your sound, and perhaps require something that the “physical” impact and dimension of dierent cabinetry
can achieve for you.
• Less Can Be More! When it comes to the VOLUME 1, LEAD DRIVE, and TONE controls, restraint can be
your friend and your key to great Tone.
Your amplifier was designed to deliver great performance across a wide range of settings and musical styles
and much of that performance can be found in the median ranges of the controls. Unlike some amplifiers
that are historically known for sounding good only at extreme settings, MESA amplifiers are designed such
that the controls are active and deliver big sonic changes with subtle movements of the controls.
We suggest starting in the middle ranges or sweet spots of the controls, including the gain controls (VOLUME
1 and LEAD DRIVE), and adjusting from there to find the sounds in the Mode that suit your particular needs.
This will do two things; One – it will mean you have plenty of room for adjustment in either direction, and
Two – it will reduce the likelihood of excess noise being introduced and help you maintain an optimum
noise floor.
Granted, there will be times when you will need to run the controls closer to their maximum (or minimum)
settings, and this is fine and will not hurt your amplifier. However, if you explore the median settings on the
controls first and learn their tapers, their frequencies, and their overall range, you will better know which
ones can accommodate higher settings and which you may want to veer away from settings at the extreme
ends…for musically relevant reasons, and also to keep the stress on tubes reasonable so they have less
chance of microphonic tendencies or instability.
NOTE: One of the most helpful of all Tone Hints for the IIC+, and one that is largely global in nature, is to
remember this simple “Tone Rule:” As gain goes up, Bass should come down. The control this pertains
to most on the IIC+ is the VOLUME 1 control, as it sets the overall Tone, shape, and feel of everything in
BOTH Modes. So, as you increase the VOLUME 1 control (and therefore the gain) past 6.0, start reducing
the BASS control relative to your increases at VOLUME 1. And if you use the VOLUME 1 control very high
for heavy rock or metal sounds, don’t be surprised to find the BASS set at 3.0 or well below...sometimes
even o altogether, at the highest VOLUME 1 settings. This will keep the attack as focused and cohesive
as possible and improve “tracking,” particularly in the LEAD Mode.
Also remember that you can get additional and tighter low end with the lowest two Bands of the Graphic
EQ, as they manipulate the sound downstream in the signal path and are not amplified by additional tube
gain/saturation...unless you are clipping the power section, which is usually not the case when you are
already applying healthy amounts of preamp gain to achieve rock or metal sounds.
• EQ with IQ! The Five-Band Graphic Equalizer on your IIC+ is not only an iconic piece of rock history, it’s
also an extremely powerful shaping tool that – more often than not – needs to be used intelligently and
with restraint if you want to achieve a balanced, cohesive sound.
The radical cut and boost capability of the EQ Slider Pots allow maximum flexibility on the one hand, but also
present the possibility for blowing holes in your sound if not used with a musical sense and some restraint.
This is especially true with the 750 Hz Band, where we have often seen players scooping the midrange in
ever-increasing amounts until there is literally nothing left aside from “boom and sizzle.”
The trap that awaits with the Graphic EQ is the fabled “EQ Hangover.” This pitfall is the tendency to over-
EQ your sound due to the EQ’d sound of the Graphic engaged becoming your reference for “normal,”
instead of referencing the natural sound of the amplifier without the EQ Bands cutting and boosting specific
frequencies as you sculpt and search for sounds.
You’ll know you’re suering an “EQ Hangover” when the amp sounds strange, nasal, boxy…or even broken
in extreme cases when you disengage the Graphic EQ. When this happens, simply let a couple/few minutes
pass without playing and start over with your shaping with the EQ o or from a “Flat” Slider setting on the
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