NAD - Mesa Boogie Triaxis (for the 2nd time)

  • Thread starter Thread starter ultimatemetalguitartones
  • Start date Start date
Congrats!

I think most people agree that the Triaxis is most well known for its high gain tones but in my opinion some of its strongest areas are in the "big fat cleans to edge-of-breakup" tones you can get from it, especially considering that it's a rack preamp, and those basically never specialize in that part of the guitar's tonal spectrum.

Kinda interesting that it does clean tones so well but you rarely hear or see people exploring its less extreme sounds.
 
Last edited:
Congrats!

I think most people agree that the Triaxis is most well known for its high gain tones but in my opinion some of its strongest areas are in the "big fat cleans to edge-of-breakup" tones you can get from it, especially considering that it's a rack preamp, and those basically never specialize in that part of the guitar's tonal spectrum.

Kinda interesting that it does clean tones so well but you rarely hear or see people exploring its less extreme sounds.
I really like mine, and while I haven't boosted it or put pedals in front of it, I would like to have more of an Andy timmons sound out of it. I feel like it does cleans really well and it does the Mark 2-4 really well, but that in between LD1 is really lacking. Again, maybe I need to setup a patch that is clean with boosts and various pedals to get into that in between area.
 
Something I'm hearing on the high notes with the modulation I'm not liking at all. Is that onboard or an external effect?
 
I really like mine, and while I haven't boosted it or put pedals in front of it, I would like to have more of an Andy timmons sound out of it. I feel like it does cleans really well and it does the Mark 2-4 really well, but that in between LD1 is really lacking. Again, maybe I need to setup a patch that is clean with boosts and various pedals to get into that in between area.

I find really good results with LD1 Green and Amber, but those channels can get a bit screechy or ice-picky with decent amounts of gain so I like to run post EQ in the chain and really dial back the high treble. You still get the nice compression and blackface type airy crispness of the pushed sound from the tubes being pushed a bit, then an external EQ tames the ice picks.

Actually, in my opinion the Triaxis is fantastic but with one caveat. You MUST run an external EQ with it, either in the loop or after it.

The Dynamic Voice parameter is complete garbage. It's meant to act as an entire graphic EQ, going from flat to V'd, but it just doesn't sound good at all. It just scoops a very narrow band of mids from the signal and ends up making the tone fake and hollow sounding. The best setting for it is either completely off, or 1 where it lets just a bit more extra low end through and that's it.
 
I find really good results with LD1 Green and Amber, but those channels can get a bit screechy or ice-picky with decent amounts of gain so I like to run post EQ in the chain and really dial back the high treble. You still get the nice compression and blackface type airy crispness of the pushed sound from the tubes being pushed a bit, then an external EQ tames the ice picks.

Actually, in my opinion the Triaxis is fantastic but with one caveat. You MUST run an external EQ with it, either in the loop or after it.

The Dynamic Voice parameter is complete garbage. It's meant to act as an entire graphic EQ, going from flat to V'd, but it just doesn't sound good at all. It just scoops a very narrow band of mids from the signal and ends up making the tone fake and hollow sounding. The best setting for it is either completely off, or 1 where it lets just a bit more extra low end through and that's it.
I couldn't agree more man.. I usually set it at 2 but again it founds compressed. To be honest I prefer the mesa quad that a had. More raw and organic tone.
 
Something I'm hearing on the high notes with the modulation I'm not liking at all. Is that onboard or an external effect?
I am using an added fx - reaper called Valhalla. Also this guitar has really low action and maybe some notes buzz haha
 
I had a Triaxis for a long time and the best results, no surprise, were with a 2:90 and Mesa cab. When I got the fat mod removed (mine had the recto board), my favorite for metal/hard rock was Lead 1 Red for rhythm and Lead 2 Red for leads. I used the dynamic voice for both. It was kind like having a Recto for rhythm and a Mark IV/lII for leads. I also really liked Lead 2 yellow and green for stuff not so over the top. I thought cleans were great on it as well.

I will also say that I had a Mark V for a brief period and compared my Tri/2:90 to it. For high gain work, by far I preferred the Tri/2:90 to the Mark V.
 
Back
Top