MESA BOOGIE Owner's Manual
Greetings from the Home of Tone Congratulations on your choice of the Rectifier Pre as your Guitar amplifier and welcome to the MESA/Boogie family! As a discriminating player you probably know that you have purchased the most comprehensive instrument for amplifying Guitar that is available. What you might not realize is that this entitles you to all the experience, resources and commitment our twenty-five years of service to musicians world wide has to offer.
RECTIFIER RECORDING PREAMPLIFIER Precautions Overview 0 1/2 Helpful Hints: RECORDING 2/3 Helpful Hints: LIVE 3 FRONT PANEL: Instrument Input & Footswitch Jacks 4 CHANNEL MODES: Clean - Fat - Brit CHANNEL MODES: Raw - Vintage - Modern 4 5 CONTROLS: GAIN CHANNEL 1: Bright & Pad Switches TREBLE MID BASS PRESENCE MASTER PREAMP VOICING SWITCH CHANNEL SELECT SWITCH RECORDING OUTPUT OUTPUT LIVE & SOLO STANDBY & POWER SWITCHES 5/6 6 7 7 7 7/8 8 8 9 9 9/10 10 REAR PANEL: AC RECEPTACLE GROUND LIFT MIX CON
PRECAUTIONS & WARNINGS Your MESA/Boogie Amplifier is a professional instrument. Please treat it with respect and operate it properly. USE COMMON SENSE AND ALWAYS OBSERVE THESE PRECAUTIONS: WARNING: EU: permission from the Supply Authority is needed before connection. WARNING: Vacuum tube amplifiers generate heat. To insure proper ventilation always make certain there is at least four inches (100mm) of space behind the rear of the amplifier cabinet. Keep away from curtains or any flammable objects.
OVERVIEW: Congratulations on your choice of the Rectifier Recording Preamp and welcome to the Mesa/Boogie Family! This all-tube, two rack space instrument is the latest in the legendary Rectifier line of amplifiers and after two years of intense R & D, is ready to wear the logo that signifies its status as a full blown Recto.
REAR VIEW : Rectifier Recording Preamp WARNING: To reduce risk of fire or WARNING: To reduce risk of fire or electric shock, Do not remove cover. No userserviceable parts inside. Refer servicing to qualified personnel. electric shock, replace fuse with same type and rating only. Do not expose this unit to rain or moisture. RECTO~PREAMP RECORD OUT ALL TUBE RECORDING AMPLIFIER TO MIX CONSOLE NORMAL 10% POWER 117 V~ 1 AMP 60 HZ.
Helpful Hints: Continued If you have less than satisfactory results with this instrument after reading the manual and believe it to be operating normally; we suggest either trying some different playback monitors or, taking it to you nearest dealer to try it through a different setup. In our tests we have found the playback monitors to be a huge part of the equation and that some are not very friendly to overdriven guitar sounds. LIVE: 1) Always use the supplied A.C.
FRONT PANEL CONTROLS: INPUT / FT.SW. First remove the protective covers from the tubes (plastic webbing) before connecting the A.C. cord to a power receptacle. INPUT: Connect your favorite guitar to the instrument INPUT jack. Flip the POWER switch to the ON position while leaving the STANDBY switch set to STANDBY.” (It is always a good idea to practice this start up procedure as at least 30 seconds of warm-up time lessens the shock on cold tubes, thus prolonging their life substantially.) INPUT FT.SW. FT.
FRONT PANEL CONTROLS: (Continued) CHANNEL 2 MODES: RAW: This Recto mode is the lowest gain of the three in CHANNEL 2 s’ high gain lead channels. Its less saturated nature greatly enhances the already versatile bevy of sounds the two original lead channels offered. The range of gain available covers an extremely wide spectrum and it can be set to double as a formidable alternate clean mode, a low gain purring blues sound and beyond, all the way up to a grinding crunch or searing solo sound.
FRONT PANEL CONTROLS: (Continued) GAIN: (Continued) As a general guideline, the lower regions of this control produce brighter, tighter, faster sounds with enhanced dynamics...the higher the GAIN Control setting - the warmer, fuller, more saturated and more compressed ( less dynamic ) the sound becomes. Remember that with this sensitive control the entire character of the channel is determined.
FRONT PANEL CONTROLS: (Continued) TREBLE: As with most guitar amplifiers, the TREBLE Control is the strongest of the three rotary tone controls. Its setting on the Recto Recording Preamp determines the blend and strength of the MIDDLE and BASS Controls. Set high, it is the dominant control, thus minimizing the amount of Mid and Bass that would be possible in the mix. Set low, the TREBLE becomes the BRIGHT recessive control and a warmer, darker blend is produced. Dial with care.
FRONT PANEL CONTROLS: (Continued) PRESENCE CONTROL: (Continued) CHANNEL 2 PRESENCE is extremely important in achieving the desired lead and crunch rhythm sounds. It responds like a focus or spread control for high gain chording sounds and for solo sounds it does a great job of compressing or putting the sound forward. When using high gain chording sounds run the PRESENCE from roughly 12:00 to 5:30 and check out how it spreads the upper harmonic region out like a fine sauce.
FRONT PANEL CONTROLS: (Continued) CHANNEL SELECT: This three position mini toggle selects which of the two channels is active when the footswitch is not in use. It is located in a convenient Front Panel location to make channel selection easy in the studio where it might likely be hardwired in to a system or patch bay. Set in its center FOOTSWITCH position with the footswitch connected via a stereo cable, the channels may be accessed remotely by toggling between them with the FOOTSWITCH CHANNEL button.
FRONT PANEL CONTROLS: (Continued) LIVE - SOLO: (Continued) Channel format. The controls will affect both sounds, so you will not be able to dial up independent Channels, but when used with the companion power amp (Rectifier Stereo 2:100) this little trick can be quite effective. This “smart power” amp tracks the preamp mode and switches the negative feedback circuit to match the Mode in use on the Recto Pre.
REAR PANEL CONTROLS: REAR VIEW : Rectifier Recording Preamp WARNING: To reduce risk of fire or WARNING: To reduce risk of fire or electric shock, Do not remove cover. No userserviceable parts inside. Refer servicing to qualified personnel. electric shock, replace fuse with same type and rating only. Do not expose this unit to rain or moisture. RECTO~PREAMP RECORD OUT ALL TUBE RECORDING AMPLIFIER TO MIX CONSOLE NORMAL 10% POWER 117 V~ 1 AMP 60 HZ.
REAR PANEL CONTROLS: (Continued) FX MIX CONTROL & EFFECTS LOOP: (Continued) The MIX Control has a range that roams between 10% and 100% of the wet blend. It is not possible to completely remove the parallel signal from the EFFECTS LOOP path with the FX MIX Control (this is due to a decision made by us to preserve the maximum tonal performance while the LOOP is in use).
SAMPLE HOOK-UP CLEAN ON ON FAT BRIGHT BRIT STANDBY INPUT FT.SW. GAIN TREBLE MID BASS PRESENCE MASTER OUTPUT LIVE BRIGHT RAW WARM RECORD MODERN POWER LIVE SOLO FOOT SWITCH CH 2 VOICING -3DB VINT OUTPUT CHAN 1 2 CHAN WARNING: To reduce risk of fire or electric shock, replace fuse with same type and rating only. Do not expose this unit to rain or moisture. RECTO~PREAMP RECORD OUT ALL TUBE RECORDING AMPLIFIER 10% RETURN - L RETURN - R MODERN CH1 - CH2 SOLO EXT.
REAR PANEL CONTROLS: (Continued) EXTERNAL SWITCHING JACKS: These three 1/4” jacks make it possible to trigger the two channels of the Recto Pre with an external switching device so that it can be used in a midi controlled rack system. In this scheme the channels can be called up under midi programs. The jacks respond to any tip-to-ground latching type switch logic.
REAR PANEL CONTROLS: (Continued) LIVE OUT: To Power Amp The Recto Pre provides two output channels for feeding signal to either stereo power amplifiers, effects processors (see EFFECTS LOOP - presented earlier in the Rear Panel section of this manual) or even the effects return or power-in stages of self contained amplifiers. Thus the Recto Pre is a stereo RECTO~PREAMP RECORD capable pre-amp with two identical signals that appear at the MAIN OUT OUTPUTS.
FACTORY SAMPLE SETTINGS: CHANNEL 1 SETTING #1 Skinny Skank CLEAN FAT BRIGHT BRIT INPUT FT.SW. GAIN TREBLE MID BASS PRESENCE MASTER MID BASS PRESENCE MASTER RAW VINTAGE -3DB MODERN CHANNEL 1 SETTING #2 Rhythm Mix CLEAN FAT BRIGHT BRIT INPUT FT.SW. GAIN TREBLE RAW VINTAGE -3DB MODERN CHANNEL 1 SETTING #3 Power Rhythm CLEAN FAT BRIGHT BRIT INPUT FT.SW.
FACTORY SAMPLE SETTINGS: CHANNEL 2 SETTING #5 Purring Blues CLEAN FAT BRIGHT BRIT INPUT FT.SW. GAIN TREBLE MID BASS PRESENCE MASTER MID BASS PRESENCE MASTER BASS PRESENCE MASTER BASS PRESENCE RAW VINTAGE -3DB MODERN CHANNEL 2 SETTING #6 Smooth Grind CLEAN FAT BRIGHT BRIT INPUT FT.SW. GAIN TREBLE RAW VINTAGE -3DB MODERN CHANNEL 2 SETTING #7 Liquid Solo (Recto Vintage CLEAN FAT BRIGHT BRIT INPUT FT.SW.
TUBE NOISE & MICROPHONICS: You may occasionally experience some form of tube noise or microphonics. Certainly no cause for alarm, this quirky behavior comes with the territory and the Tone. Much like changing a light bulb, you don’t need a technician to cure these types of minor user serviceable annoyances and in fact, you’ll be amazed at how easy it is to cure tube problems...
DIAGNOSING PRE AMP TUBE PROBLEMS: Because your amplifier is an all tube design, it is quite possible that you will at some point experience minor pre-amp tube noise. Rest assured - this is no cause for alarm and you can take care of the problem yourself in a matter of minutes by simply swapping tubes. Let us begin by saying; It is a “very good” idea to keep at least a couple of spare pre-amp tubes on hand at all times to insure uninterrupted performance.
BIAS ADJUSTMENT: (part of a continuous series) An Article written by Randall Smith that we thought you might find interesting. CATHODE ( ) , ) GRID ( SCREEN GRID ( ) BEAMCONFINING ELECTRODE ( ) .. ..... .... . ... . .... PLATE ( , ) Here’s a question we often hear: “Why doesn’t Mesa put bias adjustments in their amplifiers?” Structure of a 6L6 / 5881 Beam Power Pentode. Well, there’s a short answer and a long answer to this question.
BIAS ADJUSTMENT: (Continued) Voltage and current are NOT the same. Current is the AMOUNT of electricity, the “quantity” — and is measured in amperes. Voltage is the degree of electric charge — like the “pressure” to use the old water analogy. Let me illustrate how different voltage and current are: When you scrape your feet across a carpetted floor in dry, wintery conditions, your body can become charged with 50,000 to 100,000 volts of static electricity.
BIAS ADJUSTMENT: (Continued) Again, this has some merit .. but it’s still not as good as using tubes that are matched in the first place because compensating for the mis-match causes the push-pull circuit itself to become unbalanced. Two wrongs don’t really make a right. Some of the other recommended biasing, “methods” — such as -”.. tubes running red hot, increase the bias .. sounds harsh and runs too cool, turn it down ...” are guesswork at best.
SPEAKER IMPEDANCE MATCHING & HOOK-UP GUIDE: IMPEDANCE: Wiring up speakers to provide the most effective load and making sure that all of them are in phase will help in creating the best sound possible. This is not too difficult, as long as you understand a few things about loading and how to connect your speakers to provide an optimal resistive load. Mesa Boogie amplifiers can handle 4 and 8 ohms effectively.
SPEAKER IMPEDANCE MATCHING & HOOK-UP GUIDE: (Continued) PARALLEL: When wiring in parallel, the resistance of the speakers decreases. Two 8 ohm speakers wired in ( hooked-up ) Parallel results in a 4 ohm load. It’s easy to calculate the effect of a resistive load when all the speakers are all the same resistance. It is really not suggested to wire different resistive load values in Parallel ( 8 and 4, 16 and 8 etc.
WIRING SCHEMES...
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ON TRIODES, PENTODES & IRISHMEN: With apologies to Friends and Relatives from the Emerald Isle - who will make their appearance soon enough - the humor which follows is dedicated to the memories of Spec McAuliff and Fae (Rafael) McNally, two of the True Greats. As their numerical references suggest, the terms Diode, Triode and Pentode indicate the number of elements within the vacuum tube i.e. two, three or five. All tubes also require a filament or heater which is not included in the count.
ON TRIODES, PENTODES & IRISHMENT: (Continued) Thus a diode tube - one with a cathode and an anode - is mostly used to rectify alternating current into direct current by passing it without restriction, but in one direction only. This also explains why closing time is stricly enforced at Irish pubs: During normal operation, the traffic flow is similarily unimpeded and uni-directional toward the bar and this process rectifies the work-day negativity.
ON TRIODES, PENTODES & IRISHMEN: (Continued) Thus the proper cocktail waitress - visible through the louvers - is scantily clad so as to be all the more effective at reinforcing the attractive influence of her bar and by being located in between the door and the bar, she serves as bait to lure customers past the door’s negative influence.
Rectifier Recording Preamp SWITCH pt# 602112 SWITCH pt# 602112 SWITCH pt# 607101 CLEAN ON FAT POT# 592792 BRIT BRIGHT POT# POT# POT# POT# POT# 592148 592379 592148 592148 592792 MID BASS PRESENCE MASTER ON STANDBY INPUT FT.SW.
MESA BOOGIE The Spirit of Art in Technology Thank you for trusting MESA/Boogie to be your amplifier company and we wish you many years of toneful enjoyment from this handbuilt all tube instrument.
The Spirit of Art in Technology (707) 778-6565 FAX NO.
