Mark V Questions

[Monsta-Tone]

I'm still on the fence about getting a Mark V. I love my DC-5, but really wish I had a 3rd channel and a little more horsepower.
For those of you that know me, I have had just about every Mesa amp ever made throughout the years. I have been dialing in Mesa amps for over 10 years. I can find great tones, but I don't want to spend all night tweaking knobs.....I want to play the damn thing!

By the end of the summer, I am either going to have a Mark V or a Roadster. Just can't make up my damn mind!
I have some questions about the V......

1. All B.S. aside, is the Mark V as touchy about retaining a sound as the IV is?
I have had 2 Mark IV's in the past. A & B versions. I really liked both of them, but the deal killer was that I had the hardest time getting the same sounds every day. I would leave the amp in the exact same place, knobs exactly the same, same cords & guitar.
It would sound different some days.
A lot of guys here have said that this could be a power availability issue or that the voltage goes down slightly in the evening when everyone is watching TV.
I've been an electrician for over 20 years. I live on an island with some of the poorest power distribution in the US.

I don't want to hear how I can find any tone I want in the V. I don't want to hear about how it will cure my asthma too.
I want the straight up, honest truth.
Once I find my tones on the V, and document them, can I find those tones on a regular basis?

2. Is there any delay, popping, cutting out, etc. when changing channels?

3. On the lower power settings is the channel switching slower like on the Heartbreaker. I have noticed that the channel switching on Tweed power setting was very slow on the Heartbreaker.

4. Is there a drop out of the Reverb when changing channels?
I don't mind if it is minimal, but the Lonestar just seemed a bit excessive in terms of reverb drop out.
I only use reverb on the clean channel. It's always turned down on the lead channel/s.

5. Are any of you guys using a midi device to control your V's?
I'm leaning toward a G-System and a Voodoo Lab Control Switcher (in the amp).
If so, have you had any issues/troubles either getting your midi switching to work correctly?
Any troubles/issues after doing it for a while?

6. How does the Mark V take pedals? I usually have a boost or 2 in front of my amp and delay, chorus, etc. in the loop.
Has anyone had any issues with the Mark V and pedals?

I basically am looking for rock solid, incredible tones that I can recreate every time.
My band is about to start gigging (heavily I hope) and I need a rock solid amp that I don't have to think twice about.

 

[screamingdaisy]

I'm still on the fence about getting a Mark V. I love my DC-5, but really wish I had a 3rd channel and a little more horsepower.
For those of you that know me, I have had just about every Mesa amp ever made throughout the years. I have been dialing in Mesa amps for over 10 years. I can find great tones, but I don't want to spend all night tweaking knobs.....I want to play the damn thing!

By the end of the summer, I am either going to have a Mark V or a Roadster. Just can't make up my damn mind!
I have some questions about the V......

1. All B.S. aside, is the Mark V as touchy about retaining a sound as the IV is?

No... and yes.

The Mark V isn't as touch as my Mark III was when it came to sounding the same day after day, but it does still sound different on a day in and day out basis. What I feel is that a lot of it has to do with the amp's temperature (and perhaps the temperature of my eardrums). Whenever I start the amp up it usually sounds harsh and grating, and in the past I would start trying to EQ the amp to sound good. Then, over the course of a session I'd slowly keep tweaking the amp until the knobs wound up back in the same place they always end up. Wash, rinse, repeat.

Now I typically don't touch anything and just play it for the first 20 minutes or so, at which point things start to sound fine. Now I rarely tweak the amp unless I'm bored.

Once I find my tones on the V, and document them, can I find those tones on a regular basis?

I can consistently find my sound... I just have to be aware that it's not going to happen in the first 20 minutes of playing.

2. Is there any delay, popping, cutting out, etc. when changing channels?

No switching delay and the popping is no worse than any other channel switcher. The one exception is if you try switching from 10w to 45/90w modes and vice versa. There's a pop due to the switching matrix needing to do some fairly complex switching to get the amp from running on a single tube in class A to 2/4 tubes in class A/B. That said, switching between 10w and 45/90w modes isn't really practical due to the volume/headroom differences. If this is a gigging amp you're probably going to stick to the 45 and 90w modes, in which the switching is fine.

3. On the lower power settings is the channel switching slower like on the Heartbreaker. I have noticed that the channel switching on Tweed power setting was very slow on the Heartbreaker.

Nope. I think Mesa made changes to their variac circuit. It seems to focus on the power amp more and not brown out the entire amp like it did on the older versions.

4. Is there a drop out of the Reverb when changing channels?
I don't mind if it is minimal, but the Lonestar just seemed a bit excessive in terms of reverb drop out.
I only use reverb on the clean channel. It's always turned down on the lead channel/s.

Yes. They added the reverb dropout to compensate for the volume difference between the clean and lead channels. If they didn't have it switching from lead to clean would produce a very loud and obnoxious burst of reverb every time you changed channels.

5. Are any of you guys using a midi device to control your V's?
I'm leaning toward a G-System and a Voodoo Lab Control Switcher (in the amp).
If so, have you had any issues/troubles either getting your midi switching to work correctly?
Any troubles/issues after doing it for a while?

Yes. I own a G-System. The only issue I've had is that the relays in the G-System are slow. This would cause a problem when going from channel 2 to channel 3 where it would briefly switch to channel 1. I solved the problem by rotating through each of the G-System's relays until I found a pair that could switch faster than the others.

6. How does the Mark V take pedals? I usually have a boost or 2 in front of my amp and delay, chorus, etc. in the loop.
Has anyone had any issues with the Mark V and pedals?

Marks are the most FX friendly high gainer I've used. I figure it has to do with the heavy midrange content of the voicing.

I basically am looking for rock solid, incredible tones that I can recreate every time.
My band is about to start gigging (heavily I hope) and I need a rock solid amp that I don't have to think twice about.

The thing I really like about my Mark is that it cuts through the band pretty easily without getting in anyone else's way.

 

[Monsta-Tone]

No... and yes.

The Mark V isn't as touch as my Mark III was when it came to sounding the same day after day, but it does still sound different on a day in and day out basis. What I feel is that a lot of it has to do with the amp's temperature (and perhaps the temperature of my eardrums). Whenever I start the amp up it usually sounds harsh and grating, and in the past I would start trying to EQ the amp to sound good. Then, over the course of a session I'd slowly keep tweaking the amp until the knobs wound up back in the same place they always end up. Wash, rinse, repeat.

Now I typically don't touch anything and just play it for the first 20 minutes or so, at which point things start to sound fine. Now I rarely tweak the amp unless I'm bored.

I've noticed this about almost every Mesa amp I have owned.
I usually turn the amp on about 1/2 an hour before we play and just leave it on Standby so that it warms up really well before playing. Seems to help a lot!

No switching delay and the popping is no worse than any other channel switcher. The one exception is if you try switching from 10w to 45/90w modes and vice versa. There's a pop due to the switching matrix needing to do some fairly complex switching to get the amp from running on a single tube in class A to 2/4 tubes in class A/B. That said, switching between 10w and 45/90w modes isn't really practical due to the volume/headroom differences. If this is a gigging amp you're probably going to stick to the 45 and 90w modes, in which the switching is fine.

Thanks!
If I am using 90 watt for clean and 45 for distortion, would there be any loud popping?
I'm guessing that I will just leave the amp in 90 watt mode almost all of the time just for the solid thump!

Nope. I think Mesa made changes to their variac circuit. It seems to focus on the power amp more and not brown out the entire amp like it did on the older versions.

Perfect!
I think I would use the Variac setting far more than the 45/90 setting!

Yes. They added the reverb dropout to compensate for the volume difference between the clean and lead channels. If they didn't have it switching from lead to clean would produce a very loud and obnoxious burst of reverb every time you changed channels.

I figured as much. I actually built the circuit just to test the theory and even when the verb is turned off on the other channel there is a swelling sound. Bummer.
When I had my Lonestars, I wasn't playing in a band so the drop out bothered me a lot. I'm guessing that I probably won't be able to hear it with a band setting though.

Yes. I own a G-System. The only issue I've had is that the relays in the G-System are slow. This would cause a problem when going from channel 2 to channel 3 where it would briefly switch to channel 1. I solved the problem by rotating through each of the G-System's relays until I found a pair that could switch faster than the others.

I will probably just end up getting a midi switcher so that I can control all of the functions, solo, eq, etc. Sounds like it would work better with a switcher anyway.

Marks are the most FX friendly high gainer I've used. I figure it has to do with the heavy midrange content of the voicing.

The thing I really like about my Mark is that it cuts through the band pretty easily without getting in anyone else's way.

Those are the 2 reasons I have always had a DC. I loved my Tremoverbs (and the 3 2-channel Rectos that I've owned) but hated the FX loop.
I loved the Heartbreaker, but it just didn't really cut through the mix well sometimes.

Thanks for all of your help!

 

[screamingdaisy]

If I am using 90 watt for clean and 45 for distortion, would there be any loud popping?

No. The only problem is that your 90w cleans will be so thick and full sounding that it'll make your 45w distortion sound thin and pitiful.

I've gotten good results doing the reverse however. 45w cleans with the tube rectifier narrows the clean sound a bit while adding a bit of vintage bounce actually combines really well with the other two channels on either 45w or 90w modes.

I think I would use the Variac setting far more than the 45/90 setting!

My current favourite is all channels in 90w and in variac mode. It knocks off some of the headroom and lowers the volume while adding a certain character to the breakup that I like.

When I had my Lonestars, I wasn't playing in a band so the drop out bothered me a lot. I'm guessing that I probably won't be able to hear it with a band setting though.

The only time I notice it is when I switch from lead to clean at the end of a song and hear the reverb swell a split second after I stop playing.

Those are the 2 reasons I have always had a DC. I loved my Tremoverbs (and the 3 2-channel Rectos that I've owned) but hated the FX loop.

I can see that. The loop on my 2 channel Recto is junk. :lol:

 

[Monsta-Tone]

How much gain is available in channel 3 on the "Extreme" mode? I was just reading the manual and was about to ask if it had more gain than the IV when I saw this.

I would probably never use most of the options.
I'm guessing that I would just leave everything on 90 watts, loop always active, etc.
I'm not a session player and just want a bunch of stellar sounds for my band's music.

Too bad about the Recto loop. I have a 2 channel in my house right now that belongs to my neighbor. He wants me to ebay it for him.
I love the lead channel! If it had the cleans that I want and a better loop, I wouldn't even be looking at a V!

I'm thinking that I will sell my DC-5 and my pedals to get a Mark V and a used G-System.
I'll keep my DC-3 for a backup and a great grab & go amp.

 

[screamingdaisy]

How much gain is available in channel 3 on the "Extreme" mode? I was just reading the manual and was about to ask if it had more gain than the IV when I saw this.

The easiest way to explain it is that the Mark V's Mk IV vs Extreme is roughly equivalent to Vintage vs Modern on a Dual Recto.

I.e., it's basically the same preamp with a reconfiguration of the power amp and presence circuits. Thus, the amount of gain is the same but the response is totally different.

Too bad about the Recto loop. I have a 2 channel in my house right now that belongs to my neighbor. He wants me to ebay it for him.
I love the lead channel! If it had the cleans that I want and a better loop, I wouldn't even be looking at a V!

I probably shouldn't put this thought into your head, but one of the reasons I use a Roadster instead of my old 2 channel is because the loop actually functions well. I also feel that the Roadster's lead channels sound better than my 2 channel, although that opinion seems to put me at odds with the rest of the known universe. :lol:

 

[Monsta-Tone]

:lol: :lol: :lol:
There is a Roadster combo on Oahu that I really want! The guy is only asking $1,300 for it.
I wasn't sure about the loop though.
My short list is a Mark V or a Roadster.

After playing my friend's 2 channel Recto, the Roadster has really been on my mind!
I had one of the very 1st ones and liked it, but wasn't playing in a band so it was way more that I needed at the time.
I tried the combo in the store and bought the head. Should have bought the combo though because that was the sound I was looking for!

 

[JAMc]

Regarding midi switching, I've been very happy with my RJM mini amp gizmo with the RJM Mark V cable. It switches very fast and controls all 8 functions, as opposed to the VL Control Switcher which only does 4.

 

[Monsta-Tone]

Regarding midi switching, I've been very happy with my RJM mini amp gizmo with the RJM Mark V cable. It switches very fast and controls all 8 functions, as opposed to the VL Control Switcher which only does 4.

Right on, good info!

 

[flimz]

Regarding midi switching, I've been very happy with my RJM mini amp gizmo with the RJM Mark V cable. It switches very fast and controls all 8 functions, as opposed to the VL Control Switcher which only does 4.

I also used an RJM mini amp gizmo, and it was awesome!

 

[NOWAYBACK]

Hi Monsta,

Great interchange in this post!
I would add to screamingdaisy´s comments the following:

All B.S. aside, is the Mark V as touchy about retaining a sound as the IV is?

I own a Mark V, a Dual Recto reborn and a Marshall JVM. One thing I´ve learned (maybe because of my audiophile past) is that you are NEVER fully satisfied with the tone; you will be chasing yours forever, it has to do more with a psyco-related thing (or psycho-acustics for that matter) that with voltage variations. The Mark´s endless tone possibilities certainly won´t help, especially considering its midrange focus that makes things even more noticeable. This amp will not forgive any weakness in your sound chain, especially your guitar pickups - EMG actives IMO express their added circuitry and limitations through this amp more noticeably than with other amps, with negative results.

How does the Mark V take pedals?

IMO channel 2 crunch takes overdrive pedals very well, same as a Marshall (which this mode is aimed tone-wise). I assume the clean channel will also take them fine, but doubt about channel 3.


And the loop...well, I can tell you it is VERY sensitive to your effects´s (line level a must) impedance, and what´s worse, it leaks dry signal so you can have some undesired phasing issues especially at low level, practicing volumes (where the spectrum extremes are sensibly cut) - you have to get a good match for it, not all pro-quality, line level effects go well with the Mark V.

As a general thought, this amp is your laser-precission tone weapon, it will demand the very best from the outside and from your gear-matching patience and willingness. Once you get it the way you like it, it is deeply gratifying. If you have other amps, you will find yourself going back and forth, maybe distracting from the main issue which is music, inspiration and sheer rock´n´roll power- but that is something practically unavoidable IMO.

For recording purposes, it is simply outstanding, probably your best choice depending on your music style. You may find yourself searching for some other mikes, appart from the obvious SM57, to get the best results - of course it depends on the cab, speakers, recording technique and a lot of other factors.

Hope this helps :wink:

Best,
Marcelo