Triaxis: Version 1 and/or Version 2

[ziggys]

Hey Everybody
I have the opportunity to purchase a Triaxis V1 at $650 or a perfect Version2 with no fat mod at $900.
I know Version 2 has the TX4 (?) board and midi improvements.
Not really interested in the midi stuff but am interested in blistering HI GAIN.
Have any of you owned , tried , listened to the differences in these?
As usual, time is short so I look forward to any answers no matter how brief.

And thanks for this board. I am a new-to-Mesa guy and appreciate everything I have read so far.

Thanks

 

[ziggys]

Just to add:

The "Fat Mod”

TriAxis' shipped after June 97 have new “Lead 1 Red” as standard specification. Serial #'s below 5200 have Lead 1 “Recto Mod” (board TX04 added) and above 5200 have "Fat Mod". This mod is a circuit change to mode Lead 1 Red (both software and hardware). A kit is available, that will enable an authorized MESA technician to do the work. Look for one in your area or contact MESA directly. MESA advises that users test a new TriAxis at their local dealer to see if the new tone works for them, before having the modification done. If you're happy with the sound of Lead 1, you may not like the change. I believe this mod is for those users that don't use their Lead 1 mode often. This modification will expand their use of this particular mode.
The current tone is described as being "fat (of course), singing soloing tones that are super smooth", the high-end has been tailored (rolled off) for more balance. It emulates the circuitry in the Rectifier series of amp. Someone says that more closely resemble (somiglia maggiormente) to the Orange Channel of Dual Recto.

The most current software version for TriAxis is 2.0. Serial #'s above 1700 are version 2.0. When you power on TriAxis the panel lights will flash a "1" for Version 1 or "2" for Version 2.

If you’ve TriAxis and are still not sure if yours is with or w/o “Fat Mod” here’s how to find out: restore your factory presets (pg. 5 in the manual), then set your TriAxis on Factory Preset #01:

Lead 1 Red Preset # Gain Tre Mid Bass Lead1 Lead2 Master Pres. D.Voice
w/o 01 6.0 5.0 7.0 7.0 6.0 - 5.0 5.0 0.0 British Shred
w/ Fat Mod 01 6.0 6.5 7.5 8.0 5.5 - 4.5 5.0 0.0 Rectifier

w/ Fat Mod 10 6.0 6.0 7.0 8.0 2.0 - 5.5 2.0 0.0

From Version 1 to Version 2 the differences seem to be:

Treble Mid Bass Lead1 Master
+1.5 +1.0 +1.0 –0.5 -0.5


Difference between models

Version 2.0 allows for Continuous Control changes of all parameters within a preset with the use of a CC pedal (or multiple pedals one assigned for each facet of the channel, ie presence, lead, middle, treble etc). You could for instance get a pedal and assign it to at toe down be a clean sparkly sound then as you roll back the pedal assign it morph into a dirty sound as you the gain and presence etc increase.

Actually there are 4 TriAxis versions:
- v1.0 original ‘British Shred’, w/o CC s.n. <= 1700
- v2.0 ‘Recto Vintage’ (w/o “Fat Mod”), with Lead 1 Red Recto board and CC 1701 <= s.n. <= 5200
- v2.01 ‘Recto Vintage’ with a modified Lead 1 Red (“Fat Mod”), Recto board and CC 5201 <= s.n. <= ???
- v3.0 ‘Classic Boogie Lead’ (LoneStar) w/o Lead 1 Red Recto board, only CC ??? <= s.n. (Oct/2004)

However, looks like the user manual refers to Lead 1 Red as Recto Vintage Lead while the website describes it as Fat Recto.

Version 2.x has different Recording Outputs than Version 1.0 (as stated in TriAxis v1.0 manual, © 1992, Mesa Engineering): Record: These jacks "A/B" are the outputs of the Recording circuit. The jacks are individually voiced for clean rhythm playing and overdriven lead playing. The top jack "A" is correctly voiced for clean playing and allows the full spectrum of frequencies through for the brightest, warmest clean sounds. The lower jack "B" is EQ'd specifically for overdriven high gain sounds and produces the sound and feel of a power amp/speaker combination.

 

[dbone]

I've owned the non fat recto board Triaixs software version 2.0 since the mid 90's
Paired with a 2:90 I use the modern and half power switching functions on that mostly.
I have not AB'd it against any of the other versions.
My go to chunk high gain modes are LD2 yellow MKII, LD2 Red III, LD2 green MKIV
The LD1 red recto vintage high gain aka orange channel is cool also. It's tone stack and gain are different than the mark modes and must be adjusted with that in mind.
I've read on this board that some people like the old brittish shred LD1 red also.
If you don't need continous control software for changing gain and EQ settings with a pedal
then you may not need a version 2.0 . Those are cool and powerful features but I'm currently not using them.
You should definetly have a midi control board to assign presets to, I could not imagine using the piece without one.

It's a great preamp for having lots of Mark tone flavors on tap. Buy it for that and you'll have fun.

 

[Danimal]

Seems like this question has been asked before. If only the board would quit deleting posts older than 24 hours so people could still read them. And if they had some way of searching old posts to find the answers. Ah well, maybe one day such an odd and never-before-heard-of feature will be added.

I've had both. The non-fat mod sounds very similar to the Rectoverb I once owned, but not quite the same. I figure this is because of the power amp I'm using. The fat mod was awful and bassy and unusable in almost any capacity. Bass on zero and Treble & Presence cranked are the only way to get a sound that isn't horrible, and even then it's still pretty bad.

As a small point, Version 2 has absolutely nothing whatsoever to do with any of the modes or any boards. It added MIDI and nothing else.

 

[ziggys]

Let me rephrase:
Does anyone have an opinion on the difference between:
v1.0 original ‘British Shred’, w/o CC s.n. <= 1700
versus:
- v2.0 ‘Recto Vintage’ (w/o “Fat Mod”), with Lead 1 Red Recto board and CC 1701 <= s.n. <= 5200

And in your opinion, does the Recto Vintage float your boat moreso than the British Shred. Or are they both unusable or...?

Danimal: I agree, this question " What's the Diff between V1 and V2" has been asked several times but I've yet to find an answer for the above.
I did buy the $900 v2 but would love to hear from folks who have tried both. Of course there is nothing like hearing it in person but for me, that is not possible. I actually have to buy before try so to speak.
Also,itcould be no one person has tried both or if he did, he wasn't as fanatically obsessed as me/I ..........
I mean I'm almost broke but am still considering getting the $650 V1 <1700 and reselling the V2 if the difference is midi only!!! I'm sick I tells ya!

 

[Danimal]

The difference is absolutely, 100% MIDI only. Somewhere along the lines when Mesa added the recto boards people started lumping that in with being a V2 but that's not what it meant at all.

Never had the British Shred but I remember a thread from some years ago discussing how it really didn't sound "British" at all, more like another LD2 Green channel. The non-fat Recto really does sound quite cool. I'd say either one is useable. It was that fat mod that screwed everything up. Either will do high gain, the Recto board gives you another dimension to the sound though since it's quite different from the other modes.

 

[elvis]

Be happy with the Vintage Recto mode and put the money into a 2:90. The Deep mode on that is off the hook!

 

[Jackie]

Be happy with the Vintage Recto mode and put the money into a 2:90. The Deep mode on that is off the hook!

+1!

I also heard that some folks think the fat mod wasn't an improvement. I have the non fat mod version and I've never heard a fat modded one before but the non-fat Lead 1 RED with the Deep&Modern engaged is OFF THE CHAIN!!!

 

[ziggys]

I'm hearin' ya guys. Thanks

 

[V!N]

Never had the British Shred but I remember a thread from some years ago discussing how it really didn't sound "British" at all, more like another LD2 Green channel.

While I agree that it doesn't sound very British, I wouldn't say it compares to any of the other modes.

About a year ago, I specifically tracked down a version 1 because I was going to make the switch from a rack build around a Marshall JMP-1 to a Mesa/Boogie loaded rack and simply didn't want to give up on the British tones. Sounds like a plan, right ?
Unfortunately, it doesn't sound as British as the JMP-1. It's a bit fizzy, quite compressed and rather bright. You can't take one of your favourite patches, change the mode to British Shred, then tweak the numbers a little and be done with it. You have to start all over and it really helps if you have an equalizer in your effects unit to tame the exceeding highs. My humble JFX-1 didn't have anything but reverb, delay, chorus and flanger, so I just put the TriAxis in the attic and continued to work with the classic JMP-1 + JFX-1 combination.

Now that I have a few quid flying around, I'm thinking about getting a unit with more effects or using the four tip-to-ground switches of the TriAxis to switch stompboxes, including a Marshallesque sounding pedal. Speaking of stompboxes in front of the TriAxis, Hetfield was certainly on to something when he put a Klon Centaur there. I had a clone once, that box and the JJ tubes transformed my TriAxis from a nice preamp into the giver of some the best non-British sounds I have ever heard !

 

[ziggys]

Just got mine. Was packed great. Slight scratching when moving out put knob. Other than that so far so good. The person I bought it from left the whole 128 presets filled with great Lead 1 Red stuff as well as Lead 2 and R1/2. Not sure if this is how it comes from Mesa or they are his. Got a feeling he did them and they are a lot more my direction than the first 20.
Midi Dump was a *****. I followed the directions. Press shift then press then Preset Down key. Tried various combinations of this and eventually my computer was showing Midi Data Dump received.
Don't expect to see anything on the Triaxis at least I didn't.
So far so great. These presets are great. I will contact the guy I bought it from and see if it is okay to share if any of you are interested.
More to come. BTW it had all JJ's which I change to Mesa just to get started. I have a couple of RCAs on the way along with a 12T7. Anyway just babbling here

Later.........................................................................................

 

[Morne Taru]

Hi guys!

Sorry for necroposting but who knows...

ziggy, you've mentioned TriAxis v1.0 manual, © 1992
I own the very first revision of TriAxis but cannot find this first version of the manual.
Do you have any idea of where can I download it? Maybe you have it on paper?