Mesa/Boogie Mark 5 Owner'S Manual Download Page 33

Page: 33 / 70

THE EQUALIZER SECTION

All MARK Series amps going all the way back to the MARK I - have included a powerful shaping tool that was in a groundbreaking
feature back then - and continues to be one of the trademark components of the MARK Series sound… the 5 Band Graphic EQ. Many

of the MARK Series sounds that have become classics were achieved by applying the Graphic EQ and
radically altering the somewhat mid-pronounced voice of the MARK sound in favor of a more “scooped”
midrange. The most popular of these altered sounds is the dropped-mid “V” curve that makes everything
sound gigantic as lows and highs are boosted alongside these radically scooped mids. Because this
sound shows up time and again on customers’ amps we have included yet another way to utilize this
classic sound.

The

MARK V

takes this scooped-mid concept to a new place with the inclusion of Channel Specific rotary PRESET controls that can

be assigned to any or all the Channels.  Looking at the EQ Section you will see that the trademark Boogie 5 Band is joined on either
side by a stacked row of controls.  On the left you have a bank of mini toggles that repeat for each Channel and give you a choice of
applying the SLIDERS or - for the first time - a very handy rotary control called PRESET which resides in the bank of knobs on the
right side of the SLIDERS that allows you to dial in a desired blend of the mid-scooped “V” curve.

This assignable choice increases the power of the EQ section many times over and enables you to use the SLIDERS for specific
tweaking of trouble frequencies for different venues or recording or to craft EQ curves that are uniquely different from the PRESET
curve where mids are cut and lows and highs are boosted.

In each Channel you will find the three-position EQ CONTROL switch located in the center of the bank of switches just below the
MODE SELECT switch. Here you either BYPASS the EQ Section all together - or decide how you would like to utilize it in a given
Channel. The center position is EQ OFF (toggle middle) and this bypasses the EQ altogether. Set here the SLIDERS and PRESET
knobs will have no effect on the signal.

“EQ ON” (toggle up) engages the EQ and applies either the SLIDERS or the PRESET depending on the selection of the SLIDER/
PRESET switch on the left side of the EQ Section (SLIDERS = toggle up, PRESET = toggle down). In this position the EQ will remain
on all the time in that Channel (regardless of any action taken on the FOOTSWITCH).

“EQ FS” (EQ FOOTSWITCH - toggle down) allows you to control the status of the Equalizer via the EQ Button on the

MARK V

FOOTSWITCH. In this position the EQ will only be in the signal path when you engage it from the FOOTSWITCH.

The center EQ LED light (far right of Front Panel above the POWER and STANDBY) will come on in tandem with the Equalizer when
it is triggered by any of these means. This allows you to see from a distance if the EQ is engaged or bypassed.

The EQ is a powerful shaping tool and like any powerful tool should be used with care. Radical boosting of certain frequencies –
especially very low and very high frequencies can put a strain on the tubes, speakers and your ears - so we suggest that you apply
the EQ with taste and musicality in mind. You can also use up power and headroom more quickly by applying unreasonable amounts
of low end with the EQ.

Because this EQ is capable of such extreme notching and boosting, when you turn it off and listen to the un-EQ’d sounds they will likely
sound flat and honky to you.  This is normal and to be expected… you have a good case of “EQ hangover”.  Like any over-indulgence
you need to give your body – in this case your ears – time to recover.  Waiting a few minutes will help your ears return to “normal” and
the unaltered sounds will sound much more right again.  May we suggest beginning any EQ application by first listening to the EQ
BYPASSED version of the sound and then toggle on the EQ’d version to see how much EQ you are adding.  It’s very easy to “Over
EQ” things with a powerful tool like the on-board EQ and blow holes in your sound or create an unbalanced curve that sticks out in
unpleasant ways.  In most musical scenarios the guitar still has to fit in a mix and not eat it for lunch.  Again, use the EQ to subtly

frOnt panel: e

qualizer

GAIN

MASTER

PRESENCE

GAIN

MASTER

PRESENCE

GAIN

MASTER

PRESENCE

TREBLE