Mesa/Boogie Dual Rectifier Road King Amp Owner's Manual page 10

CHANNEL MODES:
CHANNEL 2: BRIT
This mode appears in CHANNEL 2 only and, as the name implies, was inspired by the great sounding amps of the 50s' & 60s' that
were built in Great Britain. These classic amplifiers were basically "upside down Leo circuits" but none the less had a signature sound
all their own, due largely to the fact that they were powered by the pentode available to them at the time...the Euro style EL 34. This
difference, along with minor value differences in the circuit, created a very different sound than the tweed and
black face amps born in the United States.
We have combined all the great qualities of several of these classic circuits to arrive at a sound that is pure
CLEAN
teabag. With emphasis on a lower region of Treble and more punch in the low mids, this mode is truly different
FAT
than the other modes in CHANNEL 1 & 2. It works extremely well for both chording and single note soloing with
its thicker, throatier nature. It also lends itself well to clipped sounds, with its less extended top end and wider
BRIT
mid section, producing some of the coolest crunch rhythm sounds around.
Needless to say, the 2 x EL34 power section was born to serve this mode and when these two parts are used together a level of
character is unveiled that is the natural equivalent opposite to TWEED feeding the 2 x 6L6 power harness. BRIT also works very well
with the combination power sections of 2 x 6L6 + 2 x EL34 and 4 x 6L6 + 2 x EL34. These two schemes are great if you want the more
urgent character of the ELs' but need more headroom than they are capable of providing by themselves. The choice is yours as to how
best to use this very cool and different mode and we feel sure that, no matter how you decide to dedicate your clean channels, you will
find the BRIT mode an awesome addition to your bevy of sounds.
CHANNEL 3 & 4: RAW
This new Road King mode is the lowest gain of the three in the two high gain lead channels. Its less saturated nature greatly
enhances the already versatile bag of sounds the two original lead channels offered. The range of gain available covers an extremely
RAW
VINTAGE
MODERN
MASTER
RAW
VINTAGE
MODERN
CHANNEL 1 & 2: VINTAGE
This high gain mode is the famous liquid Recto voice and it can be found in its original state in CHANNELS 3 & 4. Its lush harmonic
content and fat creamy feel has found its way onto so many recordings, it is now a staple for anyone headed to the studio for an album
project. combining this super juicy, expressive preamp with the Rectos' black magic, tube-rectified power section creates colors in
RAW
VINTAGE
MODERN
MASTER
RAW
VINTAGE
MODERN
(Continued)
wide spectrum and it can be set to double as a formidable alternate clean mode, a low gain purring
blues sound and beyond, all the way up to a grinding crunch or searing solo sound.
The TREBLE can be set relatively high (2:00) to add a little more gain and shred when using RAW for
certain crunch rhythm sounds and keep in mind CHANNEL 4 is capable of more aggressive sounds
due to its more extreme PRESENCE control taper. Don't overlook the amazing medium gain soloing
potential RAW offers in CHANNELS 3 & 4 where, because of the PRESENCE controls more gradual
response, a wider range of voice-like single note sounds appear that benefit from this more com-
pressed character.
gain that most players find truly addictive. Single note solo work is effortless as the strings become
easy to play with VINTAGE modes musical and natural tube compression. Spend time learning the
lower regions of the VINTAGE mode as the overlap between RAW and VINTAGE is a place where
many beautiful sounds lie.
These two modes are similar enough when VINTAGE is set in its lower range and RAW is set in its
medium to higher range and yet, each posses a character that is unique and identifiable. Remember
that you can swap channels to achieve different voicings of the VINTAGE sound and no matter which
you settle upon, you will likely find your trademark lead sound lurking somewhere in this sea of liquid
gain.
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