Mark IV

[Stealth]

Hey guys got my Mark IV few weeks ago...totally in love with the beast...got a Q for you...I'm playing mostly the lead channel even for chunk so when It comes to solo time my beautiful creamy lead sound gets a bit lost in the mix at band practice(my drummer is soooooo loud) ...I would need another Mark IV with the lead channel louder...I've try boost TS9 but it puts even more cream onto my sound and not much more volume ...any Idea?
Stealth

 

[Boogiebabies]

Save your money and buy your drummer one of those plexi glass baffles.
If you want, buy a Simul 2:90, 2 4X12's and slave your IV out. Place both 4X12's directly at the drummer at full volume. Drum's? What drums.

There needs to be a little respect in a band and there is no room for heroes.
A BAND is not one person. You all must be heard.

 

[Stealth]

Totally agree with you man...the guy just doesn't know better...I used to play Pro in Québec and my drummers at that time were all pro also and all of them were very good at pacing their playing...never had that much problem with mix as I have now!!

 

[Shep]

put a small clean boost pedal thought the FX loop and hit it when you want to be loud..when i say small i am saying a couple of DB.

 

[Platypus]

Turn your amp up louder and use your guitar's volume as your control.. typically on a 1-10 scale of guitar volume, I stay at 7 or 8 on the knob for rhythm and then roll it all the way up to 10 for solos.

 

[Antoine]

Check your PM inbox Stealth :wink:

 

[Shep]

hey antoine i would like to hear wat you have to say..could you pm me to..

 

[Stealth]

Thanx guys ...Platypus,I already tried that and it doesn't cut it good for me Clean boost i've tried but not in the loop...I'll try this for sure...maybe work on my settings when I'm with the band would also help
Thanx a lot people
Stealth

 

[Nick_cor]

just tell your drummer to stop playing so **** loud or you'll leave, it'll work

 

[Antoine]

OK, Shep, here's the PM i've sended to Stealth (Stealth, i hope it doesn't bother you if i give my PM to others Forumers, this way, everybody will know my thougths about this topic :wink: )


"...About your request, i'm sure your Middle settings are set too low.
If you like my MarkIV tone, know that both my middle settings are set very high (RH1 and RH2 middle settings are at 8, and LEAD Middle settings is at 9) Most of MarkIV (and others amps) users tend to play their amp cutting too much middle, and it's a dargstic error iMHO !
Then, i cut the Middle with the 750 EQ Slider, just on the first line (i always play the amp with the EQ On).
When i try to lowering the middle on my Lead Channel, then i don't cut well in the mix (as you), and the way i set my amp is perfect for me, Live and in Studio, so give it a try and you will see if it works for you (settings depend a lot on the guitar, pickups, Cab and speakers you use, i use my MarkIV head with a Recto 2x12 cab loaded with V30's)

Don't forget to run the Presence settings High when playing live too, i set mine at 6 and pulled out, it helps a lot to make things distinct through all the cymballs noise of the Drumer and others instruments as well !

Hope it helps..."

Well this is the PM i've writed to Stealth after he's PM me about this subject.

Hope it helps everybody.

 

[Russ]

I am thinking that it is a question of mids also. Marshalls tend to be rather mid minded. That's a no brainer why rabies never had problems there.

I used to play Marhsalls a lot more than I do now. With the Mark IV you have to be careful about the lack of mids in your settings. It sounds great with that nice smile curve and a lower mid setting until you add the rest of the band. In my head, I consciously try to keep that in mind while being experimental because if you have to have less mids chances are it won't be heard or at least not heard as well unless your drummer and bass allow you the room to play something like that while providing their own dynamic that augments or compliments what you are playing with those settings.

On another note, how long have you been playing with these guys? Sometimes it takes a bit to claim your sonic range depending upon where the other guys want to be. I read on here recently that there was someone having issues with a bassist that was all over the place not really providing him room to be heard or even play anything. In that case it becomes a matter of whether or not the band needs: the complaining guitarist to learn to play in that environment, a different guitarist that can play within that environment, a bit of a beating on the bassist to put him back in his proper registers, or just a different bass player. Basically the confused guitarist needs to just have them drop so he can have the guts to be heard and stand his ground, let his playing and tone speak for him, or just walk away. There are plenty of people making music that are not so ego driven as to compromise the sound. As for drummers.... we all know they are not that smart :lol: Just tell him that he sounds better if he plays a little less and allows for the others in the band to compliment his playing. Fills are cool for both but bass and drum solos are something that allow the real talent to have a cold one and maybe take a leak or get a number.

Something else to consider is trying to use R2 or even R1 with some effects for your rhythm channel <--- what a concept... I know I am guilty of forgetting that the amp has more than the Lead. I just find combinations that allow the Lead voicing to get a little louder in addition to or using that volume knob on the guitar if necesary. If guitars were meant to be dimed all the time there wouldn't be a knob there... You might also try using your pickup selector. Too many people forget that they have different sounds available by using that too unless you are of the single pickup variety. Without tonal variety on a guitar it gets kind of bland always cramming the same sound down your own throat.

You might also consider getting another amp to A/B with or using something like a volume pedal or boost in the loop if loading the front end doesn't do it for you. I just had a novel idea... maybe turn your amps gain settings down a little too to allow for you to have some room to get louder.

Also have you tried changing your attack? Tube amps really respond to your playing style. If you play without dynamics you get exactly that in return. Think of a monotone speaker and compare them to someone that is changing their pitch and volume here and there. There is more to tone and volume than gear alone.

Sorry if I totally missed what you were looking for. I just kind of got on a roll. I find it amusing when you can just do a couple little things and remedy a situation when others get tunnel visioned and stuck. Not to say that you were tunnel visioned but sometimes we overlook the simpler things.

 

[Stealth]

Hey Russ thanx for your info and boy that was quite a statement ...almost phylosophical(is that a word? )...loved it man...that is food for thought!!...as far as picking attack, Im considered a good player,been playing for 30 something years(I'm an old man :lol: ) and my feel on the instrument is what other musician respect about me 8) But man I totally understand your point cause when i was teaching I remember watching kids complained about equipment after a year of playing and there feel on the guitar were horrible...but they were still blaming the equipment for bad sound!
Anyway thanx for your time man I really appreciate 8)
Stealth

 

[Stealth]

Rabies...I don't like the guitar volume trick for me neither...I knew that one would not work...I never had much problem with drummers either...and I've
played with power rock tipe-a-dude , Fusion guys , jazz dudes!
And that is why I agree with Antoine to say that it is a problem of settings and I'm gonna work on that...but thanx for your answer!!
I'm using: Marshall cab 4-12...as far as settings it is a new amp so I keep trying diferent options Class A-Simul...I'm trying everything but at the rehersal my volume was I thing at 3.5 not sure about the class,I remember I was on tweed power,mid gain my drummer was certainely not miked :lol: very small room.My main axe is a SG 61 RI. also play on diferent Ibanez RG(Dimarzio pups on all of them)
Stealth

 

[ursinus]

This is what I do. Set my eq with just the knobs and kick in the eq with an upside-down V so that the mids really crank for solos. Works great and sounds great. BTW pull the prescence out on the lead channel too. Hope that helps.

 

[Russ]

I am sorry if it was old hat Stealth. Sometimes I will personally fail to play without blinders. I too have been playing into my third decade. I so hope that you didn't feel like I was even insinuating that you had yours on but sometimes it happens and we just don't realize it. I get into these ruts now and again that take me a couple months to get out of. I think it is because these are the times that I can't play what I am feeling for that time if that makes any sense. I think that those are the times that it is best for me to take a break and find inspiration elsewhere instead of getting down and worsening the problem.

I think that you might want to just act deaf if they tell you to turn down. Blast 'em out of the water man... At this point in life it should just be automatic. Though it is a little bit of a pissing contest in the end I think you will be the one to win.

I know that a creamy vibe is great but sometimes you want something that cuts a little more like a razor, huh? I guess when I dial up the Lead channel it is more about a searing Lead or a Crunchfest as a rhythm channel. Either way it's all good. I do know that the Mark IV is not as easily pushed over the top as other amps to the same result while using anything into the front end. This is what has really taken me some time to really figure out about this particular amp. Unfortunately I cannot give you set your knob to this settings because even when I find settings that I like they change from guitar to guitar and day to day with different moods. That and everyone's ear is different. What I can say is that even when I feel like my tone is just mediocre for the day someone will come by and say that it sounds great. I think that might be partly becoming jaded with good tone and partly because others can't hear what is really in my head but it sounds good to them while I am playing. Basically my use of a boost or OD is more subtle than anything. It just gives me a little more to emphasize a little bit. It isn't like I get louder to the point that it seems like everyone else got turned way down and it isn't like a massive gain adjustment either in the case of someone just turning the gain up to max.

Like many others here and elsewhere I am still searching for that tone in my head. I know that the Mark IV is an awesome amp especially into say an EVM loaded Thiele with a 4x12 but I also know that it is different from my 1977 JMP plugged into my basketweave 4x12 loaded with greenbacks. I can easily dial what I expect from the Marshall. I think that is because of years of use. I cannot always as easily dial in the Mark IV. In fact, it usually takes a while to approximate the tone I am looking for. I wish this amp had programmable settings. Because the knobs are so touchy it is just as easy to knock one of them and kill your beautiful tone as it is to fine tune it. I think in time it will become as easy as dialing a Marshall for me but until then I am merely settling for what sounds ok for the most part.

Don't get me wrong though. I love my Mark IV. It can make some of my favorite tones quite easily. It is just me sometimes that is becoming too picky about it even though it can easily give me a little more bottom or top with a little knob tweak. I have to go back to the Marshall now and again to remember why it is that I got the Mesa. I can't expect the Mesa to sound like the Marshall or even act like it nor would I want it to. It is a totally different animal. I have had to get myself to accept the Mark IV for what it is and just be patient in the hopes that I will ever fully understand it. That almost sounds like my reasoning about my ex-wife towards the end of that gig gone bad. Fortunately, I can always sell this piece without too much of a loss not that I would though because it is a phenomenal amp.

I just remembered something... I used to have friends that I respected their ear and opinions on sound come to give me input or even go as far as to adjust my rig while I played. That part took some getting used to. Sometimes having some other objective ear is good too especially if you find yourself thinking that your tone is good but can't figure out why something else is not working or could be better.

What about your battery? Did you check your battery? or are you adapted?

 

[Stealth]

I'm not sure I understand everything you've said there :lol: but I certainely appreciate your comment dude.
Take care Russ
Stealth