where should the gain knob on my Recto be for playing metal

[b0nkersx]

If you don't post clips, nobodies going to be able to help you.

 

[bermuda_]

Right I'll put a clip up to show you guys :mrgreen:

 

[jlomonac]

hey! i have recto roadster too, and i play mostly metal too, i usually run the gain n the 2 ~ 3 pm range, bass at around 12~1, treble around 1~2 pm and mid between 7~9 am. use the presence knob too i helps, try the presence at around 3 pm. i do run a tube screamer up front! makes everything tighter :mrgreen:

 

[joshua_rivera]

i cant remember the last time i saw a heavy band not use a boost in front. makes it alot tighter, you dont need any gain, just a volume boost to smash the preamp. i havent played a show without one since i got my route 66

QFT. this will cut down the "flubbiness" of your amp a LOT. the pedal will tighten the sound, compress mids, and clean up the high end.

 

[stephen sawall]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P8xho5vYJR8

 

[Holy Diver]

^ ah stop....

That's going to break his heart completely.............. lol

Utter bulls**t

 

[ibanezrocker720]

I think I know the sound you are looking for on your amp but you are going to need an OD pedal to keep it tight. I'd recommend the Maxon OD808 in the front end of the amp with the Overdrive on the pedal off or barely on, the tone at noon, and the balance around 1:00. Then try channel 3 in the modern setting with presence about 11:00, master at 9:00, gain at 1:00, bass maxed out because the OD808 removes a ton of the bass, Mid at 11:00 and Treble at 1:00. I run my master volume at around 11:00 as well and for me this is a tight agressive sound that allows you to hear all the notes and still sounds brutal ala Killswitch Engage. Also I run a BBE stomp after the OD808 because the Maxon takes so much bass out and this lets me dial some low end back in to the beast. I think any gain past 2:00 on rectifiers just sounds too fizzy and muddy. Just my 2 cents, hope it helps man.

 

[groovebelly]

if you're bluesy at noon on Modern or even vintage... you have to have anemic pu's

I also think...
>the master needs to be higher to get some force behind the preamp gain
>jumpering the efx loop and maxing the send volume should give you a boost as well... however, after the preamp, obviously
>try high gain JJ 12ax7s

 

[cheameup]

granted i'm a new DR owner but I cant see how it cant have enough gain. modern mode gain at 2:00 is insane with the master at 12:00 . are you playing loud or at home ? My heavy sounds I keep the gain between 12:00 and 2:00 depending on the song . To me the amp sounds great at bedroom level but not amzing but get it cranked a bit and it comes alive

 

[greg_moreira]

The fact that you state that the tubes were changed recently make me thing that this might be part of the problem. You cant throw just any old tube in there..... Are we talking preamp or power tubes? Either way...going the wrong direction with the tube swap might be attributing to the problem.

as far as gain goes.....noon is more than enough for a satisfactory metal tone. if your using the loop.....use the individual channel volume controls, but ALSO use the output knob on the far left for the overall, master volume. Make sure on the rear of the amp you are set to silicon diodes and pushed. And....make sure the individual channel switches are set to modern. I know that might sound obvious, but assuming that nothing is wrong with the amp....a blues tone in channel 3 modern mode just isnt anywhere close to what you should be hearing.

 

[b0nkersx]

if you're bluesy at noon on Modern or even vintage... you have to have anemic pu's

You know, that's not a bad thought.

bermuda_, try changing the 9V battery for your active pickups.

 

[ibanez4life SZ!]

Band volume, or are you trying to play the amp in your bedroom and get full response.

I'm still a firm believer that these amps aren't worth turning on if you can't crank them.

Turn it up, and you'll be amazed at how much gain there is at noon.

Eric

 

[RectoStudioGuy]

An eq in front of the amp will also help you sculpt you gain tone

 

[uberchris]

^ I agree completely. I play metal thru a DR and active pick ups and no boost and my amp screams. Master output at 11:00, channel vol about 11-noon, gain about 1:00, presence 11-1, mid at 11:00( very important, mids, no balls) treble @ 9:00 to taste. Channel 3 set to modern, diode rec mode and spongy. You should be able to destroy things with that amp with or without a boost up front. Try cleaning the contact points where the tubes seat, you'd be surprised how much affect dirty contacts can kill your sound. What kind of tubes was it re tubed with, and when you changed them did you clean the contacts?

 

[stephen sawall]

There is something wrong .... find a person in the real world to look at your rig that knows these amps. People here could guess forever what the problem is ..... and get nowhere .... if you did not find the problem with all the suggestions so far.

 

[rjf]

As far as the gain knob without a boost ( I don't boost either), DIME the gain knob and then back it off just a hair. That should have you at about 4:30 or so.

I also don't understand how you could play metal with the gain at noon or one o clock, without the boost. It's metal, not dirty blues... :?

 

[bermuda_]

Thanks guys for all your suggestions and don't worry I'm going to post the clip of me playing my as soon as possible, but first I have yet to decide on which program I should use, in order to a good recording sound, from the amp :lol:

Also the amp was re-tubed with the special tube amp combo kit, from Doug recommend me, from Doug's tubes, but what do you mean when you said I should clean the contacts where the tubes set?

 

[stephen sawall]

As far as the gain knob without a boost ( I don't boost either), DIME the gain knob and then back it off just a hair. That should have you at about 4:30 or so.

I also don't understand how you could play metal with the gain at noon or one o clock, without the boost. It's metal, not dirty blues... :?

Most people consider the sound with the gain at 10 o'clock on the red channel without a boost to be "metal". Extreme high gain is not really needed to do a lot of metal sounds.

....... of course your definition of "metal" may be very different than mine or others. I consider Black Sabbath "metal" and most of that stuff is not high gain. More so in the early days of BS.

If you do a clip please note what other stuff is being used .... guitar / pickup / cab style / speaker / amp settings / etc.
So we know what you are doing and not just guessing.

.... and please do not add any effects or pedals. It may make it sound better .... but well not help with this in any way.

 

[bermuda_]

That's strange on my amp, I have found if I set the gain knob set to 10 o'clock on it, it gives me amp a nice clean tone, but that's all about it, in order to get the amp to a bit of gain from the amp, I find that the gain knob has to be set to 12 o'clock.

Also just so you know guys I'm inexperienced when it comes to knowing about how tube amps function, so I really appreciate all the help, :wink: advise you guys have given me, also I'll have the clip up soon guys, because even I agree that we could discuss this topic until the cows come home, and we would still not find any solutions to the problem :lol:

I was thinking though, that maybe the only reason why the owner who I previously bought the amp of sold me it, was because, there was probably something wrong with amp, so instead of sending the amp to a repairman to be fixed, he decided to sell it to someone else?

If that's the case I'll never buy another pre owned tube amp of Ebay again, that's for sure, lesson learnt.

 

[cheameup]

there must be something wrong somewhere either amp, leads or guitar . if your putting the channel master at 12:00 and the gain at 10:00 to 12:00 and its clean on modern or vintage somewhere in your chain theres a problem .

If i were you I would just go to a mesa dealer and play another recto with the same settings and see if its different