Mid, Bass And Presence - Mesa/Boogie Mini Rectifier Twenty-Five Owner's Manual

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
MID
ADDS PUNCH TO
WEAKER PICK-UPS
SCOOPED AND
EASY TO PLAY
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.
BASS
VARIABLE ACCORDING
TO TREBLE & MID CONTROL
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-
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.
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
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