Rectifier Recording Preamp Sample?

[rlcramer]

I've been obsessed with picking up a recto recording preamp for a while now. I had one a while back before there were amazing impulses and things like that, so I was a bit underwhelmed with what it could do direct. Nowadays, I'm thinking that it might be time to reconsider, but I wanted to see if anyone had one, and if they wouldn't mind posting a clip of the Recto pre direct into an interface with a simple cab impulse thrown on to it. I'm really looking to see it's dry tone - no effects, no crazy mastering voodoo, just pure and simple mesa sound.

I really like the idea of a dedicated tube preamp (I'm not much of a patch programmer, and I'm getting a little sick of noodling around on my Axe-FX for hours on end), so if the recto pre sounds good, I might just grab one.

Can anyone help a brotha out?

Bobby

 

[FIXXXER]

if you can't get a killer tone out of an axe-fx
you won't be able to get it anywhere...

the axe has thousands of possibilities but this does
not mean that you have to sit hours in front of it dialing up a good tone.

most of my patches consist just of an amp and an cab block,
that's it, a pure and simple sound...because i am not much of a patch programmer also!

on the other way i can absolutely understand what you are expecting from a real preamp.
i've been recording through an engl E530 preamp before i got my axe-fx.
the E530 was killer, i combined it with the revalver IR's and got really good tones out of it.
it was just fun, it was just me and the preamp, just the two of us, playing the game of knob turning and tone chasing...

ok...jokes apart, what i was trying to say...you should just invest some more time on your axe-fx!

cheers
S.

 

[rlcramer]

Thanks dude, but ironically, I have an e530, and I can whip up an amazing tone in 30 seconds with that bad boy. The Axe takes much longer, and the software editor is a buggy piece of trash.

I'm really just looking at the recto to give me something a bit different to layer on top of the Engl. And unfortunately I can't have a real amp due to space and noise issues.

To be honest though, I've heard TONS of bad tones out of the Axe-FX. I agree it can be a killer in the right hands, but so can a POD, or a Bugera, etc. I just don't think my hands are built for menus. I'm sure many people here feel the same.

Bobby

 

[Metaltastic]

Honestly, from my experiments with impulse creation using my old Dual Rec, my feeling is the amp has a very unique way of operating, specifically in the relationship between the pre-amp and power amp; pretty much every clip I've made or heard through my impulses (that were made with my amp in modern mode) have sounded horribly fizzy/buzzy, yet the amp sounds great with the mic in the same place (when recording clips through the amp and mic'ed cab, I mean), and actually, the only time I ever heard my Recto modern impulses sound good was when -Loco- on here made some clips with his Triple Rec preamp in modern mode going through it (and I've never heard anything that wasn't a Rectifier into a cab sound that much like, well, a Rectifier into a cab before). However, that doesn't necessarily mean the preamp won't sound good through other impulses, it just probably won't sound as much like a Recto (for that, you'd have to use impulses made specifically with the amp, such as mine, but the last thing I want to do is assure you'll like the sound through mine, lest you send me the bill for the preamp if you don't! )

 

[Metaltastic]

And to elaborate, the way the Rectifier works when in modern mode is by the power amp not sending back negative feedback to the preamp to attenuate the highs (which I guess is how it is in most amps); rather, there's a low-pass after the preamp (again, only when in modern mode, in vintage there is negative feedback), and the preamp is probably calibrated a bit differently as well. Thus why my impulses sounded so buzzy/fizzy with anything other than a Rectifier preamp through them! (and then there were the ones made with the orange channel, AKA vintage, but I found those to be too muffled sounding, arrgghh - once again, I liked how just mic'ing the amp up sounded though, so go figure!)

Basically, what this boils down to is I would pass on the Recto preamp if your goal is to use it with impulses and get the Recto sound, unless a) you stumble on a bunch of great impulses made with a Dual Rec power section in modern mode, or b) you just buy/borrow a head/cab and make 'em yourself!

 

[FIXXXER]

Thanks dude, but ironically, I have an e530, and I can whip up an amazing tone in 30 seconds with that bad boy. The Axe takes much longer, and the software editor is a buggy piece of trash.

I'm really just looking at the recto to give me something a bit different to layer on top of the Engl. And unfortunately I can't have a real amp due to space and noise issues.

To be honest though, I've heard TONS of bad tones out of the Axe-FX. I agree it can be a killer in the right hands, but so can a POD, or a Bugera, etc. I just don't think my hands are built for menus. I'm sure many people here feel the same.

Bobby

i absolutely agree on that, dialing up a solid tone on a real (pre)amp is just a matter of seconds.
the problem about this is the tone you'll get at the end.
in most instances the results will just not be satisfying, Metaltastic explained this very well in his post.


cheers
S.

 

[rlcramer]

Thanks for the input guys.

Marcus - I was kinda hoping you might have some input as our resident Recto expert!! But yeah - your post sounds spot on with regards to what I've been hearing. Essentially most, if not every, review I've seen of the Recto pre says that it just doesn't have the recto "magic" because the heart of the recto tone comes from the interaction between the preamp and the power section. If I do decide to try it, don't worry - I'll buy from Sweetwater so I have a good return policy.

But that brings me back to my original point.... Does anyone have any samples? I could have sworn I read about someone on this board having one, recording it direct with impulses, and loving it. Am I on crack? Does this person exist?

Bobby

 

[rlcramer]

Oh yeah - and I guess I forgot one piece of important info. My home studio is about 30 centimeters from my bedroom. I was recently recording a clip, and my wife came in to "politely" tell me that recording a real amp simply isn't "practical" in my current situation, and "politely" asked me to find a way to record without burning the house down with volume. So I wound up selling my beloved 6505, my recto cab is up for sale now, and I'm slowly getting rid of all of my "real" guitar gear. I'm looking to replace that stuff with a few really nice preamps that I can record direct, instead of micing cabs, etc.

Bobby

 

[Via Noctis]

I own a recto preamp and with the 2:100 it is awesome.. But like Marcus said. And I can vouch for it. It sounds like crap with an impulse compared to a 57. It is definitely not worth the expense if you are just using it direct!! I recorded a few samples and posted em a while back. I don't know where they are, but if you search my name you might find it..

 

[Via Noctis]

jmp-1 is good tho!!

 

[rlcramer]

Via Noctis - I found your post with the clip, but I get a 404... bummer.

Feel like reposting it? I'm about 2 days away from pulling the trigger.

Bobby

 

[Mikaël-ange]

And to elaborate, the way the Rectifier works when in modern mode is by the power amp not sending back negative feedback to the preamp to attenuate the highs (which I guess is how it is in most amps); rather, there's a low-pass after the preamp (again, only when in modern mode, in vintage there is negative feedback), and the preamp is probably calibrated a bit differently as well. Thus why my impulses sounded so buzzy/fizzy with anything other than a Rectifier preamp through them! (and then there were the ones made with the orange channel, AKA vintage, but I found those to be too muffled sounding, arrgghh - once again, I liked how just mic'ing the amp up sounded though, so go figure!)

Basically, what this boils down to is I would pass on the Recto preamp if your goal is to use it with impulses and get the Recto sound, unless a) you stumble on a bunch of great impulses made with a Dual Rec power section in modern mode, or b) you just buy/borrow a head/cab and make 'em yourself!

Totally true!!!!

 

[Metaltastic]

Oh yeah - and I guess I forgot one piece of important info. My home studio is about 30 centimeters from my bedroom. I was recently recording a clip, and my wife came in to "politely" tell me that recording a real amp simply isn't "practical" in my current situation, and "politely" asked me to find a way to record without burning the house down with volume. So I wound up selling my beloved 6505, my recto cab is up for sale now, and I'm slowly getting rid of all of my "real" guitar gear. I'm looking to replace that stuff with a few really nice preamps that I can record direct, instead of micing cabs, etc.

Bobby

Hahahaha, ouch dude, that must've been a tense moment I don't think I remember any good clips of the preamp being posted here, though I do remember a thread that was called something like "You won't believe how much the Rectifier Recording Pre sucks!" (though that was mainly referring to tone from the direct-outs which supposedly allow one to get the Recto sound going straight from the preamp into a console/interface with no further power amp/cab simulation)

 

[-Loco-]

http://www.ultimatemetal.com/forum/equipment/519076-preamp-advice-do-i-even-need-one.html


There's my thread that still has a couple of clips still up on it. There are probably a few ways to manipulate that fizz that you get on top of it. Personally, i'm not a huge recto fan which is why im selling my amp for an axefx. I want something with good cleans and good metullz without 182dB haha. I actually think you're probably more limited using the amp and impulses as opposed to just trying to tweak your axefx till you get something you are happy with. Persevere with it and reap the rewards and if you still don't like it...give it to me

 

[-Loco-]

and I think you should get your 6505 back,hide it under the duvet and lie next to it one day in the hope that she walks in and shits herself in the fear of another woman just to mess with her for making you sell your baby haha

 

[daxliniere]

I had one of these in the studio and kept it for about 7 months. It's pretty boring and the supposed cabinet simulation is lame-as.
I can get better tones from Nick Crow's 7505 & an IR in about 3 seconds.

 

[Via Noctis]

@rlcramer I will post a clip of the direct tone w/o processing later today for ya.

But I think you will be disapointed

 

[Via Noctis]

Ok i did 3 samples all with a TS. I used Marcus' HD Di's. (I know they are over used, but that it why i used them. Everyone has heard it)

recto pre direct out voicing set to (warm record) no eq no processing
http://dl.getdropbox.com/u/978613/recto pre direct.m4a

Same thing but with Guitar Hacks Impulse (center)
http://dl.getdropbox.com/u/978613/recto pre direct impulse.m4a

This one is with the same settings. But the Voicing is set to (live Bright) I used a 57. There is some wierd crackle going on, Probably cause it is a 200 watt amp. But you will get the point.
http://dl.getdropbox.com/u/978613/recto pre miced.m4a

Sorry about the drums and bass in this one. That is one that I had on my HD

 

[motomoto]

TBH unprocessed sounds like ass

But the rest... I LIKE

 

[Via Noctis]

TBH unprocessed sounds like ass

I know it does. That is why I posted it. rlcramer is thinking of getting one for Direct recording. I don't want him to think that you can plug it in and get a kick ass tone as it describes on the mesa web page.

"If you want to be like the original, why not start with the original. And in fact we used the exact same parts and circuitry — making it killer for live too. Then we added extra recording tubes, six in total, five custom transformers, a gang of tuned inductors and our thirty years of tone-questing experience to duplicate on tape not just the sound—but the addictive feel of a Recto® stack mic’ed up in a great room."

extra recording tubes.. I don't know if changing them would make a difference. I might have to check into that.

I have however had decent results going to an analog board and eq'ing it there.. I don't know why it sounds better that way then eqing ITB. but it does