The best analogy I've heard about these amps: Rectifiers are like Shotguns and Marks are like Sniper Rifles. It doesn't matter which one you choose, they will both kill you.
youtube amp reviewers take note: THIS is how you do an amp demo video. with THE CABINET MIC'D. not with the built in camera mic 2 feet away from the guitar while the amp/cabinet 8 feet away so it sounds like a wash in the background while the string noise annoys the hell out of the viewer.
YES! It's usually like: "Ah hello, I'm gonna review this amp. It sounds really good I think so let's hear it BBRRRZZZRBRBZRBZRBZBRBRBRBZBRBRBZBRBZBRBRBZBRBZBRBZBRBRBZRBRBBRB!!!!!!!!!!!!"
You would hate me. haha. I have the option to mic my cabs but I do not. I use the camera mic. I actually like seeing videos that way Vs. the guys that do way to much post production on there vids. They all sound the same during comparisons
Also, everyone else seems to do the annoying thing where they STOP PLAYING, say "and now we're doing the blabla amp in the blabla channel". If it's a situation where the difference might be subtle it's very easy to forget what the earlier tone was and so you need to switch back and forth to do a proper comparison, guessing at which are the right spots. This guy gets it: you switch seamlessly between A and B, and you shut the fuck up in between.
Apples and Oranges, the Rec sounds like..well a Rec. I'm a Mark fan and the Mark V for me blows the Rec out of the water but they are different animals after all.
This is from 2011 but for what it's worth, I love all the videos you've made and find them useful to this day. Okay, it sounds like I'm talking about something prehistoric now lol.
In real life, I prefer the rectifiers to the mark series. They have a certain “grind” to them that I love. The Mark series is great, but I found them to “tweaker”. I can dial in a recto in no time, but I can play with the Mark for hours. I suppose if I i was just playing rock and roll I’d prefer the Mark. But for metal I love the recto.
I'm glad to see you guys placing a very cool comparison of these two amazing amps. However, I feel like this needed more aggressive playing to demonstrate what they are capable of.
+Perry D In my opinion, the rectifier sounds a bit better when it comes to the bass side, perfect for scoop and lots of low's. Although the Mark V is a lot more versatile and both have great cleans but the Mark V is superior when it comes to cleans. Your best bet is to try them both out.
Heavy Metal For Life little late for that haha had the rectifier for a little over a year now. it takes some work and unorthodox settings but I managed to get some pretty epic sounds out of it
Dammit! This video only made me want both of them because they both sound amazing just in different ways. My wallet will be crying by the end of the month. D: Thank you guys at Haggerty's for being awesome and making these videos! Some of the best quality videos of Mesa's on youtube!
Here are two of Mesa's high-gain monsters. And here with a PRS equipped with passive pickups to play some bad blues and three power chords is Jonah Hill.
I dig your vids but as you said these amps are capable of so many tones. I bought a 3 channel dual rec about 13 years ago and I am still finding cool new tones in it with all the options of tube rectifier, solid state, different power amp tubes, spongy, bold, etc. etc. these amps will help you get an ear for subtlety. They are a life long investment and absolutely worth it.
the pristine recordings really help casual viewers hear the differences between the two amplifiers when compared side by side. thanks for posting this excellent demo!
thanks for making a simple easy to follow video, playing it side by side is so much easier to properly compare it and you let everyone know what you're doing at each step which is super helpful. cheers.
The Rectifier doesn't have more mids. Actually, it has way less mids and colour than the Mark V, but if you look at the amp settings, they boosted the mids on the Rectifier and cut the mids on the Mark V.
In the 3rd "aggressive " tones is notable that you have more mids on the Mark, i would have love to hear the Mark with the same amount of mids as the dual.
If you look at the settings, the Mark V has the mids turned way down and then scooped out even more with the EQ. The Dual Rec has the mids just past noon. The Dual Rec is just an inherently more scooped amp and no amount of tweaking will make its mids stand out like the Mark V.
If you want to sound like Metallica, sure. But if you want something grittier like Carcass, At The Gates, or Dark Tranquillity sound, triple rec is not the way to go.
No Mess I've ever owned, including the V and Recto, has ever been instant gratification. I think both take a little patience. I remember wanting to sell my V after a few days. Then it became my favorite amp of all time.
@@85MasterV bruh you're stuck in the 80s, there are tons of bands that used dual rectifier especially the alternative/nu metal and Djent love this amp. Not just metallica dummy
Indeed. There's nothing wrong with an EQ in the loop. That's where I prefer it, and is pretty much where the graphic EQ sits in the Mark V. I also disagree with never running a boost in the loop. It works fine as a solo level boost. Putting that same boost into the front end will give you a gain boost, but hardly any volume boost. Running things in the loop will just create a different character and interact differently with the amp. There are no rules.
I've been watching these Mesa videos for a while now and JUST realized you guys are in Rapid City, SD.. wow..im from Yankton and the only Mesa dealer around here is in sioux falls and im not too keen with them. you guys really know how to show off your products!
From someone who is fortunate enough to have both, they are both great but the Mark V is just better in every way. The Rectifier can do everything from pristine clean to high gain, but the mark does it better with much more versatility without having a loose bottom end and not too much bass. Both will sound much better if you boost them with an overdrive.
I like the rectifier cleans a bit more. I use to own a Mark IV and it was my favorite amp for distortion ever. The Mark V continues in that tradition and the gain is tighter, crunchier, and less fizzy. Still my favorite! Thanks for the comparison.
tone #1: Dual Rectifier tone #2: Dual Rectifier tone #3: Dual Rectifier Wow, did not see this one coming. Dual Rec sounded thick, heavy, and punchy as fuck. Mark V sounded thin to me. Maybe just the vid's audio or something
***** Agreed. The Mark V is my favorite amp currently. Just take ...And Justice for all from Metallica. They used the Mark iic+ and that shit sounded RAW. I think this guy favors the Dual Rec a little more, so he knows which setting sound best.
andrew mesaris It is also a mic'd up cab, and it will NEVER sound like that in real life. Don't get me wrong, I think the Mark series is the best thing that ever happened to metal and music in general, minus the fender bassman, but in this video, the rec just sounded good. Plus, I can always add presence, mids, treble or cut out some low end to cut through the mix, so your comment was, no offence, pointless
+andrew mesaris It will be able to cut through the sound quite easily, both will. Although it might be hard, even with scooped mids at aroun 7-8 o clock and bass 12-1 oclock and high treb and pres you should be able to have a really nice tight punchy attack killer tone, And that should be able to cut through the sound pretty well, also, it will sound a bit sharper at higher volumes, will cut through easier.
The Mark V sounds clearer and more capable of producing vintage sounds. The Rectifier also sounds a bit muffled. I'm glad I brought the Mark V but I guess the Dual Rectifier's sound is needed for some genre's of music.
I love these comparisons. They always answer my curiosity question about the very subtle differences in boogie amps. As for the guy who thinks these amps are for 7-string guitars....well he obviously knows little about high quality articulation sounds. Its the voicing of individual amps that makes them unique. Dual rec’s are for me for there clean sound voicing. I know thats sounds funny but this amp has the warmest clean sound i have ever heard. Makes you want to keep playing
Rectos have that scoopyness, the mark v i feel would sit better in a mix. That deep and wide scooped sound is awesome on it's own, but guitars are midrange instruments. both very sweet amps.
That is why, my good man, you can turn the midrange on a dual rectifier up to ten. Stick an overdrive in front and cut the bass and you have THE sound of modern metal, no problem.
It all depends on where the mids lie - when mids are described by amplifier manufacturers, they cover such a wide frequency range, that a generalisation of the term 'mids' is too ambiguous. I tend to scoop the "mids" (anything between the low and and roughly the 5k mark) and boost the 5k-7k mark, which is the "upper mids". In this case, you are correct, cutting the upper mid range does not cut very well in a mix, but cutting the lower mids can be very effective in making the guitar sit nicely.
Currently I have a mark v but use to have a triple rec. Both amps are awesome and it depends on what your looking for, for those saying the mark lacks in gain r wrong.. the mark has more usable gain and doesn't muddy up like a rec. And with the graphic eq, u can get just as aggressive sounds or more with the mark.
This is a good demo of the low and moderate gain settings, but I've owned both and currently still have my mark V and both can get way way more aggressive with way more gain on tap than the demo shows. But the marks gain is way more usable than the rectifier, after a certain point the rectifier gets muddy where as the mark even maxed in gain never gets muddy and sounds clear with massive gain. People seriously tho have to play both in person with the right settings to know what they really want
in this vid the Mark V has slightly warmer gain for the crunchier sounds, but when it comes to metal gain the Mark V can't touch the Rec. The Rec is an aggressive beast, & the low end is huge. Thing is, you can dial back some treble and presence to get a warmer sound for crunch on the Rec, but there's really nothing you can do on the Mark V to match the Recs beast gain & thump. If you play high-gain metal get the Rec, if you don't get the Mark V. Both are great amps.
I like to think of it in this way. Imagine that both as people trying to say how much they have if something (be it money of whatever). The dual recto is the guy who shouts it all over the place, and gets his point across very well. The mark V is the guy who just calmly states that he has a lot of whatever it is. Both have A LOT of gain and can do metal, it's just a matter of different approaches to the sound
Well the thing is, the amps are completely different and respond differently to how the controls are set. In addition to being voiced very differently, the Rectifier has a post-gain EQ whereas the Mark has a pre-gain EQ with a post-gain graphic. You can't set them the same and have it sound right.
@gibsonslashmetallica They are completely different amps, and you have to take a different approach to setting each one up. In just the EQ alone, the rectifier has a post-gain eq, whereas the mark has a pre-gain eq with a post-gain graphic eq. That difference alone necessitates setting the amps up completely different from one another.
The mark v wins every time. The Dual Rec does carry the same clarity or definition in tone. If money wasn't an issue the mark v would be my next purchase.
I've not had the chance to play a Mark V but I have played my share of Dual Rectifiers. I prefer the Dual Rectifier to the Mark V, based on this video and my experience playing them as well. There is just a very hollow punch that I can get out of a Dual Rec that I love.
I don't care what people say but for Rock... ever since I was about 14 or 15 and first played one at guitar center I have NEVER heard an amp sound more to my liking. MAN I wish I could afford a dual rectifier.. I don't think they are still in production though. Either way it would be a tone related dream come true! : )
They're still making duals, they have them in tons of sizes and with different amounts of extra knobs/toggle switches (Rectifier, Rectoverb, Roadster, Roadking). You can find used dual rectifers for 900-1000 all day online
Both sound great! However, the guitar being a mid range instrument, in a live situation with a whole band I think (at least the way you have them set here) that the Mark V would cut through the mix better. Love the chunk of the Dual Rec though...
Personally I think that the dual rectifier is te best amp for playing in hi gain and mark v has a very nice and deep soun dor clean tones. I think booth are incredible but I am going to own a dual rectifier
Hell with it, I just need to get a Roadster and a Mark V, Mark V is just so tight and perfect whereas the Recto's really bring out the lower end. Both are amazing IMO, personal preference really but I think I need both eventually. I took the Roadster back last year. I'm leaning towards the Mark V
Your reviews are fantastic! This review would have been even better if you had included the tube vs diode rectifier circuit sound on the dual rectifier. It's an important difference that most people that don't own the amp don't really realize.
Don I noticed what I perceived as a volume boost on the V by about a db or 2. Not sure if you calculated SPL on your demo...but if you didn't you should. A touch of volume difference can artificially make things sound better. Fletcher Munson effect describes this phenomena. They are close...but it becomes more exaggerated in side by side comparisons. As always thanks for your vids and helping the market choose products that are right for them. Cheers
thank you! your videos are great! there isn't much bullshit and there is enough too see and hear and also in different settings! don't know how it could be done better! (i personally loved the dual rectifier a lot more ^^) gr Patrick
Fundamentally flawed criticism. The graphic eq is part of the "raw essence" of the high gain tones on the mark v, and it would have been a failed comparison had I left it out. Regarding the power section... Half way up on the master is gigging level, so I'm not sure what else you would have wanted.
the recto always sounds a little bit more scooped and has a bit more hair than the mark 5. I find that using a tube screamer to push the mark 5 gives you a tone that is very close to the recto.
hard to compare these amps from this video due to characteristicly different equalizer setting. I mean the high gain test had a 12s across the board for the dual (normally you would scoop mids) and when the markV was used I though hey! theres no lows! when I looked at the eq the lows were scooped heavily though... I think everyone interested should know that a markV sounds like dream theater and if you want to play anything else you may as well get a 6505. Or if you're a baller ENGL fireball...
true and if I had only one for metal the Rectifier wins easily. BUT if I was a studio session gigging pro the Mark V combo would cover all the bases for me.
Rectifier for metal sounds way better but for blues and classic rock, the Mark V is superb. I already have a Peavey 6505 for metal so leaning toward the Mark V but want both. Guess buy used and get 2 for price of just a new one.
I checked your channel for vids showing your settings on the MW DR. I didn't find anything. Please make a way better video showing your most superior presentation of what a high gain amp should sound like. Thanks. I, as an owner of a 2010 MW DR, found the video to be helpful, as I was thinknig about trading into a Mark V. The video shows the forward mids of the Mark, and the hairier chunkiness of the Dual Rec. These two amps sound more similar than I thought they might. Thanks for the vid!
Turn the recto onto the silicone diodes, turn it to bold, turn the gain, treble, presence and bass all the way up and turn the mids all the way down on channel 3 vintage, plug in a maxon od 808 with both knobs at 12 oclock and the tone all the way down, turn eveything on the fx loop bypass to 1 oclock apart from the external channel selection, turn the output to 12 and the master to 10 o clock and THEN, you will have an extreme sound from the recto that no mark 5 can come close to.
@juiceabuser Thanks for watching! I'm not sure what you mean by showing the extreme potential of the amp. More gain? More volume? The amps were recorded very loud, really as hard as I would want to push the power section. With the Rectifier series I find they start to mush out if you push the power section into meltdown. Similar much results from having the preamp gain cranked to 11.
i m a proud owner of a MK V head and let me tell you something...if you like FAST PICKING...the mk 5 win...if you like piercing sound with beatiful mids the mk 5 win ... and... you can easily get the dual rect sound with the mk5 only with a eqalizer in the effect loop ( the mxr 6 bands ) mk 5 are more versatile...BUT the dual rect sound f*cking awesome too it s just my taste !!! try both before buy
The best analogy I've heard about these amps:
Rectifiers are like Shotguns and Marks are like Sniper Rifles. It doesn't matter which one you choose, they will both kill you.
Mark 5 is my fav all around amp out there of everything I've heard. It's got a lot of tonal territory.
Almost too much
youtube amp reviewers take note:
THIS is how you do an amp demo video. with THE CABINET MIC'D. not with the built in camera mic 2 feet away from the guitar while the amp/cabinet 8 feet away so it sounds like a wash in the background while the string noise annoys the hell out of the viewer.
Amen brother!
YES! It's usually like: "Ah hello, I'm gonna review this amp. It sounds really good I think so let's hear it BBRRRZZZRBRBZRBZRBZBRBRBRBZBRBRBZBRBZBRBRBZBRBZBRBZBRBRBZRBRBBRB!!!!!!!!!!!!"
+Jonas Bygdemo haha so true
You would hate me. haha. I have the option to mic my cabs but I do not. I use the camera mic. I actually like seeing videos that way Vs. the guys that do way to much post production on there vids. They all sound the same during comparisons
Also, everyone else seems to do the annoying thing where they STOP PLAYING, say "and now we're doing the blabla amp in the blabla channel". If it's a situation where the difference might be subtle it's very easy to forget what the earlier tone was and so you need to switch back and forth to do a proper comparison, guessing at which are the right spots.
This guy gets it: you switch seamlessly between A and B, and you shut the fuck up in between.
Now I just want both. Damn it !!!
In this video, the Mark sounds WAAY better than the rec. The rec is too scooped.
Apples and Oranges, the Rec sounds like..well a Rec. I'm a Mark fan and the Mark V for me blows the Rec out of the water but they are different animals after all.
@@muriloninja Honeslty the rec is more likely to get lost in a mix.
@@TheLeadG the rec is the mix
This is from 2011 but for what it's worth, I love all the videos you've made and find them useful to this day. Okay, it sounds like I'm talking about something prehistoric now lol.
In real life, I prefer the rectifiers to the mark series. They have a certain “grind” to them that I love. The Mark series is great, but I found them to “tweaker”. I can dial in a recto in no time, but I can play with the Mark for hours. I suppose if I i was just playing rock and roll I’d prefer the Mark. But for metal I love the recto.
I just bought my 1st boogie Mark 5/25 and I'm in love with it. Hands down the very best amp I've ever owned.
Mark V Cuts through....
I'm glad to see you guys placing a very cool comparison of these two amazing amps. However, I feel like this needed more aggressive playing to demonstrate what they are capable of.
Listening side by side, I think i prefer the Rectifier. I know this isn't the full extent of either amp's tone but it does give me an idea
+Perry D In my opinion, the rectifier sounds a bit better when it comes to the bass side, perfect for scoop and lots of low's. Although the Mark V is a lot more versatile and both have great cleans but the Mark V is superior when it comes to cleans. Your best bet is to try them both out.
Heavy Metal For Life little late for that haha had the rectifier for a little over a year now. it takes some work and unorthodox settings but I managed to get some pretty epic sounds out of it
Dammit! This video only made me want both of them because they both sound amazing just in different ways. My wallet will be crying by the end of the month. D:
Thank you guys at Haggerty's for being awesome and making these videos! Some of the best quality videos of Mesa's on youtube!
Love the recto, there’s something about the loose yet tight rich gain structure that no other amp has. It almost sounds 3D
Here are two of Mesa's high-gain monsters. And here with a PRS equipped with passive pickups to play some bad blues and three power chords is Jonah Hill.
Ha, that's a spot on description. As far as the amps go I have a Mark V and it is amazing.
would not find better words. was expecting good high gain metal comparo - not blues comparo.
You say that as though active pickups, which are just weak passive pickups going through a preamp, would be better for judging how an amp sounds.
Some 3 power chords blues as Ytse Jam!
i fucking lold
I dig your vids but as you said these amps are capable of so many tones. I bought a 3 channel dual rec about 13 years ago and I am still finding cool new tones in it with all the options of tube rectifier, solid state, different power amp tubes, spongy, bold, etc. etc. these amps will help you get an ear for subtlety. They are a life long investment and absolutely worth it.
Insert the video of Lamb of God demoing their Mark V's here... I still love the Dual Recto...
Dual recto hands down! The Mark V sounds a bit more articulated, but I personally prefer the mid-scoop tone derived from the recto.
Recto with Mesa EQ would be....scary good.
The EQ is the only difference. But the Dual Rectifier is more brutal.
true
GraffitiPhysical dude play a boogie mark 3 and tell me it’s not brutal
Note that he put way more mids on the mark on the 3rd try than on the dual, that got me uncomfortable.
Your mom is more brutal
Sounded so good, they didn't even need to mic the cab.
BTW, nice playing , Jonah Hill.
Jonah hill 😹
best demo ever!! all demos should be made this f way!
Proud owner of a Mark V. That thing is my baby. I do love listening to any guitarist plugged into a dual-rec, however.
The Mark V sounds just a little more alive I like it.
the pristine recordings really help casual viewers hear the differences between the two amplifiers when compared side by side. thanks for posting this excellent demo!
And btw, I really appreciate the quality of your reviews and videos :) this is one of the best places to look for reviews and demos!
I liked the Mark V just a bit more for bluesy stuff, but for modern rock the dual rec is better in my opinion.
Lamb of God.........
………..sucks.
thanks for making a simple easy to follow video, playing it side by side is so much easier to properly compare it and you let everyone know what you're doing at each step which is super helpful. cheers.
Id choose the dual rec any day
The Rectifier doesn't have more mids. Actually, it has way less mids and colour than the Mark V, but if you look at the amp settings, they boosted the mids on the Rectifier and cut the mids on the Mark V.
In the 3rd "aggressive " tones is notable that you have more mids on the Mark, i would have love to hear the Mark with the same amount of mids as the dual.
If you look at the settings, the Mark V has the mids turned way down and then scooped out even more with the EQ. The Dual Rec has the mids just past noon. The Dual Rec is just an inherently more scooped amp and no amount of tweaking will make its mids stand out like the Mark V.
Recto haters are just mad because they dont know how to set them up.
teach me your tone ways! i just bought one and wanna know how to set it up haha
If you want to sound like Metallica, sure. But if you want something grittier like Carcass, At The Gates, or Dark Tranquillity sound, triple rec is not the way to go.
true. they really are an amazing sounding amp. especially for recording. the best sounding amp ive ever recorded. even better than my soldano SLO.
No Mess I've ever owned, including the V and Recto, has ever been instant gratification. I think both take a little patience. I remember wanting to sell my V after a few days. Then it became my favorite amp of all time.
@@85MasterV bruh you're stuck in the 80s, there are tons of bands that used dual rectifier especially the alternative/nu metal and Djent love this amp. Not just metallica dummy
the mark V is also a dual rectifier in that it has both tube and solid state rectifier option just like the 'Dual Rec' does.
Indeed. There's nothing wrong with an EQ in the loop. That's where I prefer it, and is pretty much where the graphic EQ sits in the Mark V. I also disagree with never running a boost in the loop. It works fine as a solo level boost. Putting that same boost into the front end will give you a gain boost, but hardly any volume boost. Running things in the loop will just create a different character and interact differently with the amp. There are no rules.
I have both and just got a tonebone AB/Y. They sound so bad ass together in stereo.
I've been watching these Mesa videos for a while now and JUST realized you guys are in Rapid City, SD.. wow..im from Yankton and the only Mesa dealer around here is in sioux falls and im not too keen with them. you guys really know how to show off your products!
From someone who is fortunate enough to have both, they are both great but the Mark V is just better in every way. The Rectifier can do everything from pristine clean to high gain, but the mark does it better with much more versatility without having a loose bottom end and not too much bass. Both will sound much better if you boost them with an overdrive.
I like the rectifier cleans a bit more. I use to own a Mark IV and it was my favorite amp for distortion ever. The Mark V continues in that tradition and the gain is tighter, crunchier, and less fizzy. Still my favorite! Thanks for the comparison.
tone #1: Dual Rectifier
tone #2: Dual Rectifier
tone #3: Dual Rectifier
Wow, did not see this one coming. Dual Rec sounded thick, heavy, and punchy as fuck. Mark V sounded thin to me. Maybe just the vid's audio or something
***** Agreed. The Mark V is my favorite amp currently. Just take ...And Justice for all from Metallica. They used the Mark iic+ and that shit sounded RAW. I think this guy favors the Dual Rec a little more, so he knows which setting sound best.
Mark iic plus 44 yeah but how do they sound along side drums and a bass. Is all that bloomy low end on the rec going to be a positive in that context?
andrew mesaris It is also a mic'd up cab, and it will NEVER sound like that in real life. Don't get me wrong, I think the Mark series is the best thing that ever happened to metal and music in general, minus the fender bassman, but in this video, the rec just sounded good. Plus, I can always add presence, mids, treble or cut out some low end to cut through the mix, so your comment was, no offence, pointless
+andrew mesaris It will be able to cut through the sound quite easily, both will. Although it might be hard, even with scooped mids at aroun 7-8 o clock and bass 12-1 oclock and high treb and pres you should be able to have a really nice tight punchy attack killer tone, And that should be able to cut through the sound pretty well, also, it will sound a bit sharper at higher volumes, will cut through easier.
To me, the mark v has a thicker tone, and also, I prefer more mids, so I prefer the mk v. Great video by the way.
The Mark V sounds clearer and more capable of producing vintage sounds. The Rectifier also sounds a bit muffled. I'm glad I brought the Mark V but I guess the Dual Rectifier's sound is needed for some genre's of music.
The clean does not differ so much, but the distorted does.
Well from all 3 tones provided, I would choose Mark5 by the first 2 tones, but 3rd tone is better from Dual Rec. It has more tight end...
The mark V is so nice. You'd have to be insane to buy a dual rec.
to each his own brother
Fuck them both, i'd buy a TriRec.
This guy's intro is hilarious if you were expecting a metal head like I was. However he's incredibly informative. Decent demo over all.
Mark Series all day!
I love Don. I could watch this dude bust out OG Dream Theater riffs all day
I love these comparisons. They always answer my curiosity question about the very subtle differences in boogie amps. As for the guy who thinks these amps are for 7-string guitars....well he obviously knows little about high quality articulation sounds. Its the voicing of individual amps that makes them unique. Dual rec’s are for me for there clean sound voicing. I know thats sounds funny but this amp has the warmest clean sound i have ever heard. Makes you want to keep playing
Rectos have that scoopyness, the mark v i feel would sit better in a mix. That deep and wide scooped sound is awesome on it's own, but guitars are midrange instruments. both very sweet amps.
That is why, my good man, you can turn the midrange on a dual rectifier up to ten. Stick an overdrive in front and cut the bass and you have THE sound of modern metal, no problem.
I'm a fan of Mark V, but Dual rectifier have a stronger tone!
*****
I just want to say, thet it has a more powerful and hard sound, then Mark V.
Rectifier - it's a sound of Rammstein!
Great Video!!! You guys rule!!! I have always wanted a side by side comparison of the Mesa Boogie Rectifier and Mark V.
It all depends on where the mids lie - when mids are described by amplifier manufacturers, they cover such a wide frequency range, that a generalisation of the term 'mids' is too ambiguous. I tend to scoop the "mids" (anything between the low and and roughly the 5k mark) and boost the 5k-7k mark, which is the "upper mids". In this case, you are correct, cutting the upper mid range does not cut very well in a mix, but cutting the lower mids can be very effective in making the guitar sit nicely.
Currently I have a mark v but use to have a triple rec. Both amps are awesome and it depends on what your looking for, for those saying the mark lacks in gain r wrong.. the mark has more usable gain and doesn't muddy up like a rec. And with the graphic eq, u can get just as aggressive sounds or more with the mark.
This is a good demo of the low and moderate gain settings, but I've owned both and currently still have my mark V and both can get way way more aggressive with way more gain on tap than the demo shows. But the marks gain is way more usable than the rectifier, after a certain point the rectifier gets muddy where as the mark even maxed in gain never gets muddy and sounds clear with massive gain. People seriously tho have to play both in person with the right settings to know what they really want
in this vid the Mark V has slightly warmer gain for the crunchier sounds, but when it comes to metal gain the Mark V can't touch the Rec. The Rec is an aggressive beast, & the low end is huge. Thing is, you can dial back some treble and presence to get a warmer sound for crunch on the Rec, but there's really nothing you can do on the Mark V to match the Recs beast gain & thump. If you play high-gain metal get the Rec, if you don't get the Mark V. Both are great amps.
Pah! In a mix, the bass guitar will fill out all the low end. A Mark V would sound better then. That's just my opinion though.
I like to think of it in this way. Imagine that both as people trying to say how much they have if something (be it money of whatever). The dual recto is the guy who shouts it all over the place, and gets his point across very well. The mark V is the guy who just calmly states that he has a lot of whatever it is. Both have A LOT of gain and can do metal, it's just a matter of different approaches to the sound
I would say the mark v comes out on top for this
Well the thing is, the amps are completely different and respond differently to how the controls are set. In addition to being voiced very differently, the Rectifier has a post-gain EQ whereas the Mark has a pre-gain EQ with a post-gain graphic. You can't set them the same and have it sound right.
@gibsonslashmetallica They are completely different amps, and you have to take a different approach to setting each one up. In just the EQ alone, the rectifier has a post-gain eq, whereas the mark has a pre-gain eq with a post-gain graphic eq. That difference alone necessitates setting the amps up completely different from one another.
The mark v wins every time. The Dual Rec does carry the same clarity or definition in tone. If money wasn't an issue the mark v would be my next purchase.
Tough call. Although they do sound slightly different, it's difficult to say which one sounds better. Either one would perform well.
The dual is too scooped for my liking. Of course it can do the ultra metal thing better. The question is how does it sound in a mix?
Ytse Jam. Nice!
I've not had the chance to play a Mark V but I have played my share of Dual Rectifiers. I prefer the Dual Rectifier to the Mark V, based on this video and my experience playing them as well.
There is just a very hollow punch that I can get out of a Dual Rec that I love.
If I bought Mesa I would buy Rectifier of course. Juicy, dense, smooth sound
I don't care what people say but for Rock... ever since I was about 14 or 15 and first played one at guitar center I have NEVER heard an amp sound more to my liking. MAN I wish I could afford a dual rectifier.. I don't think they are still in production though. Either way it would be a tone related dream come true! : )
They're still making duals, they have them in tons of sizes and with different amounts of extra knobs/toggle switches (Rectifier, Rectoverb, Roadster, Roadking). You can find used dual rectifers for 900-1000 all day online
I always thought the rec was their aggressive model, but that mark V kicked its ass!
These are some great comparison videos! Good job!!
I love Mesa amps.. But the Mark V destroys thh Recto's in every aspect, which is saying a lot considering how amazing they are
I m going with the Mark V. More presence, more definition. The rec is kinda fizzy, and mids are a bit too scooped imo
Both sound great! However, the guitar being a mid range instrument, in a live situation with a whole band I think (at least the way you have them set here) that the Mark V would cut through the mix better. Love the chunk of the Dual Rec though...
Add some mid to the Mark V and it will sound closer to the Rectifier. Two awesome amps. I want them both :D
Personally I think that the dual rectifier is te best amp for playing in hi gain and mark v has a very nice and deep soun dor clean tones. I think booth are incredible but I am going to own a dual rectifier
Hell with it, I just need to get a Roadster and a Mark V, Mark V is just so tight and perfect whereas the Recto's really bring out the lower end. Both are amazing IMO, personal preference really but I think I need both eventually. I took the Roadster back last year. I'm leaning towards the Mark V
Great Demo!! looking forward for the mini recto demo!
Well it depends.For rhythm scooping the mids is not bad.However if you want to play lead you need mids to cut through the mix.
Your reviews are fantastic! This review would have been even better if you had included the tube vs diode rectifier circuit sound on the dual rectifier. It's an important difference that most people that don't own the amp don't really realize.
Don I noticed what I perceived as a volume boost on the V by about a db or 2. Not sure if you calculated SPL on your demo...but if you didn't you should. A touch of volume difference can artificially make things sound better. Fletcher Munson effect describes this phenomena. They are close...but it becomes more exaggerated in side by side comparisons. As always thanks for your vids and helping the market choose products that are right for them. Cheers
Man!!! the best comparison I ever seen!! very clear the two sounds!! thanks!! :)
If in doubt... buy both...use them both...and don't look back.
Nothing beats a guitar-sound coming from blending two amps.
thank you!
your videos are great!
there isn't much bullshit and there is enough too see and hear and also in different settings!
don't know how it could be done better!
(i personally loved the dual rectifier a lot more ^^)
gr Patrick
Fundamentally flawed criticism. The graphic eq is part of the "raw essence" of the high gain tones on the mark v, and it would have been a failed comparison had I left it out. Regarding the power section... Half way up on the master is gigging level, so I'm not sure what else you would have wanted.
the recto always sounds a little bit more scooped and has a bit more hair than the mark 5. I find that using a tube screamer to push the mark 5 gives you a tone that is very close to the recto.
hard to compare these amps from this video due to characteristicly different equalizer setting. I mean the high gain test had a 12s across the board for the dual (normally you would scoop mids) and when the markV was used I though hey! theres no lows! when I looked at the eq the lows were scooped heavily though... I think everyone interested should know that a markV sounds like dream theater and if you want to play anything else you may as well get a 6505. Or if you're a baller ENGL fireball...
Dual Rec is best for classic metal. Mark V best for Prog metal (ala Dream Theater).
Love 'em both!
On the Modern/Mark IV modes the recto sounds much heavier and have a great bottom end chuggy sound.
My opinion anyway.
true and if I had only one for metal the Rectifier wins easily. BUT if I was a studio session gigging pro the Mark V combo would cover all the bases for me.
I always thought I liked the 2xrec more, but it seems like I prefer the Mark V nowadays. Cool.
Rectifier for metal sounds way better but for blues and classic rock, the Mark V is superb. I already have a Peavey 6505 for metal so leaning toward the Mark V but want both. Guess buy used and get 2 for price of just a new one.
I checked your channel for vids showing your settings on the MW DR. I didn't find anything. Please make a way better video showing your most superior presentation of what a high gain amp should sound like. Thanks.
I, as an owner of a 2010 MW DR, found the video to be helpful, as I was thinknig about trading into a Mark V. The video shows the forward mids of the Mark, and the hairier chunkiness of the Dual Rec. These two amps sound more similar than I thought they might. Thanks for the vid!
@ErickGonzalesF The Mini Rectifier demo is going to be filmed tonight and posted on Friday. We are getting to it as quickly as possible.
both of these amps have so many tonal variations, its very difficult to cover it all in less than 5 minutes.
My Triple Rectifier came free with a shotgun! It fires every time I switch channels!
the Mark V is definitely tighter, cleaner,crisper etc. I'd say it's more versatile than the Rectifier. But metal wise i'm all for the Recto
The difference is, one is awesome and the other is super awesome
For the small fortune these rigs cost I expected them to sound better.
I thought it had a little bit more of an edge while the Dual Rectifier was a bit chunkier.
Turn the recto onto the silicone diodes, turn it to bold, turn the gain, treble, presence and bass all the way up and turn the mids all the way down on channel 3 vintage, plug in a maxon od 808 with both knobs at 12 oclock and the tone all the way down, turn eveything on the fx loop bypass to 1 oclock apart from the external channel selection, turn the output to 12 and the master to 10 o clock and THEN, you will have an extreme sound from the recto that no mark 5 can come close to.
@juiceabuser Thanks for watching! I'm not sure what you mean by showing the extreme potential of the amp. More gain? More volume? The amps were recorded very loud, really as hard as I would want to push the power section. With the Rectifier series I find they start to mush out if you push the power section into meltdown. Similar much results from having the preamp gain cranked to 11.
The rectifier with the heaviest sound. That's a win to me. Valve states>Solids
EQing is Everything. Makes, or breaks ya. Both Amps KILL. Its up to the user to futz around(sometimes for months) to get that TONE
i m a proud owner of a MK V head and let me tell you something...if you like FAST PICKING...the mk 5 win...if you like piercing sound with beatiful mids the mk 5 win ... and... you can easily get the dual rect sound with the mk5 only with a eqalizer in the effect loop ( the mxr 6 bands ) mk 5 are more versatile...BUT the dual rect sound f*cking awesome too it s just my taste !!! try both before buy
@Jamie Black prs but can't remember the model, but it's a single cut prs guitar. They are expensive models.