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RecordingPreAmp-pc OOGIE
B
M
ESA
Owner's Manual Greetings from the Home of Tone
Congratulations on your choice of the
Rectifier Pre as your Guitar amplifier and
welcome to the MESA/Boogie family! As a discriminating player you probably know
that you have purchased the most comprehensive instrument for amplifying Guitar
that is available. What you might not realize is that this entitles you to all the
experience, resources and commitment our twenty-five years of service to musicians
world wide has to offer. Our responsibility is to help you sound great! So, if at any
time you feel you need help or direction, we are here for you...a phone call away. FRONT PANEL:
REAR PANEL:
Precautions
0
Overview
1/2
Helpful Hints: RECORDING
2/3
Helpful Hints: LIVE
3
Instrument Input & Footswitch Jacks
4
CHANNEL MODES: Clean - Fat - Brit
4
CHANNEL MODES: Raw - Vintage - Modern
5
CONTROLS:

GAIN
5/6
CHANNEL 1: Bright & Pad Switches
6
TREBLE
7
MID
7
BASS
7
PRESENCE
7/8
MASTER
8
PREAMP VOICING SWITCH
8
CHANNEL SELECT SWITCH
9
RECORDING OUTPUT
9
OUTPUT LIVE & SOLO
9/10
STANDBY & POWER SWITCHES
10
AC RECEPTACLE
11
GROUND LIFT
11
MIX CONTROL & FX LOOP
11/12
MODERN/EXT.TRIGGER TO POWER AMP
12
SAMPLE HOOK-UP
13
EXTERNAL SWITCHING JACKS
14
RECORD OUTPUT JACKS
14
SETTING SIGNAL LEVELS
14
MAIN OUTPUTS
15
TUBE BAY
15
FACTORY SAMPLE SETTINGS
16/17
TUBE MAINTENANCE
18/19
Feature Article: BIAS ADJUSTMENT by Randall Smith
20/22
SPEAKER IMPEDANCE MATCHING & HOOK-UP GUIDE
23/28
Feature Article: ON TRIODES, PENTODES & IRISHMEN by Randall Smith
29/31
PARTS SHEET
32
RECTIFIER RECORDING PREAMPLIFIER PRECAUTIONS & WARNINGS
Your MESA/Boogie Amplifier is a professional instrument. Please treat it with respect and operate it properly.
USE COMMON SENSE AND ALWAYS OBSERVE THESE PRECAUTIONS:
YOUR AMPLIFIER IS LOUD! EXPOSURE TO HIGH SOUND VOLUMES MAY CAUSE PERMANENT HEARING DAMAGE !


No user serviceable parts inside. Refer service to qualified personnel. Always unplug AC power before removing chassis.
EXPORT MODELS: Always insure that unit is wired for proper voltage. Make certain grounding conforms with local standards.
READ AND FOLLOW INSTRUCTIONS OF PROPER USAGE.
WARNING: EU: permission from the Supply Authority is needed before connection.
WARNING: Vacuum tube amplifiers generate heat. To insure proper ventilation always make
certain there is at least four inches (100mm) of space behind the rear of the amplifier cabinet.
Keep away from curtains or any flammable objects.
WARNING: Do not block any ventilation openings on the rear or top of the amplifier. Do not
impede ventilation by placing objects on top of the amplifier which extend past the rear edge of its
cabinet.
WARNING: Do not expose the amplifier to rain, moisture, dripping or splashing water. Do not
place objects filled with liquids on or nearby the amplifier.
WARNING: Always make certain proper load is connected before operating the amplifier. Failure
to do so could pose a shock hazard and may result in damage to the amplifier.
Do not expose amplifier to direct sunlight or extremely high temperatures.
Always insure that amplifier is properly grounded. Always unplug AC power cord before changing
fuse or any tubes. When replacing fuse, use only same type and rating.
Avoid direct contact with heated tubes. Keep amplifier away from children.
Be sure to connect to an AC power supply that meets the power supply specifications listed on
the rear of the unit. Remove the power plug from the AC mains socket if the unit is to be stored
for an extended period of time. If there is any danger of lightning occurring nearby, remove the
power plug from the wall socket in advance.
To avoid damaging your speakers and other playback equipment, turn off the power of all related
equipment before
making the connections.
Do not use excessive force in handling control buttons, switches and controls. Do not use
solvents such as benzene or paint thinner to clean the unit. Wipe off the exterior with soft cloth.
Be sure to have the warranty card filled out by the store at which it was purchased and return to
Mesa/Boogie
. OVERVIEW:
Congratulations on your choice of the
Rectifier Recording Preamp
and welcome to the
Mesa/Boogie
Family! This all-tube, two rack
space instrument is the latest in the legendary Rectifier line of amplifiers and after two years of intense R & D, is ready to wear the logo that
signifies its status as a full blown
Recto
. This preamp is designed to replicate direct, the sound and feel of the
Dual Rectifier Solo Head
pushing a Rectifier 4x12 miced up in a good room without the power amp, speaker and microphone. A huge challenge considering 75%
of the ingredients historically used to achieve great recorded guitar sounds are missing! We think you will be as pleased as we are with the
results upon your first direct experience with this toneful piece. As well as great direct sounds, the
Recto
pre packs all the urgent authority
of its forefathers into this rack format and is an equally powerful live preamp as well. When combined with its mate, the
Rectifier Stereo
2:100
, these two create an all-tube stereo wall of crushing
Recto
aggression.
Six 12AX7A preamp tubes create the 6 modes in the 2 discreet channels. The top Clean Channel offers CLEAN, FAT and BRIT modes for
three distinct styles of rhythm work. The bottom Lead channel is comprised of the three signature sounds from the
Dual
and
Triple Recto
Heads
RAW, VINTAGE and MODERN.
A PARALLEL EFFECTS LOOP with a MIX Control is provided to ensure tonal integrity when using outboard processing. Buffered Stereo
RECORD OUTPUTS are balanced 1/4 TRS type jacks. The LIVE OUTPUTS are also Stereo and both RECORD and LIVE outputs
include the Return signal from the Effects Loop, so that processing may be printed and used live simultaneously.
EXTERNAL SWITCH jacks are provided to access the Channels and the SOLO feature remotely from an external midi controller. A trigger
port for the switchable MODERN feature on the matching
RECTIFIER STEREO 2:100
or
STEREO SIMUL-CLASS 2:90
power
amps is also included and ensures gain sounds will be ferocious.
A 2 button Footswitch provides instant access to the Channels and SOLO® feature for live performance applications. Weve also included
a cool switching feature that allows you to switch between the CHANNEL 2 VINTAGE and MODERN modes when the Footswitch is
connected, giving you 3 footswitchable sounds from a 2 Channel platform!
Before we review the controls and features in more depth, we suggest taking a look at these helpful setup and tone tips.
PAGE 1
STANDBY
ON
POWER
ON
INPUT
FT.SW.
FRONT VIEW :
Rectifier Recording Preamp
CLEAN
BRIT
FAT
RAW
MODERN
VINT
GAIN TREBLE MID BASS PRESENCE MASTER
LIVE
BRIGHT
CH 2
VOICING
WARM
RECORD
CHAN
1
FOOT
SWITCH
2
CHAN
OUTPUT
OUTPUT LIVE SOLO
BRIGHT
-3DB RECORDING:
1) Always use the supplied A.C. Mains Cord provided and connect the unit to a grounded (3 pin) A.C.outlet. If you experience ground
related hum or buzz, try lifting the Chassis Ground by selecting LIFT on the Chassis Ground switch located on the Rear Panel. Circuit to
Chassis Ground (switch down) is the normal position and should be used - unless you experience a problem with this type of noise. Make
sure that the A.C. cord of the
Recto Preamp
is connected to the same power strip as the Mixing Console and power amp, or powered
monitors. This will help prevent hum or buzz created by different references to ground.
2) Always begin sessions with the
Recto Pre
by zeroing out the Recording console Channel Input Trim and Output Fader as well as the
Preamps RECORD Output Level Control. This preamp is capable of output levels in excess of what some consoles input stages are
designed to accept. Following this simple practice will ensure that all stages of the system including the ears of you and the engineer or
others in the control room, will not be damaged from an unexpected volume surge.
3) When nothing is connected to the EFFECTS LOOP SEND and RETURN jacks, make sure that the EFFECTS MIX control is set to 10%
(all the way down) to prevent signal loss across the pot and associated LOOP circuitry.
4) Use high quality shielded cable of the shortest length possible for the signal between the RECORD OUTPUT jacks and the consoles
LINE INPUT.
5) Make sure the RECORD Outputs are used for connection to the recording console.
6) Make sure the CHANNEL 2 LIVE BRIGHT/WARM RECORD is set to the WARM/RECORD (down) position to ensure the correct
response from the 3 higher gain Lead modes.
7) Make sure the RECORD OUTPUT Level control is set above the MIN level mark on the chassis. This practice ensures the best
performance from Channel 2s three higher gain Lead modes.
8) If you experience unwanted breakup in CHANNEL 1 CLEAN (or FAT with lower BASS control sett