Wow, how are these things so freaking loud?

[fome]

I have a Mark III 60 watt. In every live performance, I've kept the master volume under 3. After that, it just became ridiculous. Yet, I see other people cranking it up to like 5. I'm plenty loud at 2.5, cutting clearly through the mix, so I can't imagine turning it past 3. What is going on? Am I just a wuss or something? Have I been missing out on a sweet spot somewhere past 3?

Sorry for the noob question.

 

[AustinK]

It also has to do with the cab.
Plus some of us play with drummers that punish the heads.

 

[sbalderrama]

The volume increases slower as the knob gets turned up, so you may not get as much increase from 3-5 as you think. With Marks, most of the volume increase seems to come between 1 and 2. :shock:

 

[user 7737]

most sound engineers hate me 'caus of my amp... "too loud too loud"... they f**** piss me off... but i can't run this babe under vol 3/master 2... this is just impossible... under those settings the sound seem to stay in the speaker...

that's why i hate having a mic in front of my amp

With Marks, most of the volume increase seems to come between 1 and 2.

same for the cal 50...

 

[JW123]

I always had problems with volume on my Triple, I bought a Weber Mass attenuator. I can leave my amp at live settings and play it at bedroom levels or live levels without touching anything on the amp. Some of you guys should try this. If the soundman says your too loud, then you are too loud. What happens then is they take you out of the mix. You never hear this on stage but out front you wind up sounding like **** cause the bass and drums are overblowing you. The soundman can make you sound good or bad the choice is yours. I prefer to sound good to the folks that come to see my band.

We play 4 sets a night, during the first set I turn the attenuator up and cut my volume, as the night goes on I turn up the attenuator. But unlike a master volume I never have to touch the amp just the attenuator dial.

Our band plays everything from Elvis to Disturbed in the course of a night.

 

[JW123]

I thought I might add that with the attenuator Im able to run the master volumes on my amp past noon. I dont think you are getting a good tube sound on an amp running at 2-3 on the master, you arent pushing the power tubes and your alternatives are to get a much smaller amp or an attenuator.

 

[user 7737]

when i'm dealing with a good sound man he never complain about my "loudness"... i don't like to say that but most of sound man i meet don't even know what the hell they're doing there (i only have to see how they place the mic in front of my speaker... please !!!!!)

when we play in small venue (where we used to play) nobody complain about our sound... and i really take care about my sound...

ps... listen to my latest experience... i put my gear on stage, before everything was plugged, the guy had already put the mic just in front of the center of the speaker and right on the grill... i mean ON the grill... and run to his "space-ship board"... he didn't even listen to the sound on stage... anyway... then he said my sound is too agressive... comon' i dial out the high... i've got a pure middle/warm sound... anyway, i tell him that i 'll change the position of the mic and put it "not in the center" where the sound is less agressive... he said no no it won't change anything... belive me i'm a really respectfull person, but this guy didn't know anything about making a live sound for a rock band :lol: :lol:

 

[JW123]

When I run sound if someones too loud I just set their cab on the side and turn it back in on the band. Live I ussually mash a SM 57 into the grill a little off center.

Whether you like the soundman or not, he dictates what you sound like to your fans, so its best to keep these guys happy. Just being Loud doesnt mean it sounds good. Ive learned to get great tones out of my equipment at almost any volume level. You can turn down your amp and bring it up in the monitors to get the "thunk" if need be.

 

[user 7737]

yeah i know... but common', vol at 4 and master at less than 2 is not too loud... and the mic must not touch the grill... am i wrong ?

 

[fome]

I guess what I'm asking is this: am I missing anything tonewise for playing at around 2-2.5? Like, is there more room for even more tube saturation? I know that some amps have be turned like halfway up for them to sound their best.

 

[mrd]

I guess what I'm asking is this: am I missing anything tonewise for playing at around 2-2.5? Like, is there more room for even more tube saturation? I know that some amps have be turned like halfway up for them to sound their best.

Is there more room for tube saturation? Sure is, that's why the knobs go to 10. If 2.5 was it, then they would only go to 2.5 :lol:

I regularly play my MKIV with vol and output at 10, it sounds great. Just make sure you have good earplugs and stand ~10 feet back when you play, especially with a 4x12, otherwise you'll be fuckin deaf in a short order.

 

[Calamity]

I guess what I'm asking is this: am I missing anything tonewise for playing at around 2-2.5? Like, is there more room for even more tube saturation? I know that some amps have be turned like halfway up for them to sound their best.

Is there more room for tube saturation? Sure is, that's why the knobs go to 10. If 2.5 was it, then they would only go to 2.5 :lol:

I regularly play my MKIV with vol and output at 10, it sounds great. Just make sure you have good earplugs and stand ~10 feet back when you play, especially with a 4x12, otherwise you'll be f%&# deaf in a short order.

Sorry to bump in, but I have to say: OH MY GOD. Holy crap that is loud :shock:.

 

[user 7737]

I guess what I'm asking is this: am I missing anything tonewise for playing at around 2-2.5? Like, is there more room for even more tube saturation? I know that some amps have be turned like halfway up for them to sound their best.

Is there more room for tube saturation? Sure is, that's why the knobs go to 10. If 2.5 was it, then they would only go to 2.5 :lol:

I regularly play my MKIV with vol and output at 10, it sounds great. Just make sure you have good earplugs and stand ~10 feet back when you play, especially with a 4x12, otherwise you'll be f%&# deaf in a short order.

Sorry to bump in, but I have to say: OH MY GOD. Holy crap that is loud :shock:.

indeed... :lol:

 

[fome]

I guess what I'm asking is this: am I missing anything tonewise for playing at around 2-2.5? Like, is there more room for even more tube saturation? I know that some amps have be turned like halfway up for them to sound their best.

It's very common to have your Master Volume set at 2-3
Follow this link and download the MKIII users guide.
In it you'll see for every sample it is suggested the Master be set at 1-3
(pages 9 and 10)

http://www.mesaboogie.com/manuals/Mark%20III.pdf

Ah ok, I feel better now. I'll just keep on doing my thing then.

 

[phyrexia]

I've dimed a RKII into two 4x12s before in Modern mode

We blew an EV with a IIC+ collisseum and it wasn't even close to dimed though

 

[mrd]

he was probably referring to Volume 1 NOT the Master..
c'mon guys be serious! :roll:

No... I mean channel volume and master output.

IE: R1, R2, Lead and Master Output are all at 10.

 

[mrd]

I've dimed a RKII into two 4x12s before in Modern mode

We blew an EV with a IIC+ collisseum and it wasn't even close to dimed though

How'd that RK sound? I've only had my RKII up to about 2oclock on modern, at that point my fucking house was shaking and **** was falling off the walls and desks, so I didn't go any louder LOL

 

[CoG]

I guess what I'm asking is this: am I missing anything tonewise for playing at around 2-2.5? Like, is there more room for even more tube saturation? I know that some amps have be turned like halfway up for them to sound their best.

It's very common to have your Master Volume set at 2-3
Follow this link and download the MKIII users guide.
In it you'll see for every sample it is suggested the Master be set at 1-3
(pages 9 and 10)

http://www.mesaboogie.com/manuals/Mark%20III.pdf

Ah ok, I feel better now. I'll just keep on doing my thing then.

Both my Mark IIIs stop getting any louder at 5. The knobs go to 10 because... well, the knobs go to 10.

 

[Nomad]

With My Mark III I find the sweet spot for me on the Master is 3 but this is usually too loud for everyone else. At our last rehersal they asked me to turn down so I turned it to 2. Then they asked me to turn down again so I turned it to 0 and started strumming my guitar real hard and smiliing. They just looked at me funny, then I leaned over and put it back on 2 and grinned at em. No one said anything else. :lol:

Then later our Keyboard Player asked that I lean my amp back some so I would hear it more (it was hitting him dead on), he walked over and did it for me (which I didnt like). We played a couple more songs and I asked him to point his amp at his ear more, that he was killing me and I just grinned from ear to ear.

For whatever reason in this one band I play in it's OK if I am barely heard but everyone else can Vibrate the walls. I could see that if I were an inexperienced player with really bad tone but I'm not. I am a very experienced player, sing lead vocals on half our material, and freakin need to hear what I'm doing.

Anyway 2 is as low as I go at full band. BTW our Drummer leaves dents in the Heads he hits em so hard. :roll:

 

[MesieBooga]

Rule #1 never face your cab toward the soundman. Rule #2 never face your cab toward the singer.
I side wash and have been for the past 5 years or so. That said I still can't get past 2 on my IIC+ Master Volume. My drummer isn't as hard hitting as the last guy and THAT makes a big difference.