Question about my Mesa

[PFDarkside]

I've got a Road King combo, it doesn't have a "recording out" or anything, is there anyway to send an output into an external device (say, a dirct box then my computer ) but be basically silent? I'm looking for a way to play along with drum tracks, record, etc. late at night with headphones on.

The amp has a Series loop and a Slave out that seem like possibilities. Has anyone with a Road King or Rectifier set up their amp to do this (safely)?

Also, does anyone have any sweet settings for channel 4 (channel 3 on a regular rectifier)? My 1, 2 and 3 are awesome, but 4 is very buzzy, too Mesa-ish I guess.

 

[PFDarkside]

Re: Question about my Mesa

Bump... I want to jam while my roommates sleep and record without setting up all the associated equipment!

 

[greendy123]

Re: Question about my Mesa

Just take a cable from your send series loop output and plug that into a direct box or your computer. This signal is just from the preamp, you can leave the master volume on zero. The tone won't be that great as its just a preamp signal. If you need more help read the manual that came with amp, it basically tells you mostly all you need to know. I would just get a ss amp or something like a pod for jamming at night. Using a tube amp and listening through headphones just seems pointless to me cause tubes amps are meant to be blasted loud.

 

[PFDarkside]

Re: Question about my Mesa

I've got the Mesa and a Zoom 505. I think the Mesa's pre is better than the Zoom period. I'll give it a try, that's what I was thinking anyway... Thanks.

 

[greendy123]

Re: Question about my Mesa

No problem, there's one thing I need say about your mesa amp, that thing is so confusing with all the knobs, it's even worse than I a dual rectifer I tried at GC on time, but you must get to able to tweak your tone like crazy because of all the knobs and switches. I'm gonna just stick with plug and play amps like my marshall that just has a eq, master, gain, and pre-amp.

 

[B2D]

Re: Question about my Mesa

...aaaaand buy the Metal Pack for it from www.line6.com.

Bwana.

 

[greendy123]

Re: Question about my Mesa

I'm thinking the new toneport would be better option because its cheaper, works like pod, but the controls are on computer, and you can still purchase the metal pack for it.

 

[PFDarkside]

Re: Question about my Mesa

Yeah, I know I need a POD, but that's like $350 with the Metal pack, and I think I've acquired enough gear this year... lol

Interesting to note about the Road King, I've been running the EL-34s in Triode mode, I like it a lot. (Am I defeating the purpose of this amp if I have the gain below 12 oclock, running tube rectifiers, on Triode EL-34s? I'm just digging the modern interpretations on classic tones I'm getting)

 

[B2D]

Re: Question about my Mesa

Yeah, I know I need a POD, but that's like $350 with the Metal pack, and I think I've acquired enough gear this year... lol

Interesting to note about the Road King, I've been running the EL-34s in Triode mode, I like it a lot. (Am I defeating the purpose of this amp if I have the gain below 12 oclock, running tube rectifiers, on Triode EL-34s? I'm just digging the modern interpretations on classic tones I'm getting)

Well you can always buy used and Road Kings cost... what, $2500? Another $300 on top of that wont hurt. :laugh2:

About the second part... I certainly dont see why that would be defeating the purpose of anything. They did design it for that, after all.

 

[greendy123]

Re: Question about my Mesa

Yeah, I know I need a POD, but that's like $350 with the Metal pack, and I think I've acquired enough gear this year... lol

Interesting to note about the Road King, I've been running the EL-34s in Triode mode, I like it a lot. (Am I defeating the purpose of this amp if I have the gain below 12 oclock, running tube rectifiers, on Triode EL-34s? I'm just digging the modern interpretations on classic tones I'm getting)

Actually the toneport is more like a computer only version of the pod and it costs just $129 new and the pack is $50 if I remember correctly.

 

[Grandor]

Re: Question about my Mesa

line 6?

I thought we were after a good sound?

 

[Robert S.]

Re: Question about my Mesa

Hey PFD, there is no wrong way to dial in a Mesa amp as long as you are getting tone. As long as I was "locked in" to a certain way of thinking about how my Triaxis/2:90 should be dialed in I was frustrated by the tones I was getting. Now that I have spent some serious time on the amp and understand the controls the options I have tonally are almost endless.

The single biggest improvement in tone I have gotten from this rig was to ditch the Mesa branded tubes and to get a JJ tubes, a high gain preamp set for my Triaxis and a matched octet for the 2:90 with matched drivers and inverters. All the buzz and harshness is gone at higher gain settings, the mids are more musical, the bottom end is tighter and the top end while agressive is far smoother.

Stop by the house one day, I'll ring your ears and make you a believer.

 

[Rich_T]

Re: Question about my Mesa

There is a devie called the Sequis Motherload that was invented just for this perpose. You attatch it to the speaker out of your amp, and it attenuates the signal to line level. Its basically an advanced DI box.

http://www.motherload.co.uk

 

[PFDarkside]

Re: Question about my Mesa

Hey, I got my amp with a new warranty from GC for $1799! And the PODs don't sound that bad, definately decent for late night jamming and demo quality recording.

Robert, I'm coming over... lol Just let me know the day and time.

One thing I'm wondering about the PODs, are the Xt's that much better than the 2.0's? Also, do either of them have a few good options for bass guitar?

 

[OlinMusic]

Re: Question about my Mesa

You can pull it off with a THD Hot Plate. It costs about $300.

A hot plate has a direct out, so you can crank your amp, set it to "Load" and you won't hear a thing but the direct out. I must say that I do not like Direct Out's without a speaker simulator. You can use the POD for speaker simulation. At least this way you will hear your beautiful and pricey amp on your recordings.

 

[greendy123]

Re: Question about my Mesa

Hey, I got my amp with a new warranty from GC for $1799! And the PODs don't sound that bad, definately decent for late night jamming and demo quality recording.

Robert, I'm coming over... lol Just let me know the day and time.

One thing I'm wondering about the PODs, are the Xt's that much better than the 2.0's? Also, do either of them have a few good options for bass guitar?

Actually the new line6 toneport has models from both the podxt and it has some bass amp models.