alternate amp for mesa dual rectifier type sound

[shoe124]

I have a home studio and am tracking avril type demos...any suggestions for a low cost alternatives to a dual rec?

 

Thanks

[HiRoller]

I dunno, Recto's have such a distinctive dark sound. How much are you looking to spend? On the cheap I'd say a modeling box, like a Pod.

I have a single Recto and a Johnson J-Station and the recto preset on the j-stat dosen't really do the real amp justice.

[rockitsauce]

I have a j-station that I have been toying with lately for recording. Thing sounds great with the phones in that, but when I stick the phones into the puter it sucks. Cant get crap for volume,no sustain, damn windows and sound cards and all that complicated stuff. Nuff to drive a man to drink I tell ya. No wonder they pay those soundguys to mess with it.

 

But yes, I do like the j-station in SOME[b/] of the cabs. I mostly play with clean or blues type settings so I havent really experimented with much else. And there is a lot of people out there that would like to get hands on one supposedly. I havent even touched the surface of figuring this thing out yet though. I dont think you can find a j-station anywhere but on e-bay though, they went out of business or something.

[Caevan O’Shite]

On that J-Station, experiment with different combinations of amp- and cab-models, as well as wide, extreme EQ-settings. Try throwing in a touch of the onboard pitch-shifter, an octave down, mixed in very low, for added girth and impact. Too prominently mixed-in and it'll sound cheesey; a little will do plenty.

 

I seem to get surprisingly good sounds out of mine, even with NO soundcard at all (just the "on board" sound capabilities built into the motherboard) and an analog input. Check all input and output level settings, both hard and soft. It shouldn't sound drastically different from the J-Station's headphone output.

[Gabriel E.]

If you want to use an actual amp, the Peavey 5150 will do that sound for much less than the Mesas.

 

FWIW, the 5150 came out before the rectos.

[chaseguitar]

A Boss GT-6 sounds great into the board -- better than a Line 6. You'll notice a big difference if you record it in stereo, as well.

 

One thing to keep in mind when recording is that your tracking is only as good as your mic pre-amp. If you're using the pre-amps that come with the Digi-001 or just your sound card or an Edirol unit, don't expect much. Mic-Pres are what make a recording. Even live sound will benefit from using a better mic.

 

The PreSonus BlueTUBE stereo is going for $99 on Musician's Friend. I've never used this particular Mic Pre, but the PreSonus gear I've used in the past (especially their compressors), were very good for the price. Anyway, that will be a good start.

 

If your recording rig has a digital input, you're in luck. Plug the digital out from the GT-6 into the digital in of your rig. Now you don't need a pre-amp.

 

Personally, I prefer to use a good pre-amp when I'm engineering in the studio. The other engineer goes all-digital all the time. I think a good mic pre adds warmth and character. But then, those mic pres cost more than a grand....

[Shoes]

I just wanted to make clear that Shoe124 is not a particular brand that I endorse nor is it in anyway affiliated with my Shoes

 

Not that there's anything wrong with Shoe124.

 

That said: What Gabriel E said... you're looking for a similar arrangement wrt preamp and power stage for that kind of sound. A used 5150 combo would be great for you good growl.

 

Do you want a switching rectifier?

Maybe this will explain more about what and why. Rectifiers: SolidState vs Tube

[shoe124]

I have a great mic pre (avalon) and would prefer not to do modelers..Although they definitely have their place, we have decided for the most part to stick with amps...I have a fair collection, but most of them do more of a classic sound and are non MV amps. I have tried pedals including the tone bones, and V-twin, but still not there in the girth department so I was hoping to find a cheaper (than the 1k it would cost on ebay) head to use.

 

Great suggestions though keep them coming and perhaps I should try to revist the pod.

 

Shoe

[phaeton]

Do you want a switching rectifier?

Maybe this will explain more about what and why. Rectifiers: SolidState vs Tube

 

Thanks for that informative link, Shoes.

 

I take it that it is up to the individual to decide if they like "more sag" (mushy, smooth, compressed sound w/ less attack and dynamics) or "less sag" (more clarity, more response, less compression, requires different technique)....?

 

Also, as Reverend states about their Goblin:

All-Tube Circuit: simple, pure 100% tube signal path and tube-driven reverb circuit. The result is a rich, touch sensitive tone that brings out the nuances of your playing as well as the true character of your guitar. Please note: we use a solid-state rectifier for improved clarity and consistency. However, the rectifier is not part of the signal path. (clonk it for reference)

 

They make it a point to mention that the rectifier is not part of the signal path, but what Myles' website is saying, is that it will still make an impression on the overall sound?

[Gifthorse]

5150 sounds very similar. Lots of low end grunt and big headroom.

[Shoes]

There is a 5150 combo that is looking near perfect on eBay as I type... Good amp and with time you will have one arm that's longer than the other

 

I think it's up for $550 which is a fair price.

[Virtual Jim]

Originally posted by shoe124:

I...would prefer not to do modelers..Although they definitely have their place... most of [my amps] do more of a classic sound and are non MV amps. I have tried pedals including the tone bones, and V-twin, but still not there in the girth department so I was hoping to find a cheaper (than the 1k it would cost on ebay) head to use.

Honestly, if you're doing demos similiar to Avril Lawhatever... is anyone really gonna know the difference? Mook, parent, child, "artist"? I find that really hard to believe.

 

I simply don't think there's a solution within your price range for what you're trying to accomplish without going digital.

[Blue Strat]

Originally posted by Gabriel E.:

If you want to use an actual amp, the Peavey 5150 will do that sound for much less than the Mesas.

 

FWIW, the 5150 came out before the rectos.

FWIW, the Peavey 5150, the Soldano SLO-100, and the Mesa Dual Recto all have the same preamp configuration. They're all about the same except for one or two minor changes in resistor and cap values. I think that the SLO-100 came out first and the other two are based on Soldano's work.

 

For a Recto type sound, I'd just use a solid state amp with a 4 x 12" cab and start tweaking the EQ knobs.

[Gabriel E.]

Originally posted by bluestrat:

FWIW, the Peavey 5150, the Soldano SLO-100, and the Mesa Dual Recto all have the same preamp configuration. They're all about the same except for one or two minor changes in resistor and cap values. I think that the SLO-100 came out first and the other two are based on Soldano's work.

 

For a Recto type sound, I'd just use a solid state amp with a 4 x 12" cab and start tweaking the EQ knobs.

I didn't know that about the Soldano. I thought it was more of a super-high-gain Marshall variant. Do Soldanos do that scooped-mid thing?

[rockitsauce]

Thanks caeven for motivating me enough to find a manual for the j-station. Turns out I had (or most likely by default)the digital output signal for the spdif way way down. Adjusted it and now im cooking with gas! Just need to find a medium setting that will avoid clipping. Just now learning cool edit pro and man, I cant believe how amazing recording software is once you start to figure it out. This is really fun learning this kinda stuff. Thank you.

[Blue Strat]

Originally posted by Gabriel E.:

Originally posted by bluestrat:

FWIW, the Peavey 5150, the Soldano SLO-100, and the Mesa Dual Recto all have the same preamp configuration. They're all about the same except for one or two minor changes in resistor and cap values. I think that the SLO-100 came out first and the other two are based on Soldano's work.

 

For a Recto type sound, I'd just use a solid state amp with a 4 x 12" cab and start tweaking the EQ knobs.

I didn't know that about the Soldano. I thought it was more of a super-high-gain Marshall variant. Do Soldanos do that scooped-mid thing?

Yeah, it'll do it, but probably not to the same degree that the Mesa will. It's mostly because the tone controls in the Mesa have different values. The Dual Rectifier has two seperate channels, red and orange. The Red channel is deeper, the orange channel is closer to a Marshall, if I recall correctly.

[Chipotle]

If you've already got a fair amount of amps, I would just buy a Rectifier cabinet and see if that gets you far enough. They are a large part of the big rectifier sound and have that deep, tight bass response as well as the piercing highs of the Celestion Vintage 30's. Even with a Dual Rectifier, you need the cabinet to get that girth.

 

The Mesa can cover a lot more of a tonal range than the 5150. Unless all you want is the super distorted sound, the 5150 is a false economy. The Mesa is loaded with other tones, although they're always only identified with that one particular musical genre.

 

I'm talking about the 2 channel model; the three channel model doesn't sound as nice, to me. A two channel head with the Rectifier 4x12 loaded with V30's and Greenbacks would give a lot of great tones, modern and classic.