Front Panel: The Controls; Gain - Mesa/Boogie Mark Five Owner's Manual

frOnt panel: t

GAIN:

This is, by far, the most powerful control in the MARK V and its setting determines the style and personality of all three
Modes in each of the Channels. It meters the gain in different tube stages depending on the Channel and Mode called up – and it
sets Input Stage headroom - which determines whether the sound will be clean or overdriven. It also acts as a subtle Tone control
as the tube stages' gain is increased and decreased and imparts its own "color" on the sound.
CLEAN
F
A
T
TWEED
CH 1
NORMAL
EQ ON
CH
GAIN MASTER PRESENCE
O
TREBLE MID BASS
1
EQ FS BOLD
90 W
45
10 W
Generally speaking, the lower end of the control (9:30 – 11:30) in all Channels and Modes produces a brighter, more open character
that has more dynamic content available. This region is great for clean, sparkling chording in Channel 1, where the maximum head-
room is available and the top end harmonics are bubbly and the attack is lightning fast. The Modes in Channel 2 are tuned to deliver
amazing threshold sounds in this zone where the gain is warm and furry, but there is still plenty of the guitar's personality intact. This
zone is great for all the Channel 2 sounds when used for clipped chording as there is plenty of dynamics intact that have not yet been
compressed by too much saturation. Channel 3 also responds well in this lower region and similar chording and solo sounds await
you here. You will be pleasantly surprised that the same Modes that can sound so vintage-approved and agile when set low can be
the same ferocious high gain Modes when things get pushed.
The middle region of the GAIN control (12:00 – 2:00) is where the most balanced sounds live and you will find this region delivers
warm, full sound, detailed attack and good dynamics and the Tone controls still have a powerful effect on the signal. The Channel 1
CLEAN and FAT Modes deliver great chording response and sound richer and have more body here. Depending on pickup style and
strength you will have to watch for clipping as you are nearing the crossover point - gain-wise. Some of Channel 2's best sounds are
to be found here as things start smearing nicely as they start getting into delicious tube overdrive. The Channel 3 Modes offer their
greatest flexibility, focus and detail in this middle zone. As these sounds are all higher gain than their Channel 1 and 2 counterparts, the
best dynamic response and attack characteristics are in this window. As you approach 2:00 there will be plenty of saturation to keep
chords grinding and single notes hanging – but not too much to start compressing the life out of the sound. If you aren't getting great
results in this region for your gain sounds in Channel 2 and 3, you may want to look at trying some pickups with a bit hotter output.
The highest region of the GAIN (2:30 – 5:30) is all about saturation. Up here the signal gets much fatter in the low end and the top
end begins to recede to create a round, compressed sound. Dynamics become slower with lower peaks and a more legato, creamier
feel is produced. In Channel 1 the high end of the GAIN control produces some great "clipped clean" sounds as the Input stage gives
it up and starts to saturate. These sounds are further enhanced by the 45 and 10 Watt Power Modes and the VARIAC POWER setting
on the Front Panel POWER switch. Channel 2 gets truly wild at the top end of the GAIN control and all three Modes unveil their true
potential as lead Modes. There is ample gain up here to rip into any style you wish – with the MARK I Mode pumping out ridiculously
high volumes of thick creamy overdrive for soloing. Channel 3 is absolutely over the top when the GAIN is run this high. The more
midrange-prominent character of these Modes allows you to still have good articulation here even with amounts of saturation that
would turn most circuits to useless mush. The focus, articulation and tightly-glued gain that sticks to the notes and tracks flawlessly is
a sound that is pure Boogie... and the only amp that can achieve this is the MARK V (and of course its earlier MESA predecessors).
Up here you will notice the Tone controls have a diminished effect on the sound as the notes are so saturated and their character has
been pre-determined by the way each Mode is voiced and how it reacts to this level of gain.
C
He OntrOlS
In all the Channels, there are three regions of the GAIN control – a low gain zone between 9:00 - 11:30,
a warmer, more saturated zone from 12:00 - 2:00 and a higher gain zone from 2:30 – 5:30. Each of
these zones can be used for many different applications and all can be used for both chording and single
note solo work. As the GAIN control is swept throughout its range it imparts different textures and tonal
characteristics.
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