Mesa Triaxis

[Whatamada]

Hey guys!

I found a used Triaxis and I´m considering buying it.
But I´m a little hesitant, it is quite old and I´m guessing the tech isn´t "up to date" compared to other preamps.

My question is this, is the Triaxis worth buying because it still sounds great, or should I just move on?

All the best!

 

[JMMP]

Tube amps haven't changed THAT much in the last 30 years. The TriAxis has two versions, 1.0 and 2.0 (these refer to software). The 1.0 responds to MIDI program change messages, so basically you get 100 sounds mapped to 128 MIDI messages. Version 2.0 enabled MIDI ControlChange controls. This allows you to "morph" setting inside of a sound based on a MIDI expression pedal or footswitch. Take a read of the TriAxis manual if you want to learn more. I had a 2.0 a few years ago and was underwhelmed with the sound and sold it. I have a 1.0 now with a different lead 1 red and love the tones I get from it.
The spec most people discuss is the recto board and such, basically
1.0 (unless updated) has British shred in lead 1 red.
2.0 can have either "Recto," "Phat mod Recto," or "Classic Boogie Lead." I had the classic Boogie Lead before, and now have the British shred. I find the British to be a much more useful sound. Most will swesr by the non-Phat recto, but most actually buy the TriAxis for lead 2 yellow, Mark 2C+

 

[Whatamada]

Tube amps haven't changed THAT much in the last 30 years. The TriAxis has two versions, 1.0 and 2.0 (these refer to software). The 1.0 responds to MIDI program change messages, so basically you get 100 sounds mapped to 128 MIDI messages. Version 2.0 enabled MIDI ControlChange controls. This allows you to "morph" setting inside of a sound based on a MIDI expression pedal or footswitch. Take a read of the TriAxis manual if you want to learn more. I had a 2.0 a few years ago and was underwhelmed with the sound and sold it. I have a 1.0 now with a different lead 1 red and love the tones I get from it.
The spec most people discuss is the recto board and such, basically
1.0 (unless updated) has British shred in lead 1 red.
2.0 can have either "Recto," "Phat mod Recto," or "Classic Boogie Lead." I had the classic Boogie Lead before, and now have the British shred. I find the British to be a much more useful sound. Most will swesr by the non-Phat recto, but most actually buy the TriAxis for lead 2 yellow, Mark 2C+

Yeah, I´m on board with the fact that tube amps hasn´t changed all that much, I was more thinking along the line with different modes being digital or lacking beacause of it and such, but then again, those switches/sounds might not be digital. Is it analog in the modes of the preamp, or are they digital?

Okok, I´ve read some places now that the phat mod isn´t all that. But that the 1.0 and the Recto is the way forward.

What kind of tunes are you using the Triaxis for?

Thank you very much for your input =)

 

[shredhead7]

I also have a triaxis and JMMP is pretty spot on. Mine is a 2.0 Recto. I never use the Recto mode, it's harsh sounding. If you look at the manual, you'll see three modes; rhythm (clean channels two sounds), ld1 three sounds, and ld2 three sounds. In lead 1, you have the in-between sounds and the recto mod. Lead 2 is all of the Mark lead tones (II, III, IV). This is the channel that everyone uses. There isn't a lot of difference between the sounds, III is a little more sizzle, II is a little thicker, and IV is in the middle. I use Petrucci's settings, III for crunch rhythms and variations between II and IV for leads.

To answer your question, it's analogue as far as the tone, but digital for the midi and patch stores, changes. So, no modeling or emulation, if that is what you are asking.

The settings are a bit strange to get used to, if you have previous amp experience. The eq is wired in series, so each one affects the other and adds gain. If you buy it, start with 5 treble, 5 mid, and 2 bass. It gets woofy quick. The last parameter is the vcurve, which is a preprogrammed parametric eq like the Mark series have. The lower the number, the flatter the eq, the higher the number the more it does a V shape. Typically, you might have it between 2 to 6, more than that is overkill. It also adds gain.

The best representation of the sound is Dream Theater, though I know Metallica used them in the 90's. If you like the Mesa Mark sound, that is what it does best. It's not going to get grinding death metal, like a recto, or be quiet as full/thick, but it's an amazing unit and if you have a great tube power amp to pair it with (preferably the 90:90 that it was made specifically for) you will love it.

 

[SFW]

It is a great preamp that captures a lot of the classic Mesa/Boogie tones. Pair it was a good power amp and the effects unit of your choosing and you'll have a great rig.

 

[phil b]

I had the Triaxis for years and loved it. Mine was a newer version with the "Phat Mod" but I had it reversed. Any descent tech can do the mod {search Boogie forum for details}. I used it mainly for metal but it was versatile enough that the low to mid gain sounds were really good and the cleans were even better. If you know how to dial it in that preamp still sounds great next to todays latest and greatest stuff.

 

[Jack Luminous]

It's been 20 years now I have my Triaxis/2:90 rig. It sounds great as always. The 2.0/recto (no Phat Mod) is the best version IMHO.

 

[Whatamada]

The one I'm looking at right now is the V2 without the phat mod. So, if I'm reading you guys correctly, that's the one I should be going for?
How good is the Mark II and IV sounds in it? I'm one of those guys that actually like the guitar sounds from the black album and load/re-load from Metallica :O

 

[JMMP]

That is definitely one of the generally desired ones. A recto phat mod can be reversed, as mentioned before. Also, as mentioned before, the audio path is all analog, and only the switching is digital. Some people hear a bottleneck in the dynamic voice circuit. Electrically this is a known design oversight, but only rears its head when you run high volumes inside the preamp,and use the dynamic voice circuit. It is easily avoided by just not running the programmable master volume too high.

I like to play classic rock, dream theater, and some clean ambient stuff. Not currently with a band though.

I have compared the TriAxis side by side with a Mark IV and a quad preamp. I would say the quad and mark IV are siblings,while the TriAxis is a close cousin that could be confused for a sibling. And that is really nitpicking. As I mentioned a long time ago on the Boogie board: if you have never played any of the mark series, and you try a TriAxis, you will swear it is the mark series in a small box. Tone wise, that is probably true. But the feels are a little different.

 

[Pushead]

I agree with JMMP. TriAxis vs a Mark IV in the same room were very similar, but the TriAxis just missed "something."

About a year ago, I replaced my TriAxis 2:90 rig. I'd had it for 12 years or so, and was happy with it for a very long time. But as I started going towards a more modern (or current?) sound, the TriAxis couldn't quite keep up. It was a good piece of gear, and was pretty reliable.

 

[Little B]

That is definitely one of the generally desired ones. A recto phat mod can be reversed, as mentioned before. Also, as mentioned before, the audio path is all analog, and only the switching is digital. Some people hear a bottleneck in the dynamic voice circuit. Electrically this is a known design oversight, but only rears its head when you run high volumes inside the preamp,and use the dynamic voice circuit. It is easily avoided by just not running the programmable master volume too high.

I like to play classic rock, dream theater, and some clean ambient stuff. Not currently with a band though.

I have compared the TriAxis side by side with a Mark IV and a quad preamp. I would say the quad and mark IV are siblings,while the TriAxis is a close cousin that could be confused for a sibling. And that is really nitpicking. As I mentioned a long time ago on the Boogie board: if you have never played any of the mark series, and you try a TriAxis, you will swear it is the mark series in a small box. Tone wise, that is probably true. But the feels are a little different.

THIS...id agree with that..i have a MK IV,III, & TRI,& Quad..even had a rack v-twin and formula for a while.Triaxis is a great preamp,nowadays you can stick a mesa eq pedal in its effects loop..very cool...My quad "feels'' a bit more like a real amp,where as the tri has a ton of versatility.My jmp1 and tri can sometimes overlap each other in tone,etc,but yes,the tri is cool- just DONT skimp on the poweramp: this is very important .

 

[steve_k]

The one I'm looking at right now is the V2 without the phat mod. So, if I'm reading you guys correctly, that's the one I should be going for?
How good is the Mark II and IV sounds in it? I'm one of those guys that actually like the guitar sounds from the black album and load/re-load from Metallica :O

The Phat mod only affects the Red modes (Rectifier). Green and Yellow (where the Marks reside) are the same.

 

[rsm]

I was a big ADA user back in the day (full rigs for guitar (MP-1 + MQ-1, upgraded to the MP-2) and bass). I also had a JMP-1 + JFX-1 (just sold earlier this year); owned a Tech21 PSA 1.1 as well... ART SGX2000 and NightBass, i.e., I had many tube / solid state preamps...

I have a Mesa TriAxis with Phat mod. I use it direct, paired with Two Notes Torpedo CAB as the amp in my G-System rig.

The TriAxis sounds great to me (though I dig my Engl E530 more, as it gets more modern tones, no presets/MIDI which I miss). Combining it with the CAB provides so many sound options I lost many hours just exploring tones. Very versatile combination IMO. I ended up with maybe 5-6 preamp patches that I can use with different patches in the CAB and cover a wide range of sounds.

If you can get one for a good price, you may need to replace the tubes so factor that into the cost; then just make sure all the front panel controls work, test MIDI, spray some contact cleaner into the inputs/outputs, you should be fine. The build quality is very good, so unless it was abused the TriAxis should be fine.

I don't recommend getting an ADA MP-2; sounds great but the display panels are not easily replaced.

I also had a Randall RM4 preamp, wish I kept that! If you can find one of these, grab it!