May sound silly but worth a try anyone consider...

[sean106alcon]

getting their Mark V modded so it can midi switch all the modes? I know a dumb question as I am noob and doubt it can be done. But that is my biggest gripe is not being able to switch between modes on the fly. I love the amp to death, but when jamming with the band would love to switch between modes on a midi pedal. (yes I know any mods, voids the warrenty) Thanks.

 

[MrMarkIII]

I think the external switching jacks can be Midi-controlled.
Somehow.

 

[sean106alcon]

I think the external switching jacks can be Midi-controlled.
Somehow.

Yeah I know you cna switch channels I mean having a pro tech mod it so you can midi switch the "modes" like switch between Mark IIC+ then to MArk IV etc. Thanks

 

[SteveO]

The problem is that different modes require different tone control settings to sound their best...

 

[sean106alcon]

The problem is that different modes require different tone control settings to sound their best...

True.

 

[rmcfee]

The problem is just what SteveO says - you would have to do some major EQing for it to work.
ie. The Mark 1 is awesome but if you switched to "Edge" without serious EQ changes it would be bad sounding. Cool idea though.

 

[sean106alcon]

The problem is just what SteveO says - you would have to do some major EQing for it to work.
ie. The Mark 1 is awesome but if you switched to "Edge" without serious EQ changes it would be bad sounding. Cool idea though.

Yeah I agree with some channels. But like at rehearsal the other night I was on Mark IV mode with the sliders on pre-set and switched over to the IIC+ and I think all I had to do was a slight volume change. Love the amp so I am gonna quit complaining about it. it is what it is. You have to pick your three sounds and live with em.

 

[niilz]

Edge and MKI are very similar if you turn treble/middle/bass down and crank the channel master... Infact I could work with both modes footswitchable very well.

 

[Brianiac5150]

My perception of the Mark V is that it's a great amp for recording, where you're able to find the tone you're looking for on a particular track. I do not feel it's a great amp for performance of multiple genres, due to what has been said here.

An amp like the Roadster seems to be geared more toward performance or stepping into the Triaxis (programmable preamp) area would be the appropriate direction.

There's my 2 cents.

 

[shogun]

My perception of the Mark V is that it's a great amp for recording, where you're able to find the tone you're looking for on a particular track. I do not feel it's a great amp for performance of multiple genres, due to what has been said here.

An amp like the Roadster seems to be geared more toward performance or stepping into the Triaxis (programmable preamp) area would be the appropriate direction.

There's my 2 cents.

i personally don't like the idea of making drastic changes in tone at a show.. the listeners ears get used to a specific group of freq's, and when you switch to anything else, the characteristics of the new tone are always exaggerated.. for me to switch from a smooth mark iv sound in one song, to a bright marshall sound in another... it just sounds awful to my ears!! that said, i try to set my channels up (on any amp) to sound like different gain stages of the same tone.. the perfect amp for me would be single channel, with 4 foot-switchable gain stages..

 

[ryjan]

Mesa does make this. It's the Triaxis. 8)

 

[sean106alcon]

Mesa does make this. It's the Triaxis. 8)

LOL I know I had one.....hated it.

Probably more me was the problem, because I have no patience and that thing is a tweaker and a half. I made a rack of a Furman, G-Force, GCX, Triaxis, 2:90 and Ground control. Was a nightmare tweaking every day. I like simplicity. :lol:

 

[shogun]

Mesa does make this. It's the Triaxis. 8)

LOL I know I had one.....hated it.

Probably more me was the problem, because I have no patience and that thing is a tweaker and a half. I made a rack of a Furman, G-Force, GCX, Triaxis, 2:90 and Ground control. Was a nightmare tweaking every day. I like simplicity. :lol:

so you went out and basically bought an all-tube multi-amp ??!!? :lol:

i am unable to stop tweaking the MKV, regardless of being happy with the tones! i think thats why i bought it.. because instead of just buying a new amp, i can tweak it more!

 

[hazbin]

Just buy two more Mark V heads and a mesa switcher and you good to go!!

 

[litesnsirens]

Even bigger that the tonal changes is the volume changes... it's easy enough between certain songs in a set to go ahead and use your hands to pick the 3 modes you need for that song but you would be forever trying to adjust volume levels which would be a guess at best until you are already into the song.... of course further complicated by the tonal characteristics of the different modes.

Personally I disagree that this is mainly a studio amp and not geared for live. Admittedly the comment was stipulated to gigging in multi-genre, but I think you have to draw a line somewhere... I think if you can get three workable tones you should be able to cover alot of material... I find that with the EQ footswitch I can get two more very distinct and useable tones in channels 2 and 3...

Basically just bringing in more bottom end for a heavier sound on those channels, so I can set them up for a classic rock crunch and lead and then if I need something a little more menacing I just add the EQ... which gives me 5 footswitchable tones... To me clean is clean... once I get the tone I like for clean, I like to use it for everything... but I guess theoretically if you were going from country to jazz you could do the same thing with the eq...

Anyways just some of my thoughts on how I am using it... of course the hardest part is choosing which 3 of the 9 modes you are going to use ... but I think whatever 3 you choose are going to sound good.... better than you can say for alot of amps...

 

[MrMarkIII]

... And poor, poor Jimi, with just a single channel, non-master volume amp and a transistor fuzz pedal with no EQ. Only eight knobs. Total. :lol:

 

[theroan]

Petrucci solved this issue ...with three heads. I've heard that a mod is possible to switch between modes, but it will void the warrantee.

 

[sean106alcon]

Mesa does make this. It's the Triaxis. 8)

LOL I know I had one.....hated it.

Probably more me was the problem, because I have no patience and that thing is a tweaker and a half. I made a rack of a Furman, G-Force, GCX, Triaxis, 2:90 and Ground control. Was a nightmare tweaking every day. I like simplicity. :lol:

so you went out and basically bought an all-tube multi-amp ??!!? :lol:

i am unable to stop tweaking the MKV, regardless of being happy with the tones! i think thats why i bought it.. because instead of just buying a new amp, i can tweak it more!

Yeah that was way back when I was on a rack kick and got a sweet deal on a Triaxis and 2:90 and G-Force. All good prices. But then low and behold I played a VH4 and that is all I used the last 4-5 years is a VH4 mono and a VH4S. I sold the VH4 mono and probably keeping the VH4S for gigs as I love the 6 loops and they are so plug and play. BUT after jamming in rehearsal space the V sounded so good. Especially the clean which I am fanatic of. The Boss super chorus and some slider action and it was crystal. The VH4's have a more darker clean. However the Diezel herbert had a supreme clean like a ENGL SE I used to have, but the Herbert was too over top death metal brootalz IMO. I I like my metal but not that heavy. LOL The VH4 kinda reminds distortion wise like the Mark IV mode IMO. Be interesting when I start recording again and doing some tests as I will maybe do the Mark V dead panned one side and the VH4 dead panned the other.

 

[Brianiac5150]

Yeah...that does sound like an excellent way of using the amp in a live setting and is great food for thought. My RJM mini amp gizmo is supposed to show up today and I'm going to approach the setup with your concept in mind. Great idea. Thanks and best of luck with your setup.

 

[Brianiac5150]

Yeah...that does sound like an excellent way of using the amp in a live setting and is great food for thought. My RJM mini amp gizmo is supposed to show up today and I'm going to approach the setup with your concept in mind. Great idea. Thanks and best of luck with your setup.

Referring to toggling eq for five or six live tones.