Marktifier...an experiment

[NoGlassNoClass]

Okay, lately everyone seems to want to make their DR/TR's super-tight and more "Markish" sounding. The typical response is "ain't gonna happen-get a Mark 2C+, 3, 4, whatever", or "boost the hell out of it" (which does tighten things up quite a bit, but there are tonal compromises).

In Mark-series amps, the tone stack comes before the preamp's gain stages with the graphic EQ coming after. In Rectos, the tone stack is post-gain...which gave me an idea.... :idea:

Boost the Recto with an EQ pedal (which I was already doing), treating the pedal as if it were the tone stack of a Mark...typically making severe cuts in the lows, flat-to-slight-boost mids, boost highs. Now take the Recto's tone controls and give 'em what would ammount to the V-curve typical of Mark-series heavy tones...boost lows, cut mids, etc.

Now I realize it seems counter-intuitive to set a Recto like that, but if it were fed an EQ'ed signal like that.......

Seems good in theory, but I wont be able to try it 'till tomorrow (my Triple is at the rehearsal space). What do you guys think?

 

[ibanez4life SZ!]

I still think there is more to the Mark series' magic, but it definitely sounds like a cool like experiment.

 

[NoGlassNoClass]

...more to the Mark series' magic...

Sure there is...especially the simul-class thing. Not exactly (or even close) to the platoon of 6L6's in a Trip. Then there's the Recto hyperactive presence knob on CH3, the modern mode.........

We'll see what happens

*edit* 21 views and one response....hopefully someone is trying this right now

 

[Johnson]

I'd like to hear how the experiment turns out! interesting idea!

 

[JamesD]

This does sound interesting, if my pedal bag was here with me i would try it right now, but my eq is in it. Can't wait to hear results on it.

 

[NoGlassNoClass]

This is going to take some time to dial in, but may be worth the effort. First impression was similar to boosting with a 808/ts9 type overdrive...typical loss of bottom, upper-mid spike (which I find annoying, especially using V30's), amp was much tighter than without a boost, but no more so than usual when boosted.

To start with settings were my typical Recto heavy (posted here several times...nothing out of the ordinary). MXR 10-band with the Gain flat, Vol +6dB, 31HZ full cut, with a smooth curve up to approx +3dB at 1K and 2K, flat from there up. Sounds like a tubescreamer.

So I turned up the Bass on the amp to about 1:30, and lowered the Mid to 9:00, left the Treb at noon, Pres 10:30 (this is Ch3 Modern). Cut a little at 500 Hz, 1K flat. Certainly not a Mark, but much fuller without boom/flub.

1K back up to +3 and a slight boost at 4K...now we're getting somewhere. Switched to Ch2 Vintage, same settings on the MXR, same amp EQ exc Pres up to around 12:30. Also very nice...no Mark here either, but a VERY different flavor of Recto.

Ch1 Clean is destroyed...will have to completely rework the cleans, but my ears were shot so it will have to wait. Rehearsal with full band Wed night so we'll see how it sits w/ the other instruments.

Also possibly of interest, the input impedance on the EQ pedal is only 470K Ohms. Maybe I should put it AFTER my wah (>1meg imp, decent buffer) to avoid any weird loading on the pickups???

 

[Anonymous]

Post removed.

 

[NoGlassNoClass]

Put in about 3 hrs at stage volume with full band. As usual with anything Recto, it would seem moderate settings work best. I ended up with the same basic curve on the EQ, just not as as radical cuts/boosts. As well as on the amp...less bass boost, less mid cut, etc.

31.25...62.5...125...250...500...1k......2k......4k...8k...16k
-8dB....-6dB...-3...-slight..flat...flat..+slight..+4...flat...-3
EQ Gain Flat, EQ Vol +9dB, EQ always ON

Amp Bass 12:30, Mid 10:00, Treb 12:00 on all 3 channels
Ch1 clean, Gain 12:00, Master 11:30, Pres 1:00
Ch2 Vintage, Gain 2:00, Master 11:00, Pres 12:00
Ch3 Modern, Gain 1:30, Master 9:30, Pres 10:00
Output 11:00, Solo 9:00, Bold, Tubes (5AR4)

2 Recto 4x12's w/V30s, mahogany guitar w/ moderately hot passives
GTR > EQ > WAH > ISP > AMP ... Delay and Reverb in FX loop.
Mesa STR 440's, v1 SPAX7, v2,3 JJ hi gain, v4 regular JJ, v5 Sov LPS

Tone was deep, punchy, and articulate. No flub, sizzle rather than fizz. Endless sustain in all channels. Lots of harmonics. Easily controllable musical feedback. Cut through with ease but not harsh or ice-picky. Sat nicely in mix with bass/drums/vox. Sounds to me more like a modded Recto than a Mark, but at any rate I liked it, band liked it, spectators liked it (or at least commented "you sound different/better"). Think I'll leave it like this for a while. Gig on the 15th so we'll see how it behaves miked-up.

 

[NoGlassNoClass]

After a brief souncheck, backed off Bass to 12:00(all channels), bumped up mids to near 11:00 (ch 2 and 3). EQ pedal the same as before. Tone out front was outstanding, and the slight reduction in bass made our bassist's tone seem punchier and almost piano-like (he did not alter his settings).

All in all, I think the experiment was a success. While I never really achieved a Mark-like tone, I did find some really good new sounds. I like it, band likes it, audience likes it, and the best part is when I'm not distracted by something annoying in either my tone or the band mix I play better.

FWIW I tried connecting the EQ after the wah pedal...no noticeable difference in tone, but with the wah approaching toe-down, it was clipping the input on the EQ so I just put everything back the way I had it.

 

[killbyphone]

Use STUDIO PREAMP --> RECTIFIER 2:!OO STEREO (MODERN MODE ON!) --> RIVERA K412T.

Mark tightness and warmth --> Recto aggression + low end-low midrange punch --> 8 ohm powerplants

Punchy, modern riffing ****!