Fractal Audio AMP models: Recto1 and Recto2 (Mesa Dual Rectifier, 2-ch and 3-ch)

When I think of Mesa Boogie rectifiers these tones/songs come to mind:






Some of those tones are really magical.
To me the Rectifier is all about sounding huge, raw and loose.
If I want a really tight sound I'll go for a different amp, like a 5150 III but the Recto always delivers when you need a big, wide and raw sound!
I personally almost never like to boost the Recto's because that way you kinda lose the magic of the amps.
The only exception I make is for really low tuned 8-string guitars like Meshuggah has done.
To get the clarity you need with those low tunings a TS is simply needed.

The settings I like to use for my 6-string (EMG equipped) guitars are as follows:

Gain: 7.00
Bass: 2.50
Mids: 5.50/6.00
Treble: 5.80/6.00
Presence 6.00
Master volume: 2.50

I used to set the master volume lower but with the more recent firmwares these settings seem to work well.
I prefer the Recto 1 modern red model but 2 modern red also kicks ass for modern rock tones.

I also want to add that using EMG's can really make a difference with these amps.
When I used my old Les Paul classic I always felt that the low end was way too boomy.

My favorite cabs for the Recto amps at the moment are the MES from the upcoming Ownhammer HHC and the ENGL with the V30 option.
 
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For the Recto1 model, I quite like using the ORG MDRN, rather than RED. It seems to be a bit less 'bitey' from what I remember (though I don't have the unit in front of me to check, just going off memory).

Regarding boosts, I usually use the T808, drive low (about 1), tone around 5, and the level only a hair above unity gain (about 6), just to tighten it and add some grit.

I have found that using my TC electronic integrated preamp as a boost, I can get a much punchier, clearer tone than the T808 though. More bottom end, yet tighter. Its just a two-band EQ (supposedly), but I have had very limited success trying to copy its effect within the Axe, using other boosts or using the parametric EQ (even with the same center frequencies). Closest I got was with the FET boost, but it didn't really have the same feel.
 
Another thing is that if you put ANYTHING in the loop of a Recto it changes the tone significantly.

Ok so this is my problem. I have a 3 Channel Triple Recto. The one thing I have a love/hate relationship with is the FX loop. If you bypass is, it Fs your tone right in the A. BUT, somehow the effects loop gives me the tone I love. So I always have it engaged even if no effects are on.

I want to switch to the Axe Fx totally, so I'm trying to figure out this effect. It seems to me like it's a HAAS effect in mono. I think the effects loop has a SLIGHTLY delayed version of the signal in parallel. If this happens at the end of a signal chain it can get really muddy sounding. The other day I recorded the axe through the analog outs into two different audio interfaces. If you play them back at the same time they sound muddy and the tone totally changes. However if you roll back the volume on one track about halfway, it seems to add this warmth to it. I want to mimic this, but before the amp/cab. Or maybe where the effects loop would be in the amp.

Has anyone done something like that? Does anyone know what this effect is technically called?
 
Great posts!
I absolutely LOVE the Recto amps.
They are my favorite models by far.
With my band I almost exclusively use the Recto's for rhythms because they just sound so huge.
This is a recent recording from my band with the Recto models:


Here are some more clips I made for my soundcloud recently featuring the Recto's:




awesome sound what did you use for the recording in valhella revolution? the riff cuts in the mix so good that you have headband
 
Compressor in parallel with look ahead turned to the desired amount of delay, or a stereo cab block with null IR's , delay on one side
 
Really getting into the Rectos with 4.01b.

My tip is to engage the bass cut function in the amp block and put a PEQ block after the amp (I use the settings I stole from this preset). This will tighten things up considerably without having to resort to a Tube Screamer OD in front (I like FAS Boost better with the Vintage models anyway).

I started with the factory presets Recto Vintage and Recto Modern and made some small EQ tweaks and am pretty happy.

PEQ block:
Freq 1 type: Shelving
Freq 1: 77.08 Hz
Q1: 0.455
Gain 1: -1.81

Freq 5 type: Shelving
Freq 5: 6750 Hz
Q5: 0.707
Gain: 0

Freq 2 type: Peaking
Freq 2: 243.9 Hz
Q2: 0.508
Gain 2: -2.00

Freq 4 type: Peaking
Freq 4: 2221 Hz
Q4: 0.707
Gain 4: 0

Freq 3: 747.8 Hz
Q3: 0.707
Gain 3: 0​
 
I'm gonna have to try that when I get home. May work better than what I'm doing now, but my Recto 2 Red Modern settings are as follows:

Gain: 6.5
Bass: 5
Mids: 5
Treble: 6
Presence: 5
Master Volume: 2.5

Cut engaged to tighten the bass (this is MUST).

TS-808 in front, Drive at 0, Mix 100%, Tone at 5. The changes to the drive block in 4.01b were a godsend.

On the speaker page, I lower the low freq resonance to 4 to tighten up palm mutes a little bit.

Still probably some room for improvement but this is probably the best tone I've ever heard, at least for my tastes.
 
I'm really digging the Rectos currently - just set up a Dual Recto patch with Red Vintage and Modern channels which I can select by scene (also with an option to go to Orange in the X/Y states).

Was inspired by the firmware upgrades (both 4.0 and 4.01b) and then just watched the Foo Fighters live at Wembley this weekend ...

Thanks again FAS for great modelling!
 
One thing about the Rectos that I haven't seen mentioned anywhere on this forum is the tonestack options Recto Org Brt and Recto Red Brt.

When I tried these yesterday it seemed like they bypassed the presence control completely and it also made the tone controls behave differently.

Does anyone know what happens when these are used? Are they available options on the real thing?
 
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One thing about the Rectos I haven't seen this mentioned anywhere on this forum is the tonestack options Recto Org Brt and Recto Red Brt.

When I tried these yesterday it seemed like they bypassed the presence control completely and it also made the tone controls behave differently.

Does anyone know what happens when these are used? Are they available options on the real thing?
Tonestack options don't exist on real amps because it's basically restructuring part of the amp, sometimes to a totally different design.

One exception is things like the Hook which have a setting which bypasses the preamp controls; that's once that actually exists on an amp.
 
the recto tone is so insane because of the cold clipping circuit, theres like 3 different layers to the tone.

1. fundamental, basically super clean like DI sound, where all the bass comes from
2. crunchy distortion, sort of lower in level and sits in the background but is pretty steady, changes distortion amount with how hard you hit
3. another distortion layer, but kind of like a bit crusher, super squared off clipping sound that doesn't do much till you hit the threshold and then it buzzsaws your face off. that's the fizz most people hate. but it's that fizz that sits on top that enables you to still hear the percussive stuff you do with the pick when you have a lot of gain going on.

i bet if you plugged into a ABY box and ran A to a clean bass amp, B to a DSL 100 and Y to a crate combo with a bitcrusher pedal you would sound like a dual rectifier.
 
i think they added the cold clipping circuit to the mark V amps too, because the mark amp lead channel used to be super smooth, the IIC+ and the III and the IV. lamb of god tone on ashes of the wake and as the palaces burn, and chevelle tone on wonder whats next and this type of thinking. then the Vs came out (wrath, resolution, vena serra, hats off to the bull) and all of a sudden there is this fucking buzz sitting on top of the tone...not bad but annoying to me being used to studio preamp type smooth lead channel. at least M. Morton still uses the IV. as the palaces burn tone is STUPID.
 
i think they added the cold clipping circuit to the mark V amps too, because the mark amp lead channel used to be super smooth, the IIC+ and the III and the IV. lamb of god tone on ashes of the wake and as the palaces burn, and chevelle tone on wonder whats next and this type of thinking. then the Vs came out (wrath, resolution, vena serra, hats off to the bull) and all of a sudden there is this fucking buzz sitting on top of the tone...not bad but annoying to me being used to studio preamp type smooth lead channel. at least M. Morton still uses the IV. as the palaces burn tone is STUPID.

No, they didn't add a cold clipping circuit. The Mark V is almost identical to the Mark IV circuit. On *some* Mark IV's there is a capacitor across the plate resistor of the last lead stage. Some amps have it, some don't. It makes a big difference. With the cap there the tone is smoother. Mark II's had it on non-SimulClass versions. The Studio Pre was a very different animal.
 
Great posts!
I absolutely LOVE the Recto amps.
They are my favorite models by far.
With my band I almost exclusively use the Recto's for rhythms because they just sound so huge.
This is a recent recording from my band with the Recto models:


Here are some more clips I made for my soundcloud recently featuring the Recto's:





Jon,
Great tones man! Do you run a boost or eq block before the amp block? Or is that straight into the amp? Thanks!
 
No, they didn't add a cold clipping circuit. The Mark V is almost identical to the Mark IV circuit. On *some* Mark IV's there is a capacitor across the plate resistor of the last lead stage. Some amps have it, some don't. It makes a big difference. With the cap there the tone is smoother. Mark II's had it on non-SimulClass versions.


On the Mark IIC+, does this capacitor have something to do with the big coupling capacitor at the end of the EQ (for IIC+ with GEQ) ?
 
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