Does anyone here use the rectifier rack power amp?

I know JP used one on the Score album but he's filling stadiums and what not. I however am not.

I'm wondering if this would be a good power amp to use to tighten up the tone for an aggressive metal and also still let the thick smooth lead tone come out?

I got a chance to practice with our band for the first time with the studio preamp into my valvemaster's 100 watt 6L6 power amp section and while it had a great tone and I know I still have tweaking to do with the EQ, the low end was pretty loose and flabby when doing big detuned palm muted power chords.

Anyways, I'm still looking for a power amp that can give me a loud and powerful tight palm mute but still retain the thick smooth warm leads. Can the recto power amp do this or should I look into something else?

Suggestions?

I don't have any personal experience with it...however, I've heard people say it's their least favorite Mesa power amp. I would look for a Simul 295 or 395 if I were you. The 395 has a deep function that would be great for the chugga-chugga, but you would still have that simul-class richness associated with the Mark amps.

I've had the opposite experience... where most of the people I've spoken to have said it was the best Mesa power amp, including the Mesa tech support who steered me towards the 2:100 as opposed to the 2:90... I use it with both a Triaxis and Recto Recording Pre....tone and headroom for days. I love it...and most of the venues I play are clubs and theaters.

I must admit though, that the tight Metal rhythm thing isn't exactly what I do.

well, if you don't do tight metal and still use it, that just speaks even more about the versatility of it and/or the preamp you use.

anyways, I noticed that only the 2:90 has the deep, modern and tight modes. how do these affect the overall character of the sound?

Kinda like this

DEEP :
will get lower and "breathier" and the high end will sound warmer and more three dimensional. The Deep feature enhances both clean and distorted sounds equally


1/2 DRIVE :
When 1/2 drive is activated the 2:90's overall output is reduced by
roughly half and you will hear the volume drop correspondingly, the top end gets a little brighter in a higher frequency and just starts to break up. When listening to 1/2 Drive pushing a clean sound these break-up brights may seem excessive. Switching to a high gain sound however, tells the real story right away! The top end gets softer and the harmonies line up and start to dance. The whole amp gets spongier and feels easier to play. When using 1/2 Drive for giant crunch chords it provides the haze that's hard to beat, especially when used in conjunction with the Deep feature. Half Drive was originally conceived as a way to get more gain from the power section to combine with high gain sounds in the preamp. This works beautifully. There is, however, another great way to put this feature to work that is easily overlooked. Dial up a clean sound from the pre-amp, then increase the front end gain as high as possible without pushing it into full blown distortion ... you know, just to the threshold of distortion. Trigger the 112 Drive to unleash a truly cool and bluesy medium gain lead sound.
Darken or brighten to taste either at the tone controls or with the 2:90 presence controls. , engaging the 1/2 Drive causes a
volume decrease.

MODERN :
Modern is the cure for "anemic chunk”. It places emphasis on the
percussive mids and highs and tightens those flubby lows where they tighten up right at the power section. Modern also provides a little more headroom resulting in a volume increase.
When Modern is used in conjunction with Half Drive there is virtually no volume change and the benefits of both are incorporated to achieve more gain, more aggression, more harmonics, more scoop, more attack etc.

wow thanks for the descriptions. It sounds like the 2:90 can get a pretty good spread of feel depending on what the situation calls for. Quick question, can you assign one channel one mode and the other side a different mode?

And can you change them on the fly?

no you can't.
You can dowload manuals,don't you know it ???

not at work. :?