Re: Do you need Presence and Depth controls on your amp?
Excerpt from Mesa Boogie's Mark 5 owner's manual:
"The PRESENCE is very powerful at shaping the voicing of high gain sounds in Channels 2 and 3 (and even TWEED in Channel 8. 1). Set low it fattens and compresses the sound, making for a more voice-like focused note. Higher settings “open up” the sound and allow the full spectrum of harmonics to flow through. Use this control to fine tune your lead sounds after you have dialed the rest of the preamp controls to your liking."
...more:
"This control adjusts high frequencies - above those of the TREBLE - and is located in the power section, farther downstream in the signal path, and not in the preamp. The PRESENCE adjusts a specific zone of frequencies in the negative feedback circuit of the power section that best suit the needs of each individual Mode. The MARK V incorporates substantial circuitry to achieve the complex switching of parts needed to voice each Mode correctly and ensure an adjustable range on the PRESENCE that is sound-style appropriate as well as musically usable.
You can think of the PRESENCE as a control that allows you to either clamp the power amp down, compressing it and darkening things - or open it up and let the full spectrum of upper harmonics come blazing through. It also has a great deal to do with how dynamic the signal is and how a sound will cut through the mix in an ensemble environment."
