Gain; Treble - Mesa/Boogie Formula Pre Owner's Manual

CONTROLS:
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GAIN:

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low, it allows more of the natural sound of the instrument to come through. Set higher, an increasing amount of natural tube saturation
occurs. Run all the way up, it produces overdrive saturation in all channels...with the two LEAD channels being obviously capable of
significantly more of this saturation. The amount of saturation is accompanied by tonal coloration as this control is turned upward and
the result is a perfect enhancement to the gain. Top end harmonics become more and more recessive as the GAIN is increased and
a warmer, more singing nature takes over. This is perfect for liquid high gain solo work in LEAD 1 and the added focus also lends
authority and urgency to LEAD 2 for more aggressive rock or metal styles. The lower regions of the GAIN control are perfectly mated
to clean sounds in Channel 1 and pushed or bluesy styles in the two LEAD channels.
As the GAIN and inherent saturation are reduced, the high harmonic content returns to its original balance. This is where the Formula
shines for bubbly, sparkling clean chording in Channel 1 or less overdriven single note work in LEAD 1 & 2. You will find all three
channels' GAIN controls use pots that support a touch sensitive relationship between input signal strength - and gain saturation.
These pots were custom built for us with tapers capable of delivering the maximum usable range of musical gain in all ranges. This
elusive trait is crucial to a great amps' expressive nature and you will come to love the Formulas' responsiveness in this dynamic
dance. We suggest spending some time really exploring the subtleties of this most powerful control. The Rhythm (top) channel of your
Formula has a Gain control pot that is fitted with a "Pull Boost". This enables you to restructure the response of the channel for either
higher gain rhythm work or single note solo sounds that are in between the regular Rhythm and Lead channels gain-wise.
NOTE: This added gain is achieved in part by allowing the full signal strength to pass the tone control network, rendering them
virtually ineffective. Because of additional shaping that takes place elsewhere in the circuit, this is not a problem and the result is a
smooth warm medium gain response. If you need more critical shaping power in the "Boost" mode than that of the bypassed tone
control string, select the 5 Band Graphic Equalizer and shape your sound there.
Learn the regions of GAIN and the tonal colors they enhance. Slight adjustments make huge differences in the sound. In all of the
channels you will find sweet spots on the GAIN control that work with your technique, your guitar and your pick-ups to compliment,
embelish and finally define a sound that is all you.
As with most guitar amplifiers, the TREBLE control is the strongest of the three rotary tone controls. Because signal

TREBLE:

enters the tone control string here, its setting determines the strength of the signal sent to the BASS and MID, greatly affecting their
IN FT.SW.
RECORD
LO GAIN
HI GAIN
M B
ESA OOGIE
unwanted qualities in the sound when used without moderation. This especially holds true for clean sounds in Channel 1, where the
most beautiful and balanced sounds are found with the TREBLE set somewhere in the middle ranges. This way the BASS control can
produce enough lows for a breathier quality and the TREBLE is more sparkling instead of sticking out and becoming harsh.
There are occasions where you might deviate from this scheme and set the TREBLE control in the higher ranges. Because this
control is the first in the signal path and is responsible for the amount of GAIN that is fed to the other tone controls, it can be used to
further saturate the signal. For extremely high GAIN solo sounds in the two LEAD channels, you may want to experiment with setting
the TREBLE pretty high - not maxed - but higher to achieve a more blistering quality for single note work.
In this scenario it is usually helpful to reduce the PRESENCE control setting on the power amp to avoid a buzzy or shrill sound. The
top slider of the EQ also helps if the PRESENCE on the power amp is not quite the right frequency, or you are using the DIRECT
Output straight into a mixing console and there is no power amp. This added gain can also be used to push the envelope in Channel
1 for overdrive sounds, but you will have to again use care, as it is easy to go over the edge fast.
of the front ends' first tube stage and therefore, the overall character of the given channels' sound style. Set
role in the tonal blend. Set high, the TREBLE is the dominant force and the effectiveness
of the BASS and MID are substantially reduced.
GAIN TREBLE
Set low, the opposite occurs and the BASS and MID become dominant, producing a
warmer, darker personality. This interaction holds true for all the channels. For this rea-
son we strongly suggest using the TREBLE control with care as it can produce some
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