Table of Contents
Advertisement
Advertisement
Table of Contents
Related Manuals for Mesa/Boogie TC50
Summary of Contents for Mesa/Boogie TC50
- Page 1 Owner’s Manual...
- Page 3 Hello from the Tone Farm Congratulations on your choice of the TRIPLE CROWN™ and welcome to the MESA/Boogie® Family! The instrument you’ve selected has a deep heritage that combines the best attributes of vintage tube amplification with pioneering innovation that brings high-gain channel switching performance to a new frontier.
-
Page 4: Table Of Contents
Table of Contents PRECAUTIONS OVERVIEW ____________________________________________________________________________________ 1-3 GETTING STARTED ______________________________________________________________________________ 4 HELPFUL HINTS ________________________________________________________________________________ 5 FRONT PANEL GAIN _________________________________________________________________________________________ 5-6 MASTER _______________________________________________________________________________________ 6 PRESENCE _____________________________________________________________________________________ 7 TREBLE _______________________________________________________________________________________ 7 MID __________________________________________________________________________________________ 7-8 DRIVE/TIGHT __________________________________________________________________________________ 8-9 BASS __________________________________________________________________________________________ 9 OUTPUT & SOLO ______________________________________________________________________________ 9-10 POWER _______________________________________________________________________________________ 10 STANDBY ___________________________________________________________________________________ 10-11 REAR PANEL... - Page 5 Table of Contents MIDI OPERATING INSTRUCTIONS FEATURES ____________________________________________________________________________________ 20 POWER-UP ____________________________________________________________________________________ 20 MESA FTSW ___________________________________________________________________________________ 20 MIDI INPUT ____________________________________________________________________________________ 20 MIDI THRU/OUT ________________________________________________________________________________ 20 MIDI CHANNEL ________________________________________________________________________________ 21 USER PRESET _______________________________________________________________________________ 21-22 USER PRESET DUMP & LOAD __________________________________________________________________ 22-23 MIDI CONTROL CHANGE NUMBERS ______________________________________________________________ 23 SOFTWARE UPDATES __________________________________________________________________________ 24 SOFTWARE VERSION SysEx MESSAGE ___________________________________________________________ 25 TRIPLE CROWN FACTORY PRESETS ______________________________________________________________ 25...
-
Page 6: Important Safety Instructions
Make certain grounding conforms with local standards. YOUR AMPLIFIER IS LOUD! EXPOSURE TO HIGH SOUND VOLUMES MAY CAUSE PERMANENT HEARING DAMAGE! Your Mesa/Boogie Amplifier is a professional instrument. Please treat it with respect and operate it properly. READ AND FOLLOW INSTRUCTIONS OF PROPER USAGE. -
Page 7: Overview
Operating Instructions Overview: Introducing the Triple Crown™ TC-50™, arguably the most fully evolved amplifier to date emanating from the “other side of MESA” which has spawned such Rock classics as the Dual Rectifier® Heads, the TransAtlantics®, the Royal Atlantic™ and the Electra-Dyne™. This 3 Channel platform covers all sounds and styles ranging from sweet, bouncy Cleans with a fat bottom end to mid gain Crunch with attitude, through singing late 70s Lead sounds and all the way up to grinding walls of modern high gain, all containing gorgeous harmonic content and touch sensitive dynamics. -
Page 8: Overview
Overview: Front Panel CHANNEL SELECT This 3-position mini toggle switch determines which Channel is called up when the Footswitch is not connected. It triggers an LED indicator in the Channel that’s active to assist you on stage. NOTE: To use the Footswitch to select Channels/Modes, select the center CLEAN position of the Toggle and connect the Footswitch Cable to the MESA FT.SW. - Page 9 6V6s can be used safely in the EL34 Setting with just a direct swap over, creating a “Half-Power” scenario that exudes a more bubbly, vintage voice and creamier top end harmonic content. NOTE: Make Sure Bias Switch Setting Matches The Tubes In Use! REVERB, EFX, SOLO SWITCHES These three mini toggles control the activation of the REVERB, EFX LOOP and the SOLO feature.
-
Page 10: Getting Started
GETTING STARTED 1. After unpacking the amplifier, check to make sure all the tubes are firmly seated in their sockets as some may have loosened a bit during shipping. 2. Connect the A.C. Cord to a grounded (3 pin) A.C. outlet. 3. -
Page 11: Helpful Hints
HELPFUL HINTS NOTE: REDUNDANT INFORMATION: Throughout this Operating Guide you will encounter redundant information and sections that are repeated for your continued awareness and as reminders. This is done so a person can read only the sections they are interested in, and yet still get the important points they should know or NEED to know about the TRIPLE CROWN. -
Page 12: Master
acter that has more dynamic content available. This region is great for clean, sparkling chording in Channel 1, where the maximum headroom is available, the top end harmonics are bubbly and the attack is lightning fast. Channel’s 2 and 3 are tuned to deliver threshold sounds in this zone where the gain is warm and furry, but there is still plenty of the guitar’s personality intact. -
Page 13: Presence
PRESENCE This control adjusts high frequencies - above those of the TREBLE - and is farther downstream in the signal path than the Tone Controls at the end of the preamp. Unlike a PRESENCE circuit located in the power section, the TC-50 utilizes a preamp roll-off type PRESENCE to maintain a level of urgency and simplicity in the power section for tonal reasons. -
Page 14: Drive/Tight
The middle region (10:00–1:00) is where the punch and attack begin to come on with more urgency and this is where mahogany guitars really like to see the MID set for adding the cut and definition. Here the top end begins to show itself in the mix of the MID controls’... -
Page 15: Bass
No matter where you apply it, the enhancements found in this voicing add another dimension to the sound and a valuable additional voice to each of the three Channels. BASS Much like the MID, the BASS control responds like a typical Tone control and blends in a fairly wide slice of rich bottom end to round out the sound. -
Page 16: Power
SOLO The SOLO feature enables a pre-settable boost in volume to be engaged by either the SOLO button on the included Footswitch or by storing it “ON” under a MIDI program number. It is essentially an additional OUTPUT control that is wired in series and can achieve levels above that of the setting on the OUTPUT. -
Page 17: Rear Panel
3. Wait AT LEAST 30 Seconds, preferably longer, for tubes to warm up. 4. Flip STANDBY to ON NOTE: This Cold Start Procedure is an important part of ensuring maximum tube life and reliability. Like a light bulb, the most wear occurs in the instant (short period, first few seconds) voltage is first applied. -
Page 18: Solo Switch
You can utilize the REVERB in three ways, “on” all the time, manually activated using the included Footswitch and engaged automati- cally under MIDI Programs. In the REV ON position the circuit is active all the time and the REVERB controls determine the dry/wet blend of each Channel. In the OFF/FTSW Position, the REVERB circuit is off until triggered on with the REVERB Button on the included Footswitch or via a previously written MIDI program. -
Page 19: Speakers
That said, it is important to point out that this is a critical junction in the TRIPLE CROWN’s circuit path and whatever is inserted here can have an effect on the overall performance of the amplifier. The Effects Loop is a Series Loop, meaning that the entire signal goes through it, unlike a Parallel Loop where a percentage of the unaffected pure signal is taken around the Loop. -
Page 20: Spkr On/Spkr Off
should be used in the 8 OHM setting and will see a slight reduction in maximum power, though it will likely be unnoticeable with the additional coverage four or even two speakers provides. Two 16 Ohm Cabinets connected in the 8 OHM setting will produce a better impedance match and will offer the full power and headroom. -
Page 21: Line Out
phone set of choice. The CABCLONE circuitry is able to produce this great representation of the amplifier’s sound because it starts with a signal taken right off the SPEAKER OUTPUT. This means you have the entire amp—including the output transformer and tubes—imparting all the Tone, nuance, natural tube compression and bouncy feel you are used to hearing through your cabinet. -
Page 22: Closed Back/Open Back/Vintage
direct recording solution allows you to capture a wonderful representation of the TRIPLE CROWN’s inspiring sound and feed it direct to a Console, Converter or even direct to a Recorder without the need to mic up a speaker. Impossible you say… a long list of well known producers, engineers and players would beg to differ with you. -
Page 23: Cabclone D.i. (Xlr Output)
When blending a live cabinet mic’d and the CabClone direct, you can also try selecting the Cabinet Voicing option that has an opposite (or different) response to that of the cabinet you are mic-ing for a blend-able difference later when mixing. Within these three selectable Cabinet Style Voicing Options, you‘ll find the ability to tune the CabClone D.I.’s response to work well for almost any sound style. -
Page 24: Midi Thru/Out
NOTE: You cannot use the TRIPLE CROWN Footswitch and a MIDI controller at the same time. Choose one or the other to control your amplifier and DO NOT CONNECT THE JACK that corresponds to the switching method YOU DO NOT INTEND TO USE. MIDI THRU/OUT This 5-pin standard MIDI jack is the THRU/OUT for the MIDI control portion of the TRIPLE CROWN. - Page 25 Learning it’s Controls and Features will make you fluent in the language of TONE and enable you to roam wherever you feel inclined stylistically with confidence. From all of us here at MESA/Boogie, welcome to the Family and we wish you many years of inspiration and enjoyment from your new instrument.
-
Page 26: Midi Operating Instructions
MIDI OPERATING INSTRUCTIONS FEATURES • Intelligent Footswitch control • Works with all Midi Footcontrollers • Up to 256 presets can be saved in memory • Quick and easy User Preset Dump and Load • Painless programming via amp toggle switches •... -
Page 27: Midi Channel
Engage the STORE SWITCH, and the STORE LED will illuminate briefly as an indication that the preset has been saved. PRE-STORE “Reset” Required: Continuing with the Mesa/Boogie tradition of robust toggle switches to select the amp’s channel, and on/off functions, instead of the ever so common momentary push-button switch, requires sophisticated software algorithms that allow Midi to control the amp at the same time. -
Page 28: User Preset
Whenever a Midi Bank Select Message or Midi Program Change Number is received on the same Midi Channel as selected by the Midi Channel rotary DIP switch, the STORE LED will flash quickly, indicating a valid Midi message has been received. A preset cannot be saved under the following conditions;... -
Page 29: Midi Control Change Numbers
any other process occurs that turns the STORE LED on and/or off. Any failures could ONLY be due to a corrupted file, and the amp’s built-in CRC error detection will prevent a corrupted file from overwriting existing presets. MIDI CONTROL CHANGE NUMBERS In addition to supporting Midi Program Change Numbers, the amp also accepts Midi Control Change Numbers (messages... -
Page 30: Software Updates
SOFTWARE UPDATES Software updates should be performed with the amp in STANDBY, and the Midi THRU/OUT and MESA FT.SW. jacks, left unconnected. To perform a software update, you’ll require a firmware update file (which can be obtained from us via the web or e-mail), a computer, a Midi/USB Interface, and a Midi app/utility capable of sending and receiving Midi SysEx files (the two free ones that we recommend are SysEx Librarian by www.snoize.com for Mac users and Midi-OX via www.Midiox.com for Windows). -
Page 31: Software Version Sysex Message
SOFTWARE VERSION SysEx MESSAGE A short Midi SysEx message will follow every User Preset Dump, as a simple means of ID’ing the amp’s Midi interface software version. To view this message, you’ll need a computer, a Midi/USB Interface, and a Midi app/utility capable of sending and receiving multiple Midi SysEx messages in succession (the two free ones that we recommend are SysEx Librarian by www.snoize.com for Mac users and Midi-OX via www.Midiox.com for Windows users). -
Page 32: Factory Sample Settings
FACTORY SAMPLE SETTINGS BIG THREE CLASSIC CLEAN & DROP GAINED UP PAGE 26... -
Page 33: User Settings
USER SETTINGS PAGE 27... -
Page 34: Tube Troubleshooting Guide
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...by simply swapping out a pre-amp or power tube! First may we suggest that you set the amplifier up on something so that you can get to the tubes comfortably without having to bend... - Page 35 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.
-
Page 36: Speaker Hookup Guide
MESA/Boogie amplifiers can handle 4 and 8 ohms effectively. Never run below 4 ohms in a tube amplifier unless you are absolutely certain that the system can handle it properly; this can cause damage to the Output transformer. A few amplifiers can handle 2 ohms effectively without damaging them ( for example the MESA’S Bass 400+ ). - Page 37 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.
- Page 38 WIRING SCHEMES...Amplifier to Speaker Cabinets SPKR SPKR 4 OHM 4 OHM SPKR 8 OHM SPKR 8 OHM SPEAKERS SPEAKERS 8 Ohm Cabinet 4 Ohm Cabinet SPKR SPKR 4 OHM 4 OHM SPKR 8 OHM SPKR 8 OHM SPEAKERS SPEAKERS 8 Ohm Cabinet 16 Ohm Cabinet SAFE MISMATCH SAFE MISMATCH...
- Page 39 WIRING SCHEMES...Amplifier to Speaker Cabinets SPKR 4 OHM SPKR 8 OHM SPEAKERS 8 Ohm Cabinet 8 Ohm Cabinet SPKR 4 OHM SPKR 8 OHM SPEAKERS 16 Ohm Cabinet 16 Ohm Cabinet PAGE 33...
- Page 40 WIRING SCHEMES...Amplifier to Speaker Cabinets SPKR 4 OHM SERIES SPKR 8 OHM *optional accessory SPEAKERS 4 Ohm Cabinet 4 Ohm Cabinet SPKR 4 OHM PARALLEL SPKR 8 OHM *optional accessory SPEAKERS 8 Ohm Cabinet 16 Ohm Cabinet 16 Ohm Cabinet PAGE 34...
- Page 41 WIRING SCHEMES...Amplifier to Speaker Cabinets SPKR 4 OHM SERIES SPKR 8 OHM *optional accessory SPEAKERS 16 Ohm Cabinet 8 Ohm Cabinet 8 Ohm Cabinet PAGE 35...
-
Page 42: Tube Task Chart
PAGE 36... -
Page 43: Parts List
PAGE 37... - Page 45 This device has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B device pursuant to part 15 of the FCC rules. Operation is subject to the following two conditions: (1) This device may not cause harmful interference, and (2) this device must accept any interference received, including interference that may cause undesired operation.
- Page 46 16/12/14...
Need help?
Do you have a question about the TC50 and is the answer not in the manual?
Questions and answers