Fractal Audio AMP models: USA Clean / USA Lead / USA Rhythm (MESA/Boogie Mark IV)

Is there any information if the simul class option was modelled?
In the IIC+ thread: http://forum.fractalaudio.com/threads/fractal-audio-amp-models-usa-iic-mesa-boogie-mark-iic.115442/
You will find this:
"The original amp operates in Class-A (2 power tubes) or Simul-Class (2 power tubes in Class-A and the other two in Class A/B). It has been modeled in Simul-Class mode."
Cliff: "If you want the sound of the non-SimulClass version set Triode 1 Plate Freq to 1350 Hz."

Can anyone confirm if this also applies to the Mark IV model?
 
Using an ESP EC-1000 with EMG81's so I would think this would be a sufficient guitar for such tones. I also tried my PRS Custom 24, which is a bit less harsh and has a lot more mids, same issues. For that in the room feel I'm running the Axe into a neutral power amp and then into a Marshall Lead 1936

Which USA or Pre Model on the Axe is most similar to the settings they use? I've tried all of them and none of them have the bite or crunchy gain I'm hearing when they jam, so I'm not sure what I'm doing or not doing to achieve that sound. I have similar issues with the Recto models - they all sound really low-gain, even when the Gain and input trim is cranked.

I own a real EVH 5150 III and on Red I get face-melting gain at 4-5 and on the Axe I gotta have the input trim cranked as well as gain at 8-9 to get similar Saturation. So, not sure. I'll post some video on what I'm experiencing.
 
Yeah the USA Lead is what I've heard, but it sounds meh when I dial it up. I'm wondering if I have a firmware or gain staging issue somewhere.


Try adding a Tube Screamer style Drive block in front of the Amp block, Drive at 0.00, Level to taste (I prefer to use the T808 OD model with the Level control at 2.50, which to my ears is more or less unity gain). This will tighten the tone up and give it much more focus and punch.

I don't know which Amp model in the Axe II would be the closest to the LOG tone you want, but the best sounding and easiest to dial in of the Mesa Boogie Mark models is the USA IIC++. It's head & shoulders above the rest of the IIc+ & IV models (IMHO).
 
Yeah the USA Lead is what I've heard, but it sounds meh when I dial it up. I'm wondering if I have a firmware or gain staging issue somewhere.
Try the general Mesa tips: high gain (and overdrive), extremely low bass, low mids (move this around last), very high treble, then the V in the EQ
 
A couple of weeks ago I swapped the FIVE out with the Mark IV doing the 6l6/el34 combo. I'm going to be here awhile, this rig sounds awesome.
 
Try the general Mesa tips: high gain (and overdrive), extremely low bass, low mids (move this around last), very high treble, then the V in the EQ


I recently picked up a used Mark V head.
Learning the Mesa BMT and EQ and gain stages is interesting.

Great amp and your tips are pretty accurate.
 
Yeah the USA Lead is what I've heard, but it sounds meh when I dial it up. I'm wondering if I have a firmware or gain staging issue somewhere.
More info on what I said above, here's a Cliff quote:
"These were my settings for a killer high-gain tone: Model: USA IIC+ / Input Drive: 8.1 / Overdrive: 9-10 / Bass: 1.0 / Midrange: 1.8 / Treble: 8.9 / Presence: 4.5 / MV: 4.0 / Level: -20 dB / Bright Switch ON / 80 Hz: 4.8 / 240 Hz: 2.6 / 750 Hz: -4.5 / 2200: -0.2 / 6600: 0."
 
I had to chime in to say that I've fallen in love with USA Rhythm. For my lighter crunch tones, it's proven to be a great channel. I really don't get why people seem to dislike the Rhythm 2 channel on the real amp. Maybe because you might have to make compromises on the real amp to make another channel sound better? At any rate, the USA series continues to be my favorite in the Axe.

As far as the guy wanting to cop Lamb of God tones, I'd try either USA Lead or USA Lead+. There's plenty of gain there -- no pedal required (it kinda sounds like you might have other problems with your rig though). Lead+ has more gain per the manual "Most noticeable is the big increase in gain and sustain when MID GAIN is selected. This added gain is focused in the mid-range 'punch' region..." However, I'm sure you can get great results out of the IIC++ too.

There's a good picture of Willie's settings on a Mark V in Mark IV mode in this video. Of note is that the graphic EQ isn't in the typical V shape. Mark was using a Royal Atlantic in this video, so I'm not sure what his typical graphic EQ settings might be. But from that video I noticed that they sort of follow the Metallica tone model where Willie/James has more bite and attack in their tone and Mark/Kirk is fatter, darker and has a different mid-range quality. Together they sound massive.
 
What kind of speakers do you guys like with the Mark amps?

I second firmani99's suggestion for the Vintage 30s. When I use one of the Mark series amps, I tend to use Factory Cab 108 (Petrucci V30 mix). It's a darker sounding IR, so there's a little more room to move when adjusting the treble in the amp block.
 
Made a Lead Brt + patch last night and it's a really neat amp. It's got a lot of midrange to it and the distortion is not smooth like the HBE I usually use but more raspy almost buzzy like power tube distortion but from the preamp. I think I ended up using an SM57 + R121 from the Bulb Zilla pack, something like a Creamback M. Really great for playing leads with a little delay on the back end. Bass and mids down, treble up, both gains around 7.

I want to try a Lead Brt patch as I think that doesn't have the mid shift for a bit more scooped (or flat) rhythm sound, then a TS or similar mid boost EQ/filter to mimic the mid shift for leads.

Also played around with the USA Clean but it wasn't terribly inspiring. Might give the TX Star a go too.
 
Being that I saw them last week, I also wanted to add that I think Lamb of God gets great tones out of the Mark IV (although I think they switched to Mark Vs in recent years).

The remixed/remastered version of "As the Palaces Burn" I think is exemplary of what the Mark IV in particular can sound like. Tracks like Ruin, 11th Hour, In Defense of Our Good Name, and Vigil feature killer riffs and great tone (at least on the remastered version).

Probably not everyone's cup of tea, but I live for good riffs. :cool:

Devin Townsend produced that album with them, and I would imagine if he did the guitar recording like he does everything else (UNWAVERING IRON VICE GRIP OF CONTROL) he probably insisted to put his little green overdrive box in front of their Mark IVs. I swear i can hear it, it adds the tiniest bit of sand to the top end breakup and rolls off a little bottom, sounds to me just like the dual rec tones on his own records with SYL and DTP. and distinctly missing from the tones on Wrath, but i think M. Morton used a bunch of pissed-off marshall stuff on that record and Willie had his new shiny Mark V on extreme mode turned to 11. sounds like a bunch of fucking bees!
 
Yeah the USA Lead is what I've heard, but it sounds meh when I dial it up. I'm wondering if I have a firmware or gain staging issue somewhere.

nah son, there are so many things that can ruin a tone in the virtual amp realm, you need to go one thing at a time or you'll get lost in the haystack.

1. load an IR from another preset that in your expert consumer opinion doesn't suck.
1.a. MAKE SURE THE CAB BLOCK PARAMETERS ARE THE SAME (save it as a global block and drop it in to save 10 minutes)
2. turn master volume off. turn off the 5 band EQ.
3. set all knobs to noon. on mark series amps, turn the bass OFF. you don't need the bass knob.
4. set master to off, output to 0 db.
5. crack master volume slowly so as not to kill yourself
6. play and walk up the master volume slowly and adjust the output level if it gets too loud.
7. somewhere between off and noon the master volume will stop getting any louder and just start to break up more. stop at the point where it feels good. the more master volume, the less the tone knobs will do anything noticable.
8. once you like the way the master feels, leave it there.
9. with gain starting at noon, adjust to taste.
10. turn the treble knob to max and get your face ripped off. turn down to taste.
11. turn middle knob off while playing to see what it does. then turn it to max and see what it adds to the gain. adjust to taste.
12. crack bass open slowly while playing and notice how everything starts flubbing out past about 8 o'clock.
13. between gain, drive, treble and middle, build your distortion circuit that breaks up how you like.
14. after getting the preamp to breakup how you like, turn on the 5 band EQ and hold onto your butt.
15. Mark amps have the tone knobs before the gain, so adding treble or bass feeds the gain circuit with that energy, it effects the distortion characteristics. that's why there's an EQ at the end, so you can dial your distortion type, then still be able to shape the low end and mids and highs.
16. lastly, dial in a tone with the model that has the bright switch presence knob modeled off and you can get away with a lot more with the treble knob on that version. the model with the bright switch presence knob pulled on gets really peaky without much help.

this is for the metal tone version, Mark amps can do abused AC30-type clean break up too, just turn the gain back down and turn up the bass knob, then crank treble until you get your desired amount of string chime come back in.
 
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