I need enough lead/rhythm GAIN but W/ clarity, wHICH mODULE?

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dodvocivus

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I have heard a lot of different sound clips and here are the impressions that I get from hearing them. These are the 4 that seem to apeal to me the most:

1086- Too much scoop, and muddy chords (but I hear it's the best)
Ultra Lead- great mids for lead
Brown-great clarity and tone for my tastes but why is it that nobody really talks about this one.

I am looking for a tone that has great mids, enough gain for solos and thrash metal style rhythm, but clear enough for OPeth style rythms (lots of detailed chords)
 
I agree that the 1086 is extremely mid scooped with the switch to the right, Mesa tone for sure, but you can dial in some mids on this setting by twisting the knob pretty far. But with the switch to the left (my fave) it sounds more like a marshall with lots of mids and the mid / treble knobs have lots of range. This is a great module! And I just found out that it cleans up nice too. I'm a high gain guy so I just discovered this. And as far as you saying it is muddy, I would have to respectfully disagree. It is very articulate on all settings like the XTC but with more gain. You want to know what muddy is, just try the Recto. IMO
 
mr scary is a killer module,but i dont think its really right for thrash.i've tried the 1086 ,but dont really care for it at all.it's too recto/modern sounding and even with the mids-voicing switch to the right,i can destroy it's marshall-like tone with a plexi,sl+ or mr scary modules.otherwise,the 1086 is pretty versatile and its seems that alot of guys out there love this module...i'm into everything from early van halen/dokken to speed/thrash/death/doom metal and the one high gain module that i use and love is the reg "ultra".i think it really fits the bill for thrash/speed metal chugging styles,especially after i did the .001u low end cap mod to it.think Exodus with a slightly heavier tone. the new "ultra xl" sounds like it could be a winner too...
 
goldwing68nv said:
mr scary is a killer module,but i dont think its really right for thrash.i've tried the 1086 ,but dont really care for it at all.it's too recto/modern sounding and even with the mids-voicing switch to the right,i can destroy it's marshall-like tone with a plexi,sl+ or mr scary modules.otherwise,the 1086 is pretty versatile and its seems that alot of guys out there love this module...i'm into everything from early van halen/dokken to speed/thrash/death/doom metal and the one high gain module that i use and love is the reg "ultra".i think it really fits the bill for thrash/speed metal chugging styles,especially after i did the .001u low end cap mod to it.think Exodus with a slightly heavier tone. the new "ultra xl" sounds like it could be a winner too...

Mr scary is next on my list. I'm curious what your opinion is. Does it sound like the SL+ or is voiced differently? Can't really tell from the clips thru my crappy pc speakers. I want the 80's metal sound as well i.e. Iron Maiden, Judas Priest. By the way Exodus totally rocked my world back in the day! Thanks in advance.
 
yeah,Exodus,Testament,etc...aah,those were the days,my friend!!! i just tried the mr. scary again over the weekend and it's next on my list too.i think that clip from a day or two ago from GaryMcT gives some really good heads-up between the mr. scary & the sl+ ,if you listen very carefully.he was correct in saying that the mids seem more prominent on the mr. scary.that's what i heard also when i tried them both out.not a big difference,but a discernable difference in the mids structure.plus the mr scary comes with the .001u cap mod right from the factory,so its really tight.either way,its a toss up for 80's style metal,you really have to hear them both to decide...
 
goldwing68nv said:
yeah,Exodus,Testament,etc...aah,those were the days,my friend!!! i just tried the mr. scary again over the weekend and it's next on my list too.i think that clip from a day or two ago from GaryMcT gives some really good heads-up between the mr. scary & the sl+ ,if you listen very carefully.he was correct in saying that the mids seem more prominent on the mr. scary.that's what i heard also when i tried them both out.not a big difference,but a discernable difference in the mids structure.plus the mr scary comes with the .001u cap mod right from the factory,so its really tight.either way,its a toss up for 80's style metal,you really have to hear them both to decide...

If you don't own an SL+ and want nice midrangy Marshall-ness, the Mr. Scary is a slam dunk. If you already own an SL+, you might try modding it first to see what it does. . I haven't done thia.

Also, the Mr. Scary can be scooped like the new Tool album with the mids turned way down.
 
dodvocivus said:
Hmmm I guess the 1086 sounds the best so far but how about detailed chords, can it pull that off with a good amount of gain?

IMO yes it can. I don't max out my gain anyway. Gain at about 2-3 o'clock, turn it up and get natural speaker breakup and saturation. Chords sound great.
Sounds like Mr. Scary is next for me.
 
Depending on how much money you have, either pick up a 1086 or look into an Egnater module. I have tried a couple of them through a Randall head and they really retain clarity well! If you are strapped for cash, you're hard pressed to find a better high gain module for both clarity in chords and lead lines than the 1086 @ $240. If you have a little bit of extra cash, I have an Egnater Dual Channel (keep in mind you can only use the first channel on the module when used with a Randall amp) Modern High Gain that would fit what you were asking for to a "T" as well, but I'm looking to get about $275 for it as they are $389 new. If you can handle the $35 difference, it's a good bet. If not, I say def go with the 1086! :D I use the 1086 or the MHG for thrash/metal, and I have all Egnater modules now (other than my Randall 1086, which I STILL have!) and they are both really cool modules! :wink:
 
I like a heavy but articulate gain too and I guess I'm one of the few who actually use a Recto module without griping about its low end. LOL

Disclaimer: I did the .0022 cap mod to shave the module's useless low end, and I still run the bass control at somewhere around 1 o'clock.

I also have a HBE Germania out front that I probably leave on about 95 percent of the time, to increase the definition, slice and overall harmonic content. Highly recommended.
 
Jeff R said:
I like a heavy but articulate gain too and I guess I'm one of the few who actually use a Recto module without griping about its low end. LOL

Disclaimer: I did the .0022 cap mod to shave the module's useless low end, and I still run the bass control at somewhere around 1 o'clock.

I also have a HBE Germania out front that I probably leave on about 95 percent of the time, to increase the definition, slice and overall harmonic content. Highly recommended.

What does the HBE Germania do? The Recto was one of my favorites along with the XTC but after hearing the 1086, i felt it sounded clearer with just as much gain, but it is a good module, just the 1086 more acurately nails the Recto tones IMO.
 
The Germania is a reproduction of a '60s Dallas Rangemaster. You'll hear people call them "treble boosters" but that name is deceiving - it boosts a little treble plus some other things in there that make your tone more musical.

There's a sound file at www.homebrewelectronics.com/products.htm to give you an idea of what it can do when layered on an existing guitar tone. I use the purple one with the OC84 germanium transistor instead of the "coveted" (hahaha) OC44 transistor, and it's just fine.

The only downside is it's so primitive in design, it makes crackly sounds (kind of like an old vinyl LP) when it sits idle. But I'll pay that price, it sounds that nice and all I have to do is click it "off" if I don't want the crackles.
 
Sounds cool. I may have to check one out. Will this work well with a compressor and if so would you run it before or after the comp?
 
Dunno, I sold the only compressor I had before I got it. But I'm getting ready to build myself a nice compressor, so I may have more info on how they pair up in a couple of weeks.
 
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