Mesa/Boogie RecRecPre Demonstration – “Recording Direct"

[Given To Fly]

Mesa/Boogie Rectifier Recording Preamp Demonstration – “Recording Direct”

Now that the Triaxis has been discontinued, the Rectifier Recording Preamp has been receiving more attention than usual. Unfortunately, that attention is fleeting and people look to other products to fulfill their “Direct Recording “ needs. Given the scarcity of audio examples and greater scarcity of RRP’s available in stores to try, I understand why guitarists would look elsewhere.

The people who do own a Rectifier Recording Preamp generally fall into two camps: they either love it or they are trying to sell it. I received my Rectifier Recording Preamp in a trade back in 2013 and can relate to both sides of that proverbial coin. So, I decided to assemble 4 recordings I have made over the last year to demonstrate what I have been able to do with the Rectifier Recording Preamp. This demonstration is by no means exhaustive, but it is a start.

https://soundcloud.com/given-to-fly-was-taken/sets

Expectations
There are several things to keep in mind when listening to these clips:
1. There is no bass, drums, synths, or any other recorded/programmed instrument except electric guitar(s).
2. There are no IR’s or cab/amp/microphone modelers used on the tracks. All of the speaker emulation is done at the stereo Record Outputs on the back of the RRP.
3. The track titled “no title – RRP Demo - One of Several” is a short riff played twice and is recorded the most “direct” way possible. There is no processing, pre or post. The tracks become more elaborate and I will explain what gear is being used for each track for the sake of transparency.

Here is a list of all the guitars and gear used (I will reference it in the descriptions when I write them…someday):

Guitars: 1999 Ibanez SCR220BP (stock) (no title)
2008 Ibanez RG2228GK with EMG 808x’s (Made To Break, Phthalo, and maybe Thinking)
2013 EBMM JPX-7 (stock) (Phthalo, Thinking)

Pre-Effects: Dunlop Crybaby 95Q (Thinking)
Post-Effects: Eventide Space (Made To Break, Phthalo, Thinking)

Audio Interface: Apogee Duet 2 (All)

DAW: 2011 MacBook Pro running ProTools 12 (All)

Plug-Ins: Dither (no title, I probably did not need it but I added it just in case.)
Eventide UltraChannel – Omnipressor Preset (Made To Break, Phthalo, Thinking) :shock:

Monitors: Equator D5’s, Sennheiser HD600’s (All)

When I played a piece not listed here for my guitar tech, he simply said: "It sounds real." That is what the Rectifier Recording Preamp offers in a "direct recording" environment.

If you have any questions, feel free to ask!

Given To Fly

 

[screamingdaisy]

I think that half the problem with the Recto Pre's recording outs is that people plugged it into their interface and expected it to sound like a multi-tracked studio recording of Metallica.

 

[synaesthesia]

I have been doing direct recording since 1988/89. Through the 90s to about mid noughties I used a tube preamp I made, a Marshall JMP 1, and a Triaxis. I recorded them through cabs too and my power amp was a Marshall EL34 50/50.

For 90% of the recordings (commercial) I did in my studio you could not tell if I recorded direct or via speakers/mics. For the record I used the direct outs from the JMP1 but not the Triaxis. My triaxis rec outs was damaged and I never fixed it. Instead I used the main outs and a speaker simulator of some sort, and I had several.

My favourite tone was actually the Triaxis on clean, and the output from the Triaxis full on feeding the Marshall 50/50. It was basically power amp distortion. For the recorded consequence, frankly I dare anyone to tell the difference, there is very little. The 10% difference I witnessed myself is mostly through feel, the spongy feel of power amp distortion. It affects how you play. But as far as playback is concerned you don't feel that anymore, it just becomes a recorded track.

I sold all that and downsized. Today I use a Studio Pre, and I have them set up for direct outs and speaker cabs. i use a Mesa 50/50 power amp if I want that spongy feel, but these days I don't care much for it. I have a Fender concert that is modded to sound like a Dumble but I rather not deal with the buzz and hum etc. Frankly I do all this and fight it and I know my Ethos OD can get me a good Robben Ford tone, and a Sultans of Swing tone with less hum and bother direct to the board, no latency. But I still mess with the tube amps just because. I don't think any is better, if it works I use it.

For me it is a similar problem with acoustic drums. So many people record drums to mimic something inorganic, you might as well use samples, and in the biz, they do! The spend all day recording and setting up a bass drum they way an ear never hears it, only to replace it in the mix with a sample. I can understand the logic of the mix but cannot understand why people go for a sound that is inorganic and will waste time trying to get a setup. For me if the music is organic and you need the fine touches, eg. brushes, ghost notes etc, acoustic recording is best. But for 90% of pop music, you cannot tell. For electric guitar it is the same to me. And I have tube amps. mics, analog or digital emulators, etc. The difference is not in the recorded consequence but how the muso plays and needs to feel. I can play through near field monitors, or headphones these days and not have a problem, others can't. Ditto to using emulators, I have no problem with them. I still prefer direct outs and a filtered 'speaker emulation' as emulators still have latency issues that you can feel.

 

[Given To Fly]

screamingdaisy - You might be right. However, expectations change over time so perhaps you can help fill in the blanks. The Rectifier Recording Preamp was released in 2002 along with the first iteration of the Road King. I know this because I looked it up, but I distinctly remember the Road King being released because it coincided with Dream Theaters Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence being released. I was a sophomore in high school and had a drummer friend who really liked Dream Theater. He sat me down and we listened to the whole thing (minus the 2nd CD, I never listen to the 2nd CD). While we were listening, I was reading a Guitar World/Guitar Player magazine that had an article about the album and the Mesa/Boogie Road King was mentioned enough to know it was the amp used on the recording we were listening to and I liked what I was hearing. I knew nothing about "direct recording" at the time so I have no idea what expectations people may have had in 2002 regarding the RRP. I started recording in 2012 with an Eleven Rack so I am fairly caught up on "direct recording" from 2012 till today. I am also familiar with a few "before my time" DI products, mainly the Tech 21 SansAmp GT2 pedal and Trademark 10 amplifier. I am not familiar with how everything evolved up to 2012.

The reason I posted these 4 tracks was so people have some idea of what this Preamp sounds like "recorded." The reason I was completely transparent about my gear was so people would know exactly what was used to make the recording. My goal was to provide audio clips of a recording product that has few audio clips available.

I think it would be great if someone made some recordings using the same or similar gear with the RRP that completely blew mine out of the water. Then, it would be great if someone else recorded something that blew that guy out of the water. Pretty soon, the RRP would become a viable Recording Preamp people would know how to use. Then again, I think many things would be great, some of which will happen and some of which won't.

synaesthesia - You sound like the kind of person that could record productively with the Rectifier Recording Preamp. 8)

 

[Given To Fly]

The Rectifier Recording Preamp was discontinued in February 2017. I timed this whole thing pretty bad.

 

[Given To Fly]

I wanted to address two things concerning my "Mesa/Boogie Rectifier Recording Preamp Demonstration." https://soundcloud.com/given-to-fly-was-taken/sets
First, I added a recording called A Unique Guitar because everything is recorded dry and the only processing is a section in the middle that reverses one of the guitar parts. The guitars used were an EBMM JPX-7 panned hard Left and Hard Right but never played at the same time. My Ibanez SCR220BP is in the Center and then there is the fourth guitar, also in the Center, which sounds "heavy." I do not recall changing settings and no additional gain/EQ/magic was added but that fourth guitar is also the SCR220BP. What you are hearing is called a "resultant tone" which is a phenomenon created when two closely related pitches (in this case a Perfect 4th) are played simultaneously. The "resultant tone" is caused by the brain filling in harmonics below the two fundamental pitches. A Perfect 4th of E and A would produce a resultant tone of A, two octaves below the A that was actually played. If you want to know more, read about how it works with pipe organs. Organ builders have perfected the pitch relationships to create "notes" rather than vague "heaviness."

Second, I did not include any "clean tone" examples of the Rectifier Recording Preamp. I made that choice for two reasons: clean tones are easy to dial in and they sound like Channel 1 of the Road King I. The recording I have which is all clean tones is actually the backing track to Steve Reich's Electric Counterpoint. I bought the score and recorded every guitar part of this 15-minute minimalist guitar work. I also left out the Main Guitar part so that people could buy the track instead of renting it from the publisher (I was quoted $500) which nobody does. It all comes down to licensing which is something I knew little about at the time. In my situation, I would have needed a recording license and a mechanical license in order to record the piece (I had already bought the score.) I hear about people not wanting to "work for free" and I completely understand why because it makes sense. Music is the only field where it is possible to "pay to work." Anyways, the clean tones sound great!

 

[tony777]

I've been running my Rectopreamp with a Torpedo live and using the live bright mode on the Rectopre, and including a powersection on the torpedo. What I think is necessary is a boost in front of the Rectopre, an eq is good, the Mesa Gridslammer is great, probably a lot others as well. But the tone is then very good. No plans for selling the Rectopre at all.

 

[tony777]

The Rectifier Recording Preamp was discontinued in February 2017. I timed this whole thing pretty bad.

They probably go the cabclone route, which to me isn't that great. The Torpedo Live is miles ahead.

 

[tony777]

Just did a quick demo of the Rectopre with Boss GEQ7 (it's a bit noisy but you get the idea) and the Torpedo Live.
https://youtu.be/nVpQbyKxDSA

 

[f52292]

Just did a quick demo of the Rectopre with Boss GEQ7 (it's a bit noisy but you get the idea) and the Torpedo Live.
https://youtu.be/nVpQbyKxDSA

Good stuff thank you very much!


//f52292

 

[Given To Fly]

Just did a quick demo of the Rectopre with Boss GEQ7 (it's a bit noisy but you get the idea) and the Torpedo Live.
https://youtu.be/nVpQbyKxDSA

Very nice! Raw Mode on Channel 2 never sounds like that for me! I used a boost (Fulltone OCD) for a little while but found I could dial in the boosted tone using just the Preamp one way or another.

I liked your demo! Sounds good, simple, straightforward, and probably more helpful than mine. I figured I needed to get something out there because no one else had. The RRP is a solid piece of gear when used in the right situations, plus, the build quality makes it simply a solid piece of gear. :shock: By the way, you seem to have many "solid pieces" of gear stacked around you. I like the JEM and the Eventide 7600 (?).

 

[tony777]

Long time since I read this part of the forum, anyway.

Just did a quick demo of the Rectopre with Boss GEQ7 (it's a bit noisy but you get the idea) and the Torpedo Live.
https://youtu.be/nVpQbyKxDSA

Very nice! Raw Mode on Channel 2 never sounds like that for me! I used a boost (Fulltone OCD) for a little while but found I could dial in the boosted tone using just the Preamp one way or another.

Actually I dialed in the RRP for the modern mode and used that on all the modes on the demo, I probably wouldn't do that when I tweak for the desired sound on the other modes. But I always boost it someway, I feel like it needs a low cut and mid boost to sound the best.

I liked your demo! Sounds good, simple, straightforward, and probably more helpful than mine. I figured I needed to get something out there because no one else had. The RRP is a solid piece of gear when used in the right situations, plus, the build quality makes it simply a solid piece of gear. :shock: By the way, you seem to have many "solid pieces" of gear stacked around you. I like the JEM and the Eventide 7600 (?).

Yes, the RectoPre does need a bit of dialing and getting used to, but it hasn't been the most popular mesa unit, but with the torpedo it really sings. So like you I thought I could add some sound to potential owners that it can sound really good.

The Eventide is a H8000, and that's definitely something I cannot live without, it's super powerful and sounds way out of this world. Even if it's over 10 years old I haven't heard any plugin that can compare the sound of this unit. And you can build algorithms from scratch (but it is a steep learning curve though).

 

[Given To Fly]

I liked your demo! Sounds good, simple, straightforward, and probably more helpful than mine. I figured I needed to get something out there because no one else had. The RRP is a solid piece of gear when used in the right situations, plus, the build quality makes it simply a solid piece of gear. :shock: By the way, you seem to have many "solid pieces" of gear stacked around you. I like the JEM and the Eventide 7600 (?).

Yes, the RectoPre does need a bit of dialing and getting used to, but it hasn't been the most popular mesa unit, but with the torpedo it really sings. So like you I thought I could add some sound to potential owners that it can sound really good.

The Eventide is a H8000, and that's definitely something I cannot live without, it's super powerful and sounds way out of this world. Even if it's over 10 years old I haven't heard any plugin that can compare the sound of this unit. And you can build algorithms from scratch (but it is a steep learning curve though).

In 2002, when the RRP was released, Torpedo Live's and Eventide Space's did not exist and "home recording" meant you had a recording studio at your home(s). Times have changed, as the Torpedo Live demonstrates. Unfortunately, the manual for the RRP never changed because manuals never change.

Are you aware of the Eventide H9000?
https://www.eventideaudio.com/blog/gestalt7/news-lab-h9000-part-1
https://www.eventideaudio.com/news/press-release/eventide-exhibiting-new-h9000-flagship-processor-aes-new-york-2017

While it replaces the H8000, unless someone has $7,000 to buy an H9000, the H8000 is still quite valuable. Eventide products seem to be unique in that way.

 

[tony777]

In 2002, when the RRP was released, Torpedo Live's and Eventide Space's did not exist and "home recording" meant you had a recording studio at your home(s). Times have changed, as the Torpedo Live demonstrates. Unfortunately, the manual for the RRP never changed because manuals never change.

Are you aware of the Eventide H9000?
https://www.eventideaudio.com/blog/gestalt7/news-lab-h9000-part-1
https://www.eventideaudio.com/news/press-release/eventide-exhibiting-new-h9000-flagship-processor-aes-new-york-2017

While it replaces the H8000, unless someone has $7,000 to buy an H9000, the H8000 is still quite valuable. Eventide products seem to be unique in that way.

Yeah, I've been following the H9000 progress with huge interest, and I've been saving for it all the way. Though I will not sell the H8000 if I get another "tide". I have a H9 in my live setup as well as the only FX unit, so I'm a big fan of Eventide units. Unfortunately my recording gear is a MacPro 1.1 which cannot be upgraded to OS above 10.7, which again was full of ****, so I stayed on 10.6.8 and my Pro Tools is version 8. Even if the MacPro is powerful enough, upgrades are getting more and more impossible so I need to find out where to go. Upgrades for the whole system will be very expensive and since I don't do this for a living it's a big decision to make.