Recto-Verb as a Bedroom Amp, Attenuator?

[robrocks]

Hello,

I'm really liking the Recto-Verb and will be using it primarily for home use. I'm wondering if anyone has used an attenuator on this or any other DR amp. When I spoke with Mesa, they recommended the Express series for home use and said I could get the DR sound from the 5:50 but I still would like a DR variation as a head. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

Rob

 

[Nylisk]

I just bought a Rect-O-Verb 50 combo and I use it quietly. I sacrifice a lot of tone to get the volume but you can do it, but that's the price for playing at 3am. You gotta tell your amp to whisper.

I have never used an attenuator so I can't comment on that.

 

[Platypus]

I'm going to disagree with Mesa on the 5.50... their DR claim really is a sales gimmick in my opinion.

That said, 50W for a bedroom amp is not going to sound great to be honest, the attenuator will only help you so much and you'll lose a lot of tone at that level. There's also no substitution for speaker movement / SPL.

It's doable but you're not getting the full tone out of your amp, they really were not designed for bedrooms.

 

[Commander Coo1]

i can get a very satisfying tone out of my tremoverb when i play in my bedroom, sure it doesnt sound the same as when its cranked, but its still a very good sound

 

[MusicManJP6]

Not sure if this helps or not but I use my Roadster at home 90% of the time and I get great tone out of it at very low volumes. I primarily use 50W and spongy settings and all channels sound great. The volume knob seems very linear and smooth and easy to find a good low volume. I actually like the saturation I can get at low volumes as compared to high volumes. It definitely comes alive as you turn it up more though. I'm just saying, you'll still have great tone at any volume IMO - just a little different at low compared to high volumes.

Now, the Mark IV I had was terrible in a bedroom. The volume knob was SUPER sensitive. 1.2 was just slightly not loud enough and then 1.3 was band practice level. I used an attenuator on the Mark IV with very good results - not necessary on a DR IMO. YMMV...

 

[TheRazMeister]

Rob, I have an ROV combo and I use it both for gigging and home practising at VERY low volumes. Now that being said, my idea of home practising isn't getting pinch harmonics or lush power chords. None the less my sound is still vey good and I can get a great overdrive sound by pulling back the treble and putting the gain on about 2:00 o'clock in vintage mode. To get a more authentic practise sound I use a Vox AD60VTX valvetronix combo that sounds incredible at low volumes.
The key to the Rectoverb is NOT cranking the channel master. I keep it on around 9:00 o'clock or so. I use the gain knob for overdrive and the amp output knob as the volume control.

Hello,

I'm really liking the Recto-Verb and will be using it primarily for home use. I'm wondering if anyone has used an attenuator on this or any other DR amp. When I spoke with Mesa, they recommended the Express series for home use and said I could get the DR sound from the 5:50 but I still would like a DR variation as a head. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

Rob

 

[PreventThis]

I use my Rectoverb at home all the time. I still get great tone with it, I'm sure it sounds better at higher volume, but I dont really ever have a chance to use its power.

A 5.50 definitley wont get you DR sounds without some help though.

 

[PreventThis]

I use my Rectoverb at home all the time. I still get great tone with it, I'm sure it sounds better at higher volume, but I dont really ever have a chance to use its power.

A 5.50 definitley wont get you DR sounds without some help though.

 

[robrocks]

Wow! Thanks folks, I'm very grateful for all of the feedback. Perhaps the ROV is doable, I agree I won't get great sound but perhaps I'd get a better sound than the 5:50 since everyone pretty much agrees that the 5:50 won't get the DR sounds.

Platypus, what would you suggest for a home amp?, and it may be splitting hairs but it would be for a room with some sound damping (it's in the basement), not necessarily a bedroom amp, I just won't play outside of my home, I could also insulate my garage (which only stores tools) into a practice space too.

Thanks again everyone, I really appreciate the responses!

Rob

 

[Platypus]

Wow! Thanks folks, I'm very grateful for all of the feedback. Perhaps the ROV is doable, I agree I won't get great sound but perhaps I'd get a better sound than the 5:50 since everyone pretty much agrees that the 5:50 won't get the DR sounds.

Platypus, what would you suggest for a home amp?, and it may be splitting hairs but it would be for a room with some sound damping (it's in the basement), not necessarily a bedroom amp, I just won't play outside of my home, I could also insulate my garage (which only stores tools) into a practice space too.

Thanks again everyone, I really appreciate the responses!

Rob

I'll probably take flak for this in the Modern amp section but I think the Mark IV is an awesome bedroom amp.. gets down to 15 W in Class A/Tweed/Triode mode and has an AWESOME cranked tone even at low volumes. It's perfect for recording and messing around in a basement setting.

To me, and this is my opinion of course having owned a DR in your exact situation, the Mark IV sounds better at lower volumes...the DR just sounds anemic in a low volume situation whereas the Mark IV does not. The DR sounds 'ok' at low volumes but it's a double edged sword.

But.. the Mark IV will not touch DR sounds and vice versa and it's sufficiently more complicated to operate.. so it's all about what you're after.

You're in the quintessential tough spot of a guitar player in an apt or bedroom setting. There are compromises that must be made one way or the other. I've found what I was after in the Mark but everyone is different and I cannot assume to tell you what would work for you. Just my two cents on the matter.

 

[chennie]

again, just as all the fine people above, I also use my ROV at home nowadays. Still get really good tone out of it. The key is proper eq settings.

 

[srommes]

You could also try the Recto Recording Pre and run it direct or use it with whatever poweramp you want. I think the rack pres are the way to go in a home setting because they are much more controllable. I run a Triaxis/2:90 combo in my home studio and I get excellent tone at lower volumes. I run both at about the same volume I would in a club situation(around 12:00) and control the volume with a rack mixer inbetween the two. This allows me to control the input to the poweramp while pushing its power section. I also use a THD Hotplate on my Dual Recto Rackmount with pretty good results.

 

[dodger916]

I think the Mark IV sounds amazing at low volume using Tweed, Simul, Pentode. I'm talking about volumes you can talk over. I also found great low volume tones in the Recto-verb. To my ears, it's easier to hear the nuances in the tones.

 

[JF Omalycat]

again, just as all the fine people above, I also use my ROV at home nowadays. Still get really good tone out of it. The key is proper eq settings.

I'll second that. My ROV sounds pretty damned good at low level, if you play with the EQ. I really crank the bass and gain at low level, much more so than the amp will tolerate wide open.
Contrary to "TheRazMeister" , I seem to get my best tone with the Master level at about 2:00, then slowly inching the channel level up. Not to say his method is wrong, by any means, just my personal taste. Not really a pinch harmonic type of player.

Regardless, I have a total amp crush on the ROV. It's done pretty much everything I've asked it to do.

 

[robrocks]

Awesome! So many great opinions. I'm glad there are many options to what I'd like to get. I did consider the rack mount option but I really like the classic head look, not to mention just wanting to own one of these beasts. Sounds like I'll probably go for the ROV head and fiddle with the settings. I can always build a room in my room for sound suppression, I've done crazier things in life.

I'm very glad I've found this forum, everyone has been very helpful and have offered all sorts of opinions without jumping on each other. Kudos to the respectful nature of this board.

I've found a home, now just gotta buy a Mesa to truly belong!

Rob

 

[avi8r2005]

I use a Single Rec solo 50 at home as well. For low volumes, I still get some awesome tones out of. I haven't really had the opportunity to blast the thing yet, but someday soon. With proper EQ'ing and use of the channel volumes and master volume ratios, you can find the sweet spots in there pretty easily. Plus now I've a got a G-major going through the effects loop which has really added some great new sounds to an already great thing.

 

[Rocky]

If you want something to play at a whisper volume in your bedroom get a Modeler.....or just accept that you will have to sacrifice a bit to get great tone at such a low volume.

Use your Mesa when you mean business or dont have to be QUITE so loud. For low volume home playing stuff a Tonelab or something like that is a great tool.

 

[MusicManJP6]

I know when I heard and bought my first Mesa it was an eye opener. Coming from a Peavey XXX I couldn't believe how much of my guitar's tone was being lost in the amp! Mesas really let your true guitar's tone shine. Any Mesa is going to sound good - it's a matter of what flavor of Mesa you want. The ROV is a GREAT start.

 

[KDS]

I've been getting decent bedroom tone from my ROV. I followed the EQ setting advice from the other guys on this forum and used the output knob to keep it managable. It's better cranked for sure but the bedroom tone is good too. I think it's better than any of my modelers.

If you are looking for a modeler I recommend the Microcube. That was the best $125 I've spent on music gear! I love the AC30 model in it.

Good luck on your tonequest!

 

[Juancito12]

I don't have a perm practice spot so I have to haul my ROV around and also play at home. Like KDS I found some decent tones at bedroom levels (mostly clean) but unfortunately a whole bunch of bad ones as well. Not impossible but its hard and took a lot of time playing with tone knobs. Its not a great bedroom amp but can work if you spend time finding the right tones.

The best I found was running a Overdrive on both pushed and vintage modes worked ok. In both settings I scooped the mids and set my Bass a little higher to taste with treble at 1pm. They were two different tones. In Pushed I drove the amp with the OD gain. In Vintage mode I let the pre-amp gain provide distortion and used the pedal to increase sustain. I tried 3 overdrives: Keely BD2, Boss DS-1, and a English Muffn. The DS-1 was ok, the Muffn was horrible and tinny (works great on my silvertones though). I used the Keely BD2 for it and got a good tone.

I've read on the board that attenuator helps you find a good cranked tone. They are expensive and keep in mind that you still lose something when you're not pushing air in the speaker at low volumes. But that might be a good option but more spendy than the OD, especially if you have an OD laying around.

I've since modded my amp and I get similar cranked tone at low volumes. I wouldn't recommend spending a lot of money on a mod just to get good low volume tone but it was a nice feature.