Quad or Triaxis ?

[MHProd]

I'm after the classic 'Tallica Rythm sound aka IIC+.

Which one of these Pre makes it the best IYO ?

Obviously, the Triaxis is the most versatile, but which one gets closer to the IIC+ ?

 

[TemporarilyStairs]

Well I'm sure people with much more experience (as in: people that have owned both) will be able to chime in with more valuable opinions here, but I'm going to guess the Quad is the hands down winner here.

I own a Quad, and I've only played with a Triaxis for a few hours, but from that alone, I'd be surprised if many people said the Tri was closer to the classic Metallica tone. Logically this makes sense, since the Quad's two Lead channels are based on the same gear that they used

Somebody with more experience with a Tri could obviously answer how 'close' it can get, but if that's the only criteria, the Quad will probably win the day.

 

[MHProd]

Anybody who knows both well enough to give more comparsion... Maybe the Studio could be an option too..,

 

[Silverwulf]

I would say the Quad/Studio is a little more authentic, but you're not missing much with the Triaxis.

Depends on what Metallica tones you want, too. For example, the Triaxis and IIC+ were both used on Load, Reload, and Garage Inc. I've seen someone absolutely nail the Load tone on a Triaxis in Lead 2 Green. You'd swear it the raw tracks from the Load sessions if you didn't know any better. Plus, James and Kirk have used the Triaxis in their live racks for quite a while, somewhere around 12-15 years, with it being James primary live tone for many of them.

So it all depends on what you want. If you just want a MOP type crunch and that's all you care about, a Studio/Quad would be your best bet. Probably the same if you're just playing at home and/or recording since you can tweak settings as you need. However, if you plan on playing live and/or need a variety of tones, say a couple different sparkling cleans, a MOP crunch, a Load crunch, a couple different lead tones, etc...then the Triaxis would probably be a better bet.

 

[SadButTruely]

I owned a mark2c+ at one point, I own a quad now, my c+ did not have the built in eq which is why I sold it. The quad does and it makes a huge impact on the sound.
Metallica used the quad only on Puppets and Justice. They used marshalls prior to this and a combo of mark2c+//markIV on black. They started using triaxis preamps during load, I guess it was easier to program and more convenient than carrying 2-3 vintage C+ heads. I am satisfied with my quad, I have lead2 channel dialed into a really close setting for the puppets album. Plus I like the retro feel.

 

[MHProd]

I'm after the Black album and Load/Garage Inc sounds, so I guess I'm in for for the Quad AND Triaxis... Having said this, isn't the Studio the same as the Quad when it comes to the IIC channel ??

I used to own a 20/20 but didn't like it that much... To be honest, I never been a big fan of Mesas power sections, even in their amps. I'm considering a Marshall 100/100 or possibly a Strategy 400...

Keep the info coming !!

Thanks !!!

 

[Silverwulf]

I think this guy did an excellent job getting a Load tone from the Triaxis:

http://soundclick.com/share?songid=6218929

 

[MHProd]

Wow, sounds great !!!

I'm still not sure about the Boogie power amps though... I'll be using other preamps (Soldano, Marshall...). Anybody has experience with Marshall power amps VS Mesas ?

 

[Whoopysnorp]

I can't imagine how any power amp of any brand could improve on my Simul 395.

 

[Silverwulf]

If you're looking for that Metallica type sound, I can't imagine you'd get much closer than with a Mesa power amp.

 

[soundpurist]

I'm after the classic 'Tallica Rythm sound aka IIC+.

Which one of these Pre makes it the best IYO ?

Obviously, the Triaxis is the most versatile, but which one gets closer to the IIC+ ?

Here we go...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Hetfield#Amplifiers

 

[ak47]

easy one... QUAD!!!

 

[PC Biz]

I'm after the classic 'Tallica Rythm sound aka IIC+.

Which one of these Pre makes it the best IYO ?

Obviously, the Triaxis is the most versatile, but which one gets closer to the IIC+ ?

I own a Triaxis and Mesa 2:100 power amp. For your tone, I'd say get the Quad and the 2:100. You can switch to EL34 tubes with the 2:100, and you can pull a couple of tubes per side to knock it down to 50 watts per channel vs. 100 per channel, giving you more Marshall flavoring. The 2:100 also has the Modern power mode, which I think would give the Quad and 2:100 combo the best of all worlds for the tone you're looking for.

With that said, you can definitely spice up the dynamics of the Triaxis by using high gain pre amp tubes.

 

[lionel69]

I own all three,the quad,studio,and triaxis .... i love my quad the best... paired with my 50/50 which {MB} the man says its a great pair