Anybody give me some insight RM100 vs RT2/50

[Tbag]

It has been a while since I have been in the MTS business. Currently own quite a few heads including my fav, Mesa Roadster.

I sold my RT2/50 a long time ago after deciding my Mesa 2:100 poweramp was the ducks nuts for the modular stuff. I still kept my RM100 though as I just didn't end up selling it.

Recently I've fired her back up, its heavily modded, more than any other out there I bet.

My question is though, after I've spent so much time and work on this, I still have trouble getting the big or openness tone like my Mesa, or DSL100, or KRANKnineteen80. I remember the RM4/Poweramp setup being quite brutal but I just got out of rack gear after a while.

Does anyone here think the RT2/50 setup is better 'tonewise' sounding than the RM100? I just forget what they sounded like against each other.

The interesting thing about the RM100, is that the poweramp has somewhat a pronounced mids compared to other amps. If I run the preamp out into the FX return of my Mesa, it is identical, I don't mean close, but identical, the Rectifier powersection just has that sound and power which i feel the RM100 just get hold.

It does have a Mercury Magnetics OT and choke, but still didn't do a massive change, maybe 10%. After speaking with Patrick at MM we discussed that I can put a Mesa Roadster Mercury Magnetics Output Transformer to get it a bit bigger and closer, I have both in my hands and all specs to wire it up.

I've babbled on for too long, i'd love to hear anyones thoughts.

i'm also running a quad of EH KT88's

Cheers boys!

 

[drewiv]

Have you done the Presence/Density board modification on your RM100? I don't see that listed.

 

[Mattfig]

Have you done the Presence/Density board modification on your RM100? I don't see that listed.

+1 That is the missing link Tbag...

 

[Tbag]

thanks guys, but yeah I actually did that mod a couple of years ago, even to my old RT2/50, but it's nothing new, it's just readily available from an awesome guy! (Antonin)

My RM100 has built in and all switchable:

Fat/Tight switch for big cleans and tight gains
FX Loop ON/OFF
Fully switchable with gain control tube boost (real 12AX7)
NFB switch
SOLO Boost for volume
And a switch to fully bypass the FX Loop (which gives much better tone!)

I am now working on TUBE RECTIFICATION, which is actually quite simply and easy.

It also has the Mercury Magnetic Output Transformer, and choke.

From the input stage to the output stage I have completely reconfigured to RECTIFIER SPECS, this dramatically improved her soundwise but not openness wise.

I tried to up the B+ Voltage to the preamp tubes, but the maximum the modules are fed is 300V, this is as much as the Power Transformer has allowed for. Some amps, like ENGL ask for 380V! Thats a big difference!

For cleans its obviously much easier as they don't pull such high plate voltage. So across the board it's going to be easier to get clean/low gain sounds to sound good in comparison to the real thing.

This thing is a monster I have worked on. Just thought i'd ask fellas as it's been a while for me in MTS world!

Rock on!

 

[Mattfig]

Holy crap! That's a lot of cool mods....

I am at a loss...I'm sure you've tried lotsa cabs and speakers...

 

[Ultron]

thanks guys, but yeah I actually did that mod a couple of years ago, even to my old RT2/50, but it's nothing new, it's just readily available from an awesome guy! (Antonin)

My RM100 has built in and all switchable:

Fat/Tight switch for big cleans and tight gains
FX Loop ON/OFF
Fully switchable with gain control tube boost (real 12AX7)
NFB switch
SOLO Boost for volume
And a switch to fully bypass the FX Loop (which gives much better tone!)

I am now working on TUBE RECTIFICATION, which is actually quite simply and easy.

It also has the Mercury Magnetic Output Transformer, and choke.

From the input stage to the output stage I have completely reconfigured to RECTIFIER SPECS, this dramatically improved her soundwise but not openness wise.

I tried to up the B+ Voltage to the preamp tubes, but the maximum the modules are fed is 300V, this is as much as the Power Transformer has allowed for. Some amps, like ENGL ask for 380V! Thats a big difference!

For cleans its obviously much easier as they don't pull such high plate voltage. So across the board it's going to be easier to get clean/low gain sounds to sound good in comparison to the real thing.

This thing is a monster I have worked on. Just thought i'd ask fellas as it's been a while for me in MTS world!

Rock on!

oooh...that is relevant to my interests. Tell me more.

 

[Whoopysnorp]

Supposedly the Salvation MDA/Jaded Faith Foglifter presence/density board replacements are the way to go. I haven't done it yet, but apparently it takes the amp to a whole other level beyond simply correcting the "wrong" pot values in some of the stock boards. I did that, and it opened up the amp's top end and made it less flubby, but it still doesn't have the definition of my other amps. I'm hoping one of these new boards fixes this.

 

[davetheslave]

Tbag, when I bought your 100/100 Mesa power amp off you I noticed the two presence pots on it didn't really work. My tech pulled em apart and serviced them but they still don't really work so I have been waiting to order some. I don't know if this was part of the problem when you had it.
I must say that my Mesa 20/20 coupled with a rm4 is the ultimate tone machine for me.
Light,Loud,Ballsy and clear I lose no oomf even though it runs on EL84's.

 

[JeffHenneman]

Wow tbag that is a lot of mods to the rm100.

I have always felt that modules sound the most "natural" in the rm100 heads, BUT you hit it right on the head about the pronounced mids. I love using the mts heads for recording but they just don't have the openness of other amps for live playing. I mostly using them to layer tracks and not the main sound cause of that mid presence.

I also have a rack setup aswell. So I have done lots of comparison between the m4 and rm4 paired with the rt2/50, mesa 2:90 and fryette 2:90:2. I have also ran my preamps thru a few heads also; mesa mark v, peavey triple xx II, and 6505. Out of the power amps, I like the mesa 2:90 the best.
When running the preamps thru other heads they have the openness that those heads have, so I definatelly know that its the randall heads that are lacking in that department. One thing to point out is that when running them thru other amps they get a lot of the amps characteristics.

I install the salvo boards on both heads and I am not too big of a fan. To me the amp lose some fullness. I am gonna experiment some more with them but maybe they are just not my cup of tea.

I really wish there was some mods we could do to open up the poweramp on the rm100.