triaxis users.. prefer phat mod? or no phat mod?

[willrock]

what dya prefer, phat mod? or without phat mod? and why?
i know some says phat mod is more rectifier like but others said it kinda loses triaxis' vintage vibe

 

[fatboy135]

I never play with a non phat mod triaxis, my TA is phat mod and I like its sound.
TA is so difficult to achieve a good tone in a day you will need at least one week, one month or even one year.
I think that TA sounds perfectly the only matter is to spend a lot time looking for your tone

 

[willrock]

i got the NO phat mod.. i cudnt be more happier with the sound, well of course i never tried the phat mod yet.. so i shouldnt compare.. the only problem on my lead red is its kinda softer in wolume compared to the rest of the modes! weird

 

[phantomlord2oo]

Well I don't think I've played a non-phat modded Triaxis but I find the LD1 Red (the Recto mode) pretty much unuseable. I've tried for a LONG time to get a decent sound out of it but I couldn't. All the other modes are great, just not that one. It also seems a little out of place on the Triaxis.

+Mike+

 

[bjoneill74]

I have played both..
I have an older TriAxis (though it's V2) and something went wrong with the input stage.. I had to send it back to M/B for a repair and ended up getting a replacement at GC. The newer ones all come Phat Modded supposively, but there was something very different about the newer TriAxis that I really didn't like. I figured it was my imagination, but when I got my repaired TriAxis back.. it was much better to my ears..

So.. I guess I prefer the non Phat Modded ones. unless something else has changed in the TriAxis along the way.

Brian

 

[PC Biz]

The newest Triaxis does not have the Phat mod. My Mesa support guy told me the parts were unavailable for the latest group, so the red channel has a Mark IIc+ high gain to it. I haven't fired mine up yet ( just got it) but will know very soon.

 

[chedgeco]

OK I hope this will dispel the myth. This is a quote from an email I got from a friend of mine up at Boogie Petaluma:

The new Triaxis no longer have Lead 1 Red as the Recto fat mod. due to a shortage of parts for the TX4 board used for Lead 1 Red, that mode is no longer offered. Instead of discontinuing the amp, we reverted back to the original Triaxis sounds by bringing back the british high gain (MK IV) mode in the Lead 1 Red. All else is the same. Continuous control and 2.0 software is all still intact. I guess you can call that a new version but it is simply removing one mode and replacing it with the original.

Chris... 8)

 

[bjoneill74]

hrmmm.. that's interesting..
might have to grab one...

Brian

 

[t0aj15]

OK I hope this will dispel the myth. This is a quote from an email I got from a friend of mine up at Boogie Petaluma:

The new Triaxis no longer have Lead 1 Red as the Recto fat mod. due to a shortage of parts for the TX4 board used for Lead 1 Red, that mode is no longer offered. Instead of discontinuing the amp, we reverted back to the original Triaxis sounds by bringing back the british high gain (MK IV) mode in the Lead 1 Red. All else is the same. Continuous control and 2.0 software is all still intact. I guess you can call that a new version but it is simply removing one mode and replacing it with the original.

Chris... 8)

Now I'm really confused because according to the catalog I got when I bought my V.2 TriAxis these are the modes for the V.2's prior to the latest change.
Rhythm Green=Vintage Fat Rhythm (Mark I, Black-face)
Rhythm Yellow=Modern hyper-clean Rhythm (Mark IV)
Lead 1 Green=Vintage Mark I Lead
Lead 1 Yellow=Modified Higher Gain Mark I
Lead 1 Red=Rectifier Vintage Lead
Lead 2 Green=Mark IV Pentode Lead
Lead 2 Yellow=Mark IIC+ Lead
Lead 2 Red=Modified Mark IV Searing Lead
If it already has
Rhythm Yellow=Modern hyper-clean Rhythm (Mark IV)
Lead 2 Green=Mark IV Pentode Lead
Lead 2 Red= Modified Mark IV Searing Lead
then why make
Lead 1 Red=Mark IV british high gain
That means ALL eight modes on this new version will be Mark series modes with half of those being Mark IV.

 

[oz_mike]

Hmmm,... doesn't sound very convincing.

I suspect the reason for this change back to the older version is economic, rather than a supply issue. The V2 uses very similar parts to V1, and so if there was a part sourcing issue, it would affect the whole Triaxis, not just the 'Recto' part,... and probably quite a few of Mesas other products,...

Probably, and this is just a theory, the Recto mode was a pain in the butt (since it involved quite a bit of hotrodding to the original Triaxis), and the addition of a whole new board, complete with it's own EQ. That's a lot of trouble to go to just for one mode. Those who've seen inside a V2 will notice just how large that 'piggyback' board is.

As for all the modes being Mark IV, you can see from the original Triaxis that the whole point of thing was to capture the whole history of the Mark Series in one unit. The Mark series is really the history of Mesa pre-Recto (since all models up until that time were derived from/variation of the Mark theme,... eg. the Quad, the Caliber series etc.). So having everything based on the Mark series kinda makes sense.

Also, in a sense, the Mark IV kinda does that already (captures all previous Mark sounds, except for the Mark I lead stuff), so it's not surprising that a lot of the modes in the Triaxis are related to Mark IV circuits.

 

[t0aj15]

As for all the modes being Mark IV, you can see from the original Triaxis that the whole point of thing was to capture the whole history of the Mark Series in one unit. The Mark series is really the history of Mesa pre-Recto (since all models up until that time were derived from/variation of the Mark theme,... eg. the Quad, the Caliber series etc.). So having everything based on the Mark series kinda makes sense. Also, in a sense, the Mark IV kinda does that already (captures all previous Mark sounds, except for the Mark I lead stuff), so it's not surprising that a lot of the modes in the Triaxis are related to Mark IV circuits.

If this true why not just digitize the Mark IV and be done with it?

 

[oz_mike]

If this true why not just digitize the Mark IV and be done with it?

Well, that's kinda what the triaxis is,... Lead 1 is the only serious exception, which adds another tube stage out the front so that the config is more like a Mark I lead (schematics are floating around the web, for those who are interested). Other than that, the other 5 modes are very similar to the Mark IV. It's usually just a few components difference between them,...

 

[PC Biz]

It's kind of a bummer now that I know I cannot get the Recto sound out of it.

My Triaxis left the factory in August 2005, so it's the latest version. Got it used at GC. However, the inner volume knob is a push/pull. I haven't had time to fire it up all week, but this weekend I'll figure out what it is. MB tells me it's an 'artist mod'. They don't know what the mod does, but the '+' designation in the serial number means something.

 

[fatboy135]

ok pc biz, open inmediately the TA and upload a couple of photos

 

[PC Biz]

ok pc biz, open inmediately the TA and upload a couple of photos

Great idea! I wish I had thought of that earlier. I've got to get some sleep, but I will have it opened with its guts out by Monday.

 

[fatboy135]

good issue dude, we can research all internal with your photos

 

[PC Biz]

Sorry, I've been so busy I haven't had time to pull my Triaxis apart. I will post pix as soon as I get them.

 

[fatboy135]

there is not problem to apologize it, we are all busy people, take it easy, when you have free time you could post the photos.

 

[MesieBooga]

Anyone use there Tri through an amp head?

 

[MesieBooga]

How can you tell if the unit has the Phat Mod or not? Serial #? :?: