new to the mark v

[Miles]

Hi im kinda new to the mark v i have him like 3 weeks almost, and new to this forum

I realy enjoying my mark v and i have issues of getting real high gain from him
can i get suggestion on how to build settings to this amp,
its my first tube amp also got in in good deal

i realy get lost on all things related to settings.

i will appreciate any explaining on understanding the how to set the amp and all tips i can get

 

[screamingdaisy]

Use the preamp controls to dial in the feel you want, then use the graphic EQ to dial in the sound you want.

My suggestion is to start with the preamp dialled into the Workhorse settings in the manual, then focus on using the graphic EQ to achieve the sound you're after.

And read through this thread...

http://forum.grailtone.com/viewtopic.php?f=33&t=50601

It has most of the important things I've learned over the years.

 

[daverose]

It's not an easy amp to get the right sound. What's different about it from most amps is the way the EQ section works on each channel. They work more like shaping the way the pre-amp tubes behave and distort, not like a traditional EQ which shapes the sound post pre-amp. You'll find in some modes that the mid-range will do very little but in others it will do tons. The bass EQ especially doesn't work like normal amps and will cause flubby distortion when cranked too high in most modes. The graphic EQ will shape your sound more like a traditional amp EQ when you need it.

Having said that, once you realize that it works this way it give you a huge wealth of tonal options. If you are at all a tweaker this is the amp for you and you can get just about sound you want it just takes some getting used too. Sometime when I'm bored of my sound I'll just turn all the knobs in some random direction, play with the graphic a bit and end up in a really cool place that I hadn't thought of before.

I think you'll love it pretty soon. I'm a little jealous that you bought a Porsche for your first car (tube amp).

 

[xyrium]

The first thing I would do is get an OD pedal in front of it. This isn't as much to add gain as it is to clean up the gain that you're jamming into the front end (frequency shaping, there will be an associated tonal change). Any of the popular OD pedals should work: Keeley modded TS9dx or TS9, MXR GT OD, Maxon TS808, etc. I would buy something used from Ebay, buy a few, and experiment. I keep it on all of the time except when on channel 1 for cleans because it does add some level of grit even with the gain completely off. I've gone through at least 12 OD pedals, and widdled my way down to two, though I'm on the Analog Man KOT order list.

You will also find completely different sound from each power level, and if you have the fx loop on or off. Be careful flipping the fx loop, when off, it seems to disengage the master volume and you will get full bore power to your speakers. As Dave mentioned, mind the bass knob. I'd keep it slightly below or at 10oclock in all situations.

The Mark V isn't complicated, it's just sensitive, but insanely flexible. Mine is for home use only, so I have it set to 10W, fx loop on with a delay in the loop, and an OD pedal and tuner up front. That's it. Be careful with the EQ. Start with a V shape and work your way to the sound that you like. Be patient, you'll get what you're looking for from this amp, I'm sure. Give it at least a few minutes of warm up time as well, not just the 30 secs mentioned in the manual.

Anyway, congrats. You just purchased the only amp you'll ever need. At least until you pick up another Mesa...

 

[jpage]

The first thing I would do is get an OD pedal in front of it.

No offense, but this makes absolutely no sense to me at all. There are so many incredible flavors of low/mid/high gain in this amp and the first thing you want to do is put a dirt box in front?

 

[Miles]

Use the preamp controls to dial in the feel you want, then use the graphic EQ to dial in the sound you want.

My suggestion is to start with the preamp dialled into the Workhorse settings in the manual, then focus on using the graphic EQ to achieve the sound you're after.

And read through this thread...

http://forum.grailtone.com/viewtopic.php?f=33&t=50601

It has most of the important things I've learned over the years.

Thanks i realy didnt thought of open the manual i kinda throw it aside
its realy helpfull

It's not an easy amp to get the right sound. What's different about it from most amps is the way the EQ section works on each channel. They work more like shaping the way the pre-amp tubes behave and distort, not like a traditional EQ which shapes the sound post pre-amp. You'll find in some modes that the mid-range will do very little but in others it will do tons. The bass EQ especially doesn't work like normal amps and will cause flubby distortion when cranked too high in most modes. The graphic EQ will shape your sound more like a traditional amp EQ when you need it.

Having said that, once you realize that it works this way it give you a huge wealth of tonal options. If you are at all a tweaker this is the amp for you and you can get just about sound you want it just takes some getting used too. Sometime when I'm bored of my sound I'll just turn all the knobs in some random direction, play with the graphic a bit and end up in a really cool place that I hadn't thought of before.

I think you'll love it pretty soon. I'm a little jealous that you bought a Porsche for your first car (tube amp).

yeah i didnt got used to the eq it still confusing to me,

and thank you

The first thing I would do is get an OD pedal in front of it. This isn't as much to add gain as it is to clean up the gain that you're jamming into the front end (frequency shaping, there will be an associated tonal change). Any of the popular OD pedals should work: Keeley modded TS9dx or TS9, MXR GT OD, Maxon TS808, etc. I would buy something used from Ebay, buy a few, and experiment. I keep it on all of the time except when on channel 1 for cleans because it does add some level of grit even with the gain completely off. I've gone through at least 12 OD pedals, and widdled my way down to two, though I'm on the Analog Man KOT order list.

You will also find completely different sound from each power level, and if you have the fx loop on or off. Be careful flipping the fx loop, when off, it seems to disengage the master volume and you will get full bore power to your speakers. As Dave mentioned, mind the bass knob. I'd keep it slightly below or at 10oclock in all situations.

The Mark V isn't complicated, it's just sensitive, but insanely flexible. Mine is for home use only, so I have it set to 10W, fx loop on with a delay in the loop, and an OD pedal and tuner up front. That's it. Be careful with the EQ. Start with a V shape and work your way to the sound that you like. Be patient, you'll get what you're looking for from this amp, I'm sure. Give it at least a few minutes of warm up time as well, not just the 30 secs mentioned in the manual.

Anyway, congrats. You just purchased the only amp you'll ever need. At least until you pick up another Mesa...

i dont know about that, i have alot of reasons for buying this amp and one of it is that i will not need the dist/od pedal I know i can make this amp sound perfect for what im looking for but im just didnt used too, for now the only pedal i think i will buy in the future os the g system by tc but only time will tell

and thank you

The first thing I would do is get an OD pedal in front of it.

No offense, but this makes absolutely no sense to me at all. There are so many incredible flavors of low/mid/high gain in this amp and the first thing you want to do is put a dirt box in front?

i kinda of agree with you .


ok after more time with the amp im getting alot better with that, still having trouble figure the eq perfecy,
but i have this issue that often when i set in it sound like muddy soud why is that?
and can anyone give me good setting for high gain that i will not get this muddy sound?

 

[4406cuda]

Mark IV - EQ ON - Bright On - Gain 2:00 - Master 10:30 - Presence 11:00 - Treble 1:00 - Mid 10:00 - Bass 9:30

Slider V Shape

80 HZ Below Top Line
240 HZ Above Middle Line
750 Hz Above Bottom Line
2200 Hz Above Middle Line
6600 Hz Below Top Line

You will want to adjust the EQ based on your guitar, cabinet, and the room you are playing in.

 

[tonedragon]

What !!!!!!
can't find high gain!!!!! :?:
I don't even know what yo say to that...............................



Have fun exploring the endless possibilities. I have No use for a dirt pedal with this amp. Three channels. My clean is set up on the edge on dirt tweed setting full power. Other two channels are for solo's n rhythm. Crunch and Mark settings.

 

[xyrium]

No offense taken at all! Many people question the theory if they haven't done this yet. However, as I mentioned, it doesn't add more dirt, you're literally leaving the gain on zero but raising the level of the pedal, like a clean boost almost. What you're doing is making the guitar literally feel slinkier, and the pick attack nice and sharp. It cleans up any lows that might be flabby, and adds overall definition.

Right now I'm digging the MXR GT OD and a Keeley TS9dx. Almost every high gain player uses an OD to clean up the dirt--sounds counterintuitive, but that's what happens.

Take a look at some of your favorite players, I bet they all have an OD in their pedal board.

Kirk Hammet uses a Tube Screamer.

Petrucci uses the Keeley TS9dx and an Analog Man King of Tone in his front end.

Zakk Wylde obviously has his own pedal by MXR, which the GT OD has a switch for internally.

There's also this guy on Youtube, Ola Englund I believe, who is always testing amps. He seems to frequently use a Maxon OD808. All high gain amps, he plays some serious Metal.

So, these are just the Metal genre references. If you want to talk SRV, Clapton, Hendrix, etc.; yeah, they all used an OD pedal up front. Give it a shot, thank me later! 8)

Remember, for the pedal, gain is on zero. Modify tone to taste, and start the level at the 12oclock position and turn clockwise until you find what you're seeking. Some pedals have a bit too much gain in them, so that's why I say start at 12 and move up. Many actual distortion pedals just won't work, that's why you use an OD pedal.

The first thing I would do is get an OD pedal in front of it.

No offense, but this makes absolutely no sense to me at all. There are so many incredible flavors of low/mid/high gain in this amp and the first thing you want to do is put a dirt box in front?

 

[4406cuda]

I use an Xotic EP Booster in front of my Mark V. I always leave it on and it is set to 9:00

It makes the amp sound warmer and the notes thicker. It is hard to explain, but everything sounds better with it turned on.

 

[xyrium]

Always wanted to grab an Xotic. It must sound glorious taking input from those Norlin LPs that you have.

 

[Miles]

Mark IV - EQ ON - Bright On - Gain 2:00 - Master 10:30 - Presence 11:00 - Treble 1:00 - Mid 10:00 - Bass 9:30

Slider V Shape

80 HZ Below Top Line
240 HZ Above Middle Line
750 Hz Above Bottom Line
2200 Hz Above Middle Line
6600 Hz Below Top Line

You will want to adjust the EQ based on your guitar, cabinet, and the room you are playing in.

sorry for late replay

im searching for that kind of distortion:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FSkc-ZISYQM
the intro part (start from 0.04 seconds)

my guitar in ibanez prestiege rg2550z
my cab is mesa compact rectifier 212
and its small room not much acoustic
still can get to high volume

 

[ATR1]

I just got a Suhr KoKO Boost in front for the more heavy stuff. Seam to give it more presence maybe. Cleans things up more trans parent if that makes sense since sound is so hard to describe. . I am impressed with it I leave my nova drive off for now. I find playing in a mix the tone you end up with is different than when you play alone, maybe its just that the room changes. More mids. Its weird does not sound good alone but add in other players and sounds great cutting through. I've had my amp for 2 years now and still trying to cozy up with channel 3. I spend a lot of time on 2 with crunch. The cleans sound and feel awesome when in hard bypass with lots of volume. Think SRV..

 

[xyrium]

My goal for Ch2 is SRV as well. I haven't put much time into it though, and will probably do that when I get home tonight. Good move on the Koko. I saw a few good Youtube vids that made that pedal sing!

 

[SonVolt]

Marks DO NOT NEED a Tubescreamer. Rectifiers definitely need a boost, but not a Mark. A boost just tricks you into thinking you have sharper pick attack (its a lie) when in fact it's just adding noise to your signal. It also dampens the growl, makes the amp less raw. Petrucci doesn't always use a boost, be may add one here and there on a solo but I doubt he uses them on heavy rythem parts. It ruins the clarity.

I was addicted to my TS9 for 20 years. I have kicked the habit. So can you. The road to recovery starts with admitting you have a problem.

 

[LesPaul70]

While I agree that a MkV doesn't "need" an OD pedal, I wouldn't so categorically dismiss all use of OD with a Mark V.

One example: when I want to approximate the "boosted Marshall overdrive" sound with my Mark V, I find that the most logical thing to try is Channel 2 (Edge or Crunch) + EL-34s + a Tube Screamer clone in front. Not surprisingly, this combination also gives me the best results, for that particular purpose.

Also, yes, the Channel 3 high gain modes can be made even tighter and more aggressive with judicious use of OD. When dialled in properly, it definitely does not "just add noise" - if it does, you're using the wrong settings.
It's not the kind of sound or music I normally go for, but I have witnessed other people get great metal sounds from Channel 3 with Tube Screamers or similar pedals.

But yes, you don't really need them. It's just a matter of what kind of sound you've got in your mind. Some of them are easier to dial in with some help from external pedals.

 

[xyrium]

Hurry, John Petrucci and hundreds of other well known artists are waiting for your phone call! They need to be educated! :lol:

Marks DO NOT NEED a Tubescreamer. Rectifiers definitely need a boost, but not a Mark. A boost just tricks you into thinking you have sharper pick attack (its a lie) when in fact it's just adding noise to your signal. It also dampens the growl, makes the amp less raw. Petrucci doesn't always use a boost, be may add one here and there on a solo but I doubt he uses them on heavy rythem parts. It ruins the clarity.

I was addicted to my TS9 for 20 years. I have kicked the habit. So can you. The road to recovery starts with admitting you have a problem.

 

[SonVolt]

I'm specifically talking about channel 3 on a Mark. Its already super tight, I don't feel a TS9 adds anything. Every other amp I own definitely gets the Tubescreamer treatment, as does channel 2 on my V.

 

[xyrium]

Though I think we're hijacking this poor guy's thread at this point, I'm just going to say that sound is subjective. What's tight to you might be tubby to me. While I think the tone is great on it's own, I still feel that Ch3 benefits from proper use of a high quality OD pedal. That is, gain on 0, level on 10, set tone knob to taste, which is usually 12oclock for the most neutral influence. It really adds sustain, clarity, and makes leads soar as well, IMO of course.

That said, I'm with ya man, to each their own! The Mark V is a fantastic tool, and a lot of what comes out of it, is put in through your fingers, as you've mentioned. 8)

I'm specifically talking about channel 3 on a Mark. Its already super tight, I don't feel a TS9 adds anything. Every other amp I own definitely gets the Tubescreamer treatment, as does channel 2 on my V.