Triaxis Questions about versions and recto sounds

[Nazgul666]

I think I'm going to take the plunge and build a full Triaxis rig. I've been curious since the nineties so I think I'm just going to do it.

My questions is on the versions. I know that the Triaxis is Mark series tones but I hear a lot about the recto mod. Should I look for that?

If I buy one new, will any of the channels have recto flavor or did they completely do away with that?

Also, I'm guessing the 2:90 is the power amp of choice. How about a floor board? My goal is to get the Triaxis, the 2:90, a G Major 2 and control it all via midi floorboard so any suggestions on a floorboard would be helpful.

Thanks,

Mike

 

[Screamindv]

I have had a Triaxis with and without the recto mod. They don't sound the same and they don't sound like a recto. I traded my Triaxis with recto mod for a Recto Preamp. I kept my non recto Triaxis and have it in a rack with my Recto Preamp, a 2:90 poweramp a few pedals and I use a G System. I have the G System brain in the rack and I have the pedal board on the floor with 2 expression pedals. Plan on using some hum eliminators and a decimator G String pro to have a quiet recording ready rig. I keep toying with selling the whole thing to get an Axe FX due to its size and weight. I just love my tones though.

 

[crane]

Great part of the Recto sound and "feel" come from the poweramp and feedback loop, which isn't present in a Triaxis unless you pair it with a 2:100.

 

[lento]

Regarding the controller, I use the Yamaha MFC10 to control both the Triaxis and the GM2.
Great little unit with individual midi channel and CC numbers assignable to any footswitch, as well as 4 external f/switches and built-in expression pedal.

Can be a little confusing to set up if you're not conversant with midi, but reading the manual takes care of this.
Doesn't take up too much floor space, and well-built with an intuitive display.
Only downside is the wall-wart power supply and lack of phantom powering, but considering the price it's a great little unit.

 

[JMMP]

I can confirm that if you buy a new Triaxis, it will NOT sound like a recto. The tri I had was the newest revision, and Ld1 Red could have been a lonestar lead sound, but there was NOTHING recto about it. I have no experience with the recto mods, but I will point you to a thread which gives serial numbers to each revision: http://forum.grailtone.com/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=55778

For a footcontroller, I recommend the DMC (now Voodoo Lab) Ground Control Pro. It has enough buttons to do everything, isn't stratospheric in cost, and is built very solidly. I bought mine used about a year ago, and it was made in 2003 or so, and shows no signs of breaking. It plays well with the triaxis and GMAJ2 as well. It can be phantom powered from the Tri. But if you want expression pedals without buying external equipment, the Roland is a solid choice as well.

 

[jeff5]

The Triaxis is a very versatile and great sounding preamp. You can get great tones and go from clean Jazz to modern Metal with the push of a button. Pairing it with the 2:90 and it's voicings gives even more flexibility.

There are two things to keep in mind. First, you must like Mesa sounds, and in particular Mark sounds as that's what it emulates. I have no idea if Lead 1 Red sounds like a Rectifier (it probably doesn't) but I have a Triaxis version with the Recto Board and NO Fat mod and it is AWESOME for metal. Second, related to what I just said, I'd recommend getting a version 2.0 with the recto board and no fat mod. It makes Lead 1 Red usable and gives the the most preamp for your money.

I hope that helps.

 

[ryjan]

Funny. A few years back the fat mod Tri was THE one to get. Now it seems that interweb hype has the non-fat Tri as being superior.
Almost as good as the "Pre-500" recto hype.

 

[jeff5]

I understand what you're saying Ryjan but I've had the opportunity to compare Fat and Non Fat side by side for quite a long time.

I've owned my Triaxis since 2005 and it had the Fat mod on Lead 1 Red. I was never able to get a sound that I liked out of that channel no matter how much tweaking I did. I had a 50/50 power amp for a long time and switched to the 2:90 at the end of 2012. Still couldn't get a good sound out of Lead 1 Red with the Fat Mod.

Then in May of 2013 I decided to finally send it to Mesa and get the Fat Mod removed and it made a HUGE difference on the channel. So much so that I almost exclusively play it for metal rhythm where as before I never touched it. Almost a year later now and there is no wear in, I'm still loving it. I just retubed my Triaxis and it sounds even better and quieter.

That's my direct experience before and after the fat mod. Opinions will of course vary.

Jeff

 

[Jackie]

Lead 1 Red non-fat sounds kind of Recto-ISH, but very ISH indeed. I was able to do an A/B test with a Recto (albeit the new 2010 one) and I tried to "copy" that sound best I could on the TriAxis. It sounded "in the ballpark", but not closer than that.