Channel 3: Extreme - Mesa/Boogie Mark Five Owner's Manual

frOnt panel: M
EXTREME (Mode Select Switch Down):
The last Mode in Channel 3 is named appropriately and is all about more! More gain, more attack, more punishing mids, more tight,
huge lows and as you have probably discovered by now, more output volume. EXTREME traces its' lineage back to a
feature on the MARK IV that resided on the Channel 3 (LEAD) PRESENCE control of that amp. A pull-pot fitted there
MK II C+
MK
IV
allowed removal of negative feedback from the power section and unleashed the pent-up fury of the Simul-Class
EXTREME CH 3
EQ ON
NORMAL
CH
GAIN
O
TREBLE
output.
3
EQ FS BRIGHT
90 W
45
10 W
This feature (now a Mode) allows the power section Presence circuit to respond to all frequencies more equally – instead
of a chosen adjustable set of high frequencies - and removes an element of "control" and inherent compression in the power amp.
This "wider EQ" curve in the "rear-end" creates a rebellious, unleashed and extremely "open" personality that can't be duplicated with
"front end" preamp circuitry. When this radically aggressive power personality is combined with the high gain wall of layered harmonics
present in the MARK IV Mode a sound of truly stunning proportions is created.
EXTREME in the MARK V benefits from all the years we've spent creating these and other high gain modes and we've taken liber-
ties with this tribute where there was TONE to be gained. Top end has been warmed, low end has been tightened and the feel has
improved, making EXTREME in the V easier to play and even more expressive than its' predecessor. There may be some IV owner's
that prefer the slightly more notched sound of their amps, but the attack, body, girth and versatility of the V's EXTREME Mode will allow
you to wield this power in more places for more styles – even venturing into some lower gain applications – that the IV dare not go.
Many devotees of Hard Core love the way the EXTREME Mode can handle very high settings of the GAIN control and still retain the
attack and tightness of high gain chording. It is not even necessary to run the TREBLE high to achieve this tightness and settings in
the 12:00 – 1:00 range are common. Remember that for very high gain chording it is better to set the BASS control lower (10:00 –
11:00) and look for additional low end using the Graphic EQ as bottom end introduced late in the signal chain will stay tighter longer
that its' early preamp counterpart.
As mentioned above, some urgent, packing-an-attitude lower gain sounds are possible when EXTREME is used with lower settings
of the GAIN control. For these types of sounds you can increase the BASS control (11:30 – 1:30) to add three-dimensional warmth
to the sound since there is less gain dialed up and less chance of causing unwanted flub.
There will seem a slight decrease in the power of the rotary PRESENCE control in EXTREME as negative feedback has been radically
reduced in a broad range of frequencies, including those chosen for the PRESENCE circuit, which means there is less for the narrow
band affected by the PRESENCE to work on. This is not an issue as there are plenty of highs available on the TREBLE control and
in the top bands of the Graphic EQ or the PRESET to make the sound as bright as you need it.
Not to seem redundant, but do experiment with the TRIODE/PENTODE switch located on the Rear Panel (see previous MARK IV or
II-C+ section) as the setting of this power section tuning feature makes a huge difference in both sound and feel.
For more vintage sounds in EXTREME with lower gain settings, try the TRIODE setting for a more bouncy, sweet and harmonically
rich voice that has a fair amount of old school sag to the power.
For authority, punch and tight-tracking low end, try PENTODE when using EXTREME with very high GAIN settings. This will produce
a more immediate attack response and deliver the most power and headroom to handle the huge lows associated with these styles.
For these settings and styles you don't want any "vintage sag" slowing down your response and loosening up your low end and PEN-
TODE will ensure that the power stays stiff and instantaneous.
EXTREME is the most radical and over the top sound in the MARK V. Just when you thought you had heard it all in the MARK IV
Mode, EXTREME comes up to challenge all you thought you knew about in-your-face, aggressive sounds. Enjoy... but employ it with
a dose of mercy for the poor souls in front of your cabs or close up in the audience as it is a truly punishing sound.
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