devilrob1979]

Anything will sound good as long as the bass isn't too high. I generally go with gain at 8 or more and pulled treble at 8.5-10, mids at 5 and bass around 2 or 3. The key to R2 is to crank your output volume. You have a tube amp and while it may sound remarkably good compared to other tube amps at low volumes it really comes alive when you open it up. I usually have my output at around 6 or 7 with my channel volume at around 4-5 while playing with the band. Presence at around 3 or 4 and pulled. I switch back and forth between simul/class-a and pentode/triode depending on the sound I'm going after. Hope that helps a little bit.

 

[adrenaline junkie]

I don't have much use for it. It can sound OK, and pretty good with a pedal, but if I've got to use a pedal, I much rather prefer using the Lead channel with the gain rolled down for a crunch then it it with a pedal for extra gain. That sounds much better than R2 to me. It has some uses but I think Mesa is WAY overdue for a revamp of that channel.

 

[sbalderrama]

When I first got a Mark IV I was hoping that R2 was the "Cranked Marshall" channel, but it isn't that.

What it really reminds me of is my early Mark 1, plugged into the "high gain" jack to bring in the extra gain stage. Basically a pushed fender style amp, very punchy, very early hard rock style sound. With a gain pedal you can get a very fat, singing lead tone.

I was surprised though at how Marshally that channel becomes when driven by a BB Preamp. Suddenly the entire world of pushed Marshalls opens up to you and you find yourself jamming on some Priest, AC/DC, and Van Halen. :mrgreen:

 

[Vigo1999]

Anything will sound good as long as the bass isn't too high. I generally go with gain at 8 or more and pulled treble at 8.5-10, mids at 5 and bass around 2 or 3. The key to R2 is to crank your output volume. You have a tube amp and while it may sound remarkably good compared to other tube amps at low volumes it really comes alive when you open it up. I usually have my output at around 6 or 7 with my channel volume at around 4-5 while playing with the band. Presence at around 3 or 4 and pulled.

That's exactly what i do with my MkIII, specially on the 15w setting. the only difference is that i run the presence a lil higher (around 6-70 and the treble a lil lower (around 7-8).

The real trick with the R2 is that you must turn it up to release the best within 8)

 

[Tuna141]

I spend most of my time on R2. I like it much better than the lead channel. I find the lead channel too muddy and R2 is more cutting & vintage sounding. I even use it for the majority of my solos - I use it with the EQ for solos.

 

[fpoon]

Pick harder with feeling into the strings and you'll get yourself an awesome soloing/chord tone, at least it works for me. I use it for that and for when I'm picking seperate notes on each string and letting them ring out for polyrhthyms and all that other cool stuff. It doesn't have too much gain so it's perfect for that.

 

[OverDriven]

Here are my Mark IV settings. Try these and see how you like R2. I love it set this way:

And here are clips with these settings (although it's only the lead channel)

http://www.netmusicians.org/index.php?section=user&value=OverDriven