Boost adds both a bit of sizzle to my ear (in a very pleasing way), and fills some of the flub in the low end, to make it seem more packed tight on the chugs
Honestly, I would say both... I love the sponginess of the unboosted part for some verses of heavy parts, where having a looser attack gives more weight. When it comes to faster parts where precision is needed, I would activate the boost.
Not only do you make all those amps sound really neat and edgy But man, you also chunk out amazing and deep riffs. Really hits me everytime? Maybe time to record a demo or a track? Sounds good man!
TBH, I really like this amp because the loose bottom provides a lot of versatility over a tighter amp. Especially for lower gain. You can always boost to tighten it up, but not much you can do to fatten up a tight amp that thins out when the gain is low.
I like the boost personally. But, using an od pedal had always been my thing anyway. I play everything from blues to metal. When playing more modern metal, I always use and od with a decent amount of gain, but not too much. With blues, I dial in just barely under an edge of breakup sound and hit the amp with my od pedal with just a little gain giving me that full, rich sound that I love. But hey, it's all subjective. And also, I always use the Archer Ikon, or the original Wylde Overdrive. But the Ikon just works for everything.
Brutal video! As a Hardcore-punk, and standard tunning guy, im going with the unboosted one. Sorry for my english, and cheers from Argentina. P.D.: We need a Dark Terror vs Mini recto fight!
Since I 'have see your vidéos about this question, I play 3 weeks with my Engl Fireball E625 60w without boost ( I have a Maxon 808) and I discover my Head. Sound is more natural and warm, more organic. Thank you for yours videos !
Boost!! Hell yeah!! Both sound good but Damn! that boost just sounds tighter crunchier and meaner! I always love boosted rectos! Great riffs and playing as always John!
Both are awesome for electrifying high gain tones, but a boosted Mesa Boogie Rectifier is one of the quintessential high gain heavy metal and pop punk rigs you can spring for. Great demo as always Jon! Cheers from California.
It's always interesting to hear your playing for these things. I always boost myself, but I play mostly death metal and melodeath, which pretty much needs to be super tight. Cool to hear unboosted tones working for other stuff!
Love mesa amps....I owned a dual rec 100 watt solo head from early 2000's before they became multi watt amps....best amp I've ever owned, hands down 100%.... Im anxious to hear the new mt100 when it comes out....
Great job, thank you for more killer riffs and tones! IMHO the riffs in this video showcase the awesome tone of the amp better than with a boost. Though as you say if you were to play something faster with some percussive riff-age the boost may help bring out the picking details better.
Great video as always! I’m actually a fan of the unboosted tone! But things definitely start to cook with the boost. I’d try to blend them both. You rock!
Slap on that boost when ya' wanna cut through the din of a busy mix, step above the cacophany of a ragging band or just need some extra chugging tightness imo.
I used one of these in the rehearsal space. For the style we were playing at the time I really prevered the unboosted sound. But usually I would prefer boosted because I mostly play faster chuncky riffs.
Character is still the same, both sound really cool. Boost adds some extra flavor but does not change the tone drastically. Agree, riff selection may affect final opnion, as well as some more nasty boosts like fortin may change tone more aggressively. Nice job!
I'm a big Mesa Boogie fan, but I actually slightly prefer boosting my Mark V:35 slightly with a Keeley D&M Drive -- that pedal is SUPER flexible. I recommend checking out Pete Thorn's "Battle of the natural overdrives" video if you haven't seen it (or are not familiar with the D&M Drive). 🤘🏽🎸 Love your channel & content, keep up the good work!
Specifically, I boost with the "Mick" side as an always-on "just a little makes everything better" sound. The Dan side is perfect for if I'm on the clean/crunch channel and I want things to get dirty. If you have access to one, I'd love to see how you'd use it (especially if it's different from how I do), all of your tones are SO killer.
Great video. And great tunes!!! In my personal experience. I love overdrives and tube amps too. But i must say, I don't use overdrives in high-end amps. Because it is not necessary. They have a lot of crisps on the high frequencies. And it is done. But I love to use overdrives in low budget amps or mid-range transistor amps. Sounds amazing. I think overdrives are a good help for low budget amps. And they can sound almost good as a high-end amp.
Totally preferred it with the Maxon on BUT today I don’t have my headphones and I’m only listening from my phone speakers :/ but I can say I do at least hear the difference. I’m starting to think this is a sleeper amp! I’m about to do some digging on this thing and see what it’s about! I wanna know if it’s midi switchable.
Thought I was crazy, didn't hear a difference til the isolated A/B section. Didn't have a huge preference on way or the other, but would pick the boosted option over the non boosted if I had to choose...
Both sound great, but when it comes to very high output pickups with a very thick low end (unlike active pickups) and tampering with the tone knob, a boost can become necessary.
I think I prefer without the boost. It had a bigger, fatter tone. The boost seemed to tighten it up a little and added a little more aggression and "bite" to it, but without the fat sound. Would be really interesting to see how it sounds with/without a boost using a 7 or 8 string!
I would not be using Boost if I want to sound more natural roomy and big. BUT if I want that aggressive byte, articulation and a cleaner low end on the guitars then boost is a must have. I basically always use 808 because 8strings are always bassy and muddy so it's turned on at all times.
It's hard for me to decide. Recto is a really amazing amp. Both options sound fantastic, each giving a rich thick tone. Maybe I'm leaning without a boost though because pure recto sound is harder to get if you don't have it.
nice and tight boosted. I have always chosen not to boost these beasts but I must admit the sound you get once boosted is pretty sweet!!! Although this one with el34s is quite nice without any pedal, its big brother with 6l6s gets more refined boosted for more brutal stuff. nice one mate!
I find that the 808 here probably cuts the lows too much, I think an el84 amp you are already getting a bit of that low cut off (even though its in a different spot) just sounds a little too mid centric for me. Something like a modded 808 or maybe the Dirty Tree to find that sweet spot. I find this across all amps, I have been trying tubescreamers infront of amps and pedals and find those with some low end just slightly less than off works best but it also depends on the riff, the guitar, the pickups and the playing. I also hate honk so thats a me thing, I have never liked the tubescreamer into clean amps thing at all and generally much prefer an sd-1 for that high mid overdrive (different frequency boost)
I was genuinely surprised by this. I'm all for not boosting amps but a rectifier to me was always a "boost it to hell and back" kind of amp. Kinda shook me a little to have preferred the unboosted one in this video. I do know that they're very tweakable amps and you probably need to dial in your tone appropriately if unboosted...
I can’t confirm nor deny because I’ve never played through one, but I’ve heard that the Mini Recto doesn’t have as much low end as the bigger heads, allowing it to sound better without being boosted. I’m sure you can get the same result with a full sized head if you tweak it enough.
Wow, I’m shocked at how much more I prefer the non boosted tone. I thought about it, and I think it’s the speed and type of music in this example. If you start playing Lamb of God type riffs, you’re gonna have to have that boost!
I know Erik Rutan blended amps for some of Hate Eternal’s stuff, opting to blend a Marshall JCM800 with a Dual Rec to get a nice, chunky sound out of your rig with a nice midrange presence.
I mean in a mix, wouldn't you want to leave the low end for the bass? Having less low end would make more sense for a mix actually. Of course I'm not experienced but still
Not really that much difference w/ THAT boost imo. A little tighter but basically the same sound and most ppl. wouldn't hear much of a difference in a live band setting I don't think. I think guitarists get a little too nitpicky actually. lol.
A mesa rectifier without a boost is like absolute mush. You give 2500 euro for absolute mush. An ENGL ironball that costs 850euro is much, much better amp without the need af any pedal. I had both and mesa is long gone now😊😊😊
So, to BOOST or not to BOOST? Let me know what you think!
BOOST!
Boost, the mix sounds clearer . It's basically like applying an high pass filter.
Boost adds both a bit of sizzle to my ear (in a very pleasing way), and fills some of the flub in the low end, to make it seem more packed tight on the chugs
Boost always with a recto, the mini just slays with a boost from my experience
Cars are like amplifiers, every single one of them are better boosted.
Honestly, I would say both... I love the sponginess of the unboosted part for some verses of heavy parts, where having a looser attack gives more weight. When it comes to faster parts where precision is needed, I would activate the boost.
The answer on a Recto is ALWAYS boost. Even if you dont put any drive. Just to use it as an EQ.
Not only do you make all those amps sound really neat and edgy
But man, you also chunk out amazing and deep riffs. Really hits me everytime? Maybe time to record a demo or a track? Sounds good man!
Sound great in both but Personally I preferred the od808 on in this example but a blended track of both could be awesome!
TBH, I really like this amp because the loose bottom provides a lot of versatility over a tighter amp. Especially for lower gain. You can always boost to tighten it up, but not much you can do to fatten up a tight amp that thins out when the gain is low.
I agree!
Agreed. If boosting is necessary I also prefer to just boost mids, not cut lows. Keeping the amount of distortion in check to stay tight
I like the boost personally. But, using an od pedal had always been my thing anyway. I play everything from blues to metal. When playing more modern metal, I always use and od with a decent amount of gain, but not too much. With blues, I dial in just barely under an edge of breakup sound and hit the amp with my od pedal with just a little gain giving me that full, rich sound that I love. But hey, it's all subjective. And also, I always use the Archer Ikon, or the original Wylde Overdrive. But the Ikon just works for everything.
Brutal video! As a Hardcore-punk, and standard tunning guy, im going with the unboosted one. Sorry for my english, and cheers from Argentina. P.D.: We need a Dark Terror vs Mini recto fight!
I come for the reviews, I stay for the riffs. Just awesome.
Since I 'have see your vidéos about this question, I play 3 weeks with my Engl Fireball E625 60w without boost ( I have a Maxon 808) and I discover my Head. Sound is more natural and warm, more organic. Thank you for yours videos !
Boost!! Hell yeah!! Both sound good but Damn! that boost just sounds tighter crunchier and meaner! I always love boosted rectos! Great riffs and playing as always John!
Both are awesome for electrifying high gain tones, but a boosted Mesa Boogie Rectifier is one of the quintessential high gain heavy metal and pop punk rigs you can spring for. Great demo as always Jon! Cheers from California.
Agree with you this time. For some good slow riffage it really sounds huge and fat without a boost in front.
both cases sounded great! GREAT JOB MAN
so its just a matter of what kind of songs you play and personal taste.
For this riff unboosted probably works better, but for a faster, thrashier riff probably need the boost
Is it standard E?
this is exactly what i needed! i was gonna buy one anyway but this is so helpful. you helped me out more that once. thank you sooo much
Not a fan of Recto in general, but boosted vintage channel is *chef's kiss*
808 just doin its thing. It always brings out more note quality imo.
One more thing to add in for this particular amp. Boost, not boost or pound the strings. If you prefer a very light touch, boost.
I love them both but I’m personally a fan of the boosted palm mutes
It's always interesting to hear your playing for these things. I always boost myself, but I play mostly death metal and melodeath, which pretty much needs to be super tight. Cool to hear unboosted tones working for other stuff!
Love mesa amps....I owned a dual rec 100 watt solo head from early 2000's before they became multi watt amps....best amp I've ever owned, hands down 100%.... Im anxious to hear the new mt100 when it comes out....
I boost my mini with a MT-2.. yes into the front of the amp...sounds awesome
best boost i've found for my mini rectifier is the mxr modified od. it's perfect
Boosted! I use a Maxon ST9 Pro+ with my dual rec. I set level around 12 o'clock and drive around 12 o'clock instead of 0 gain / max level.
Great job, thank you for more killer riffs and tones! IMHO the riffs in this video showcase the awesome tone of the amp better than with a boost. Though as you say if you were to play something faster with some percussive riff-age the boost may help bring out the picking details better.
Rectifier + maxon od 808=❤️
Great video as always! I’m actually a fan of the unboosted tone! But things definitely start to cook with the boost. I’d try to blend them both. You rock!
Slap on that boost when ya' wanna cut through the din of a busy mix, step above the cacophany of a ragging band or just need some extra chugging tightness imo.
For this type of tone I think the boost did its job well. The sag is something I associate with a different crunch sound
Well I agree 100% with what you're saying, the feels etc, but I again prefer the boosted one, suit my tastes more haha
Both are Awesome!!! Boosted one sounds more tight but unboosted is really brutal and raw!!! Great video 💪😉
Had one of these for a few years. Sounded good with the 808 in front, and super flubby without. Way better options for that kinda money
boost adds cut in a mix with boost. sounds excellent with or without though.
I used one of these in the rehearsal space. For the style we were playing at the time I really prevered the unboosted sound. But usually I would prefer boosted because I mostly play faster chuncky riffs.
Great video as always! Boost works better in my opinion, guitar is tighter and cuts better in the mix.
여름 휴가에, 니 영상을 모두 보고 있다니.... 매우 유용해.
Great as usual!
Character is still the same, both sound really cool. Boost adds some extra flavor but does not change the tone drastically. Agree, riff selection may affect final opnion, as well as some more nasty boosts like fortin may change tone more aggressively. Nice job!
I'm a big Mesa Boogie fan, but I actually slightly prefer boosting my Mark V:35 slightly with a Keeley D&M Drive -- that pedal is SUPER flexible. I recommend checking out Pete Thorn's "Battle of the natural overdrives" video if you haven't seen it (or are not familiar with the D&M Drive). 🤘🏽🎸
Love your channel & content, keep up the good work!
Specifically, I boost with the "Mick" side as an always-on "just a little makes everything better" sound. The Dan side is perfect for if I'm on the clean/crunch channel and I want things to get dirty. If you have access to one, I'd love to see how you'd use it (especially if it's different from how I do), all of your tones are SO killer.
Great video. And great tunes!!!
In my personal experience. I love overdrives and tube amps too.
But i must say, I don't use overdrives in high-end amps. Because it is not necessary. They have a lot of crisps on the high frequencies. And it is done.
But I love to use overdrives in low budget amps or mid-range transistor amps. Sounds amazing. I think overdrives are a good help for low budget amps. And they can sound almost good as a high-end amp.
Totally preferred it with the Maxon on BUT today I don’t have my headphones and I’m only listening from my phone speakers :/ but I can say I do at least hear the difference. I’m starting to think this is a sleeper amp! I’m about to do some digging on this thing and see what it’s about! I wanna know if it’s midi switchable.
Thought I was crazy, didn't hear a difference til the isolated A/B section. Didn't have a huge preference on way or the other, but would pick the boosted option over the non boosted if I had to choose...
Which IR Cab are you using? Sounds amazing
Both sound great, but when it comes to very high output pickups with a very thick low end (unlike active pickups) and tampering with the tone knob, a boost can become necessary.
I think I prefer without the boost. It had a bigger, fatter tone. The boost seemed to tighten it up a little and added a little more aggression and "bite" to it, but without the fat sound. Would be really interesting to see how it sounds with/without a boost using a 7 or 8 string!
Sounds great with and without. Really depends on the music. Very versatile amp, more so than people give credit for. Great tones and cab pack! 👍
This sonds amazing! Are you using the York cab sim on your PC or is it integrated in the Red Seven? :O
With boost !
I would not be using Boost if I want to sound more natural roomy and big. BUT if I want that aggressive byte, articulation and a cleaner low end on the guitars then boost is a must have. I basically always use 808 because 8strings are always bassy and muddy so it's turned on at all times.
Definitely needs the boost, any reciter does, but sounds great
I prefer the recto boosted. It titans up the low end, which is a little loose for my taste.
shockingly I liked the unboosted one more!
It's hard for me to decide. Recto is a really amazing amp. Both options sound fantastic, each giving a rich thick tone. Maybe I'm leaning without a boost though because pure recto sound is harder to get if you don't have it.
Can't prefer any, because both are great, and as you said, situational.
As always a great video man but now I’m curious about that mosaic pedal in the background at 2:48
Maybe it will show up in a video....
sonomatic tubo808 deluxe I want you to try it!
I wod like to se you bring here EVH 50 iii stealth and do your magic stuff , i enjoy all your RAW videos ;)
nice and tight boosted. I have always chosen not to boost these beasts but I must admit the sound you get once boosted is pretty sweet!!! Although this one with el34s is quite nice without any pedal, its big brother with 6l6s gets more refined boosted for more brutal stuff.
nice one mate!
boosted for me - tighter and i like the palm mutes more :)
Bro how about a graphic with knob settings? Can't see anything 😕
Ya depends on what you’re playing atm, but for me boost would be on most of the time
I'm amazed by this gear collection btw. Did you buy all that?
Yes ! Boosted i like more
С бустом звучание очень напоминает Marshall и Soldano.
Но главное это музыкальный контекст,присутствует буст или нет,это не важно.
I find that the 808 here probably cuts the lows too much, I think an el84 amp you are already getting a bit of that low cut off (even though its in a different spot) just sounds a little too mid centric for me. Something like a modded 808 or maybe the Dirty Tree to find that sweet spot. I find this across all amps, I have been trying tubescreamers infront of amps and pedals and find those with some low end just slightly less than off works best but it also depends on the riff, the guitar, the pickups and the playing. I also hate honk so thats a me thing, I have never liked the tubescreamer into clean amps thing at all and generally much prefer an sd-1 for that high mid overdrive (different frequency boost)
I was genuinely surprised by this. I'm all for not boosting amps but a rectifier to me was always a "boost it to hell and back" kind of amp. Kinda shook me a little to have preferred the unboosted one in this video. I do know that they're very tweakable amps and you probably need to dial in your tone appropriately if unboosted...
I can’t confirm nor deny because I’ve never played through one, but I’ve heard that the Mini Recto doesn’t have as much low end as the bigger heads, allowing it to sound better without being boosted. I’m sure you can get the same result with a full sized head if you tweak it enough.
With boost better cause I like that little bit of extra sparkle
Wow, I’m shocked at how much more I prefer the non boosted tone. I thought about it, and I think it’s the speed and type of music in this example. If you start playing Lamb of God type riffs, you’re gonna have to have that boost!
are the pickups passive or active? Awesome tones by the way. You could go either way with this amp I think.
Active
Much better with boost, it tighten low end and mids,smoothing high end which is not too much my cup of tea on this mini amp.
boost ofc
Great song! I really like that one! :)
Thanks! I really like this one too
The OD added a weird fizzines to the top end.. Almost making it sound like a Kemper
I think the tone on the OD was set too much towards the treble side making the amp seem very bright and brittle
To BOOST! Not boosted sounds good too.
I prefer boosting w/ clean boost pedals
Boost sounds best to me.
Both sounds great, boosted cuts better.
I have owned the MR for years and gigged it extensively. Play it boosted and not boosted. Love it!
Definitely boost imho. This is an amazing amp, but very generic sounding. That said, most high gain amps at some point sound simmilar
I know Erik Rutan blended amps for some of Hate Eternal’s stuff, opting to blend a Marshall JCM800 with a Dual Rec to get a nice, chunky sound out of your rig with a nice midrange presence.
When boosted to me it sounds thin while unboosted it’s really beefy and big and fat and I love fat tones
do you know tokai guitars?
Not really
you need a faster thrash riff for a better comparison
I have never played any amp that I didn't think benefitted from am OD.
un-boosted had more balls. Sounded better in the mix and didn't have a nasal bite in the mids.
Boosted makes it sound more compressed to me.
The mini rectifier sounds great but it is lacking more bottom end, it cant withstand in a band mix, evh LBX amp will blow this amp
In a mix, you dont need too much lows in the guitars.
I mean in a mix, wouldn't you want to leave the low end for the bass? Having less low end would make more sense for a mix actually. Of course I'm not experienced but still
It has more edge without OD, more like transients are there to punch in the face.
Would be nice to hear real cabs once in a while, but maybe that's just me.
That's not going to happen on this channel
Not really that much difference w/ THAT boost imo. A little tighter but basically the same sound and most ppl. wouldn't hear much of a difference in a live band setting I don't think. I think guitarists get a little too nitpicky actually. lol.
A mesa rectifier without a boost is like absolute mush.
You give 2500 euro for absolute mush.
An ENGL ironball that costs 850euro is much, much better amp without the need af any pedal.
I had both and mesa is long gone now😊😊😊
Boost. Duh.
Not To BOOST. I can't tell the difference when the boost is on.
Don't boost !