Mesa/Boogie Mini Rectifier Twenty-Five User Manual

10PAGE
MID
TheMIDControlisresponsiblefortheblendofmidrangefrequenciesinthemixandthoughitseffectisnotasdramatic
asthatoftheTREBLEControl,itplaysanintegralpartinachievinganysoundinyourRecto.Itiscapableofchangingthefeel
dramaticallyasitblendsinagroupoffrequenciesthattendtosoftenorstiffenthewayasoundfeelstoplay.
MostplayerstendtoleaninthedirectionoflowerMIDDLEControlsettings(7:00-11:00)whereascoopinthisregionpro-
ducesgirth(bylettingtheBassbecomealittlemoredominant)andalackofpunchlendsamorecompressed,evenfeelto
thestringsandthereforelessapparentresistancetothepick.AstheMIDDLEControlisincreased,(11:30-1:30)thesound
isrounded-outandfilled-inwithafocusedmidrangeattackappearingratherquickly.Asyou
wouldguess,thefeelstartstochange–becomingslightlymoreresistant.Abovethisregion
theMIDDLEControlcouldbeusedtocompensateforeitherweakerpick-upsorfortimes
whenaspecificdeficiencyiscreatedeitherbyanextremelyhighsettingofothertonecontrols,
oraphysicalanomalyintheroom.WhiletheseMIDDLEControlsettings(2:00-5:00)can
introduceaddedgainandcreateenhancedfocus,thetrade-offwillbeastiffer,moreforward,
lesscompressedfeel.
Channel1utilizesadifferentMIDDLEControlthanthatoftheChannel2withacustom-designedtaperandvalue.Initslow
range(below12:00)itfunctionsasanormalmidrangecontrolwithatapersuitedtoblendingfineincrementsofthesefrequen-
cies.Mostplayersleantowardafairlyradicalscoop(7:00-10:30)forcleanplaying,preferringtoletTrebleandBassremain
dominant,thusproducingthesignaturesparkleandbreathessentialforapristinecleansound.
AsChannel1’sMIDDLEControlissweptpast1:00,itstartstoaddgaininthesemidrangefrequenciesaddingcutandpunch.
Asthetopendofthecontrolisreached,(3:00-5:00)itbecomesanadditionalgaincontrolcapableoftakingbothCLEANand
PUSHEDmodestoextremes.Experimentwiththiscrankedregioninconjunctionwithconservativesettingsoftheothertone
controlstobalancebothsoundandfeel.WhilethisaddedflexibilitymaymakeChannel1’sMIDDLEControlalittlemoretricky
tolearnatfirst,itwillbecomequitevaluableasyoustarttorealizethepowerofthissuperversatilechannel.
BASS
Last,butnotleastinthestringoftonecontrols,wecometotheBASS.Thiscontrolworkssimilarlyinbothchannels
inthatitdeterminestheamountoflowfrequenciespresentinasound.However,theactualfrequenciesandstyleoflowsit
mixesinchangeswiththechannels.LiketheMIDDLEControl,itfallsinlinesignal-wiseaftertheTREBLEControlandthesame
schemeapplies.WhentheTREBLEControlissethigh,theeffectivenessoftheBASSandMIDDLEControlsisreduced.Ifthe
TREBLEControlissetlow,thesetwocontrolsbecomedominant.
Forthemostbalancedsoundandabalanceofpowerbetweenthethreerotarytonecontrols,tryto
usetheTREBLEControlinitsmiddleranges.Thisscenarioproducesnearlyequalrepresentationof
allthefrequenciesonthetonecontrolsandprovidesagreatneutralstartingpointforfurthertweaking.
WhiletheMiniRecto’sEL84powersectionisnotcapableofdeliveringthemassiveamountofbass
frequenciesthatthebigRecto’sdowiththeir6L6powertubes,itisstillworthmentioningtousethe
BASScontrolwithfinesse.ToohighaBASSsettingcancauseabloated,flubbyattackandcreatea
soundthatisunbalancedandevendownrightbad.Agoodruletouseasaguidelineisthis;asthe
GAINisincreased,theBASSshouldbedecreased.Thehighergainsettingsaddfullnessandwarmth
-andbass-allowingyoutogetawaywithlowerBASSsettings.Anotherthingthathighsettingsof
theBASSdoesistoeatupheadroom.Lowfrequenciestakemorepowertodeliveratagivenvolume
thanhighfrequenciesduetotheirlongerwavelength.Yourampwillclipsoonerifthereisalargeamountofbassithastoam-
plify.ThisismostnoticeableinChannel1intheCLEANModewhenlookingforcleanrhythmsounds.Thehighestheadroomis
attainedforcleanchordingbykeepingtheGAINandBASSnotfarabove12:00-somewherebetween11:00and12:30.This
willensurethatyouarenot“loadingup”thefrontendwithtoomuchgainorlowendandanyclippingyouexperiencewillmost
likelycomefromthetubesreachingtheirlimitofpower.
PRESENCE
ThisControlhandleshighfrequencyattenuationthatisabovethatoftheTREBLEcontrolanditslocationin
thecircuitmovesdependingontheChannelandModeyouhavecalledup.InsomeModesit’saroll-offcontrolattheendof
thepreamp,inothersitcontrolstheamountofnegativefeedbackatagivenfrequencyinthepowersection.Itactsindepen-
BASS
VARIABLE ACCORDING
TO TREBLE & MID CONTROL
MID
SCOOPED AND
EASY TO PLAY
ADDS PUNCH TO
WEAKER PICK-UPS

Mesa/Boogie Mini Rectifier Twenty-Five Specifications

General

Brand	Mesa/Boogie
Model	Mini Rectifier Twenty-Five
Category	Musical Instrument Amplifier
Language	English