Hoping for help with my clean channel !

[MetallicaFan1992]

Hey to the Community

I am pretty new to this board i´ve read a lot on Mark IV topics and so on.

But lately i seem to have problems with my Mark IV Medium Head (A-Version)´s Clean Channel.

At first my settings are:

Full Power / Simul Class / Triode / Mid Gain

R1 Gain = somewhere around 5 (pulled)

R1 Treble = 3.5

R1 Bass = 1.5

R1 + R2 Mid = 3

R1 Presence = 4

and now R1 Master Volume 7-10 !!!

I dont use the EQ on the clean channel, and my OUTPUT Level is set to 3 or 4.

_____________________________________________________________________________

My lead channel is set like:

Lead Gain 7(Pulled), Treble 7, Bass 1, Mid 4, Lead Drive 6 (In), Presence 1.5, with EQ similar to classic V engaged.

Lead Master is at 3 !!!

The huge problem is, my clean channel´s volume is way too silent to get along with my lead channel.

Even if i turn clean volume up to 10 it is still not even half as loud as my lead.

I am using an Edwards by ESP Les Paul with EMG 81 (Bridge) and 60 (Neck).

I dont want to use more gain on the clean channel otherwise my clean sound loses its sparkliness and clarity.

Is that a normal behaviour of a Mark IV or is there something wrong with it ?

What can i do to prevent this ?

I already tried Output Master to 1.5 and channel volumes up but the problem remains the same.

Help and advices would be really appreciated.

- a worried Boogie User from Austria (....nope not the country with the kangaroos )

 

[soundguruman]

Hey to the Community

I am pretty new to this board i´ve read a lot on Mark IV topics and so on.

But lately i seem to have problems with my Mark IV Medium Head (A-Version)´s Clean Channel.

At first my settings are:

Full Power / Simul Class / Triode / Mid Gain

R1 Gain = somewhere around 5 (pulled)

R1 Treble = 3.5

R1 Bass = 1.5

R1 + R2 Mid = 3

R1 Presence = 4

and now R1 Master Volume 7-10 !!!

I dont use the EQ on the clean channel, and my OUTPUT Level is set to 3 or 4.

_____________________________________________________________________________

My lead channel is set like:

Lead Gain 7(Pulled), Treble 7, Bass 1, Mid 4, Lead Drive 6 (In), Presence 1.5, with EQ similar to classic V engaged.

Lead Master is at 3 !!!

The huge problem is, my clean channel´s volume is way too silent to get along with my lead channel.

Even if i turn clean volume up to 10 it is still not even half as loud as my lead.

I am using an Edwards by ESP Les Paul with EMG 81 (Bridge) and 60 (Neck).

I dont want to use more gain on the clean channel otherwise my clean sound loses its sparkliness and clarity.

Is that a normal behaviour of a Mark IV or is there something wrong with it ?

What can i do to prevent this ?

I already tried Output Master to 1.5 and channel volumes up but the problem remains the same.

Help and advices would be really appreciated.

- a worried Boogie User from Austria (....nope not the country with the kangaroos )

No, that is not normal.
Mechanical channel switching relay may have worn out contacts.
LDR (light dependent relays) may be defective
"Normal Loop" jacks may have bad switching contacts.
Plug a short patch cord between "send" and "return" of the normal loop, to see if the jack switch contacts have failed.

 

[MetallicaFan1992]

Hey thanks for your answer

No, that is not normal.


Mechanical channel switching relay may have worn out contacts

Does a defetive relay cause volume problems ? How´s that ?

LDR (light dependent relays) may be defective

"Normal Loop" jacks may have bad switching contacts.

Since I am not using neither of the loops I dont think this is the problem.

Plug a short patch cord between "send" and "return" of the normal loop, to see if the jack switch contacts have failed.

Tried it anyway, didnt result in any changes to the channel volumes.

Any other advices :?:

Thanks in advance :!:

 

[HBob]

Maybe the preamp tube in the V1 spot is not a 12AX7 (some guys replace it with a lower gain option like a 12AU7 - not sure if the amp is new to you) or it's just a bad tube and needs to be replaced.

You should be getting some dirt on R1 with those pickups and the gain turned up to 10.

Where are you in Austria? Beautiful country ya got there.

 

[Boogiebabies]

Maybe the preamp tube in the V1 spot is not a 12AX7 (some guys replace it with a lower gain option like a 12AU7 - not sure if the amp is new to you) or it's just a bad tube and needs to be replaced.

You should be getting some dirt on R1 with those pickups and the gain turned up to 10.

Where are you in Austria? Beautiful country ya got there.

Exactly.

 

[MetallicaFan1992]

Hey guys, sorry for not answering for so long!

I´ve tried the thing with the effect loop and the short patchcable which soudguruman recommended.

If I hit the FX loop on switch my clean sound does not change at all.

It gets neither louder nor quieter.

So it seems not to change the sound in the "Normal Loop" or in the "Switchable Loop".

For replacing the preamp tube in V1 the electronics need to be seperated from the chassis and the reverb tank.

I have not tried this yet.

But i saw something strange.

Going thru the tube sockets facing the amp from the front it starts with V1 to V4 from left to right and V5 behind the other preamp tubes
but in front of the power tubes.

In my V4 socket there is a 12AT7 (Electro Harmonix) should this be this way ? I always thought there are all 12AX7´s ! ? !

This weekend i will try to dismantle the V1 socket and try a new Mesa 12AX7 in V1.....Maybe this will help with my problem.

# HBob, yeah Austria is an awesome coutry. I live quite down at the southend in the provice Carinthia near to the italian border.

 

[HBob]

V4 is the reverb tube. It's supposed to be a 12AT7.

"For replacing the preamp tube in V1 the electronics need to be seperated from the chassis and the reverb tank. "

Not sure what's going on there. Just reach back there and take the little can off the V1 tube. It's spring loaded so push it up and then rotate it a 1/3 turn and it will pop out.

 

[MetallicaFan1992]

With seperating i meant this !

There is an aluminum housing screwed over my V1-slot but I cant unscrew the 2 small screws without disassembling the amp!

I cant reach the screws even with a very tiny screwdriver.

 

[Authorized Boogie]

With seperating i meant this !

There is an aluminum housing screwed over my V1-slot but I cant unscrew the 2 small screws without disassembling the amp!

I cant reach the screws even with a very tiny screwdriver.

Simply push the tube shield towards the chassis, and turn - it will pop right out. There is no need to unscrew anything. Thanks!

 

[Markedman]

That cover can be real tight if there is a MESA SPAX tube in the socket. That particular 12ax7 has a rubber sleeve which makes the shield hard to push in, but it will come off if you work it around a little.

 

[MetallicaFan1992]

Changed my V1 preamp tube for a new Mesa Boogie 12AX7.

Everything is working properly now, at least I think so.

Clean channel with gain on 4 and channel volume on 5-6 is now as loud as the Lead channel with gain on 7 and channel volume on 3.

Is this the way it is supposed to be ?

Thanks so far for your helping advices.

 

[MetallicaFan1992]

Changed my V1 preamp tube for a new Mesa Boogie 12AX7.

Everything is working properly now, at least I think so.

Clean channel with gain on 4 and channel volume on 5-6 is now as loud as the Lead channel with gain on 7 and channel volume on 3.

Is this the way it is supposed to be ?

Thanks so far for your helping advices.

So I am asking again is this now the normal behaviour of a Mark IV ?

Are there any Mark IV users who can tell me ?

I appreciate any further helping advices

 

[Markedman]

That sounds about as normal as can be expected without being there to hear for myself. I'd be happy with those settings. I'm the type of player who is constantly messing with the knobs and I found the balancing of channels fairly easy on my Mark IV. Loudness is "perceived" and as such, we all perceived sound differently. Years ago I played in a band where the other guitar player had a very piercing clean and a super compressed scooped lead channel that had absolutely no "cut" in the mix, it drove sound men crazy. You could see his fingers flying but couldn't decipher what he was playing, and it was LOUD but to him it was great. Usually when I practice at my studio with the band, I'm 90% set with my sound but the room where the gig is is always different so I make minor adjustments when I get set up, and usually it's how much lead drive (for some reason I start out at 3.5 and end up at 5.5 at the end of the night, ha-ha) and the balance between channels that seems to need adjusting the most.

 

[sduck]

You're not going to get much volume from the clean channel with the treble rolled back that much. The treble knob has a huge impact on the overall volume - it's almost another gain knob. Personally I keep mine around 6-7.