Recommend me some single channel clean goodness and a pedal.

Deijavoo

As much as I love the sounds I just got out of my Dual Rec, I'm not totally happy with the channel changing. Apparently it's fine, but to me the slight dip changing channels isn't workable, maybe I'm at fault?

ANYWAYS.

I'm now thinking that one, or maybe two Fender-ish heads is the way forward with a couple of dirt pedals (a SHO and something else). 

Any ideas of what I should look at, anyone out there running this way? I keep looking at Dr Z., Two Rock, Fender etc....

Gassage

Deijavoo

You know what I'm gonna say here- a Hiwatt is the only way.

There's a lovely 1 x 12 Biacrown in Chandlers right now.....I think it's £200 over the odds tho.

The other thing is a UL Fender SF Twin....esp if you find one with orange back JBL's.

But you will miss the flexibility of your Boogie....

ICBM

Two-channel Dual Rectifier or Trem-o-verb.

That's not a joke - technically they *are* a single-channel amp . Unlike the three-channel Rectifiers, the two-channels use a single audio path with switchable control networks. (The three-channels share 2 and 3 like this, but 1 is a separate clean channel.) What's important is that even if you don't want to use the switching, it means that the clean sound is actually the main channel, set to low gain - so its extremely pedal-friendly. A lot of the famous Trem-o-verb users run their amps like this.

On the other hand, if you're going to do this you almost might as well just use your existing Rectifier but just set it to clean, either on the clean channel or one of the others with the gain set way down - this does work, I like the clean sound on the Modern High Gain mode on mine! Just because it's capable of a lot of gain doesn't mean you must use it.

Two-channels just sound better though...

Deijavoo

I suppose that makes sense actually. Why not just ditch the channel changing and use the clean only?  hhmmm...... Would save me a few quid too.

It would juts feel a wee bit daft having such an amp and not using what it's "supposed" to do.

ICBM

Deijavoo said:

I suppose that makes sense actually. Why not just ditch the channel changing and use the clean only?  hhmmm...... Would save me a few quid too.

It would juts feel a wee bit daft having such an amp and not using what it's "supposed" to do.

I know, although if you just think of it as an amp with options that you can use, or not… what matters is how good it sounds on any one channel. Definitely try the dirty channels turned down to clean as well, they are where the characteristic Rectifier sound is - in particular, try the Modern mode because it turns off the negative feedback.

Of course, the real solution is to do what the professionals do and buy another Rectifier (or two!), set one permanently to each channel and use external switching…

This is at least partly to give separately-mic'ed sources for the clean and dirty sounds so they can both be optimised in the FOH mix independently of the stage level, rather than because of channel-switching delays, but it cures that problem as well.

Deijavoo

I'm faaaaar from professional sir. Just listened back to some of the tracking from Sunday and I'm absolutely happy with the sounds. Is there no way that I can mod the amp to change properly, instantly with no dip?

ICBM

Deijavoo said:

I'm faaaaar from professional sir. Just listened back to some of the tracking from Sunday and I'm absolutely happy with the sounds. Is there no way that I can mod the amp to change properly, instantly with no dip?

I spent ages trying to get my friend's Rectoverb to do that - without also making a pop at the change - and I couldn't do it, there was no time-constant setting which completely muted the pop before it didn't cause a dip in volume. I think I did get it a bit better, but in the end he had to learn to live with it.

I'm not sure if the current model is the same as the previous 3-channel version which I have a schematic for, but if so there is a 1uF cap in the mute circuit which should control the time constant - a smaller value will make it faster.

Deijavoo

The previous model I had was no issue at all, I should maybe just get one of them again, there's plenty out there. It seems weird to my under-educated brain that Mesa sell these newer amps thinking that it's "ok". 

I know there are other amps out there, "boutique" if you will that won't do this, but surely Mesa consider themselves as a high performance brand? 

ICBM

Deijavoo said:

The previous model I had was no issue at all, I should maybe just get one of them again, there's plenty out there. It seems weird to my under-educated brain that Mesa sell these newer amps thinking that it's "ok". 

I know there are other amps out there, "boutique" if you will that won't do this, but surely Mesa consider themselves as a high performance brand? 

They do, but there are several 'issues' they seem to have which call that into question…

I love some of their amps, but things like the incredibly poor FX loops (partly cured by going to a plain series loop on the new model - but why not just do a parallel loop right?) really are annoying. Again, real pros probably don't notice this because they tend to use wet/dry setups rather than loops, but for everyone else it's quite poor.

Interesting that the old model didn't do it - I assumed that it would since the Rectoverb does and the new one does, and they all use the same switching method. They do seem to vary slightly from one example to another though - why, I'm not exactly sure - which is bad news, since it means that a replacement older 3-channel model might not be as good as your old one.

Deijavoo

Ugh....I'm just gonna get a Diezel. German efficiency.

ICBM

Deijavoo said:

Ugh....I'm just gonna get a Diezel. German efficiency.

A friend of mine has a 50W Einstein for sale - PM me if you're interested.

Deijavoo

I'm gonna sell my DR and I could very well be in touch.

Cheers dude.

p90fool

Deijavoo said:

It would juts feel a wee bit daft having such an amp and not using what it's "supposed" to do.

Rock guitar was invented by people not doing what they were "supposed" to do with their gear.

If it sounds good, do it.

Deijavoo

The sound is good, but not the last minute drop in volume if for example I'm building in dynamics...about to kick in....and...........the start of the note is missing.

I suppose I maybe play differently, or use it differently to what most people will, be that good or bad. Whichever way, I need a new amp.

p90fool

No, I meant using the clean channel and building on it with pedals. It's not you being weird or different, dropouts on channel switching are totally unacceptable to me too. Like you say, you often channel switch right at that big dynamic moment and your amp shouldn't disappear like some mid 90s Zoom pedal.

Deijavoo

p90fool said:

No, I meant using the clean channel and building on it with pedals. It's not you being weird or different, dropouts on channel switching are totally unacceptable to me too. Like you say, you often channel switch right at that big dynamic moment and your amp shouldn't disappear like some mid 90s Zoom pedal.

ahh!  I get you.  

ICBM

Same here, which is one reason I went back to using pedals for solos. I tend to use the amp as a clean-to-crunch platform and use pedals for sharp changes. I do sometimes change the amp channel during a song, but more normally leave it set to whichever one is more appropriate for the song and the pedals that are going to be used in it.

Even the Trem-o-verb has a slight problem with the channel switching - although it's opto rather than relay/mute circuit, there is occasionally a very short *boost* in volume at the change, depending on which modes are being switched. (From memory Vintage High-Gain to Blues is one of the bad ones.) Presumably caused by slight differences in the rise/fall times of some of the LDRs.

Cacofonix

Do what Andy Timmons does.  Tube driver (or in my case tube factor) or [insert tube pedal of choice] into clean amp.  If you've got a pedal board anyway it's the sensible way to go.

If you must get another amp, though, the MKIVs are silent switching.   You'll need to stock up on LDRs for the future though, if you can get them.

Drew_TNBD

I've got an old nail of a clean amp if you want it cheap? Carlsbro PA head.

jellybelly

I've always found the same thing - amps where the channels don't actually switch, but rather a new set of preamp circuit values are switched in to not sound great when switching over. I'm considering selling my MJW Fendery 30w head though if you're interested...

ICBM

Drew_fx said:

I've got an old nail of a clean amp if you want it cheap? Carlsbro PA head.

So have I .