Smoothing out/tightening up Mark III

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xT00BZRG00Dx

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How can I make it less harsh/saturated and more smooth/tight (for metal)?
Approximate settings:
http://www.chain-metal.nl/mark3/?bg=3&d1=100&p1=1&d2=70&p2=1&d3=20&d4=30&d5=15&p5=1&d6=35&p6=1&d7=20&p7=1&p=0&g1=100&g2=70&g3=40&g4=55&g5=60&t=Metal+tone+%28Randall+4x12+with+V30%5C%5C%5C%27s%29

I'm using this: http://guitars.musiciansfriend.com/product/Randall-R412XLT-Speaker-Cabinet?sku=480383 cab. Any help?
 
I would push the volume and lead master pots in. If this kills your gain, turn the lead drive up. That would be way too much bass for me to get a tight metal tone. When I run the pull/deep on the master out(which i always do) I cut the 80hz way down to keep my bass from getting flubby. I find it too dark without presence. I like it about 1.5.
here are my settings...
http://www.chain-metal.nl/mark3/?bg=3&d1=65&d2=65&p2=1&d3=20&d4=20&d5=20&p5=1&d6=70&p6=1&d7=35&p=15&g1=20&g2=60&g3=5&g4=25&g5=50&t=80%5C%27s+thrashl+tone

you might not like the 80hz slidder that low. I guess you might not like any of it, but I enjoy it.
I always adjust the lead drive when I play, it goes from 6 to almost 8 sometimes.
 
Hangar18 said:
I would push the volume and lead master pots in. If this kills your gain, turn the lead drive up. That would be way too much bass for me to get a tight metal tone. When I run the pull/deep on the master out(which i always do) I cut the 80hz way down to keep my bass from getting flubby. I find it too dark without presence. I like it about 1.5.
here are my settings...
http://www.chain-metal.nl/mark3/?bg=3&d1=65&d2=65&p2=1&d3=20&d4=20&d5=20&p5=1&d6=70&p6=1&d7=35&p=15&g1=20&g2=60&g3=5&g4=25&g5=50&t=80%5C%27s+thrashl+tone

you might not like the 80hz slidder that low. I guess you might not like any of it, but I enjoy it.
I always adjust the lead drive when I play, it goes from 6 to almost 8 sometimes.
Thanks, what cab you usin?
 
FUCK!!!! I've had this **** head for 3 months, and I still can't get a usable tone out of the **** thing!!! I would sell it if my parents would let me. Fuck Mark III's. I spend more time tweaking then playing.
 
xT00BZRG00Dx said:
FUCK!!!! I've had this **** head for 3 months, and I still can't get a usable tone out of the **** thing!!! I would sell it if my parents would let me. Fuck Mark III's. I spend more time tweaking then playing.
Obviously the other three million users must be wrong about them then.
Took me approx 20 mins. to get mine set up for perfect tone but maybe that's because I'm an experienced musician who knows what I'm doing.
 
Push in those brights to darken it. Lower the volume a bit for less saturation. If you are not getting enough gain increase the lead drive some. To tighten it up, you could hit the front end with a OD, but this will lead to more saturation. You can use the classic V for even more metal madness, but it is useless in a band situation IMO.

If that doesn't work, user error... In the end the Mark III is a raw, cutting beast.
 
xT00BZRG00Dx said:
Hangar18 said:
I would push the volume and lead master pots in. If this kills your gain, turn the lead drive up. That would be way too much bass for me to get a tight metal tone. When I run the pull/deep on the master out(which i always do) I cut the 80hz way down to keep my bass from getting flubby. I find it too dark without presence. I like it about 1.5.
here are my settings...
http://www.chain-metal.nl/mark3/?bg=3&d1=65&d2=65&p2=1&d3=20&d4=20&d5=20&p5=1&d6=70&p6=1&d7=35&p=15&g1=20&g2=60&g3=5&g4=25&g5=50&t=80%5C%27s+thrashl+tone

you might not like the 80hz slidder that low. I guess you might not like any of it, but I enjoy it.
I always adjust the lead drive when I play, it goes from 6 to almost 8 sometimes.
Thanks, what cab you usin?

Mesa traditional 4x12 with v 30's.
If you have tried the settings I posted, and the ones others posted in your other similar threads, and your tone still sucks...
either A. your amp is in need of repair/maintenance
or B. your definition of a tight metal tone is WAY different then mine.
 
Jesus, don't get this guy started on mods. He's not experienced enough to know what he's getting into and we'll never hear the end of it.

Toobz, please, for the sake of your and everyone else's sanity, ignore the previous post for at least the next three years.

In the meantime, it would help immensely if you could post a clip of the sound you're getting along with the settings. That would help us tell you if there's something wrong with the amp or what. It would also help a bit if you could post a clip of what you're going for just so we're all on the same page.

Now, my personal experience is that I can't get a really good tone out of my IIIs at the volume levels you're playing at, especially through a 4x12.

Wait until your parents are out of the house and try this.

For lower volumes, roll the master and lead masters down equally-- take one down a teeny bit, then the other. You might also want to think about getting a 1x12 cab if you are going to spend most of your time playing at lower volumes.
 
first off GT-75's and a mark III are not a good combination.
secondly turn the volume one down to about 7 turn the lead gain up to about 6 slide that 80h back down to about 80%, get a Boss SD-1 throw it front dime the level set the tone to about 11:00 and set the gain on at about 1.
My red stripe thru a 2X12 recto cab run this ways sounds incredible tight metal playing (lead and rhythm).
If that still doesn't work for you with hanger 18's settings (pretty standard for this amp)
then this is just no the amp for you.
Sell it and get something like a 5150
 
http://www.soundclick.com/bands/default.cfm?bandID=936035

Look at Mark III test. And to kmanick, i'm using V30's and a Randall cab now.
 
xT00BZRG00Dx said:
http://www.soundclick.com/bands/default.cfm?bandID=936035

Look at Mark III test. And to kmanick, i'm using V30's and a Randall cab now.

Hard to tell with the so-so recording but I'd say you're missing some highs and it's a wee bit muddy from playing at low volume through too big a cab, and the deep switch should be off--it takes away tightness in the bass. There's definitely nothing wrong with the amp, though. Try it without the deep switch first and turn up a little.
 
Have you tried boosting it up front ( a clean boost)
mine sounds 100 times better for the Nevermore, Scar Symmetry, SYL stuff I play
with a clean boost in front.
My SD-1 does wonders for it (It did for my Rectoverb too).
Put it this way, if I couldn't boost it for that type of stuff I wouldn't even use it.
there is plenty of gain on available on thee amps if you dime the gain, but I find thta the amp sounds much tighter and sharper if I keep the gain around 6 and just boost it.
this of course is when I'm playing at home at lower volumes.
I've never used a Randall cab, so I can't help there, but I have a Recto 2X12 and an Avatar 2x12 both with V30's and the recto cab sounds much much better with my mesa than the Avatar cab does (but my 6505+ sounds better with the Avatar cab) :?:
I thought your mark III test clipsounded pretty good.
what sound are you after?
the boost will help tremendously for the type of stuff you played in the Test clip.
 
A few more questions. How much would new caps be, and why does it sound WORSE cranked? Another weird thing is, it sounds sort of bad in my room, but in my living room, it sounds like tits. Why?
 
New caps really depends on whether you have a reasonably ethical tech who knows what he's doing. Seriously, I wouldn't worry about it.

When you say it sounds worse cranked, what do you mean?

Are you still doing that thing with the EQ where all the sliders are above the middle line? Don't do that.
The idea with EQ is to take away what you don't want so you hear more of what you do. Take mids out before you start boosting the bass.

Do you still have the Deep switch in? The bassiness and flubbiness from the Deep switch will get worse the louder you turn up the amp. It's really only meant for clean tones and thin-sounding single coil pickups.

And yeah, generally with a 4x12 the amp will sound best and/or like it's supposed to when you're standing more than ten or twelve feet away from it. That's a cab thing, not the amp. Again, if you are mostly playing in your bedroom or jamming in the basement, a 1x12 cab is a great idea-- you can turn the amp up a little louder for the same volume.
 
CoG said:
New caps really depends on whether you have a reasonably ethical tech who knows what he's doing. Seriously, I wouldn't worry about it.

When you say it sounds worse cranked, what do you mean?

Are you still doing that thing with the EQ where all the sliders are above the middle line? Don't do that.
The idea with EQ is to take away what you don't want so you hear more of what you do. Take mids out before you start boosting the bass.

Do you still have the Deep switch in? The bassiness and flubbiness from the Deep switch will get worse the louder you turn up the amp. It's really only meant for clean tones and thin-sounding single coil pickups.

And yeah, generally with a 4x12 the amp will sound best and/or like it's supposed to when you're standing more than ten or twelve feet away from it. That's a cab thing, not the amp. Again, if you are mostly playing in your bedroom or jamming in the basement, a 1x12 cab is a great idea-- you can turn the amp up a little louder for the same volume.
When I turn it up past that volume spike between 1.5 and 2, it starts sounding harsh and trebley. Settings for low volumes (sounds like tits): http://www.chain-metal.nl/mark3/?bg=3&d1=100&d2=70&d3=0&d4=0&d5=20&d6=70&p6=1&d7=15&p=10&g1=70&g2=50&g3=15&g4=45&g5=25&t=Low+volume+tone
I pushed in the deep. I think it's sounding really good at those volumes, but starts to get harsh as I turn it up. And if I get a 1x12 with one V30 that's 60 watts, will I still be able to run my 100 watt head through it? If not, would the half-power switch work? BTW, this is my first Boogie, i've only been playing it for around 1-2 months, sorry if i'm clueless. Plus, i'm only 13.
 
You post and write really well for 13, man-- good on you. The only thing you need to learn is to post a question one time, in one subforum, don't post the same question like four times in four hours.

You have your mids set at 0? No wonder it sounds harsh and trebly at normal volume. Turn those up to at least 4-actually, depending on your guitar, I'd start them at like 6 and then turn down little bits until you like what you hear.

Tell your parents "okay, this is going to be really loud but I need to try something here, these guys on the internet seem know what they're talking about" and try this:

Click here

then start gradually turning down the Master and Lead Master until the windows stop rattling. As you turn down you will probably need to inch up the Treble a little bit and maybe the Lead Drive too. But just tiny bits at a time.

Also, and this may sound weird, but as you increase the Treble, Volume or Lead Drive, try turning your guitar volume down a little bit. I find, and this is just my experience, that super-high-output pickups can make Mark-series amps sound harsh and mushy. When this amp was designed in the mid-80s pickups were nowhere near as hot as modern EMGs or something. I used to play Rectos and they sound great with hot pickups and a boost slamming them, but Marks, not so much.

As for a 1x12 a Mark III into a single V30 is pretty harsh-sounding. I have used 1x12s with Eminence Legens V12s and EVM-12s and they both sounded good. However, at bedroom practice levels speaker choice is not really a big deal because the speaker will hardly be working at all and you generally don't hear a speaker's "character" until you smack it pretty hard.

Power-wise the V30 will handle it no problem at the volumes you're playing at in your bedroom, the amp won't put out 60 or 100 watts until you're really cranked.

xT00BZRG00Dx said:
CoG said:
New caps really depends on whether you have a reasonably ethical tech who knows what he's doing. Seriously, I wouldn't worry about it.

When you say it sounds worse cranked, what do you mean?

Are you still doing that thing with the EQ where all the sliders are above the middle line? Don't do that.
The idea with EQ is to take away what you don't want so you hear more of what you do. Take mids out before you start boosting the bass.

Do you still have the Deep switch in? The bassiness and flubbiness from the Deep switch will get worse the louder you turn up the amp. It's really only meant for clean tones and thin-sounding single coil pickups.

And yeah, generally with a 4x12 the amp will sound best and/or like it's supposed to when you're standing more than ten or twelve feet away from it. That's a cab thing, not the amp. Again, if you are mostly playing in your bedroom or jamming in the basement, a 1x12 cab is a great idea-- you can turn the amp up a little louder for the same volume.
When I turn it up past that volume spike between 1.5 and 2, it starts sounding harsh and trebley. Settings for low volumes (sounds like tits): http://www.chain-metal.nl/mark3/?bg=3&d1=100&d2=70&d3=0&d4=0&d5=20&d6=70&p6=1&d7=15&p=10&g1=70&g2=50&g3=15&g4=45&g5=25&t=Low+volume+tone
I pushed in the deep. I think it's sounding really good at those volumes, but starts to get harsh as I turn it up. And if I get a 1x12 with one V30 that's 60 watts, will I still be able to run my 100 watt head through it? If not, would the half-power switch work? BTW, this is my first Boogie, i've only been playing it for around 1-2 months, sorry if i'm clueless. Plus, i'm only 13.
 
CoG said:
You post and write really well for 13, man-- good on you. The only thing you need to learn is to post a question one time, in one subforum, don't post the same question like four times in four hours.

You have your mids set at 0? No wonder it sounds harsh and trebly at normal volume. Turn those up to at least 4-actually, depending on your guitar, I'd start them at like 6 and then turn down little bits until you like what you hear.

Tell your parents "okay, this is going to be really loud but I need to try something here, these guys on the internet seem know what they're talking about" and try this:

Click here

then start gradually turning down the Master and Lead Master until the windows stop rattling. As you turn down you will probably need to inch up the Treble a little bit and maybe the Lead Drive too. But just tiny bits at a time.

Also, and this may sound weird, but as you increase the Treble, Volume or Lead Drive, try turning your guitar volume down a little bit. I find, and this is just my experience, that super-high-output pickups can make Mark-series amps sound harsh and mushy. When this amp was designed in the mid-80s pickups were nowhere near as hot as modern EMGs or something. I used to play Rectos and they sound great with hot pickups and a boost slamming them, but Marks, not so much.

As for a 1x12 a Mark III into a single V30 is pretty harsh-sounding. I have used 1x12s with Eminence Legens V12s and EVM-12s and they both sounded good. However, at bedroom practice levels speaker choice is not really a big deal because the speaker will hardly be working at all and you generally don't hear a speaker's "character" until you smack it pretty hard.

Power-wise the V30 will handle it no problem at the volumes you're playing at in your bedroom, the amp won't put out 60 or 100 watts until you're really cranked.

xT00BZRG00Dx said:
CoG said:
New caps really depends on whether you have a reasonably ethical tech who knows what he's doing. Seriously, I wouldn't worry about it.

When you say it sounds worse cranked, what do you mean?

Are you still doing that thing with the EQ where all the sliders are above the middle line? Don't do that.
The idea with EQ is to take away what you don't want so you hear more of what you do. Take mids out before you start boosting the bass.

Do you still have the Deep switch in? The bassiness and flubbiness from the Deep switch will get worse the louder you turn up the amp. It's really only meant for clean tones and thin-sounding single coil pickups.

And yeah, generally with a 4x12 the amp will sound best and/or like it's supposed to when you're standing more than ten or twelve feet away from it. That's a cab thing, not the amp. Again, if you are mostly playing in your bedroom or jamming in the basement, a 1x12 cab is a great idea-- you can turn the amp up a little louder for the same volume.
When I turn it up past that volume spike between 1.5 and 2, it starts sounding harsh and trebley. Settings for low volumes (sounds like tits): http://www.chain-metal.nl/mark3/?bg=3&d1=100&d2=70&d3=0&d4=0&d5=20&d6=70&p6=1&d7=15&p=10&g1=70&g2=50&g3=15&g4=45&g5=25&t=Low+volume+tone
I pushed in the deep. I think it's sounding really good at those volumes, but starts to get harsh as I turn it up. And if I get a 1x12 with one V30 that's 60 watts, will I still be able to run my 100 watt head through it? If not, would the half-power switch work? BTW, this is my first Boogie, i've only been playing it for around 1-2 months, sorry if i'm clueless. Plus, i'm only 13.
Thanks alot for your help!!! I'll try that. And BTW, i'm using EMG's. What 1x12 cab should I get?
 
xT00BZRG00Dx said:
Thanks alot for your help!!! I'll try that. And BTW, i'm using EMG's. What 1x12 cab should I get?

No worries. Again, if you are just going at bedroomish volumes it probably doesn't really matter a whole lot. Differences between cab types and speaker types just won't be as big a deal at the low volumes. You *probably* want a closed-back one if you have a choice. Just watch your local craigslist or whatever and buy a used one. Avatar 1x12s are pretty common used, I have had a couple and they're good.

Big thing to remember overall is that you WON'T be able to use the same settings at bedroom volume into a 1x12 and at, like, band volume into a 4x12, and have it sound at all the same, you'll have to dial the amp in differently in each situation.
 

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