Mesa Studio preamp is still a sweet piece of gear

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stratotone

stratotone

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RMvsMesa.jpg


Bought one to get my MTS module closer to it tonewise... I owned one of these back in the early 90s, hated it. Couldn't get super tight metal scoopage out of it... kept it for a few weeks, then it was traded locally.

Been playing with it now, and the thing just flat out kills. Only thing I really hate about it was the price - I paid half what they are going for now back in the day. Forgot that the thing actually had a line or pedal level loop (mesa, why the hell didn't you put this option on all amps after this? Just boggles my mind) and has a great fender blackface clean tone. Does the boogie overdrive thing great, speaker emulated outs are a little sucktacular, but into my fractal it kills. I could even get useful drive tones out of it without the EQ. I really forgot what a great lead tone a mark series preamp is. Super tight lows? nope. Scooped hifi metal mayhem? Not really. Super sweet lead tones that are a little forgiving but sound hotwired to your soul? Check.

Makes me want to put together a backbreaker 10 space rack with some sort of preamp switcher, the mesa studio, an RM4, fractal and a poweramp. *sigh* like I don't have enough rigs here anyways...

Pete
 
stratotone":3kd1b7an said:
RMvsMesa.jpg


Bought one to get my MTS module closer to it tonewise... I owned one of these back in the early 90s, hated it. Couldn't get super tight metal scoopage out of it... kept it for a few weeks, then it was traded locally.

Been playing with it now, and the thing just flat out kills. Only thing I really hate about it was the price - I paid half what they are going for now back in the day. Forgot that the thing actually had a line or pedal level loop (mesa, why the hell didn't you put this option on all amps after this? Just boggles my mind) and has a great fender blackface clean tone. Does the boogie overdrive thing great, speaker emulated outs are a little sucktacular, but into my fractal it kills. I could even get useful drive tones out of it without the EQ. I really forgot what a great lead tone a mark series preamp is. Super tight lows? nope. Scooped hifi metal mayhem? Not really. Super sweet lead tones that are a little forgiving but sound hotwired to your soul? Check.

Makes me want to put together a backbreaker 10 space rack with some sort of preamp switcher, the mesa studio, an RM4, fractal and a poweramp. *sigh* like I don't have enough rigs here anyways...

Pete
Click to expand...

How would you say the Studio preamp compares to the MkIIC model on the AxeFX?

I agree with the bit about the Mark series Boogie lead tone. The red channel on my Nomad cops that sound... which is terrible for rhythm (too middy and flubby), but fucking awesome for leads.
 
I had a Quad and Studio Preamp at the same time, both are Excellent sounding IMHO!
 
ttosh":1ebjjrwx said:
I had a Quad and Studio Preamp at the same time, both are Excellent sounding IMHO!
Click to expand...

I had a quad in the past too... they are getting too hard to find and expensive imho. Figured the studio would be close enough for my purposes. :)
 
I miss my Quad.

I want a Studio, but they aren't $300 any more :(
 
BTW,

Pete what did you start with for the Studio module?

Doesn't the tone stack have to come before the gain?

COD is the only thing that comes to mind aside from the clean mods.
 
guitarslinger":3q85knif said:
BTW,

Pete what did you start with for the Studio module?

Doesn't the tone stack have to come before the gain?

COD is the only thing that comes to mind aside from the clean mods.
Click to expand...

I didn't worry about the tone stack being early because I don't have a way to put a 5 band active EQ on the module, so the tone stack on the module HAS to have more effect than on the studio.

I sent clips of the module and the studio preamp through the fractal with the exact same settings to several guys and they agreed both sounded like mark series mesas. I have a little more tweaking to do but they both sound like the real deal. Can probably use any high gain module, I need to check the pcb for sure. This one was done with an Ultra Lead.

Pete
 
Hey...you posted this without posting the clips..ya could at least post the Mesa reference track before ya get the final tweaks done to the MTS! It was a good clip... :rock:
 



One is the studio preamp, other is the Randall, both are into a Fractal standard for reverb, delay, and cab emulation. Was the easiest way to make sure I was levelling the playing field for both clips.

Pete
 
I liked the first one better, more upper mids working on that one.

Which is which?


I'll one was the Studio.
 
First one is the Randall. Second is the mesa.

: ) They both have the mesa flavor though, right?

Pete
 
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