Questions about the roadster

[jdurso]

BTW I get around the pedal dance by using my rjm rg16 which switches all my pedals in and out of my signal as well as switching the channels, FAX loop, reverb and solo boost on my amp. It basically allows me to create patches similar to a line 6 amp or similar modeler.

 

[knotts]

2. Don't get caught in thinking just because you have a high gain head that an OD or boost shouldn't be used. A lot of people seem to look at using an OD means the amp is somehow lacking... to me its about achieving THE tone and sometimes the best tone can come from quality pedals paired with quality amps.

+1 and well said.

My Roadster channel 3 set to vintage mode sounds great, but it sounds ridiculous with my AC booster pushing my preamp.

 

[osakamitsu]

Thanks guys! So do you guys recommend a certain overdrive pedal? I see a lot about the ibanez ts808 and the maxon od808. But then there are a bunch of different versions of at least the maxon one. I'm really going for a kse type of sound. Are they pretty much the same or do they affect your sound depending on the brand as well? What's the benefits of them and would I need any of the extras that some seem to offer?

I checked out that rjm rg16. Looks pretty neat but its a little too expensive for me at the moment. Maybe once I get past paying for the roadster and an OD pedal ill look more into it. I'm getting the roadster Saturday! It can't get here fast enough!

 

[jbird]

Just play with the amp 1st! Personally, I don't employ the F/X loop, it's much clearer and immediate! Nor do I use OD pedals! Straight in baby!

 

[Given To Fly]

Just play with the amp 1st! Personally, I don't employ the F/X loop, it's much clearer and immediate! Nor do I use OD pedals! Straight in baby!

Same here! I do use the foot switch for channel switching and sometimes reverb but otherwise its just the guitar straight into the amp. I find the Roadster keeps my playing honest. I like hearing effects but if given the chance, I'll hide behind a wah pedal or crazy delay all day long! As of right now, I'm am still growing into the Roadster. In other words, the Roadster is better than me. But its also improved my playing tremendously. I find high end amps like Mesa's, Bogner, etc tend to be very unforgiving which forces you to improve any technical flaws in your playing.

 

[osakamitsu]

Oh I am not big into FX and usually just play with my guitar plugged straight into the amp. Im just used to playing the 5150 and 6505+'s that are very loud, hissy, hummy, and feedbacky. I really just want to use the FX loop to get rid of any unwanted hum, hiss, or feedback. I really want to get that quietness between notes when I want to music to cut though with silence. At high volumes that is not possible with my currents amps without a noise gate.

But I have also researched many guitarist that I love and they all seem to use OD pedals on the peavy's I play as well as the roadster.

 

[jdurso]

kse uses the Macon od808 and they leave it on a the time. I prefer the full tone LCD since I find it colors the tone less but that's neither a good or bad thing just a preference, as is using an OD in general. The idea is your boosting your signal so the real determining factor won't be how much gain the od introduces but more the shape of the tone. The od808 has a nice mid boost which helps cut through the mix. For me the ocd adds some more overtones and tightens the bass. Only way to know what you'll like is to try them out... best way is if you have some buddies that have those pedals or ones like it.

 

[jbird]

Oh I am not big into FX and usually just play with my guitar plugged straight into the amp. Im just used to playing the 5150 and 6505+'s that are very loud, hissy, hummy, and feedbacky. I really just want to use the FX loop to get rid of any unwanted hum, hiss, or feedback. I really want to get that quietness between notes when I want to music to cut though with silence. At high volumes that is not possible with my currents amps without a noise gate.

But I have also researched many guitarist that I love and they all seem to use OD pedals on the peavy's I play as well as the roadster.

I wouldn't sacrifice the tone of the amp when the f/x loop is bypassed, for quietness with the loop engaged?

 

[osakamitsu]

Oh so the tone will change when I use the FX loop? Bummer...

 

[jdurso]

Oh so the tone will change when I use the FX loop? Bummer...

Its not a HUGE difference but yes the tone is slightly different. But if you use time based fx you'll need that fx loop. Personally the difference to my ears isn't that much better to not use the loop since I like using time based fx.

 

[osakamitsu]

Yeah Ill probably use delay. But Im much more concerned with making it quiet and not feeding back at high gain. But maybe I need to just use a noise gate outside of the loop. We'll see after tomorrow...

 

[Given To Fly]

Oh so the tone will change when I use the FX loop? Bummer...

Its not a HUGE difference but yes the tone is slightly different. But if you use time based fx you'll need that fx loop. Personally the difference to my ears isn't that much better to not use the loop since I like using time based fx.

Just to clarify, are you talking about the difference in tone with the loop hard wire bypassed? I don't hardwire bypass the effects loop because doing so renders the foot switch useless correct? However, I never engage the "FX Loop" button on the foot switch because I don't run any effects. All I know is when the effects loop is hard wire bypassed the Roadster is too loud to keep the peace.

 

[domct203]

Oh so the tone will change when I use the FX loop? Bummer...

IMO the FX Loop on the Roadster is excellent. One of the best FX Loops I've used. It's extremely transparent, has a great range of signal, and is in series which allows you to benefit from noise gates, EQs, etc in the loop. From what I have read here/heard from other Mesa players is that the return to a series loop was one of, if not the best improvement to the Rectifier series.

Does the amp sound better with it hard-bypassed?- Of course it does, and so does any amp IME. Not only is the difference due to the removal of a buffer/driver stage, but also the (somewhat) direct link of the Tone Stack into the poweramp.

Does a Non-Master Volume Marshall sound better than a MV model? IMO yes. Same principle.

When set correctly, and played at stage/band volumes with a full band, I highly doubt that you could "Blind A/B" Loop In VS Hard-Bypass.

I could not imagine gigging my Roadster without a Master Volume (Output). I use all four channels and it is very simple to adjust the overall volume of the amp.

When I record however, I will Hard-Bypass the FX Loop because yes, it does sound better.

My point here is that you have purchased one of the best High-Gain amps on the market. Enjoy it to the fullest extent. Don't get hung-up on those FX Loop "Opinions", the tone & versitility of these amps are phenominal.

Dom

 

[domct203]

Just to clarify, are you talking about the difference in tone with the loop hard wire bypassed? I don't hardwire bypass the effects loop because doing so renders the foot switch useless correct? However, I never engage the "FX Loop" button on the foot switch because I don't run any effects. All I know is when the effects loop is hard wire bypassed the Roadster is too loud to keep the peace.

Only the FX Loop and Solo switches. Channel switching remains the same.

Dom

 

[Given To Fly]

Thank you for clearing that up! I thought the entire footswitch was disengaged when the loop was hard bypassed. I guess I have some more experimenting to do!

 

[domct203]

Thank you for clearing that up! I thought the entire footswitch was disengaged when the loop was hard bypassed. I guess I have some more experimenting to do!

If you do not have one, download the owners manual from Mesa Boogie.

All the features of the amp are explained in detail (including hard-bypass & the footswitch).

Dom

 

[jdurso]

Also I'd add that the roadster is a very quiet amp even in modern mode on channel four. Its nothing like the noise you'd here in a 5150/6505 especially if you're using quality passive humbuckers. I'd also like to point out that I've used noise reduction pedals in both the loop and in front of the amp and to me there is no bug difference. In fact I prefer using it in front of the amp right after my OCD in the signal chain. With that said, if you're only using the noise suppressor and no other fx, I would bypass the loop and just use it in front of the amp, especially if your using an OD, boost or use active pickups.

 

[Given To Fly]

Thank you for clearing that up! I thought the entire footswitch was disengaged when the loop was hard bypassed. I guess I have some more experimenting to do!

If you do not have one, download the owners manual from Mesa Boogie.

All the features of the amp are explained in detail (including hard-bypass & the footswitch).

Dom

I'm still on the EQ section...

 

[sbhood]

Follow-up question:

For those of you who use the f/x loop:

do you keep it engaged all the time, or do you engage it only when you also engage a particular effect?

I'm using a gcx with an Eclipse in the loop and the choice I'm facing is whether to keep the loop engaged and bring in (via a ground control pro) the eventide, or whether to program the gcx to engage the loop and the Eventide at the same time. I'm using an rjm mini amp gizmo to switch channels on my Roadster.

I'm having a difficult time coming up with the ideal setup for my rig. I have an Ibanez ts808hw, decimator g string, swollen pickle fuzz box in front of the amp, and then the Eventide which I'd like to use for time based fx in the loop. I know it is not, in the grand scheme of what's possible, a complicated rig, but it is proving complicated for me (with all the midi and whatnot).

-Brian

 

[jdurso]

I use my rjm rg16 to engage the loop just when I need it.