I feel your pain man...I have 2 Triaxis, 1 ADA MP1 3TM and one JMP-1...trying to get them all playing with a Patch-mate Loop 8 so I can choose channels accordingly...I have fuckin' 60 channels already setup....Needless to say I play mainly 3....lol.
Here's a tip: Use the Effects SEND instead of the Main Output. This will give you more of that Mark IIC+ tone because it's bypassing those Level output controls not found on a real IIC+. You'll thank me later ;)
@@MosheAlvarez thats an old trick, right now i 'm using the studio preamp with the katana mkii both front input and power amp in!, also trying to copy Leon Sp settings
Best walkthrough of this unit on the 'net. I've had one for over thirty years. Fell into disuse for a couple of decades; but pulled it out of storage a couple of years ago, paired it with a Mesa Fifty/Fifty, and run it through a 1966 Vox Buckingham 2x12 cab loaded with Celestion Alnico Blues. They all play so well together.
I also have this preamp with a 50/50. Have had it since the '80s. My favorite amongst many. Played thru 2x12 JBL. It too had gone into storage per se. Drug it back out about 10 years ago. It sounds great and its bullet proof. And Leon did a great job with the walkthrough. Picked up a few "new" sounds. I mostly play thru a little PRS MT15 these days because it's a bit quieter when cranked.
Let’s be honest, no modeler can compete with this. This is what a real good tube amp sounds like. The dynamics the clarity the saturation, just everything sounds TOP NOTCH!
Hands down one of the best preamps out there and even more so after so many years! I was able to come across one last year and it has been my staple studio recording pre since! Even recording direct with an IR and a boost up front, this preamp is the best! Congratulations on the purchase!
Love my Studio Pre combined with the Fifty Fifty rack amp! If you think this sounds good, roll some tasty preamp tubes through it. This preamp responds amazingly to tube changes. I spent several hours rolling through my favorite tubes and an already great amp came ALIVE!
Definitely. Watching the player's face and seeing how they bond with the amp/guitar tells me more than what's going into my ears when watching youtube shootout vids. They have to be a good player like Leon of course.
Yup, my main preamp---I'll never sell it. Fantastic cleans, by themselves and as a platform for pedals. I've sold other preamps and kept this one. Leon, in case you haven't already tried this: instead of using the "Main" output jacks, use the "Effects Send" jacks into whatever you have in your loop, then go straight into your power amp, bypassing the Effects Return. This recommendation comes straight from amp guru Mike Bendinelli at Mesa/Boogie. This produces a bit more open sound, with less compression and more clarity, perhaps a bit closer to MKIIC+ or even MKIII. Some claim it also sounds brighter, but I don't hear it that way.. Main out is a bit more compressed, aggressive and "hairy", since the signal is somewhat loaded down by going through the additional circuitry. I think the gain seems to be accentuated more using Main out, and a bit less using Effect Send, with all other things equal. I use both interchangeably, depending on what I'm going for. For cleans, Effects Send, for sure---Main sounds more brittle. For the lead channel, it depends. I never use the Recording out.
I've used that trick forever! Run your FX sends through your FX and then into the amp - I stumbled across that one. The guy I worked with for years on mine was Tien Lawerence, not sure if he's still there but he was able to get my StuPre completely refurbished after a bad accident.
My Studio Pre is going to gain value now, thanks! 🤣 Great job
4 года назад+12
Next the Quad, a whole lot of tones to explore. Had the two and they are the best of Boogie tone. Still have the quad with a 295 poweramp, it's a beast!!
‘And I sayeth unto thee; thou shalt know Amp Demo Jeezuz, by the stank of his face.’ That sayeth’ed, at ~11:10, we get quite nearly the tone I got in ‘91, out of a MB Coliseum 1/2 stack (it’s matched cab, logos/ legends in orange.), that was on sale by trial on the floor of a top line Seattle guitar/ music store, ‘American Music’. She was drydocked lonely, the 80s were gone & 300w?!?? Aye, but she was utterly brutiful, & $6k. I plugged in my Charvel #5, and that amp dry, was nearly all I needed! Another excellent demo, Mr. Todd. 👏
I bought mine at the Hollywood Mesa/Boogie store on the Sunset Strip in 1989 together with the 295 stereo Power amp, which turned out to be too loud even for large venues such as Universal Amphitheater, so I Then pared it with the boogie 50/50 power amp, which sounds Fantastic! And the half power switch for playing small rooms like the baked potato, etc, it’s still LOUD at 1/2 power (25 watts) anyway, the Studio Preamp excelled at direct recording with its ‘recording’ outputs and I still use it that way to this day…I love it!
Had my Studio Preamp since 1991 or so and it's been a mainstay of my rig ever since. But in a rack with a few processors it's kind of a heavy beast. But DURABLE! But tonally as wide as the ocean - anything from metal to thrash to prog to fusion to country to blues and beyond. Even outer space ambient. Those cleans are heaven with reverb.
I've got this as my main piece of gear.. studio pre through a Mooer tube engine and a 2x12 with eminence Texas Heats. Seriously - THE best thrash tones
Good move Leon ! You wont be disapointed with the Studio Pre. I found one 2 months ago. I did the Bass Shift mod by replacing the Bass pot by a push-pull and added 1 resistor and 1 capacitor to V1a. The mod can be found on Grailtone forums. It sounds killer when Lead Fat switch is On. It removes the flabby tone from the low E string on lower frets when very high gain is used. A must for metal players IMO. I also solved the sharing Volume problem you've pointed out. I put a midi channel switcher inside the preamp. I added a resistor to the Volume pot. When the Lead channel is ON, this resistor is out of the circuit. However, when the Rhythm is ON, the resistor shunts the Volume pot and lower the resistor value. In other words, now I can play high gain Lead (Volume 8-9) and pristine clean (Volume 4-5) by pressing on a midi foot controller footswitch. I also added a resistor to the Bass pot that raise the bass value for Rhythm when this channel is ON. I did not notice any noise added from this mod.
Mesa's are so versitale, it is literally really tough to get a bad tone from any Mesa product.. great content man, you've entered the top 5 guitar youtubers on my list lol. Cheers and be safe!
They're the amp equivalent of a great cast iron skillet in a world of teflon coated cookware. Once you understand their basic operation they're hard to do without.
17:06...could it be King's X? Wow...what a tone. Best truly real life "in your face" review of this beast! You've got a new subscriber RIGHT NOW! Thanks mate 🎸
I had a Mesa Studio .22+ 1x12 combo that allegedly was this very same preamp in combo form with a pair of EL84s. It sounded fantastic. Justice Metallica tone. A fantastic amp!. Thanks for the video.
I gave mine a run through this evening, after swapping out the JMP-1. (I also have a Triaxis and an 'all-the-choobs' Carvin Quad X.) There's something unique and special about the Studio pre, it does high gain but it never loses articulation. You can hear each note projected clearly and cleanly, and it's so quiet!
In love with the mesa products, especially the mark series and products that have derived from them. Managed to pick up a Mark IV rev B for $1500 at the end of last year and beats my dual recto out of the water.
Love your setup Leon, both sonically and visually, with the guitars hung so neatly behind you. closest I can get to Mesa/Boogie is a TH-U Rig which I'm quite fond of. TYSM !!
Push up those pre-eq mids! You’ll get a thicker and more harmonic midrange, and can still tame it’s loudness with the GEQ. Love my Studio Pre! I get to drive it with a 2:90 :)
@@LeonTodd , I generally have the Modern always on, and sometimes use the Deep mode. You have to be careful with that one, it REALLY throws a lot of bass around. Sounds fantastic alone, but it can muddy things up in a band mix :) I got accustomed to not using Deep, actually. I have a cool little LED projector for band practices, to project song charts, and running Deep mode throws the projector out of focus LOL.
... So... To anyone that say that this sounds better than the triaxis... The problem of the triaxis is the lack of the GEQ and so I made the jump: I've set DV to 0 and put a GEQ (boss pro ge21) in the loop with the frequencies as similar as possible to the real Mesa 5 bands GEQ: A Dip around 710 hz area, a small dip in the 500 hz and 1000hz A small bump in the 80 hz area An enhancement to the 1.4 kHz to highline the bite (this last one is critical) BAM!! It sounds FENOMENAL!! I'm never turning back!! Try that Leon!
@@Wildoneexp I have a tri + 2/90 + Mesa 5 band eq pedal in the loop. The trick is: put presence on 10 on the tri, use presence in the 2/90 instead, set dynamic voice to 0.,use the 5 band eq pedal instead. I do not own a studio or a quad, but a/b comparison sounds great to me. The trick as I said is in the settings and eq.
I got lucky AF and bought a Mesa Quad yesterday. No one in America is selling one online. I put a local add up this week and I got a response a day or two later. It sounds great yet I've barely scratched the surface. Waiting on my '90 Mesa 50/50 to be repaired in Petaluma so I've got it going through a Randall solid state and it still slays.
@@LeonTodd Thank you. The studio was #3 on my list after a triaxis. The seller had all 3 preamps and mentioned possibly selling the Tri as well bc he uses plugins now. After recording video proof of the quad for me and plugging into the tri after years he says he'll never part w the triaxis. My loss.
Running the Studio Pre into an EL34 power amp with a heavy lean on Marshall circuitry will get you there. IIRC, the MOP tone was a Boogie slaved into a Marshall. I sometimes try to get close with my RT2/50, which has some EL34's in it.
you really put that thing through the paces. very nice sound and the onboard reverb complements it really nicely. you should also check out the triple crown if you get your hands on one. it's an awsome amp
Leon you are making justice to this Classic preamp from the 80's is far more than a Chuga Chuga preamp in fact its was built in the 80s like the Mark 2 C+ for Jazz and Fussion player so kand find videos feom that era from now world class fussion player using this live bands known for claasic marshall sound like AC/DC, this is a tone Machine
The Studio Pre user manual is a treasure map! It’s SO cool how very(!) subtle tiny adjustments around the suggested settings can create a complex completely new amazing tones. I’ve gotten tones from this unit that I’ve never heard elsewhere. My favorite setup is using the stereo outs to two combo amps. An old Ampeg VT-40 on one side or alone was AMAZING! One cool random setup was a studio pre stereo out to the VT-40 and an old Gibson GA-5. The 5 watt amp was overloading and melting down in a way that made my eyes dilate while the bigger amp stayed stable. The combinations are endless👌🏻😭😍😁😮😎😳💕👌🏻😀😮😂😀❤️🙈😁😊😀
Fantastic demo as always. I had one of these a few months ago. I loved it. I think you can get even more gain out of it by raising the lead master volume while pulling back the rhythm volume and master a touch.
I had one, was my first preamp. Paired with a Fryette 2:50:2 poweramp, amazing lead sounds. The treble knob also adds gain. Please Leon stop last year I bought, after watching your vids, a Triaxis / 2:Ninety and a DSL100, both at a ridiculous cheap price LOL.
Congrats on cool amp! I'm impressed how many sounds you can get out of this unit. I wonder how it'd do with something like 2:90, massive kick in the bottom end probably.
I really adore your videos. You seem to be just a chill dude (...guess that´s an Australian thing in general). Your knowledge is on point as is your playing. Don´t even get me started about them tones, I mean holy guacamole...best someone has ever made a Boogie Studio PreAmp sound. Please keep doing what you are doing, you deserve maaany more subcribers. Lots of love for your awesome content from AUSTRIA (...sadly we don´t have kangaroos here). cheers mate
I bought a MESA Rectifier Preamp and man is it cool... MESA are just tanks... the build and the look everything is just boss... what I've realized with it is that it's clean channel is so smooth... like Country music smooth... kinda funny cause everyone thinks rectifier? NU METAL... yeah it does that too BUT.... that being said I'm trying to sell it for the studio preamp to shoot for the black album/AJFA tones... Run the MESA into the back of a Marshall. Great Video.
Hi Leon, have you ever tried to blend the e609 with SM57? That is my combo mics, which give more meaty midrange.. Because I found the e609 mid high a bit harsh. Cool video as usual ;)
I had a mkiv short head that I rack mounted. Easily the best lead tone I’ve ever had and got comments about it nearly every show. But what an unwieldy beast to try to tune to every room. You really have to know it intimately. .
Hey Todd, give a try plugging the preamp to poweramp stright from FX send instead main outs. This "mod" was widely discussed on forumd and also even approved by someone from Mesa to make it sound like IIC+. I'm not sure if it's true, because I've read about this YEARS ago (i got mine in 2012) but it was claimed that this way plugged into Fifty/Fifty it gives closest you can get to IIC+ not having real IIC+ I'm more Marshall guy and recently playing solid states* only, but you made me want to get my fifty fifty and studio pre retubed and blast some riffs in them * Have you ever tried bigger pieces from 80s Marshall solid state series? I'm very curious about your opinion on i.e Marshall Mosfet 100. I do own two Lead 12s and Master Lead 30 but always been curious about this 100 Watter beast...
I have mine coupled with a Mesa 50/50 power amp. Next one you need is another Rocktron (prophesy), or Scholz Rockman Sustainor module. These things are definitely worthwhile to collect.
This was famously used by the legendary Dann Huff in the 80s and early 90s, and I'm pretty sure he was using it for that 80s clean tone. If only these weren't those damn expensive these days!
@@JohnsormaniI think that was very early on in his session days. I believe around ‘84 or ‘85 he was using Mesa Boogie heads slaved into his rack. The studio preamps came out in 1988, and he used that around then. Sometime between ‘87 and ‘89 he also got a Kasha preamp. In the early 90s he started using Peavey Classic heads. So he used a number of different heads and preamps. I believe he was also using both Mesa Boogie power amps and a VHT 2150.
Excellent content, Leon!! Now.. have you ever paired it with the old metal grill 4JB or 4YB Mesa Boogie halfback cabs? The ones with the 90-watt Celestion Black Shadows open on top and the EVM-12Ls sealed in the bottom. Because THAT would be something.
If you're familiar with "Drop D" tuning start by tuning your guitar to Drop D. then lower all strings one whole tone. the end tuning, from low to high, is CGcfad
Great demo and playing - many thanks for that. I have one of these wonderful preamps and sometimes use the cascaded gain stages for even more distortion. If you push the clean channel up (volume and master on LHS) you send a much bigger signal into the distortion section. With a Strat the master can get to 5 or 6 and remain very clean and the volume can go all the way up. Lead level on maybe 5 is as extreme as your setting with lead on 10, lead level even higher and there's more distortion than most would need. I had a Mesa 50/50 amp with mine but sold that as it was too loud for my modest needs, it also coloured the sound slightly. I'm currently running the Studio Pre into a Frenzel 5E3 style amp with 6550 valves and the combination is incredible. It's the most 'immediate' response I've ever enjoyed apart from direct into the Frenzel but that's another story. The Mesa Studio Pre can make a cheap amp sound good and a good amp sound better. My reverb is also quite noisy but I now use a pedal in the amp's loop or between Studio Pre and amp. Incidentally, the Studio Pre has stereo returns on the loop so you can drive two stage amps as well as send stereo to the desk or recorder. I will not be selling mine.
Hi Leon! I believe we gear geek's are addicted to gear like women are to shoe and purse shopping! It's not a bad thing at all! Certainly justified by new creative tones! Thanks for sharing brother and Be Well All!
When you're playing it without a boost into the front, do you really have to dig in to get the heavier tones or does it "just happen"? It's a terrific sounding amp of course but it just seems like I'd have to just dig all in with my right hand to get it to chugga chug. It really sounds awesome though and I really loved the clean with the chorus and verb and/or delay.
That entirely depends on whether or not you want a clean channel. You can sacrifice the clean channel to the gain gods and get a really nasty high gain lead channel. The clean channel's preamp gain feeds into the lead channel so it (essentially) works like a preamp boost in front of the lead channel. Also, the fat switch on the amp dumps a lot more saturation into the lead channel. You lose some clarity doing so but it's another option you have.
Always loved The Mesa V-Twin preamp pedal,- put a full freq. OD and a treble booster like the Black Country Customs mid pushed OD-Boost in front of it and crank everything,- though more than thirty years old it´s a tone machine right there,- even for metal guys like myself!
Thanks Leon for your nice video. I couldn't find any indication of how you recorded your demo: did you simply use Studio Preamp's "recording" outputs directly to a sound card?
I love you Leon! I bought & sold many things but I kept the studio pre. I found that the mercuriall plugins is the only one who have the pre/ amp / cab in 3 different part so I can can run the pre trough the power amp and the cab section of the mercuriall plugin. Olso... with the ir reverb section... damn... this pre sound amazing.
@@LeonTodd it's almost the same circuit. across all mesa boogie mark series. www.thegearpage.net/board/index.php?threads/wanted-mesa-boogie-studio-preamp-mods.1991620/
@@LeonTodd This one was modded to a c++, as well as adding the pull shift on the bass, pull deep, both of which are hardwired in the stock studio pre. It also has the mid gain switch from the Mark IV which is my favourite feature of the IV in a pull pot on the master. Quickly becoming one of my favourites. The best part about it is the distortion character and touch sensitivity close to rivals my c+. More than most of the other marks I've tried. The c+ still for whatever reason sounds thicker or bigger when pull deep is on but this is super gainy, super tight. As far as what was done to make it c++ I wouldn't be much help there as have no idea. I just know I love the outcome \m/
@@Lordiesel I love that Mark IV mid gain mode too, and I suspected these have the pull deep/pull shift engaged as stock. IMO there's definitely something that goes on with a head vs a preamp/power amp that seems to always sound different but from the sounds of it yours do slightly different things in a very good way!
Leon Todd I believe you’re correct, they’re hardwired on in the studio pre. But they’re fairly simple to mod a switch for so you can get them toggle-able like on a C+. There’s also only a couple component changes to make a studio pre match a C+ schematic perfectly. As for C++ mods, unfortunately I’ve yet to find anyone who both owns one and is knowledgeable enough to trace the schematic and figure out what the mod is.
This reminds me of mine, which unfortunate needs some work. But it also cost me half of what they go for now. Something has gone in it, leading to a thin, metallic tone. Suspecting either a solder joint or the 30 year old caps biting it. Also mine has no rack ears which is hugely inconvenient.
If I lost my Quad, I think I'd stop playing guitar. If there is a better amp out there than the Quad or Studio, I've not heard it. Thanks for the video, was great to see somebody playing with their new Mesa. Just to see your face when for the first time, you crank up the treble and turn down the bass on the distorton channel :)
Leon-very cool vid putting the Studio Pre through the paces! I don't play much metal or thrash but it's nice to know that it can be dialed in if need be-I have one and love it! Had a Quad but it got stolen and I replaced it with this beast, I play it through an old Strategy 400 and it's excellent. Killer playing man-enjoying the hell out of your vids!
@@LeonTodd Yes, it can blow the balls off of a rhino! Now here's the sad part. I live in a small apartment with paper thin walls! I can't even really PLAY my rig here...Ridiculous situation. Once in awhile I'll plug in on a low clean setting just to go ahhhhh--radiance! Somebody needs to move soon--ha ha. Love the Whitesnake, interesting that you had the mids cut that much. Live and learn!
Any idea what kind of tubes are in the M/B .22 Studio pre? I want to try and get one similar and throw it in another preamp i have to see if i can get an inch" closer to the sound. lol
Just got (second) one. Sold my original in like 1998/1999 for $350 🤦🏻♂️. Never thought I’d find one after this many years, but did and fortunately at a decent price. They’re still plenty great conditioned ones out there, but takes some patience, and will be slightly pricier than $350 😉
Leon, having a hard time with my Mark V 25 getting a large sound like you got in the opening track. It sounds so present, for some reason I just can't get mine to sound that large, no matter how many times I track it or double track this, pan here, blah blah. I could use a Post EQ refresher course from Mr Todd, cause that sound shreds. I feel like I have my presence high and keep my treble and 5k slider boosted, but it still doesnt sound very present. I've been using the built in cab clone, which seems for cleans to be fine, but for high gain I think its really hindering. Think the cab clone might be the issue?
Ah the cab clone. Try run from the DI into something Two Notes Wall of sound and load up the "BRIT412 Mix" IR here and you'll get a lot closer. www.dropbox.com/sh/zybfjv1t24zfqeo/AAD4dktl3dMouzZrjR7-pU9Ga?dl=0
It's funny I just watched a video talking about John Sykes Whitesnake days and they said something along the lines of in the studio no one could get the tones they wanted out of a Boogie but when it came to using it live that was a different story.
Hey man, I have a mesa boogie F50 combo amp. I have a 6band eq I run in the front to boost mids and tighten up the bottom end, I then have a MXR 10 band EQ in the effects loop to try and shape the tone. I can get great tones, but I just feel like it is lacking in that crispy distortion. I am TORN on weather to get the triple rectifier or the mark IV. I keep thinking I can split my signal and use my F50 to tighten things up and then the rectifier will give me that crazy distortion..... it's a tough call especially when mark IV is so pricey. What would you do?
Wonderful review - thank you very much Leon - finally, someone who knows what they are doing - would you kindly share your signal chain (direct out of Studio Pre into computer OR Studio Pre into a power amp into a cabinet and mic'd, what i/o are you using, are you using ProTools? Comparing the Quad, Triaxis and Studio Pre -- the Studio Pre wins for me - Kurt Cobain was using it for only a couple of great sounds, but it seems to be jam packed with them if you know how to use the knobs and eq sliders properly - you should also tryout the Formula Pre, the cleans are incredible -- thank you again!
Back in 1997 I made the worst mistake in my musical life when I sold an entire rack set-up that included a Mesa/Boogie Quad preamp and a Marshall 9200 Dual Mono Bloc (6L6) power amp. I know the BBE Sonic Maximizer gets a lot of hate but running one between the Mesa and the Marshall sounded like the voice of GOD! Both the Mesa and the Marshall are highly sought after now and command prices that are 4 times more than I paid for mine simply because of the incredible tones and their rarity and, I sold mine due to a ground loop problem that I got frustrated with trying to cure and constantly failed. I traded them for a Marshall JCM800 Half-stack and a Artist line 50 watt head. I still have the half stack and have always loved it but, damn I want that Mesa Quad and Marshall 9200 back too.
Im like very new to preamps and I’m slightly confused, how do you setup a preamp? Does is replace an amp head and you plug the preamp directly to the cabinet or do you plug the preamp directly to a mixer, ditching the amp head and cabinet completely?
An amp head has two main sections - the preamp and the power amp. Separating them and rack mounting them is attractive for several reasons (for example, running rack effects with a stereo power amp), but you do need to pair it with a power amp if you want to run it with a cab.
Honest question: what are rack pres like this intended to go into? A power amp and cab? Recording consoles? Is it meant to be a modular device that can link into a patch bay to be linked however they need?
![I.N "HALLUCINATION" | [Stray Kids : SKZ-PLAYER]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/n5B5q1Hwt_U/mqdefault.jpg)
I should probably just buy shares in Mesa/Boogie at this stage.
it is not a listed company lol so you can't buy the shares. keep buying the amps though! hahaha
I feel your pain man...I have 2 Triaxis, 1 ADA MP1 3TM and one JMP-1...trying to get them all playing with a Patch-mate Loop 8 so I can choose channels accordingly...I have fuckin' 60 channels already setup....Needless to say I play mainly 3....lol.
Here's a tip: Use the Effects SEND instead of the Main Output. This will give you more of that Mark IIC+ tone because it's bypassing those Level output controls not found on a real IIC+. You'll thank me later ;)
@@MosheAlvarez thats an old trick, right now i 'm using the studio preamp with the katana mkii both front input and power amp in!, also trying to copy Leon Sp settings
Happy you didn't now?
I love the Boogie graphic. It uses frequencies that are so musical for guitar, and the Q is perfect.
Best walkthrough of this unit on the 'net. I've had one for over thirty years. Fell into disuse for a couple of decades; but pulled it out of storage a couple of years ago, paired it with a Mesa Fifty/Fifty, and run it through a 1966 Vox Buckingham 2x12 cab loaded with Celestion Alnico Blues. They all play so well together.
Thankyou! Superb piece of gear, made to last.
I also have this preamp with a 50/50. Have had it since the '80s. My favorite amongst many. Played thru 2x12 JBL. It too had gone into storage per se. Drug it back out about 10 years ago. It sounds great and its bullet proof. And Leon did a great job with the walkthrough. Picked up a few "new" sounds. I mostly play thru a little PRS MT15 these days because it's a bit quieter when cranked.
I have one of these and LOVE it!!!
I was expecting it to be pretty good and it totally delivered!
I've had one since I was 16... now I know I'm in great company.
Let’s be honest, no modeler can compete with this. This is what a real good tube amp sounds like. The dynamics the clarity the saturation, just everything sounds TOP NOTCH!
Even stupid cheap modelers can do this and I bet you wouldn't notice a difference in a blind test.
Both have their uses in music. Modelers are like CGI in the guitar world.
Hands down one of the best preamps out there and even more so after so many years! I was able to come across one last year and it has been my staple studio recording pre since! Even recording direct with an IR and a boost up front, this preamp is the best! Congratulations on the purchase!
Yes I want to see him clean boost awl his rack gear,,, that would be a great test vid
Love my Studio Pre combined with the Fifty Fifty rack amp!
If you think this sounds good, roll some tasty preamp tubes through it. This preamp responds amazingly to tube changes. I spent several hours rolling through my favorite tubes and an already great amp came ALIVE!
Which tube do you prefer on studio preamp?
This has been my main tone generator for 10 years now. I use it live and in the studio. Best preamp I have ever owned!
Leon, this wasn't only an exhaustive review, it was a lesson on crafting rock tones. ❤
6:50 you played Crazy Nights by Loudness. Did we just become best friends?????
Loudness or "rowd-ness" ;-) what a killer set of riffage, love you both.
I love that every time Leon plays his face shows that he's really feeling every note he's playing. Rock on man.
It's hard not to when it sounds so good!
It's very inspirational. Makes me want to play guitar when I see that.
Definitely. Watching the player's face and seeing how they bond with the amp/guitar tells me more than what's going into my ears when watching youtube shootout vids. They have to be a good player like Leon of course.
Yup, my main preamp---I'll never sell it. Fantastic cleans, by themselves and as a platform for pedals. I've sold other preamps and kept this one. Leon, in case you haven't already tried this: instead of using the "Main" output jacks, use the "Effects Send" jacks into whatever you have in your loop, then go straight into your power amp, bypassing the Effects Return. This recommendation comes straight from amp guru Mike Bendinelli at Mesa/Boogie. This produces a bit more open sound, with less compression and more clarity, perhaps a bit closer to MKIIC+ or even MKIII. Some claim it also sounds brighter, but I don't hear it that way.. Main out is a bit more compressed, aggressive and "hairy", since the signal is somewhat loaded down by going through the additional circuitry. I think the gain seems to be accentuated more using Main out, and a bit less using Effect Send, with all other things equal. I use both interchangeably, depending on what I'm going for. For cleans, Effects Send, for sure---Main sounds more brittle. For the lead channel, it depends. I never use the Recording out.
I've used that trick forever! Run your FX sends through your FX and then into the amp - I stumbled across that one. The guy I worked with for years on mine was Tien Lawerence, not sure if he's still there but he was able to get my StuPre completely refurbished after a bad accident.
请问 吉他从loop进入，那延迟周边怎么连接
My Studio Pre is going to gain value now, thanks! 🤣
Great job
Next the Quad, a whole lot of tones to explore. Had the two and they are the best of Boogie tone. Still have the quad with a 295 poweramp, it's a beast!!
Ricardo Mendonça I’ve got the quad and 295 as well, love that setup 😎🤘
@@0megalul309 No, you have to find one with your country voltage.
@@0megalul309 Well, the Studio that i had was not universal also. The Triaxis i don´t know, never had one.
‘And I sayeth unto thee; thou shalt know Amp Demo Jeezuz, by the stank of his face.’
That sayeth’ed, at ~11:10, we get quite nearly the tone I got in ‘91, out of a MB Coliseum 1/2 stack (it’s matched cab, logos/ legends in orange.), that was on sale by trial on the floor of a top line Seattle guitar/ music store, ‘American Music’.
She was drydocked lonely, the 80s were gone & 300w?!??
Aye, but she was utterly brutiful, & $6k.
I plugged in my Charvel #5, and that amp dry, was nearly all I needed!
Another excellent demo, Mr. Todd. 👏
I bought mine at the Hollywood Mesa/Boogie store on the Sunset Strip in 1989 together with the 295 stereo Power amp, which turned out to be too loud even for large venues such as Universal Amphitheater, so I Then pared it with the
boogie 50/50 power amp, which sounds Fantastic! And the half power switch for playing small rooms like the baked potato, etc, it’s still LOUD at 1/2 power (25 watts) anyway, the Studio Preamp excelled at direct recording with its ‘recording’ outputs and I still use it that way to this day…I love it!
That must have been such a fun time!
Had my Studio Preamp since 1991 or so and it's been a mainstay of my rig ever since. But in a rack with a few processors it's kind of a heavy beast. But DURABLE! But tonally as wide as the ocean - anything from metal to thrash to prog to fusion to country to blues and beyond. Even outer space ambient. Those cleans are heaven with reverb.
I've got this as my main piece of gear.. studio pre through a Mooer tube engine and a 2x12 with eminence Texas Heats.
Seriously - THE best thrash tones
Good move Leon ! You wont be disapointed with the Studio Pre.
I found one 2 months ago. I did the Bass Shift mod by replacing the Bass pot by a push-pull and added 1 resistor and 1 capacitor to V1a. The mod can be found on Grailtone forums. It sounds killer when Lead Fat switch is On. It removes the flabby tone from the low E string on lower frets when very high gain is used. A must for metal players IMO.
I also solved the sharing Volume problem you've pointed out. I put a midi channel switcher inside the preamp. I added a resistor to the Volume pot.
When the Lead channel is ON, this resistor is out of the circuit. However, when the Rhythm is ON, the resistor shunts the Volume pot and lower the resistor value. In other words, now I can play high gain Lead (Volume 8-9) and pristine clean (Volume 4-5) by pressing on a midi foot controller footswitch. I also added a resistor to the Bass pot that raise the bass value for Rhythm when this channel is ON. I did not notice any noise added from this mod.
Very crispy sounding tone. And I think this is the first time I've ever seen a spring reverb in a rack pre-amp.
Seems like an odd choice until you dial it in - perfect for Fendery tones!
Leon Todd a buddy of mine had one in college! Leon - DM me on instagram @angusclarkgtr - I have a question for you.
Mesa's are so versitale, it is literally really tough to get a bad tone from any Mesa product.. great content man, you've entered the top 5 guitar youtubers on my list lol. Cheers and be safe!
They're the amp equivalent of a great cast iron skillet in a world of teflon coated cookware. Once you understand their basic operation they're hard to do without.
You never tried a cab clone hahahahah
@@litos_mendes I have one and I'm a happy customer
Try getting a good tone from a MkIII no stripe amp
17:06...could it be King's X? Wow...what a tone. Best truly real life "in your face" review of this beast! You've got a new subscriber RIGHT NOW! Thanks mate 🎸
Close! It's actually this - ruclips.net/video/7yqvNqW4FZc/видео.html
The best preamp ever. With a good power amp OMG.
Had mine for over 20 years and use it alot, great to see how you dialed in some nice high gain tones, cheers!
The reverb tank is mounted like that for shock isolation, similar to a shock mount that you'd see on a large diaphragm condenser mic.
LOVE the sykes riffing in there!! Cheers
Glad someone noticed :)
Great tone. So much dynamic and boom.
I had a Mesa Studio .22+ 1x12 combo that allegedly was this very same preamp in combo form with a pair of EL84s. It sounded fantastic. Justice Metallica tone. A fantastic amp!. Thanks for the video.
I gave mine a run through this evening, after swapping out the JMP-1. (I also have a Triaxis and an 'all-the-choobs' Carvin Quad X.) There's something unique and special about the Studio pre, it does high gain but it never loses articulation. You can hear each note projected clearly and cleanly, and it's so quiet!
Clean tones are actually quite good in this without power amp and cabinet, just going straight up
In love with the mesa products, especially the mark series and products that have derived from them. Managed to pick up a Mark IV rev B for $1500 at the end of last year and beats my dual recto out of the water.
I have one of these and use it every day.
I can see why!
Nice preamp Leon! I have a Mesa Quad. Absolutely love the clean channel.
I've always been fascinated by this preamp and I'm happy to hear how good it sounds.
Love your setup Leon, both sonically and visually, with the guitars hung so neatly behind you. closest I can get to Mesa/Boogie is a TH-U Rig which I'm quite fond of. TYSM !!
Push up those pre-eq mids! You’ll get a thicker and more harmonic midrange, and can still tame it’s loudness with the GEQ.
Love my Studio Pre! I get to drive it with a 2:90 :)
What voicing do you use on your 2:90?
I had that same exact pair. What a mo-fo when I had to re-tube the 2-90... but fuck if if wasn't the beast of an amp!!!
@@LeonTodd , I generally have the Modern always on, and sometimes use the Deep mode. You have to be careful with that one, it REALLY throws a lot of bass around. Sounds fantastic alone, but it can muddy things up in a band mix :)
I got accustomed to not using Deep, actually. I have a cool little LED projector for band practices, to project song charts, and running Deep mode throws the projector out of focus LOL.
@@wildealien now that's DEEP!
... So... To anyone that say that this sounds better than the triaxis...
The problem of the triaxis is the lack of the GEQ and so I made the jump:
I've set DV to 0 and put a GEQ (boss pro ge21) in the loop with the frequencies as similar as possible to the real Mesa 5 bands GEQ:
A Dip around 710 hz area,
a small dip in the 500 hz and 1000hz
A small bump in the 80 hz area
An enhancement to the 1.4 kHz to highline the bite (this last one is critical)
BAM!!
It sounds FENOMENAL!!
I'm never turning back!!
Try that Leon!
The Studio Preamp and the Quad Preamp sound better than the Triaxis!
@@Wildoneexp I have a tri + 2/90 + Mesa 5 band eq pedal in the loop.
The trick is: put presence on 10 on the tri, use presence in the 2/90 instead, set dynamic voice to 0.,use the 5 band eq pedal instead.
I do not own a studio or a quad, but a/b comparison sounds great to me.
The trick as I said is in the settings and eq.
Enjoying every freaking video you post. Keep it up man, loved your Pod XT Pro video!!
Thanks a ton!
Maybe I'm not selling mine after all. You hit the Heart Shaped Box sound!
This demo really put a smile on my face, you rock dude!!
I got lucky AF and bought a Mesa Quad yesterday. No one in America is selling one online. I put a local add up this week and I got a response a day or two later. It sounds great yet I've barely scratched the surface. Waiting on my '90 Mesa 50/50 to be repaired in Petaluma so I've got it going through a Randall solid state and it still slays.
Congrats!!!
@@LeonTodd Thank you. The studio was #3 on my list after a triaxis. The seller had all 3 preamps and mentioned possibly selling the Tri as well bc he uses plugins now. After recording video proof of the quad for me and plugging into the tri after years he says he'll never part w the triaxis. My loss.
I have one Blu mkIII
and mkIII RED ++ MOD
and a quad pre. Omg there all wooo good!!
Leon, we all need 'tallica Master/Justice sound!
Absolutely!
Running the Studio Pre into an EL34 power amp with a heavy lean on Marshall circuitry will get you there. IIRC, the MOP tone was a Boogie slaved into a Marshall.
I sometimes try to get close with my RT2/50, which has some EL34's in it.
@@wildealien So now he needs a Marshall 50/50 power amp? Good God that would sound amazing!
you really put that thing through the paces. very nice sound and the onboard reverb complements it really nicely. you should also check out the triple crown if you get your hands on one. it's an awsome amp
That 240Hz slider adds a cool vintage small combo type vibe!
Almost "tweed" like.
Showing off some of that Fender DNA in there for sure
Leon you are making justice to this Classic preamp from the 80's is far more than a Chuga Chuga preamp in fact its was built in the 80s like the Mark 2 C+ for Jazz and Fussion player so kand find videos feom that era from now world class fussion player using this live bands known for claasic marshall sound like AC/DC, this is a tone Machine
Get the manual ! It says Bass never to zero ! Try to push mids to max. This is how I set mine ! Great vidéo thanks
this is why i don't read manuals, I love the sound with the bass on 0.
The Studio Pre user manual is a treasure map! It’s SO cool how very(!) subtle tiny adjustments around the suggested settings can create a complex completely new amazing tones. I’ve gotten tones from this unit that I’ve never heard elsewhere. My favorite setup is using the stereo outs to two combo amps. An old Ampeg VT-40 on one side or alone was AMAZING! One cool random setup was a studio pre stereo out to the VT-40 and an old Gibson GA-5. The 5 watt amp was overloading and melting down in a way that made my eyes dilate while the bigger amp stayed stable. The combinations are endless👌🏻😭😍😁😮😎😳💕👌🏻😀😮😂😀❤️🙈😁😊😀
Fantastic demo as always. I had one of these a few months ago. I loved it. I think you can get even more gain out of it by raising the lead master volume while pulling back the rhythm volume and master a touch.
I sold one of these in desperate times about 20 years ago. I’ve craved one ever since. Perhaps it’s time to pull that trigger!
Thanks! Just pulled the trigger on a quad preamp. At least I don’t have to keep looking for a studio preamp now.
Reading your comment and the reply gave me the same rush I always feel when i buy gear. Congrats!
YOU, ANDY GILLION, AND OLA are my faves ....KEEP UP THE GREAT SHIT !!!!!!!
Great trio! I'm not that familiar with Leon, but I'm really digging his playing in the few videos I've seen.
I had one, was my first preamp. Paired with a Fryette 2:50:2 poweramp, amazing lead sounds. The treble knob also adds gain.
Please Leon stop last year I bought, after watching your vids, a Triaxis / 2:Ninety and a DSL100, both at a ridiculous cheap price LOL.
Congrats on cool amp! I'm impressed how many sounds you can get out of this unit. I wonder how it'd do with something like 2:90, massive kick in the bottom end probably.
I really adore your videos. You seem to be just a chill dude (...guess that´s an Australian thing in general). Your knowledge is on point as is your playing. Don´t even get me started about them tones, I mean holy guacamole...best someone has ever made a Boogie Studio PreAmp sound. Please keep doing what you are doing, you deserve maaany more subcribers. Lots of love for your awesome content from AUSTRIA (...sadly we don´t have kangaroos here). cheers mate
I bought a MESA Rectifier Preamp and man is it cool... MESA are just tanks... the build and the look everything is just boss... what I've realized with it is that it's clean channel is so smooth... like Country music smooth... kinda funny cause everyone thinks rectifier? NU METAL... yeah it does that too BUT.... that being said I'm trying to sell it for the studio preamp to shoot for the black album/AJFA tones... Run the MESA into the back of a Marshall. Great Video.
Hi Leon, have you ever tried to blend the e609 with SM57? That is my combo mics, which give more meaty midrange.. Because I found the e609 mid high a bit harsh. Cool video as usual ;)
Mix a 58 with anything and it sounds better. I use a large diagram drum Mike.
I've upgrade to Triaxis from a Studio pre.. I'm going to revisit the Studio. Thanks for the video
I had a mkiv short head that I rack mounted. Easily the best lead tone I’ve ever had and got comments about it nearly every show. But what an unwieldy beast to try to tune to every room. You really have to know it intimately. .
Hey Todd, give a try plugging the preamp to poweramp stright from FX send instead main outs. This "mod" was widely discussed on forumd and also even approved by someone from Mesa to make it sound like IIC+. I'm not sure if it's true, because I've read about this YEARS ago (i got mine in 2012) but it was claimed that this way plugged into Fifty/Fifty it gives closest you can get to IIC+ not having real IIC+
I'm more Marshall guy and recently playing solid states* only, but you made me want to get my fifty fifty and studio pre retubed and blast some riffs in them
* Have you ever tried bigger pieces from 80s Marshall solid state series? I'm very curious about your opinion on i.e Marshall Mosfet 100. I do own two Lead 12s and Master Lead 30 but always been curious about this 100 Watter beast...
I use the Fx Send on my Quad Preamp and can confirm, it sounds much better than the Main outputs.
Definitely owned one when I was like 15. Was fun but hardly remember it.
I have mine coupled with a Mesa 50/50 power amp. Next one you need is another Rocktron (prophesy), or Scholz Rockman Sustainor module. These things are definitely worthwhile to collect.
I remember lusting after the Prophesy as a kid. Never tried one unfortunately.
Awesome. Played with mine yesterday, a tele into the rhythm channel is ace. For heavy rhythm and lead on the lead channel is awesome as well.
Ooooh I'll have to pull my T style parts guitar out and try that!
This was famously used by the legendary Dann Huff in the 80s and early 90s, and I'm pretty sure he was using it for that 80s clean tone. If only these weren't those damn expensive these days!
Thought he used a bassman135 for his clean tone
@@JohnsormaniI think that was very early on in his session days. I believe around ‘84 or ‘85 he was using Mesa Boogie heads slaved into his rack. The studio preamps came out in 1988, and he used that around then. Sometime between ‘87 and ‘89 he also got a Kasha preamp. In the early 90s he started using Peavey Classic heads. So he used a number of different heads and preamps. I believe he was also using both Mesa Boogie power amps and a VHT 2150.
Sounded great! Can’t wait to see what ya do with it in the future!
Excellent content, Leon!! Now.. have you ever paired it with the old metal grill 4JB or 4YB Mesa Boogie halfback cabs? The ones with the 90-watt Celestion Black Shadows open on top and the EVM-12Ls sealed in the bottom. Because THAT would be something.
Indeed it would! Those cabs are almost non-existent down here
I have this exact rig. 🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘⚒its so metal have to repaint the room every 3 months.
Wow 🤩 , would you please explain he dropped c tunning thing, ?
If you're familiar with "Drop D" tuning start by tuning your guitar to Drop D. then lower all strings one whole tone. the end tuning, from low to high, is CGcfad
Great demo and playing - many thanks for that. I have one of these wonderful preamps and sometimes use the cascaded gain stages for even more distortion. If you push the clean channel up (volume and master on LHS) you send a much bigger signal into the distortion section. With a Strat the master can get to 5 or 6 and remain very clean and the volume can go all the way up. Lead level on maybe 5 is as extreme as your setting with lead on 10, lead level even higher and there's more distortion than most would need. I had a Mesa 50/50 amp with mine but sold that as it was too loud for my modest needs, it also coloured the sound slightly. I'm currently running the Studio Pre into a Frenzel 5E3 style amp with 6550 valves and the combination is incredible. It's the most 'immediate' response I've ever enjoyed apart from direct into the Frenzel but that's another story. The Mesa Studio Pre can make a cheap amp sound good and a good amp sound better. My reverb is also quite noisy but I now use a pedal in the amp's loop or between Studio Pre and amp. Incidentally, the Studio Pre has stereo returns on the loop so you can drive two stage amps as well as send stereo to the desk or recorder. I will not be selling mine.
Hi Leon! I believe we gear geek's are addicted to gear like women are to shoe and purse shopping! It's not a bad thing at all! Certainly justified by new creative tones! Thanks for sharing brother and Be Well All!
Sounds great! Loved the Nirvana riff.
When you're playing it without a boost into the front, do you really have to dig in to get the heavier tones or does it "just happen"?
It's a terrific sounding amp of course but it just seems like I'd have to just dig all in with my right hand to get it to chugga chug. It really sounds awesome though and I really loved the clean with the chorus and verb and/or delay.
It definitely makes you work for it! I wonder what it would sound like with my Klon clone in front of it.
@@LeonTodd Coco clean boost is about the best there is,, but I step on a exotic clean boost and it's dam good.
That entirely depends on whether or not you want a clean channel. You can sacrifice the clean channel to the gain gods and get a really nasty high gain lead channel. The clean channel's preamp gain feeds into the lead channel so it (essentially) works like a preamp boost in front of the lead channel.
Also, the fat switch on the amp dumps a lot more saturation into the lead channel. You lose some clarity doing so but it's another option you have.
Great playing man!!! What kind of tubes are in the preamp and how many? Would you mind telling me? 12ax7 I pressume...
Always loved The Mesa V-Twin preamp pedal,- put a full freq. OD and a treble booster like the Black Country Customs mid pushed OD-Boost in front of it and crank everything,- though more than thirty years old it´s a tone machine right there,- even for metal guys like myself!
This sounds SO good dude! Definite keeper!
Sounds really good Leon. You rock with any peice of equipment!🤘🤘🤘
Came here for the sounds, enjoyed the riffs also. Love your videos - awesome \m/
Much appreciated!
Nice tunes with passive pickups, image with emg actives 8) I only have experience with mark III blue stripe but i think it's close enough?
Thanks Leon for your nice video.
I couldn't find any indication of how you recorded your demo: did you simply use Studio Preamp's "recording" outputs directly to a sound card?
I love you Leon! I bought & sold many things but I kept the studio pre. I found that the mercuriall plugins is the only one who have the pre/ amp / cab in 3 different part so I can can run the pre trough the power amp and the cab section of the mercuriall plugin. Olso... with the ir reverb section... damn... this pre sound amazing.
Great combo!
Great vid as always Leon. I recently bought a studio pre modded to c++. It is ... superb, I love it.
Tell me more about these mods!
@@LeonTodd it's almost the same circuit. across all mesa boogie mark series. www.thegearpage.net/board/index.php?threads/wanted-mesa-boogie-studio-preamp-mods.1991620/
@@LeonTodd This one was modded to a c++, as well as adding the pull shift on the bass, pull deep, both of which are hardwired in the stock studio pre. It also has the mid gain switch from the Mark IV which is my favourite feature of the IV in a pull pot on the master. Quickly becoming one of my favourites. The best part about it is the distortion character and touch sensitivity close to rivals my c+. More than most of the other marks I've tried. The c+ still for whatever reason sounds thicker or bigger when pull deep is on but this is super gainy, super tight. As far as what was done to make it c++ I wouldn't be much help there as have no idea. I just know I love the outcome \m/
@@Lordiesel I love that Mark IV mid gain mode too, and I suspected these have the pull deep/pull shift engaged as stock. IMO there's definitely something that goes on with a head vs a preamp/power amp that seems to always sound different but from the sounds of it yours do slightly different things in a very good way!
Leon Todd I believe you’re correct, they’re hardwired on in the studio pre. But they’re fairly simple to mod a switch for so you can get them toggle-able like on a C+. There’s also only a couple component changes to make a studio pre match a C+ schematic perfectly. As for C++ mods, unfortunately I’ve yet to find anyone who both owns one and is knowledgeable enough to trace the schematic and figure out what the mod is.
This reminds me of mine, which unfortunate needs some work. But it also cost me half of what they go for now. Something has gone in it, leading to a thin, metallic tone. Suspecting either a solder joint or the 30 year old caps biting it. Also mine has no rack ears which is hugely inconvenient.
What's that riff at 18:50? I think i just fell in love with it
Whitesnake "You're Gonna Break My Heart Again"
i would be very interested to see mark V / 25 / 35 tests aswell
Hi @LeonTodd ..would u please tell me which 12ax7 u got in you mesa preamp? which brand? thx
this unit sounds better with a little bit of compression (owned one for a few years now)
Have you thrown a tube screamer or anything else in front of it?
I have a lock on one with a Mosvalue Amp in a rack for $199.00
Clean channel takes pedals great. That's a STEAL at that price, do it
If I lost my Quad, I think I'd stop playing guitar. If there is a better amp out there than the Quad or Studio, I've not heard it.
Thanks for the video, was great to see somebody playing with their new Mesa. Just to see your face when for the first time, you crank up the treble and turn down the bass on the distorton channel :)
Leon-very cool vid putting the Studio Pre through the paces! I don't play much metal or thrash but it's nice to know that it can be dialed in if need be-I have one and love it! Had a Quad but it got stolen and I replaced it with this beast, I play it through an old Strategy 400 and it's excellent. Killer playing man-enjoying the hell out of your vids!
Those strategy power amps could level apartment blocks, that must be a MEGA rig :D
@@LeonTodd Yes, it can blow the balls off of a rhino! Now here's the sad part. I live in a small apartment with paper thin walls! I can't even really PLAY my rig here...Ridiculous situation. Once in awhile I'll plug in on a low clean setting just to go ahhhhh--radiance! Somebody needs to move soon--ha ha. Love the Whitesnake, interesting that you had the mids cut that much. Live and learn!
Cool video! I’ll be curious to hear the Studio preamp with a virtual power stage and IR( from Fractal for example). Kind regards!
Cool vid! Studio Pre was my first Mesa.
Any idea what kind of tubes are in the M/B .22 Studio pre? I want to try and get one similar and throw it in another preamp i have to see if i can get an inch" closer to the sound. lol
Very nice! Can you show us how this sounds with Cab IRs?
Definitely! I'll do a "5 Killer Tones" vid next week with it.
Just got (second) one. Sold my original in like 1998/1999 for $350 🤦🏻♂️. Never thought I’d find one after this many years, but did and fortunately at a decent price. They’re still plenty great conditioned ones out there, but takes some patience, and will be slightly pricier than $350 😉
Congrats!!!
Leon, having a hard time with my Mark V 25 getting a large sound like you got in the opening track. It sounds so present, for some reason I just can't get mine to sound that large, no matter how many times I track it or double track this, pan here, blah blah. I could use a Post EQ refresher course from Mr Todd, cause that sound shreds. I feel like I have my presence high and keep my treble and 5k slider boosted, but it still doesnt sound very present. I've been using the built in cab clone, which seems for cleans to be fine, but for high gain I think its really hindering. Think the cab clone might be the issue?
Ah the cab clone. Try run from the DI into something Two Notes Wall of sound and load up the "BRIT412 Mix" IR here and you'll get a lot closer.
www.dropbox.com/sh/zybfjv1t24zfqeo/AAD4dktl3dMouzZrjR7-pU9Ga?dl=0
It's funny I just watched a video talking about John Sykes Whitesnake days and they said something along the lines of in the studio no one could get the tones they wanted out of a Boogie but when it came to using it live that was a different story.
Hey man, I have a mesa boogie F50 combo amp. I have a 6band eq I run in the front to boost mids and tighten up the bottom end, I then have a MXR 10 band EQ in the effects loop to try and shape the tone. I can get great tones, but I just feel like it is lacking in that crispy distortion. I am TORN on weather to get the triple rectifier or the mark IV. I keep thinking I can split my signal and use my F50 to tighten things up and then the rectifier will give me that crazy distortion..... it's a tough call especially when mark IV is so pricey. What would you do?
Check out my Mark v Recto vid to get an idea for what the strengths of each are. IMO if you can only own one Mesa get a Mark, but everyone varies.
Wonderful review - thank you very much Leon - finally, someone who knows what they are doing - would you kindly share your signal chain (direct out of Studio Pre into computer OR Studio Pre into a power amp into a cabinet and mic'd, what i/o are you using, are you using ProTools? Comparing the Quad, Triaxis and Studio Pre -- the Studio Pre wins for me - Kurt Cobain was using it for only a couple of great sounds, but it seems to be jam packed with them if you know how to use the knobs and eq sliders properly - you should also tryout the Formula Pre, the cleans are incredible -- thank you again!
great run through
Back in 1997 I made the worst mistake in my musical life when I sold an entire rack set-up that included a Mesa/Boogie Quad preamp and a Marshall 9200 Dual Mono Bloc (6L6) power amp. I know the BBE Sonic Maximizer gets a lot of hate but running one between the Mesa and the Marshall sounded like the voice of GOD! Both the Mesa and the Marshall are highly sought after now and command prices that are 4 times more than I paid for mine simply because of the incredible tones and their rarity and, I sold mine due to a ground loop problem that I got frustrated with trying to cure and constantly failed. I traded them for a Marshall JCM800 Half-stack and a Artist line 50 watt head. I still have the half stack and have always loved it but, damn I want that Mesa Quad and Marshall 9200 back too.
Im like very new to preamps and I’m slightly confused, how do you setup a preamp? Does is replace an amp head and you plug the preamp directly to the cabinet or do you plug the preamp directly to a mixer, ditching the amp head and cabinet completely?
An amp head has two main sections - the preamp and the power amp. Separating them and rack mounting them is attractive for several reasons (for example, running rack effects with a stereo power amp), but you do need to pair it with a power amp if you want to run it with a cab.
Honest question: what are rack pres like this intended to go into? A power amp and cab? Recording consoles? Is it meant to be a modular device that can link into a patch bay to be linked however they need?
Power amp and cab mostly, although they can be run direct (sounds great for cleans, not so much for dirty tones).
@@LeonTodd Thanks for the reply! Great review of this product! I look forward to catching up on your videos.
You managed to squeeze some of that syrupy MKII tone from that beast...howzabout a second mic? Like an AKG C414?
I actually just bought a Senn 421 so future demos can get some dual mic magic
@@LeonTodd There you go!