NRPD: The Holy Grail has been found...

[Emperoff]

And retrieved.

After a long time, I finally managed to hunt down an early '97 TriAxis. Specifically a "non-phat Recto (TX4-D) model for those in the know. A rare beast (specially the EU voltage version) made from 93 to 97. Tubes on it are TAD 12AX7A-C.

It's in a very good cosmetic shape, and only thing not working properly is the LD1 green led (which seller didn't even know).

The thing sounds tits. It's somewhat compressed, which I like since I'm not really into boosts. Cleans are REALLY good, specially on green mode. Mark I modes are cool for blues and low gain stuff and the Recto mode is a "love or hate" thing, it seems. I love it, and people saying it's a fizzy mess maybe don't know how to turn down a knob... errr, button. Which could be, as they're quite stiff and hard to press, honestly

Lead II tones is where is at, as you probably know. Everyone's favourite is obviously the Mark IIC+ yellow, but I prefer the green mode (Mark IV) for rythm tones. More gain, tighter and with more mids. I like more the IIC+ for leads (as it's smoother). Red mode (Mark III) is a lot hairier, and would make a great death metal core sound. It's the most "british" sounding of the three modes, but still a far stretch from a Marshall.

I love gut shots. And so do you now:

The infamous "Recto board" TX4-D.

Seller claims hist tech changed some capacitors prior shipping. They all look stock to me but considering Mesa sells those and United Chemi-Con capacitors are widely available, I'd say why not. They look good nonetheless with no signs of leaking anywhere.

Toobz...

If you look around the net for Triaxis info, you'll always read how they don't sound good direct, only with their matching 2:90. I'll check that when I take it to my rehearsal space and pair it with my buddy's 2:90. But I can tell you plenty of those posts omitted poweramp simulation which to me is a must on ANY hardware preamp going direct. I run it into Mercuriall's ReAxis ( ) using only the poweramp sim, Ownhammer IRs and some FX and it sounds pretty damn good.

Now, time to play!

 

[technomancer]

Nice score

I briefly had one of these I snagged as part of a trade and flipped it when in hindsight I should have held on to it.

 

[Furtive Glance]

Nice!

"TRIAXIS WILL KICK YOUR HEAD OFF!"

 

[StevenC]

I'd love to get a TriAxis, but I've never seen one for sale that I'd trust to work right. Also don't think I have the energy to figure out all the variations.

 

[Emperoff]

I'd love to get a TriAxis, but I've never seen one for sale that I'd trust to work right. Also don't think I have the energy to figure out all the variations.

Well, that's the easiest part:
https://mesaboogie.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/217784798-What-TriAxis-version-do-I-have-

 

[odibrom]

Hey @Emperoff, cool review. I also have one for about 10 or 12 years already, but mine is a little younger, I think it already has the fat mod. I bought it for 2 reasons, it was (and still is) the only 1rack unit full analogue tube preamp with full MIDI capability, including Continuous Control for all the parameters from Gain to Dynamic Voice. I came from a modeler which could use an expression pedal to increase the gain/distortion to the sound so when going into tubes, this was it. Before I got one, I tried one at a local store into a solid state combo (for power amp purposes only) and it sounded super sharp/articulated and full sounding. Since it was step priced new back then, I waited for local sales and eventually got one V2.

When I got it, I couldn't distinguish LD2 green from yellow, I mean, I felt they were different but wasn't sure in what sense, now I think I know better and will dive into it in a bit. LD2 red was, at the time just too much for me. Ola Englund (? I hope it's spelled right) has a nice video on the Triaxis into the power section of a mark V head I think.

So, depending on the pickups you use, the Gain and Drive parameters can do lots of textures. I have lowered my guitars pickups' output (bought some custom made mid-to-high output pickups) and it allowed me to raise the GAIN setting a little more, achieving that compression you're talking about, and still getting clean tones out of the Lead modes, both 1 and 2. I would then raise the Drive to get my distortion. Ola says in the video that the treble parameter interacts with the drive and distortion texture and is correct, but I've been dialing the treble back a little since my guitars are wide open in tone response (1Mega Ohms pots for volume, bright pickups...). It's also important to dial the Presence with ease and in conjunction with the Dynamic Voice. If they're all up, there's the fizzy sound everyone talks about. So, this to say that I've mainly used LD2 Yellow mode for far more than a year now and I do everything with one program/patch. I've programmed several parameters to change their values with my MIDI board, so with ONE program, I go from crystal clean to raw and brutal mean and everything in between. Swapping pickup configurations and coil splits and all that jazz and I have a "one program do it all" kind of setup.

The Dynamic Voice is a group of preset graphic EQs, the more you raise its value, the more V shaped the graphic is. Lot's of hate here, but I think it works OK. Lot's of people also say that adding a graphic EQ pedal in the loop or in between the power-amp/FXs is a game changer for tone shaping the Triaxis.

So, the major difference between LD2 modes is that (with my setup and guitars), the LD2 GREEN has less headroom in the GAIN parameter, it will distort faster and earlier, but less overall gain/dirt with the DRIVE parameter. The LD2 RED is the opposite, it has lots of headroom in the GAIN parameter, it will only distort a higher settings and lots of gain/dirt at the DRIVE parameter. LD2 yellow seats in between these two. The Higher the GAIN parameter is, the more compressed the tone will be and also ballsier (with more bottom end, almost muddy if the bass is too high). I've found useful to link to the same MIDI pedal the BASS and GAIN parameters, so when the GAIN raises, the BASS lowers a bit. It helps to keep the cleans round and full with lots of bottom end, but when one punches in the GAIN, it won't get out of control and keeps the tone tight. I used to do something similar with the treble setting, but am experimenting removing some high end out of my tone since there's too much in it already. Needless to say that I use 2 expression pedals to control my GAIN and DRIVE parameters...

I mainly use my rig at home with headphones and have found the record outs quite useful, "stereo" output is the tits. It sounds good to me with my unit. They're supposed to be EQed to resemble a 412 closed cab, but there's no dynamic voodoo cab simulators like with the torpedo stuff. It's a bit stiff, but sound good to me. I've also tried another Triaxis' record outs into the sound card and maybe it was the different setup or that Triaxis unit, but it sounded like a direct out to mixing console without any cab simulation. At the band's rehearsals, I've been using 2x 412 cabs the studio offers (rented by the hour) and it sounds awesome, I have a 2:fifty power amp and never ever have gone beyond half the volume at the knob. At home I use 2x 112 home made cabs that have been quite good sounding with the volumes at 8h30.

My current setup is:

• Whatever guitar -> Triaxis input -> loop out into TC Electronic G-Force -> Stereo return into Triaxis.
• Then I run my Triaxis either into the audio interface (both record outputs for wet stereo) or into the Mesa Boogie 2:fifty poweramp.
• The G-Force's main FX are Reverb and Compression after the preamp, obviously, and before (I think) the Master and Dynamic Voice parameters.

I'm missing a few FXs in the front of the Triaxis but for that's what I'm going with for now. The G-Force's Wahwah after the Triaxis is pure garbage, more so with distorted tones...

I rarely use any LD1 mode and even rarer any of the 2 rhythm modes. NEVER EVER programmed anything with the latter modes.

 

[TheWarAgainstTime]

Nice score

I briefly had one of these I snagged as part of a trade and flipped it when in hindsight I should have held on to it.

I was in the same boat last year although mine ended up being super faulty and I had to sell it as non-functioning I've been curious to play a "good" one ever since, but for now I'm happy with my Mark V

Congrats of the grab, Emperoff! Looks clean

 

[Adieu]

Can somebody explain the allure/benefit/wtf-it-is of this oddball item???

 

[DudeManBrother]

Can somebody explain the allure/benefit/wtf-it-is of this oddball item???

For real?

It’s probably the most legit preamp ever made It’s got a Dual Rectifier, Mark IIC+, Mark IV, Mark I clean channel and on and on. The allure is great Mesa tone in a 1U rack space.

@Emperoff nice score man! It is awesome with the 2:90. If you like it with a power amp/cab sim; you’re in for a real treat

 

[DrakkarTyrannis]

Can somebody explain the allure/benefit/wtf-it-is of this oddball item???

Try the Mercuriall ReAxis plugin and you'll understand.

 

[lurè]

I'd love a Triaxis but I already have a Mark IV and I'm looking for a JP2C.

Nice score man!

 

[c7spheres]

- I liked mine a lot when I had one and have had my thoughts torn on getting another for a long time since at the time I had no idea there were different versions. Not sure which I had. I bought it used so it could have been any of them.

- It really does shine with a 2:90 when you actually utilize the 2:90's switchable power settings. It really is the missing? link, imo, for the Triaxis. So many people never pair it with the 2:90 and just don't know what they're missing. All those great power amp dynamics are in that pairing.
- I ended up going a different route because the 2:90 was just to bassy for me and I already had a V-Twin rack doing perfectly well for me. I just didn't need all of it at the time.
- The main thing that would probably keep me from getting one (I'd want the same one you just got) is the lack of ability to really fix things. If one of the scarce parts go out you're kinda screwed. I've read even getting that concentric pot is hard to get nowadays though I can't imagine there's not an acceptable replacement for it. Seem like a nightmare to get fixed if something goes bad.

Congrats on this! I hope it gives you everything you're looking for.

 

[StevenC]

Dear Mesa/Boogie,

It's time for a TriAxis MkII with digital pots instead of buttons and screens. You love making new improved versions of your amps, it's only natural. Put a nice screen on it, maybe even a 2U if you have to.

Just make it happen.

Sincerely,
Guitarists Everywhere

 

[Bogner]

My Tri/290 set up is one that I still to this day regret selling. I bought mine new, didn't need to sell it but at the time I did sell it I wasn't using it a ton at the moment as I had bought a bunch of other stuff and was messing around with that. A buddy really wanted it so I did him a solid and gave him a killer deal on my dead mint pieces. I told him I regretted selling it the next day and if he ever decided to sell it I would buy it back which he agreed would be the deal. He ended up selling it and made a good amount of money on it to somebody else a couple days later. I think he basically brokered the deal all along to make some cash.

I am happy you scored a nice pre and still sad a bit over my situation so this thread is mixed feelings for me. ha!

 

[Shask]

Can somebody explain the allure/benefit/wtf-it-is of this oddball item???

?? It is one of the best rack tube preamps that ever existed.

 

[Adieu]

?? It is one of the best rack tube preamps that ever existed.

I'm not sure I know what tube rack preamps are for, exactly

 

[Shask]

Very nice!!

I always wanted a Triaxis, but never owned one. By the time I could afford it, things like the Axe-FX existed, lol. Definitely awesome preamps. The main reason I don't get one now is because I have found I really don't need that many different sounds, so it is kind of a waste in my world. I had a Mark III and Studio Preamp at times, so those suited my needs better.

I think if I were to buy an old tube rack preamp today, I would probably get the Marshall JMP-1. Mainly just because it is another one I always wanted, but just never owned.

 

[Shask]

I'm not sure I know what tube rack preamps are for, exactly

To play guitar though, lol.

A guitar head is basically a preamp and a poweramp in one box. So, the preamp is half of that. You combine a rack tube preamp with a rack tube poweramp, and you basically have an extremely flexible tube head with 100 channels.

 

[Adieu]

To play guitar though, lol.

A guitar head is basically a preamp and a poweramp in one box. So, the preamp is half of that. You combine a rack tube preamp with a rack tube poweramp, and you basically have an extremely flexible tube head with 100 channels.

What's the logic behind separating them though? Customization?

 

[Shask]

What's the logic behind separating them though? Customization?

It is modular, so you can customize every piece of your rig.