Mesa/Boogie MARK IIC+ - Bass; Pull Shift; Middle; Master

and taste to ensure uninterrupted performance.
BASS / PULL SHIFT
As described in the BASS control, this PULL switch engages a boost in sub-low-end frequencies. The BASS
SHIFT aects both Rhythm and Lead Modes. Its main application is to add breathy low end (sub-low air) to
lower gain clean sounds in the Rhythm Mode. It’s most eective when the VOLUME 1 control is set below 5.5
or 6.0, and even then, you will need to keep an ear out for attack clarity and speed/dynamics.
Adding (pulling) the BASS SHIFT to sounds in the Lead Mode rarely produces good results, as the sub-low
“air” it adds tends to cloud up and slow the attack in a sound that is already a bit slowed and compressed by
natural tube saturation. You can try it for Lead Mode sounds where VOLUME 1 is set low purposefully for more
of a “smear,” as opposed to saturation, for low to medium gain sounds, and occasionally, it adds something
desirable. For the most part, though, when it comes to overdrive sounds in the Lead Mode, better results are
found in the PULL DEEP on the MASTER control and in the onboard 5-Band Graphic EQ, as again, both aect
low end farther downstream in the circuit.
MIDDLE
The MIDDLE control adjusts the blend of a wide band of midrange frequencies in the mix, adding or taking
away punch and authority. At the lower end of its range, it scoops mids and creates a resilient, easy-to-play
feel that is forgiving and broad sounding, allowing the top end and low end to be the dominant parts of the
EQ curve. The middle and upper ranges of the MIDDLE control bring in the punch, attack, and forwardness
that mid-dominant sounds are known for. Depending on the instrument, musical style, and/or technique level,
some may find this degree of punch and forwardness sti feeling and unforgiving to play, so this is something
you will need to determine for yourself through experimentation.
Clean sounds usually sound and feel better with lower settings of the MIDDLE, say 2.0 – 4.5 depending on
the instrument. This range allows more low-end breathiness and air to support the sound and more top-end
shimmer to come through and open it up, the overall result being a more three-dimensional character.
Gain sounds – depending on the style of music and application (Rhythm or Lead) – can call for either a lower
setting with scooped mids or a little more midrange dialed in to make the sound more authoritative or aggressive
and to focus the attack.
With clipped/overdriven sounds in the Rhythm Mode, the MIDDLE can color the sound and change the feel
substantially. The lower range lets the gain smear the notes seemingly more evenly and cohesively, while a
higher setting adds gain but also changes the texture and attack, causing some elements to stand out more
than others.
Remember that you can use the MIDDLE control and the 750 Hz Band of the Graphic EQ in combination with
each other to further define the character of your sounds. The two respond very dierently, being in dierent
parts of the signal path, and each has a dierent part of the midrange under its control in terms of center point
and width. Though both are fairly broad Q, using the two types of controls together can help you shape the
mids with more options than using either one alone. Keep this in mind as you sculpt for specific mid-frequencies
when searching for your own signature sounds.
You will notice the MIDDLE is the only control not fitted with a Pull SHIFT feature. This is because the MIDDLE
control handles such a broad spectrum of midrange that we feel deviation in either direction presents frequencies
that don’t sound as musically pleasing, are not as easy to dial, or that blend as well. Likely a result of their
placement in the circuit, the sound quickly becomes harsh when raised in the higher direction and boxy and
clunky when dropped in the lower direction. This prompted us to leave well enough alone and stick with what
works.
MASTER
Though it is most often associated with the Clean Mode, the MASTER control really functions as an overall
output level control for the entire amp. Once you have your optimum Clean Mode volume level set, then use
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