Presence Shift in USA Lead models

DestructionSphere said:
This is why I wish we could have fully separate pre and power amp blocks. I prefer the VHT 2502 to the 2:90, but everyone is different (really I wish it was a VHT 2150 instead). It'd just be nice to mix and match, even on amps that wouldn't support it in real life. The separation would also be nice because it would also act as an amp FX loop, which to my knowledge also isn't an option right now (though I'm pretty new to the AxeFX).
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Not sure how long you've been a Fractal guy but at some point you'll realize that this will *never* happen.
Cliff's stand on this goes back to the Standard and the Ultra days.
 
joegold said:
Not sure how long you've been a Fractal guy but at some point you'll realize that this will *never* happen.
Cliff's stand on this goes back to the Standard and the Ultra days.
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Just over a week. So pretty damn new. I already figured that if he hadn't implemented that feature by now it was probably never going to happen. Did he ever give a reason, or is it just way too much work to implement (seems like it would likely be quite a challenge to do it this late in the game)? I'm not too fussed either way, but it would have been nice at least for the pre-amp models.
 
joegold said:
Something to do with not giving away trade secrets.
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Damn, I didn't realize it was something so ominous. That's a bit of a shame, but I'm still really happy with the sounds I can get out of the XL+, so I can't complain. I'm not even sure how one gets from separate pre/power amps to trade secrets, but I'm not an engineer or anything.
 
The MK IV has a Voicing Switch in the back panel (Harmonics or Mid Gain) The Simul Class 2:90 does not have a Voicing Switch, unless it is hidden inside the chassis.
 
FlavAnderson said:
The MK IV has a Voicing Switch in the back panel (Harmonics or Mid Gain) The Simul Class 2:90 does not have a Voicing Switch, unless it is hidden inside the chassis.
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I asked Cliff if the 'Modern' mode on the 2:90 was the 'Voicing' switch he was talking about but didn't get a response. I am assuming that is what he is referring to since the Deep mode just adds extra bass and the 1/2 drive is self explanatory.

Edit: I just checked the manual for the 2:90 and it looks like the 'Modern' mode is indeed what he is referring to. From the manual:

MODERN

Again, this LED indicates the Modern voicing feature has been selected. Derived from the presence shift switches found on our Mark IV amplifier, and the "Red" or Modern Channel of our Dual Rectifier Solo Head, this sound pushes at the boundaries of today's high gain crunch. To the tame and timid, Modern is a scary sound. It is the opposite of soft... it's hard... hard core aggression. If you love to get way agro with super gained out crunch, Modern will re-focus your attack and clean up the slop. Often times when trying to dial the amount of gain necessary to get the scream and grind... you quickly find the low notes falling apart or becoming too washy. 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. Then try the ultimate enhancement Deep, Half Drive and Modern! We'll spare the adjectives ... just try it out and you'll see why we think this is the most advanced and easiest to use two spaces of Tone Power on the planet.

http://www.mesaboogie.com/media/User Manuals/Stereo Simul 2-90.pdf
 
Reading thru Cliffs comment again, I think you are right, he mentions a "jack" in the back, which operates the voicing, so it isn't a switch per se, it is accessed via a jack! So it must be the Modern voicing like you've posted here. Thanks! LOL
 
While we are on subject here... Does anyone know how you can simulate the DEEP voicing of the SimulClass 2:90 in the Fractal Power Amp Section of the USA Pre's ?
 
admgloval said:
I asked Cliff if the 'Modern' mode on the 2:90 was the 'Voicing' switch he was talking about but didn't get a response. I am assuming that is what he is referring to since the Deep mode just adds extra bass and the 1/2 drive is self explanatory.

Edit: I just checked the manual for the 2:90 and it looks like the 'Modern' mode is indeed what he is referring to. From the manual:

MODERN

Again, this LED indicates the Modern voicing feature has been selected. Derived from the presence shift switches found on our Mark IV amplifier, and the "Red" or Modern Channel of our Dual Rectifier Solo Head, this sound pushes at the boundaries of today's high gain crunch. To the tame and timid, Modern is a scary sound. It is the opposite of soft... it's hard... hard core aggression. If you love to get way agro with super gained out crunch, Modern will re-focus your attack and clean up the slop. Often times when trying to dial the amount of gain necessary to get the scream and grind... you quickly find the low notes falling apart or becoming too washy. 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. Then try the ultimate enhancement Deep, Half Drive and Modern! We'll spare the adjectives ... just try it out and you'll see why we think this is the most advanced and easiest to use two spaces of Tone Power on the planet.

http://www.mesaboogie.com/media/User Manuals/Stereo Simul 2-90.pdf
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On my Simul-Satellite, iirc, the Presence knob has the Pull Shift function and un-pulled is what they called Modern.
The Simul-Satellite was created for stereo-izing a MKIV and is also supposed to be akin to one side of a 2:90 w/o the 1/2 power and Deep switches.
It does have switches for triode/pentode and their pseudo-Class A operation but they aren't foot-switchable.

[Edit: I'm not sure but I think that my Satellite's Class A setting is similar to the 2:Nintey's "1/2 Drive" setting in that it shuts off one of the pairs of power tubes on each channel and then that channel operates in Mesa's quasi-Class A" mode, which isn't really true Class A operation from what I've been told.
But I don't think the 2:Ninety could take EL-34s in the "Class A" tube sockets like the satellite can.
So they're similar but not identical functions.
Unless the "1/2 Drive" function is really a triode/pentode switch which would also reduce power and increase power amp saturation?
It used to bug me that the Satellite wasn't 100% like one side of a 2:Ninety and it's not 100% like a MKIV's power section either.
Still, it was pretty sweet for a portable power amp/speaker cab combo when I was using it with my Triaxis.]

And iirc the Modern voicing has something to do with having less or no negative feedback.
Modern always sounded more harsh, more mid-rangey, but with a bit more headroom, to me.
Presumably the model's Pres Shift switch replicates the non-Modern voicing.
 
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joegold said:
And iirc the Modern voicing has something to do with having less or no negative feedback.
Modern always sounded more harsh, more mid-rangey, but with a bit more headroom, to me.
Presumably the model's Pres Shift switch replicates the non-Modern voicing.
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IIRC, the Modern setting has more negative feedback, which will reduce the squishiness and make the response stiffer.
 
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