Mesa/Boogie Mark 5 Owner'S Manual Download Page 34

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enhance the great sounds you have crafted with the Modes and other controls and you will always have amazing Tone.

NOTE:  Some of the Modes work better than others with the EQ and respond better to the radical shaping power with a more har-
monious demeanor.  Generally speaking, the Modes that have less low end tend to work better and these are usually the ones that
have created classic sounds with the EQ in place.  The CLEAN and TWEED Modes in Channel 1, the EDGE and CRUNCH Modes in
Channel 2 and all the Modes in Channel 3 (with the MK II C+ being the most friendly) tend to be the greatest candidates for positive
EQ reinforcement.

CAUTION:  The FAT Mode in Channel 1 and the MARK I Mode in Channel 2 have a huge amount of low end present in their personality
already and therefore require a much more subtle and “bass conscious” approach to shaping with the EQ Section.  Extreme boosting
of the 80Hz and 240 Hz SLIDERS and very high settings of the PRESET control (above 1:30) should be avoided.  These regions will
introduce extreme amounts of low end to an already bass-heavy sound, which will produce huge flubbiness and swamp the mix and
even cause possible damage to your speakers. Use the EQ with care in these two Modes.

POWER SELECT:

The

MARK V

offers three Modes of power (wattage) operation and these may be selected independently in each Channel. These

choices are much more than simple wattage ratings created by a “standby” mode where some of the tubes are put in an idle state.
In addition to changing the overall wattage rating, each of the power Modes re-configure the wiring style and change the operating
class as these three Modes are selected.

A simple mini toggle located at the bottom of the stacked bank of switches controls each Channel’s power and allows you to tailor
the power output and style to best match the preamp sound you are dedicating a Channel to for your footswitchable needs. Three
individual patents for the output section alone - two granted and one pending - reveal the incredible technology that your

MARK V

puts to use in creating the ultimate Tone – a magical blend of preamp and power output. No other amplifier employs such extensive
power switchability and allows greater flexibility in the output stage. Whether or not you are an aficionado of output tube configurations,
you will surely love the Tone and versatility of the

MARK V’s

Simul-Class

™

Power featuring Multi-Watt

™

and Duo-Class

™

90 WATT (SIMUL-CLASS

™

: CLASS AB + CLASS A, PUSH-PULL):

The 90 W position (toggle up) is our patented Simul-Class

™

scheme and it delivers the most power with 90 watts of clean, sweet and

yet bold power and headroom.  In this position all four output tubes are on-line and two different classes of operation
are being run simultaneously to create the most musical “hundred watt” output stage in the business.  The outside pair
(second from far left and the far right) are wired to Class AB and are running cooler - while at the same time creating
the bulk of the horsepower.  This modern way of running tubes is more efficient and produces the greatest power with
the least heat.

The inside pair of tubes run in “extended Class A” with their reduced bias and are “more on” all the time, whether there is signal pres-
ent or they are at rest (when you aren’t playing). This wiring and bias style puts out less power and creates more heat, but in trade for
the lack of efficiency, it features a much smoother clip characteristic and a smoother, warmer sound… especially at the onset of clip
where the harsher transients can become unpleasant in a Class AB output section. Simul-Class

™

takes care of all that and smooths

out the rough edges and re-voices the highs - leaving you with a sweet musical clip in the transition zone and yet plenty of power and
headroom. The 90 W (Simul-Class

™

) position is the way to go for most live performance situations where you need headroom for

clean chording and tight articulate low end for crunch rhythm along with a sweet, vocal voice with authority for soloing.

frOnt panel:

(

Continued

)

MK II C+

EXTREME

EQ ON

EQ FS

90 W