Mesa/Boogie King Snake Owner's Manual page 9

ing stages and it's important to note; SETTINGS ON BOTH VOLUME CONTROLS SHAPES THE RESPONSE. The best overdrive
performance for high gain applications will be found with the VOLUME 2 control set slightly higher than VOLUME 1. This scheme
rounds out the notes and they saturate with an even, balanced response. Doing the opposite and setting VOLUME 1 higher than
VOLUME 2 produces a brighter sound with more harmonics that are more loosely attached to the notes. This can be a nice effect for
some things, but we prefer the richness and balanced blend found when VOLUME 2 is set higher than VOLUME 1.
TREBLE adds some additional gain and focus above 7.0, so if your looking to saturate things just a bit more in either Input 1 or 2,
try somewhere between 7.0–8.0 and then set the PRESENCE lower to warm things back up a bit. It's not the same frequency, but it
will allow you to take advantage of the boost in gain in the preamp from higher TREBLE settings and still have your sound be warm,
round and not too bright.
THE MID/BOOST control functions as a normal Middle control in the lower half of its range from 0–5.0. Above 5.0, additional gain
and harmonics are incrementally added and when fully maxed at 10.0, single notes are saturated almost completely. This is espe-
cially useful in Input 2 when searching for "edge of clean" or pushed sounds for chordal work. It also works well in Input 2 for adding
purring overdrive to single note solo sounds for Blues, Classic Rock and Roots styles where you want the dynamic response of a
clean channel, but want to apply a fair amount of overdrive. This upper range can be a little over-the-top when used in Input 1 (with
the VOLUME Controls set high) and can over-saturate and compromise the attack characteristics. Use the MID/BOOST sparingly
and with taste here.
The BASS control is VERY powerful. When searching for higher gain sounds in both Input 1 and Input 2, or, any time the VOLUME
controls are set above 6.0–7.0, you may need to set the BASS control very low (2.0–3.5) to keep the attack focused, tracking tight,
and to avoid flubby bass. You will usually have better results following this simple suggestion; As The VOLUME (1 & 2) Goes Up, The
BASS Should Come Down. Following this simple advice results in a more balanced sound, response and feel.
The EFFECTS SEND level can be on the hotter side depending on the settings of the two VOLUME controls, the MID/BOOST and
the Tone controls (to a lesser degree). It is wise to begin your Effects interfacing routine by zero-ing out the SEND LEVEL control on
the KING SNAKE's Rear Panel and increasing it very slowly until reaching the desired SEND LEVEL strength.
Some players will attempt to use an external A/B box and two cables connected to both Inputs to achieve rudimentary Channel
Switching with the KING SNAKE. The original Mark I and the KING SNAKE were never designed as channel switching amplifiers
and while A/B switching can work in a small window of settings, there are MANY more settings and tonal options you'll likely want to
access where channel switching won't work well. While this is possible at certain settings, the KING SNAKE is not set-up for Chan-
nel Switching operation due to its optimization for a single channel platform. Unlike original MARK I amplifiers, the KING SNAKE will
actually be quieter in Input 1 at most great sounding settings than Input 2. This is due to a dual-element pot on the MASTER that
"follows" your Input choices and uses different elements to achieve a balance in demo settings. Should you insist on attempting a
Channel Switching scenario, using a "clean boost" pedal such as our TONE BURST™ into Input 1 can help to increase the volume
level and achieve a balance between the two Inputs.
PRESENCE: BLACKFACE = WARM, ROUND & LAID BACK
Use the BLACKFACE PRESENCE Mode for a rounder attack with morphing envelope characteristics. BLACKFACE provides a
darker, fatter response with a more breathing low end and substantially less-emphasized top end. This is often the best choice for
single note work that has a vocal quality. It softens and smears the transition to clip and breaks up more smoothly while keeping the
gain tightly focused around the notes and minimizing "buzz".
PRESENCE: TWEED = BRIGHT, TIGHT & FAST
The TWEED PRESENCE Mode delivers the transient peaks with greater speed and accuracy and is much brighter in character. This
Mode works well for cutting through a mix and showcases an unveiled region of upper harmonics that is not present in the BLACK-
FACE Mode. It lends a chime-y, sparkling character to clean chording and gives the impression of increased headroom since bright
sounds always travel faster. This upper harmonic region emphasis is critical to achieving more modern high gain sounds and the
speed and forward aggression in the top end of the TWEED Mode should be employed when dialing for sounds in the Heavy realm.
TWEED also keeps the low end tight and focused for high gain work, especially when de-tuned.
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