Recto gain saturation

[bermuda_]

I was just wondering, If you run a Mesa 3 channel Recto with the loop bypassed on the amp, with the gain knob on the amp, at 12' o'clock in channel 3 modern mode, how loud does the master amp volume on the amp need to be turned up in order to achieve to get a decent amount of gain saturation from the speakers, so that I have enough saturation to play metal.

I take it that my 4x12 cabinet speakers won't sound to good at lower amp volumes?

Also keep in mind that I'm playing my amp in my bedroom.

Here's my settings I'm currently using on my Recto

Master 9 o'clock, presence 9 o'clock bass zero, mid 12 o'clock, treble 12 o'clock , gain 12 o'clock

Channel 3 modern mode. Without using an overdrive pedal to boost the amp.

 

[ibanez4life SZ!]

Have you ever considered just twisting the knobs and seeing what you can find in there? With your specific setup, you'll get much better results with that than us just guessing.

I've said it before, and I'll say it again...the Recto is not a bedroom amp. The preamp alone on the amp is kind of lame..the biggest factor the recto sound is when the speakers truly start interacting and moving with the pre and power amp...when you get those guys kicking, that's when the magic starts...not something you can do in a bedroom.

First, try something like this. Works awesome on my Roadster, but I play LOUD...might sound like **** in your application.

Channel 3, Modern, diodes, bold (you might want to consider spongy and recto tubes for low volume...lowers the output and takes some of the stiffness out)
Gain: 3:00
Bass: 2:00 (a lot of the recto sound is in this knob IMO...if you're sloppy, it will sound like ****...if you taylor you playing and rig to it, there is a lot of awesome to be had here)
Mids: 11:00
Treble: 1:00
Presence: 12:00

Another thing I've found is that the 3 channel rectos has a very bad volume taper when low...with the Roadster, and the newer 3 channel models, Mesa made the volume much smoother, so you have a larger range when low. The older ones go from nothing to loud in a very small interval.

Good luck.

Honestly, it sounds like you're looking for something that is not a recto...Crazy saturation at low volumes? Line 6 does that well? If I only played at home, I would not own a recto...I'd be so frustrated with it that I would stop playing :?

 

[fluff191]

Honestly, it sounds like you're looking for something that is not a recto...Crazy saturation at low volumes? Line 6 does that well? If I only played at home, I would not own a recto...I'd be so frustrated with it that I would stop playing :?

+1

Line 6 does it great. I have my Spider combo for home, my Rectos for band practice.

Rectos (or any other 100 watt tube amp for that matter) were never meant to be used for low-volume practice situations.

You wouldn't use a Porsche 911 as a racecar bed would you? :wink:

 

[KH Guitar Freak]

Honestly, it sounds like you're looking for something that is not a recto...Crazy saturation at low volumes? Line 6 does that well? If I only played at home, I would not own a recto...I'd be so frustrated with it that I would stop playing :?

+1

Line 6 does it great. I have my Spider combo for home, my Rectos for band practice.

Rectos (or any other 100 watt tube amp for that matter) were never meant to be used for low-volume practice situations.

You wouldn't use a Porsche 911 as a racecar bed would you? :wink:

Don't know about that. Personally, I would get all the women in a Porsche 911 all wet...

 

[Heritage Softail]

I was just wondering, If you run a Mesa 3 channel Recto with the loop bypassed on the amp, with the gain knob on the amp, at 12' o'clock in channel 3 modern mode, how loud does the master amp volume on the amp need to be turned up in order to achieve to get a decent amount of gain saturation from the speakers, so that I have enough saturation to play metal.I take it that my 4x12 cabinet speakers won't sound to good at lower amp volumes?Also keep in mind that I'm playing my amp in my bedroom.Here's my settings I'm currently using on my RectoMaster 9 o'clock, presence 9 o'clock bass zero, mid 12 o'clock, treble 12 o'clock , gain 12 o'clockChannel 3 modern mode. Without using an overdrive pedal to boost the amp.

You could sell your rig and scale it back i you are not going to play out, or get a power sink and a good 1x12 cab for home use. If you are playing at home your parent/spouse/neighbors would be thankful. I have a little line 6 spyder in my living room to practice and annoy my wife. :twisted: U can get a cheap but decent practice amp like a Peavey Vyper for $99 at Guitar Center now. Why put all that time on your excellent set up to practice scales/exercises?

 

[b0nkersx]

the Recto is not a bedroom amp.

That's really is all there is to it. I have never gotten a tone that I was REALLY happy with at bedroom volumes. It's always lacking. Using a recto as a bedroom amp is like buying a tank to drive yourself to work.

 

[Jerrick]

I dont get it. I have a 2channel DR (Rv.G) and I love the tone I get at low volumes. From when mine and others talking voice is louder than it, or when I have it cranked, it all sounds great.

The only thing I do differently than most is I always have my loop on for both channels, cause I have a slight delay on everything, so I leave my loop master up to 3:00, then control the volume with each channels individual volume control.

To me its a great amp for a bedroom. Also great for practices, and when at a venue.

 

[TREC]

If your not using a boost it will definitely sound crap at low volumes IMO.

 

[rjf]

the Recto is not a bedroom amp.

That's really is all there is to it. I have never gotten a tone that I was REALLY happy with at bedroom volumes. It's always lacking. Using a recto as a bedroom amp is like buying a tank to drive yourself to work.

I can get a great tone out of my recto in my music room, I don't see a problem with a recto half stack being a bedroom amp. You've just got to turn it up until it gets in that range, and then you're in good shape, with or without a bedroom. :mrgreen:

 

[RectoStudioGuy]

If your intent is to keep this rig as a bedroom amp then I highly recomend an attenuator such as the THD Hot Plate. But it certainly seems overkill for home use.

 

[JF Omalycat]

Like Jerrik, my two channel dual can sound decent at low volumes, especially when using the loop as a master. It doesn't sound as "recto'ish", but still good enough to jam on. Maybe pull a couple of tubes and try it at 50 watts? My ROV sounded freaking great at bedroom levels.

 

[Rocker]

Dude,

These guys are right -- a dual recto will blow your windows out and make you deaf in a short period of time if ya crank it in your bedroom. (And this is serious -- once the ringin in your ears starts it never stops until your heart does.) BUT -- never fear -- there is a way to get the cranked sound out of your amp without the volume. It's called a Hot Plate. This deal is a dummy speaker load that goes in line between your amp main output and your speaker. Costs about the same as a good analog pedal and looks cool sittin on top of your amp to boot. It allows you to put the voltage to your tubes to get them smokin hot, get the great tone character that you are seeking, and simply dial away the volume (Now I'm not gonna try to tell you that you'll get exactly the same tone as if you had the amp outside and cranked, but it's not far off, and allows you to get a whole lot more outta your amp.) Beware, though, this will cause you to go through power tubes about once a year and preamp tubes about every 3 or so. But if you're not wearing out your tubes, you'll never have the absolute pleasure of learning how switching them with different ones can also give you way different tone character. Mesa amps are engineered to be BEATEN!

I sincerely believe that if you have made the investment in a Mesa DR, NEVER go back to some POS cheap crap like Peavey or Line 6 to practice with. Life is way too f_cking short to leave your DR in a closet! Get the Hot Plate and you'll never regret it. (BTW -- even Eddy himself used a dummy speaker load downstream of his primary Marshall amp to get it cooking, and then fed the attenuated signal into a second amp that drove his speakers. Basically, legend has it that he used something like a Hot Plate to turn his Marshall into a pre-amp, and dimed all the tone and volume pots to get that brown sound ready for the second amp.)

I hope that you are able to get your amp set up where you want it and RIP that metal to your heart's content! (But protect your hearing!!!!!!)

Craig

 

[mikey383]

*courtesy of fluff*




Seriously, sell the amp and get something else. It's not the amp for you. Based upon all your previous posts, you're not getting along with it, and it doesn't look like that's going to change anytime soon.

 

[fluff191]

*courtesy of fluff*




Seriously, sell the amp and get something else. It's not the amp for you. Based upon all your previous posts, you're not getting along with it, and it doesn't look like that's going to change anytime soon.

+1

 

[Heritage Softail]

*courtesy of fluff*




Seriously, sell the amp and get something else. It's not the amp for you. Based upon all your previous posts, you're not getting along with it, and it doesn't look like that's going to change anytime soon.

+1

 

[cornsyrup]

+1 for the Hot Plate

 

[bermuda_]

Even though I play my Recto in my Bedroom, which to most people would sound a bit ridiculous would a hotplate allow me to crank the amp up a bit, without having to worry about my windows being smashed, or my hearing being damaged?

 

[fluff191]

Even though I play my Recto in my Bedroom, which to most people would sound a bit ridiculous would a hotplate allow me to crank the amp up a bit, without having to worry about my windows being smashed, or my hearing being damaged?

Dude.

Google THD Hotplate or go to GuitarCenter.com

 

[ibanez4life SZ!]

IMO...hot plates sound like **** with rectos :?

 

[b0nkersx]

IMO...hot plates sound like sh!t with rectos :?

+1

Amps designed to run with a dirty preamp and clean poweramp do not jive with a hotplate.