Mesa/Boogie Royal Atlantic Owner`s Manual

Owner’s Manual

Hello from the Tone Farm

Congratulations on your choice of the Royal Atlantic™ RA-100 and Welcome to the Mesa/ Boogie Family! Our 40 year commitment to excellence along with our solemn promise to musicians - to treat each of them as we ourselves would wish to be treated - guarantees you an experience that will make you feel truly justiﬁed in your choice. We’re conﬁdent your new ampliﬁer will have you smiling and inspired within minutes of plugging in for the ﬁrst time. However, what’s really gratifying is that you will be ﬁnding new and inspiring sounds years after the price of admission has faded from memory and the ROYAL ATLANTIC continues to unveil its true worth.

It’s with our sincere thanks for trusting us with your TONE and our best wishes for all your musical endeavors that we welcome you home. Should you ever need assistance or guidance we’re here to help. You now have in your hands an instrument of limitless expression. Our hope is that it takes you and your playing to new and unimagined places throughout your musical journey. From all of us here at MESA…Enjoy!

Every ﬂeet has its premier vessel, its big guns, the top of the line… and the MESA Atlantic Fleet is no exception. The ROYAL ATLANTIC commands this armada with three footswitchable sounds, one hundred watts of heavy-artillery EL34 power and an innovative ﬁrst; Multi-Soak™ Channel Assignable Power Soaks. This Atlantic takes all the critically acclaimed, award winning Tone and performance of the TransAtlantic™ TA-15 and TA30 and delivers it in a simple Retro-inspired platform that covers everything from home to studio to concert stage with ﬁnesse and always… the perfect power/volume combination.

While Multi-Soak™ is deﬁnitely the biggest news in guitar ampliﬁcation to happen in quite a while, we’ll get to the RA-100 engine room momentarily. First though, let’s go up to the Bridge and look around - for the Royal Atlantic preamp is a mighty command center all its own.

PRECAUTIONS & WARNINGS

Your MESA/Boogie Amplifier is a professional instrument. Please treat it with respect and operate it properly.

USE COMMON SENSE AND ALWAYS OBSERVE THESE PRECAUTIONS:

READ AND FOLLOW INSTRUCTIONS OF PROPER USAGE.

YOUR AMPLIFIER IS LOUD! EXPOSURE TO HIGH SOUND VOLUMES MAY CAUSE PERMANENT HEARING DAMAGE !

No user serviceable parts inside. Refer service to qualified personnel. Always unplug AC power before removing chassis.

EXPORT MODELS: Always insure that unit is wired for proper voltage. Make certain grounding conforms with local standards.

WARNING: EU: permission from the Supply Authority is needed before connection.

WARNING: Vacuum tube amplifiers generate heat. To insure proper ventilation always make

certain there is at least four inches (100mm) of space behind the rear of the amplifier cabinet. Keep away from curtains or any flammable objects.

WARNING: Do not block any ventilation openings on the rear or top of the amplifier. Do not impede ventilation by placing objects on top of the amplifier which extend past the rear edge of its cabinet.

WARNING: Do not expose the amplifier to rain, moisture, dripping or splashing water. Do not place objects filled with liquids on or nearby the amplifier.

WARNING: Always make certain proper load is connected before operating the amplifier. Failure to do so could pose a shock hazard and may result in damage to the amplifier.

Do not expose amplifier to direct sunlight or extremely high temperatures.

Always insure that amplifier is properly grounded. Always unplug AC power cord before changing fuse or any tubes. When replacing fuse, use only same type and rating.

Avoid direct contact with heated tubes. Keep amplifier away from children.

Be sure to connect to an AC power supply that meets the power supply specifications listed on the rear of the unit. Remove the power plug from the AC mains socket if the unit is to be stored for an extended period of time. If there is any danger of lightning occurring nearby, remove the power plug from the wall socket in advance.

To avoid damaging your speakers and other playback equipment, turn off the power of all related equipment before making the connections.

Do not use excessive force in handling control buttons, switches and controls. Do not use solvents such as benzene or paint thinner to clean the unit. Wipe off the exterior with soft cloth.

Table of Contents

Precautions _______________________________________________________________________________ 0 Overview ________________________________________________________________________________ 1-3 Before You Start ____________________________________________________________________________ 4

FRONT PANEL CONTROLS & FEATURES

MODES: CLEAN, HI, LO ____________________________________________________________________ 5-6 CHANNEL SELECT _________________________________________________________________________ 7 GAIN ___________________________________________________________________________________ 7-8 TREBLE __________________________________________________________________________________ 8 MID ______________________________________________________________________________________ 9 BASS ____________________________________________________________________________________ 10 MASTER ______________________________________________________________________________ 10-11 MULTI-SOAK ON/OFF ______________________________________________________________________ 11 STANDBY ________________________________________________________________________________ 11 POWER __________________________________________________________________________________ 11

REAR PANEL CONTROLS, SWITCHES & JACKS

FUSE ____________________________________________________________________________________ 12 MULTI-SOAK ___________________________________________________________________________ 12-13 H.T. FUSE ________________________________________________________________________________ 13 FAN SPEED ______________________________________________________________________________ 13 EFFECTS LOOP ___________________________________________________________________________ 13 REVERB _________________________________________________________________________________ 14 FTSW (FOOTSWITCH) ______________________________________________________________________ 14 BIAS SELECT _____________________________________________________________________________ 14 SPEAKERS / IMPEDANCE SELECT ___________________________________________________________ 15 SLAVE OUTPUT / LEVEL____________________________________________________________________ 15 SAMPLE SETTINGS _____________________________________________________________________ 16-17 USER SETTINGS _______________________________________________________________________ 18-19

DIAGNOSING TUBE PROBLEMS __________________________________________________________ 20-21 BIAS ADJUSTMENT ARTICLE ____________________________________________________________ 22-24 SPEAKER IMPEDANCE MATCHING AND HOOKUP GUIDE _____________________________________ 25-30 FEATURE ARTICLE: ON PENTODES, TRIODES & IRISHMEN by Randall Smith ____________________ 31-33 TUBE TASK CHART - ROYAL ATLANTIC HEAD __________________________________________________ 34 TUBE TASK CHART - ROYAL ATLANTIC COMBO ________________________________________________ 35 PART SHEET - HEAD _______________________________________________________________________ 36 PART SHEET - COMBO _____________________________________________________________________ 37

Operating Instructions

CHANNEL ASSIGNABLE MULTI-SOAK

™

CLEAN

0db

-4db

-8db

-12db

-16db

100W

0db

-4db

-8db

-12db

-16db

100W

0db

-4db

-8db

-12db

-16db

100W

120 V~

60 Hz

4 A

4 A SLO BLO

FUSE

BYPASS

LOW

HIGH

HI & LO

MODE DEFEAT

6L6

EL-34

8 OHM

4 OHM

SENDFAN SPEEDH.T. FUSE RETURN

REVERB

FT. SW. BIAS SELECT SPEAKERS SLAVE LEVEL

RED=EL 34

LOOP NOTE:

LOOP IS

HARD BYPASSED WHEN NOT

IN USE

WHEN

LED = RED CHECK POWER TUBES BEFORE

REPLACING

H.T. FUSE

SWITCH

MUST

MATCH

TUBES IN

USE

CAUTION!

WARNING!

Unplug power to service chassis.

Unplug power to change fuse.

STANDBY

POWER

50W

100W

FTSW

INPUT

CLEANFTSW

HI-LO

CLEAN

MULTI-SOAK™

OFF

GAIN

TREBLE

MIDDLE

BASS

MASTER-LO

MASTER-HI

GAIN

TREBLE

MIDDLE

BASS

MASTER

Ov e r v i e w :

Two Channels house the three distinctively different footswitchable Modes in the RA-100, each dedicated to a region of musically useful gain and capable of iconic sounds. These are comprised of CLEAN, LO and HI and they cover the continents with inspiring soulfulness, conviction and authority… you need but plot the course and this vessel will take you there.

Channel 1 offers CLEAN, a decidedly American circuit, that chimes with bell-like clarity on the top and is ﬁlled out with bouncy, tight low-end that’s warm and rich, but doesn’t get tubby. CLEAN produces angelic clean chording sounds, but because of its tucked bass frequencies, also clips beautifully when used with its dedicated Soak for either pushed bluesy rhythm or old-school overdriven solo sounds.

Channel 2 pays tribute to both classic and modiﬁed British sounds, and though the two Modes in this Channel share Tone controls, they are adept at delivering amazing, no-compromise footswitchable performance. LO focuses on that touch-sensitive region of gain produced by classic Brit circuits and will have you knee-deep in hit-making sounds instantly. The undeniable beauty of this gain region lies in the ability to dictate the sound based upon your picking technique, now further enhanced by the addition of Mutli-Soak™. Pick softly and she’ll purr through stormy seas of Blue or, lay into it and deliver the classic Brit gut-punch… tight and thumping - with enough gain to crunch – yet with dynamic attack and not too saturated. HI covers the widest spectrum of gain in the RA-100 and though its moniker suggests “over-the-top”, some of its best attributes are to be found at settings in the middle of the evening watch. HI transforms from a sweet sea of lower-gain, English-Blues bliss at the shallow end of the GAIN control - to an angry, raging tempest with fathoms of harmonics riding just below the surface as you taunt its furthest reaches. And don’t worry, if your style takes you right up the middle – where you need enough gain to saturate, but you need your attack intact and not mush – some of the Royal Atlantic’s best sounds reside in the heat of the noonday sun. Around 12:00 on Channel 2’s GAIN control, the Royal rocks like a classic, but sings like a modiﬁed. Tight and percussive with harmonics that leap to the surface as if chased by a predator.

These two Modes in Channel 2 interact with the one set of Tone controls virtually seamlessly and deliver their respective characters with surprising accuracy and detail. This enables you to switch across styles with a minimum of tweaking and a level of compromise that is well worth the trade in simplicity.

FRONT VIEW: Royal Atlantic RA-100 Combo

REAR VIEW: Royal Atlantic RA-100 Combo

PAGE 1

Ov e r v i e w : (Continued)

And now back to the news you’ve been waiting for… Multi-Soak™ Channel Assignable Power Soaks. Your ship has come in!

While almost everyone loves the raw power, headroom and bold authority of a 100 watt power section pumping away beneath the deck, most of us have trouble ﬁnding a venue for all that muscle. For many of us (regardless of age) few and far between are the gigs of yesteryear - where we fondly remember cranking away on a big-bore head – punishing both the engineers and patrons of our favorite haunts to hit that place where we could ride the wave of high volume “inspiration” and go off. These days if you need to rely on that - most likely you will ﬁnd yourself unemployed, or at least strongly reprimanded. And while you can use the Front Panel 100/50 watt Half Power switch to berth two of the 4 power tubes for some cool applications, it’s not the ultimate solution.

Introducing Multi-Soak™. At last you can have whatever amount of power amp drive you need to deliver your personal form of magic – in every Mode - at any volume level you desire. Let’s say that again; now your Tone doesn’t have to be directly tied to your volume. And one last time; you can dial-in the perfect amount of power-clip for every footswitchable sound in your amp.

Okay, yeah this intro might be a little over the top… but damn! How long have we all struggled with that? And though Power Soaks of many persuasions are nothing new… ones that don’t rob your Tone are much harder to ﬁnd. And deﬁnitely - the ability to have a Soak that gives you a separate one for each sound and individual control over their different volumes in one built-in package… well you’ve just sailed off the edge of the map… and into a New World of Power Expression.

On the Rear Panel, Multi-Soak™ appears as a row of 3 rotary controls – each assigned to one of the footswitchable Modes – that give you a choice of Bypass (no power reduction) and four popular levels of power soak volume attenuation. A master Bypass/Engage Soaks switch resides on the Front Panel allowing you to remove the Multi-Soak Attenuators from the signal path completely should you decide to unleash the full fury of the beast. Whether you end up relying on the Multi-Soak feature for all your sounds or you only use it for speciﬁc Modes and applications, the versatility it creates is extremely powerful in both recording and live environments and makes the RA-100 unique in the world of big-displacement heads. NOTE: ! High Master Volume settings (on any tube ampliﬁer) will cause the power tubes to wear at an accelerated rate. Like the tires on a car driven at the limit much of the time, continual excessive use of the Multi-Soak Attenuators to reduce a MASTER setting that is too high to use without the Soak engaged will cause decreased tube life. This will not cause damage to the ampliﬁer, but it will increase your maintenance costs. NOTE: ! We recommend using the HIGH FAN setting when using Multi-Soak to attenuate the power.

The Royal’s got Reverb. Lush all-tube Reverb drenches the RA-100’s three Modes with a beautiful 3-D halo and provides you with assignable choices on where to use it for the best footswitchable results. A 3-position Reverb MODE DEFEAT mini toggle in the REVERB section of the Rear Panel lets you have the Reverb active in all Modes “ON” (toggle center), Defeated in HI (on in CLEAN and LO) or Defeated in HI and LO. (on in CLEAN only). The RA-100 also provides a master REVERB BYPASS switch that enables you to remove the REVERB and all associated tubes and circuitry from the signal path for a more true-to-(at least Brit)vintage response. And if you still need more control than this sophisticated approach to applying REVERB offers… we’ve provided a “hidden Reverb kill” jack on the tube side of the chassis giving those who “don’t mind the dance” total control.

An old favorite, we’ve included our handy BIAS SWITCH that allows you to swap the stock compliment of EL34 with the fatter, rounder sounding 6L6… for those who want to lean heavily on American citizenship when it comes to crunch time (and even more so in CLEAN). NOTE:! Make Sure Bias Switch Setting Matches The Tubes In Use !

Keeping a cool head is always a good idea, but for those times when passion gets the better of you (or you just have to play real quiet) we’ve ﬁtted the Royal with a 2-speed fan switch. We recommend keeping it set to HIGH for the longest tube life and trouble-free operation, but the LOW (quieter) setting is there for recording sessions (and late-night serenades on the deck). NOTE: ! The Multi-Soak™ Attenuation Fea-

ture Generates Additional Heat. This heat increases as the ampliﬁers MASTER Volume Controls are increased while the Multi-Soak Attenuator’s are dialed to reduce volume output to the Speaker. We highly recommend using the FAN on the HIGH setting anytime the Multi-Soak Attenuators are used to reduce an otherwise extreme output signal.

PAGE 2

Ov e r v i e w : (Continued)

STANDBY

POWER

50W

100W

FTSW

INPUT

CLEANFTSW

HI-LO

CLEAN

MULTI-SOAK™

OFF

GAIN

TREBLE

MIDDLE

BASS

MASTER-LO

MASTER-HI

GAIN

TREBLE

MIDDLE

BASS

MASTER

A transparent Series EFFECTS LOOP handles outboard signal processing aboard the RA-100 and provides a seamless interface for units that don’t want to be “in front of the preamp” such as Delay, Chorus, Flange and Pitch Shifting based effects. The Loop Send is derived from a source at the end of the preamp and the RETURN is inserted back into the signal path near the input to the power section. The Loop is basically a patch point at the junction of preamp and power amp and this delivers the best signal to noise ratio and the least degradation of signal for most outboard devices. Overdrive pedals or Gain Boosting devices will usually want to see the guitar’s output signal as a “Send” and the front end (Front Panel Input) of the RA-100 as the “Return”. Using gain pedals in the EFFECTS LOOP may cause noise problems, a “mushy” attack or even feedback. Wah pedals also tend to work best in front of the amp for they are really a foot sweepable guitar Tone control. The RA-100 EFFECTS LOOP incorporates switching-type jacks and when there are no patch cords and/or devices connected, the LOOP is HARD BYPASSED and all associated circuitry is removed from the signal path.

Speaker impedance is an important part of not only power and headroom, but Tone and response (feel) as well. The Royal Atlantic Speaker Output jacks are switchable and handle most speaker impedances well however, they are optimized for either 4 or 8 Ohm loads – which we feel delivers the best overall performance. We prefer the sound of an 8 Ohm cabinet loading the 8 ohm Output Impedance Setting whenever possible citing a more authoritative and responsive attack and tighter-tracking bass frequencies. The majority of MESA Speaker cabinets come wired to 8 Ohms as the standard conﬁguration. Options are available but must be special ordered.

A duplicate Footswitch Input is located on the Rear Panel to accommodate racking of the RA-100 into large format rack systems where all switching is handled by a master (usually midi) switcher. The jacks (Front and Rear) respond to simple “tip to ground” logic and this is commonplace on most all master switching devices. It is usually preferable to have all wiring originate from the rear of these bigger rack systems and the Rear Panel Footswitch jack supports this “pro” wiring scheme.

And ﬁnally, a MESA time honored tradition… the SLAVE OUTPUT and LEVEL control. This handy output enables capture of the entire sound of the RA-100 – both preamp and power – to be captured and fed to an external power source (another RA-100 perhaps) for big venue reinforcement. Another common application is to feed a rack of external processing for the purist who doesn’t trust Effects Loops or prefers a “dry (center), wet (left), wet (right) Stereo rig. The Multi-Soak feature broadens the spectrum of applications for the SLAVE OUTPUT and makes it a little easier to handle “volume-wise” in a live environment.

Well that’s about it for the features of the Royal Atlantic™… now it’s about taking her out for a cruise and seeing what she’ll do in the wide open sea of your creativity. Thanks so much for your interest and support… all of us here at MESA/Boogie value it above all. We know we work for you… and as we focus each day to hand-build the very best instruments possible and earn your respect. Our most precious reward is the trust you put in us to be your voice and your ampliﬁer company. Cheers and Enjoy!

SAMPLE SETTING:

Here’s a quick setting that will give you a quick tour of the basic sound of the Modes in the Royal Atlantic.

PAGE 3

BeFOre YOU STArT:

HELPFUL HINTS:

Cut the cable tie that holds the AC Power Cord to the Rear Tube Cover and connect it to a Grounded AC wall socket.1.

Connect the Stereo ¼” Footswitch Cable to the Front Panel ¼” jack labeled FOOTSWITCH using the supplied Stereo Cable.2.

Set the ampliﬁer (and at least one speaker cabinet) on the ﬂoor you will be standing (or sitting on) while playing to complete the 3. coupling circle that occurs. This will make the ampliﬁer sound better, as well as feel better to play, because the sympathetic loop created by the transmission from your hands to the guitar to the amp to your guitar to your hands remains unbroken.

Using the Multi-Soak™ Power Attenuators at the maximum (last two) attenuation settings with the Channel MASTER volume 4. controls set high (to achieve highest blend of power tube clipping) will wear your power tubes down at an accelerated rate. If you do use the Multi-Soak feature extensively as part of your everyday sound palette, don’t be surprised if you start noticing power tube wear and compromised (dull, ﬂat and lifeless) tone within a couple months or even sooner.

Use the 50 Watt POWER setting on the Front Panel POWER switch to achieve clipped sounds at the top end of the VOLUME 5. control in the CLEAN Mode.

The TREBLE control is effective at adding additional gain to clipped sounds in CLEAN with the VOLUME cranked (5:30). Try 6. setting the TREBLE higher (2:00 – 3:00) and reduce the MID to achieve more warmth.

There is substantial top end carried in the MID control along with the midrange frequencies it adjusts. Some like to run the MID 7. higher and then reduce top end at the TREBLE control.

Our suggestion in the HI Mode is to use the Soak with tone in mind and follow this obvious and simple scheme; If you 8. want to add power section overdrive to an already gained-out sound with the Multi-Watt Soak – Reduce the setting of the GAIN control accordingly. In this way you stand a better chance of arriving at a sound that is a beautiful blend of preamp

saturation and power amp overdrive.

IMPORTANT: Using the Multi-Soak Attenuators frequently will cause increased power tube wear and shorten their Toneful life. This wear is more rapid if the attenuation is extreme – as it is in the two most attenuated positions (-12db and -16db) of the rotary control. If you use the Multi-Soak as an integral part of your daily Tone palette, you can expect a relatively short life-span (2-4 months) from your power tubes. In comparison, someone using the Multi-Soaks as a strategically applied effect for recording or small venue inspiration would likely get 6 months to a year or even more from a set of tubes before they noticed any degradation in the sound.

Now that you have an overview of the features of your Royal Atlantic, let’s get speciﬁc with the modes and controls to help you better understand how to get the sounds you are looking for and apply them to your music.

PAGE 4

FrONT PANeL: CO N T r O L S & Fe A T U r e S

STANDBY

POWER

50W

100W

CLEAN

MULTI-SOAK™

OFF

GAIN

TREBLE

MIDDLE

BASS

MASTER

STANDBY

POWER

50W

100W

HI-LO

CLEAN

MULTI-SOAK™

OFF

GAIN

TREBLE

MIDDLE

BASS

MASTER-LO

MASTER-HI

GAIN

TREBLE

MIDDLE

BASS

MASTER

THE CHANNELS / MODES:

CLEAN CHANNEL:

This is the lowest gain of the three Modes in the Royal Atlantic and is based on the classic California

“black face” era circuits. It also draws heavily from our MARK I and MARK V Boogie clean modes - where it inherits the sweetness

and springy, bouncy attack characteristics. This Mode is aimed at vintageinspired clean rhythm playing and produces sparkling top end harmonics, articulate - but never harsh - mids and deep fundamental low end that breathes with three-dimensional air.

Lower settings of the VOLUME control (10:30 – 1:30) will allow more of

the top end harmonics to slip through the circuit and produce a stripped, skinny sound that is perfect for R&B and Country styles. As the VOLUME is increased past this range, more rich low mids and bass will start to appear, rounding out and ﬁlling in the sound. This range is great for Rock clean rhythm sounds where more punch and attitude are in order. With the VOLUME maxed (5:30) the sound is fat with low mid girth and, depending on the pickups being used, headroom is minimal and you are most likely going to experience some tube clip in the preamp. If the amp is being played loud you may be clipping both the preamp and the power section. If you wish to emphasize this clip characteristic and really get things breaking up in the CLEAN Mode, switch the Front Panel POWER switch down to 50 watts and you will attain more clip at a lower overall volume level.

The taper of the pot used for the VOLUME control in the CLEAN Mode is very slow and gain is increased very gradually from the bottom of the pot (7:30) throughout the ﬁrst 2/3 of its taper (2:00). Above this range (2:30 – 5:30) gain starts to increase more rapidly and there is somewhat less resolution available as the gain ﬁlls in the sound.

The CLEAN Channel works especially well with the Multi-Soak™ feature to achieve clipped solo and old school crunch rhythm sounds. By switching in the CLEAN Attenuator and increasing the MASTER control, you can add power section overdrive in varying degrees to the clip available in the higher region of the preamp. This scheme works great when you want to retain the urgent character and dynamic response of a more vintage gain structure, but need to add some power section overdrive and keep the volume level reasonable.

NOTE: Using the Multi-Soak Attenuators frequently will cause increased power tube wear and shorten their Toneful life. This wear is more rapid if the attenuation is extreme – as it is in the two most attenuated positions (-12db and -16db) of the rotary control. If you use the Multi-Soak as an integral part of your daily Tone palette, you can expect a relatively short life-span (2-4 months) from your power tubes. In comparison, someone using the Multi-Soaks as a strategically applied effect for recording or small venue inspiration would likely get 6 months to a year or even more from a set of tubes before they noticed any degradation in the sound.

HI / LO CHANNEL:

This Channel contains two Modes of operation and roams the mid to high regions of gain with a smooth – and

extremely useful – overlap between LO and HI at the upper end of the Classic Rock gain-o-sphere. Both the Modes in this Channel

lean heavily on the British side of the Atlantic and between them they deliver everything from the classic gut-punching break-up for crunch rhythm work on up to soaring, saturated single note sounds with virtually inﬁnite sustain.

PAGE 5

FrONT PANeL: CO N T r O L S & Fe A T U r e S (Continued)

CLEAN

FT. SW.

CLEAN

FT. SW.

LO:

LO delivers the classic Brit character and response and is all about versatility. With a gain spectrum that begins with a

vintage-inspired clean range (7:00 – 10:30), transitions through a dial friendly zone of tight, percussive, open and dynamic crunch

sounds (10:30 – 2:00) and ends with a broad spectrum of more saturated – but not too compressed – heavy rhythm or lead sounds (2:00 – 5:00), LO does it all. This range of gain and stylistic ﬂexibility creates possibly the most useful Mode in the Royal and don’t be surprised if LO becomes your go-to Mode for so many sounds. It rides the line between clean and dirty with subtle accuracy and astonishing conviction, delivering a huge palette of sounds.

This chameleon-like nature is further appreciated when you start exploring what the CLEAN Channel can do with

the Multi-Soak™ feature. As you ﬁnd clipped or overdriven sounds using the CLEAN Channel in conjunction with the Attenuators, the lower range of LO shows its value as an alternate clean sound. In this scenario run the GAIN low (10:00 – 11:00), the MID scooped (9:00) and the BASS higher (2:00 – 3:30) to achieve more sparkle, breath and dimension. LO works extremely well for Brit-Vintage rhythm work… where its percussive nature shines, keeping things exciting in the time domain while it delivers the right kind of top-end that chimes and chirps and yet remains warm enough to sound rich and soulful.

LO also really showcases the Royal’s EL-34 power section and - whether or not the Multi-Soak Attenuator is used to enhance the clip – the preamps classic Brit mid- gain personality is perfectly matched to make the most of the EL34’s skinnier, more stripped footprint.

Because the gain range of the LO Mode tops out before it gets too compressed and saturated, it is the more likely candidate (between LO and HI) for frequent applications of the Multi-Soak™ Attenuation feature. It will remain tighter and more focused as you dial in additional power section overdrive by increasing the MASTER and clamping down the output with the Soak. LO will handle (remain tight and focused) the most extreme Soak settings (-16db and -12db) but not quite as well as the CLEAN Channel because, especially at the upper end of the GAIN control, there is a substantial amount of preamp “squash” and natural tube compression. We have found the lower and middle ranges of the GAIN control in LO combined with the upper two Soak settings (-8db and -4db) seem to work best and retain the most musical blend of saturation and openness (uncompromised dynamic response).

You’ll come to appreciate the accuracy, nuance and especially the urgency of LO as you ﬁnd sounds across its gain spectrum becoming an integral part of your expression. It’s a formidable ally for clean, pushed and crunch rhythms as well as tight-tracking single note sounds that will bring years of enjoyment and inspiration.

HI:

This Mode is all about Modiﬁed. Modiﬁed Brit to be exact. HI adds another gain stage and thicker low-end, increased low-

mid attack and layers of high harmonics to create a sound that is heavy and menacing, yet still retains its tight, percussive nature

and fast tracking response. This Mode is great for throaty edge-of-clip blues and roots styles in the low region of

the GAIN Control (8:30 – 11:00), giant, aggressive crunch rhythm and explosive, dynamic single note jabs in the

middle range (11:30 – 1:30), then it transitions into molten, soaring lead sounds that offer near inﬁnite sustain and

ridiculous saturation at the top of the GAIN control (1:30 – 5:00). One surprising thing about HI is, that while the

gain available at the upper region of this Mode is possible the highest ever found in a MESA, (that’s saying a lot)

it is quite well behaved in terms of noise and stability. Also HI tracks your playing accurately despite the complete

and utter saturation of the notes that occurs here.

Because of the incredible amount of gain available here, HI is not as Soak friendly as CLEAN and LO and discretion must be used to achieve musical results. The lower range of the GAIN control works best with the Multi-Soak Attenuator and much above 12:00 noon the attack really begins to suffer, becoming mushy and indistinct. This is because the Soak is capable of adding substantially more gain to an already saturated signal and the HI mode, quite frankly, doesn’t need more gain. In fact the fast, tight and percussive nature of the Royal running in Full Power with no power attenuation in place, seems to serve up HI in the best way possible. The added brightness of the EL34’s running wide-open and unleashed keeps things articulate and clear. The slight darkening that can sometimes be a sideline quality as you start to clamp down the power lower and lower does not serve this super-charged gain machine as well as it slows things down and imparts mush. Our suggestion in the HI Mode is to use the Soak with tone in mind

PAGE 6

FrONT PANeL: CO N T r O L S & Fe A T U r e S (Continued)

STANDBY

POWER

100W

FTSW

INPUT

CLEANFTSW

HI-LO

CLEAN

MULTI-SOAK™

OFF

GAIN

TREBLE

MIDDLE

BASS

MASTER-LO

MASTER-HI

GAIN

TREBLE

MIDDLE

BASS

MASTER

STANDBY

POWER

50W

100W

HI-LO

CLEAN

MULTI-SOAK™

OFF

GAIN

TREBLE

MIDDLE

BASS

MASTER-LO

MASTER-HI

GAIN

TREBLE

MIDDLE

BASS

MASTER

and follow this obvious and simple scheme:

If you want to add power section overdrive to an already gained-out sound with the Multi-Watt Soak – Reduce the setting of the GAIN control accordingly. In this way you stand a better chance of arriving at a sound that is a beautiful blend of preamp

saturation and power amp overdrive. Virtually all the classic and identiﬁable guitar sounds have been created as a result of a perfect blend of these two types of ampliﬁcation. Here in the Royal Atlantic – possibly for the ﬁrst time ever – you have ultimate control over these two important stages and with ﬁnesse and taste applied, you should be able to craft truly amazing original - and classic - guitar sounds.

THE CONTROLS:

Though there are two separate Channels in the Royal Atlantic, the controls are virtually identical in their roles and how they operate. The only difference between the Channels is the obvious inclusion of a separate MASTER volume control that is dedicated to the LO Channel. Because of this similarity in the control layout of the Channels, we will discuss them together and where there are important settings information or differences, we’ll point them out.

CHANNEL SELECT:

This 3-position mini toggle switch determines which Channel/Mode is called up when the Footswitch is not

connected. It triggers an LED indicator next to it and also, to assist you on stage, a small LED next to the MASTER of the Channel/

Mode you are currently in.

NOTE: To use the Footswitch to select Channels/Modes, select the center CLEAN position of the Toggle and con-

nect the stereo Footswitch Cable to the Footswitch Jack on the Front Panel. On the Footswitch, the Button on the

Left toggles you between the Channels (CLEAN & HI/LO) and the button on the right Toggles you between the HI

and LO Modes in the (overdrive) HI/LO Channel.

GAIN:

This is, by far, the most powerful control in the Royal and its setting determines the style and personality of the Modes.

It meters the gain in different tube stages depending on the Channel and Mode called up – and it sets Input Stage headroom - which

determines whether the sound will be clean or overdriven. It also acts as a subtle Tone control as the tube stages’ gain is increased and decreased and imparts its own “color” on the sound.

In all the Channels, there are three regions of the GAIN control – a low gain zone between 8:00 - 11:30, a warmer, more saturated zone from 11:00 - 2:00 and a higher gain zone from 2:30 – 5:00. Each of these zones can be used for many different applications and all can be used for both chording and single note solo work. As the GAIN control is swept throughout its range it imparts different textures and tonal characteristics.

Generally speaking, the lower end of the control (8:30 – 11:30) in both Channels and Modes produces a brighter, more open character that has more dynamic content available. This region is great for clean, sparkling chording in Channel 1, where the maximum headroom is available, the top end harmonics are bubbly and the attack is lightning fast. The HI and LO Modes in Channel 2 are tuned to deliver amazing threshold sounds in this zone where the gain is warm and furry, but there is still plenty of the guitar’s personality intact. This zone is great for all the Channel 2 sounds when used for clipped chording, as there is plenty of dynamics intact that have not yet been compressed by too much saturation.

The middle region of the GAIN control (11:00 – 2:00) is where the most balanced sounds live and you will ﬁnd this region delivers warm, full sound, detailed attack and good dynamics and the Tone controls still have a powerful effect on the signal. The Channel 1 CLEAN delivers great chording response and sound richer and have more body here. Depending on pickup style and strength you will have to watch for clipping as you are nearing the crossover point gain-wise. Some of Channel 2’s best sounds are to be found here as things start smearing nicely as they start getting into delicious tube overdrive. As you approach 2:00 there will be plenty of

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FrONT PANeL: CO N T r O L S

STANDBY

POWER

50W

100W

HI-LO

CLEAN

MULTI-SOAK™

OFF

TREBLE

MIDDLE

BASS

MASTER-LO

MASTER-HI

GAIN

TREBLE

MIDDLE

BASS

MASTER

saturation to keep chords grinding and single notes hanging – but not too much to start compressing the life out of the sound. If you aren’t getting great results in this region for your gain sounds in Channel 2, you may want to look at trying some pickups with a bit hotter output.

The highest region of the GAIN (2:00 – 5:00) is all about saturation. Up here the signal gets much fatter in the low end and the top end begins to recede to create a round, compressed sound. Dynamics become slower with lower peaks and a more legato, creamier feel is produced. In Channel 1 the high end of the GAIN control produces some great clipped clean sounds as the Input stage gives it up and starts to saturate. These sounds are further enhanced by the 50 Watt Power Mode and the Multi-Soak™ Attenuation feature, where you can add additional power clip to the preamp drive.

Channel 2 gets truly wild at the top end of the GAIN control and both Modes unveil their true potential as solo Modes. There is ample gain up here to rip into any style you wish with the HI Mode pumping out ridiculous levels of thick creamy overdrive for soloing. With the GAIN maxed in HI you can achieve virtually inﬁnite sustain… if you can keep your guitar stable and from feeding back. The more midrange-prominent character of LO and HI allows you to still have good articulation up here even with amounts of saturation that would turn most circuits to useless mush.

At the highest GAIN settings you will notice the Tone controls have a diminished effect on the sound as the notes are so saturated and their character has been pre-determined by the way each Mode is voiced and how it reacts to this level of gain. May we humbly suggest using the GAIN in its middle range whenever possible to achieve the best balance of overdrive and still retain the full shaping power of the Tone Controls. Also, your attack will remain deﬁnitive and focused in the middle range and not get over-saturated and “slowed down” as it can in the highest region of GAIN settings.

TREBLE:

While the VOLUME is the most powerful control in the Royal Atlantic, the TREBLE comes in a close second. The

TREBLE is responsible for shaping the character of the entire Mode/Channel. It can overpower the rest of the Tone controls easily

and therefore its setting is crucial to a rich and balanced sound in all three Modes. In fact, the TREBLE feeds the signal to the MID and BASS controls and acts like a valve for their signal strength.

When the TREBLE is set in its higher regions (2:00 – 5:00) it is sending a smaller signal to the MID and BASS controls and they will be less active and the dominant character will be one of very bright, TREBLE-heavy frequencies. Conversely, a very low setting on the TREBLE will produce sounds that are perhaps a little BASS heavy and overly dark as a very large amount of signal is shoveled toward the MID and BASS controls. So you can see that setting the TREBLE with taste in mind and care is critical for the Tone control string to work in harmony.

In both Channels and their Modes the middle region of the TREBLE delivers the best balance and creates sounds that are plenty bright enough but still rich and warm. We suggest that you start with the TREBLE at 12:00 and adjust up or down slightly until the desired blend is achieved.

In the HI/LO Channel, the MID control carries frequencies that are somewhat close to the TREBLE, along with the upper mid and lower mid frequencies it is centered around. Use this idiosyncrasy of Brit style architecture to your advantage and experiment with setting the TREBLE lower than “normal” and running the MID up a bit and vice versa. Some very cool sounds can be found with the TREBLE lower and the MID higher. Be sure to check this interaction between these two powerful controls, as it will be critical in achieving the sounds you hear in your head.

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FrONT PANeL: CO N T r O L S (Continued)

STANDBY

POWER

50W

100W

HI-LO

CLEAN

MULTI-SOAK™

OFF

MIDDLE

BASS

MASTER-LO

MASTER-HI

GAIN

TREBLE

MIDDLE

BASS

MASTER

MID:

The MID control in the Royal, while very powerful, acts a little more like a standard tone control and doesn’t have quite the

massive global shaping power of the VOLUME and TREBLE controls. However, its setting does impart a strong character on the sound

of all three Modes. It brings in and out a broad band of midrange frequencies and - as we have mentioned earlier in the TREBLE section – along with these rides a fair amount of higher “low treble” range frequencies. These highs are lower than that of the TREBLE, but they are important for the punch and cut of the sound in a mix.

For rhythm playing in the CLEAN Mode, a lower MID setting (7:30 – 10:00) scoops some of this midrange attack and makes the bottom end breathe more. This range will also make things more resilient and create an easier to play, more elastic feel on the strings. Single coil guitars work very well here for the slinky, rubber band attack and bouncy bass character associated with Blues, R&B and Country clean styles.

The middle region (10:00 – 1:00) is where the punch and attack begin to come on with more urgency and this is where mahogany guitars really like to see the MID set for adding the cut and deﬁnition. Here the top end begins to show itself in the mix of the MID controls’ spectrum and chording sounds start to chime and slash with a more forward – and very present – character.

From here on up (1:00 – 5:30) the MID introduces an aggressive range of sounds that are still full, but quite forward as the dominant frequencies become those present under control of the MID. In this range you will likely have to increase the BASS to add back in the richness and warmth that gets overshadowed when the MID control is set high. If you like the attack and urgency found in this range of the MID, all the other controls (except maybe the MASTER, which you may have to back down as the sound gets more forward) may have to be set higher to keep up with the MID dominant curve. This is ﬁne, although there will reach a point of diminishing return as the headroom in the preamp gets eaten up by this tonal arms race and you begin to clip the preamp with the high signal from the Tone control string.

For gain sounds in the LO and HI Modes, a similar story unfolds as the MID is increased. Lower settings (7:30 – 10:30) will produce wider sounding, more elastic feeling chording sounds and the single notes will have a more creamy, smooth character. High harmonics created by the gain and controlled largely with the TREBLE, will put a patina of three-dimensional haze on things that smears nicely with vintage soul.

As the MID is increased past the 10:00 range, cut and bite begins to creep in along with the chesty midrange punch. This is where some classic Brit crunch is found in the middle range of the VOLUME control in the LO Mode. This MID kick is an integral part of the impact and tight-tracking accuracy of this iconic mid-gain sound that has been a Rock staple for the last four decades. In HI, the single notes leap forward with greater authority and speed and the warmer, juicier sound begins to give way to a ﬁre-breathing blowtorch of gain… especially at high VOLUME settings.

Passing the 1:00 mark unleashes the brash attitude pent up in the MID frequencies and top end joins the party in a big way. Here is where you look for the most forward and aggressive attack over a wider range than that of TREBLE control. The feel on the strings will become less forgiving and your playing will be put under a microscope in the time domain. This region is great for pushing Rock rhythm sounds to the forefront of a mix in LO, no matter how much gain you thicken it up with on the VOLUME control. Single note solo sounds in HI will be lightning fast and deadly accurate and certainly will be heard by all, as they will have a deﬁnite point of origin in the bar line.

One suggestion, or maybe more of a word of caution… the MID control contains frequencies that can be a little tough on the ears if not used with some discretion. Be sure to put your head down by the cabinet at some point and sample what you are dealing out to the audience and/or the microphone. You might be surprised how much impact – and possibly even pain – can be dialed in with higher settings of the MID. Unless you are out to hurt people, which is never a good idea, you may ﬁnd the middle to lower range of the MID gives you plenty of attack and deﬁnition but still sounds balanced and warm and lets others enjoy your playing without wincing at every note.

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FrONT PANeL: CO N T r O L S (Continued)

STANDBY

POWER

50W

100W

CLEAN

MULTI-SOAK™

OFF

BASS

MASTER-LO

MASTER-HI

GAIN

TREBLE

MIDDLE

BASS

MASTER

STANDBY

POWER

50W

100W

CLEAN

MULTI-SOAK™

OFF

MASTER-LO

MASTER-HI

GAIN

TREBLE

MIDDLE

BASS

MASTER

BASS:

Much like the MID, the BASS control responds like a typical Tone control and blends in a fairly wide slice of rich bottom end

to round out the sound. Internal switching that occurs when the different Modes are selected re-voices the frequency and amount of

bass present for each circuit. This difference is crucial to the sounds and a big part of their character.

The CLEAN Mode incorporates a much lower bass frequency that adds depth, dimension and air to the sound. Both LO and HI utilize a higher frequency of bass that produces a more resonant, thumping quality and keeps things tighter and more bouncy. This frequency can be used in greater proportions as compared with the lower – and possibly more tone-dangerous – frequency used in the CLEAN Mode. Therefore the need to be able to have different amounts of these two different frequencies is critical to both great sound and great footswitching compatibility between the Channels/Modes.

In the CLEAN Mode we like the balance of the BASS control when it is blending in warmth and body, but not overpowering the attack and sparkle in the mix. Depending on the setting of the VOLUME control this can be different, as the lower VOLUME settings can handle a little higher BASS settings. You will have to experiment with the exact spots and below is a rough guideline example, but basically, as VOLUME goes up - BASS should come down;

Example:

With the VOLUME at 12:00 – BASS at 1:00

With the VOLUME at 1:00 – BASS at 12:00

With the VOLUME at 2:00 – BASS at 11:00

The higher frequencies found on the BASS control in the LO and HI Modes are much more forgiving and can be used in higher amounts than the lower frequencies present in CLEAN. BASS settings between 12:00 and 3:00 will be commonplace - with lower VOLUME settings needing higher BASS settings and higher VOLUME settings calling for a more careful use of the BASS. As the gain goes down (VOLUME 9:30 – 12:00) and things get tighter, there is a need for the rich low-end air that is created by the BASS control. When the gain saturates things as it’s cranked up (VOLUME 12:00 – 5:30), the notes thicken up and less bass is needed to create girth until - at a certain point - the bass frequencies start to slow things down and can even get in the way for some styles.

MASTER:

This control determines the overall output level of each Channel and is located at the very end of the preamp. By using

it in combination with the GAIN control, any amount of preamp signal strength – gain – (within a Modes’ parameters) can be achieved

at any playing volume. Once you have dedicated the Channels to their respective sounds with the Modes and Controls, you can then balance the volume levels of the Channels using the MASTER controls.

In addition to adjusting the playing loudness of the Channels/Modes, the MASTER functions as an EFFECTS RETURN control for the EFFECTS LOOP when the LOOP is activated (by connecting plugs to the LOOP SEND and RETURN jacks).

For general applications and to get the best performance out of all the Modes we recommend MASTER settings in the 9:00 – 12:00 range with most people settling in around 10:00 – 11:00 for average playing volumes. Of course, when using the Multi-Soak Feature to add additional power overdrive, you will switch in the desired amount of attenuation and probably use higher settings of the MASTER.

Some purists like to run the MASTER all the way up and raise the GAIN until they reach their desired sound – thinking that this achieves the purest sound. In theory, they believe this resembles removing the control altogether from the signal path, and in a way

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