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GAIN: (Continued) As a general guideline, the lower regions of this control produce brighter, tighter, faster sounds with enhanced
dynamics...the higher the GAIN Control setting - the warmer, fuller, more saturated and more compressed ( less dynamic ) the sound
becomes. Remember that with this sensitive control the entire character of the channel is determined. Because the
Recto Recording
Preamp
is a hyper-tuned gain machine some of the best and most musical sounds are found in the middle ranges of this control. In other
words...more is not always better.
CHANNEL 1 BRIGHT & INPUT PAD:
These two recessed mini toggle switches are CHANNEL 1 specific and offer a couple of choices for how this channel can be configured to
achieve the perfect clean sounds with your individual style and choice of instrument.
BRIGHT: (Upper Switch)
This switch provides two voicings for the 3 modes of CHANNEL 1, NORMAL and BRIGHT so that you can tailor the upper harmonics to the
style you are playing. This switch can also be used to either add the sparkle to a flat sounding guitar or, roll off unwanted brightness for a
warmer, jazzier sound. The switch operates left to right and selecting the (left) NORMAL position defeats the BRIGHT circuit, offering a
round, warm voice that is great for jazz sounds or single note solo work where the fattest response is desired. Selecting
the (right) BRIGHT position engages circuitry that accentuates the upper harmonic region and adds an upper extension to
the sound. This region of frequencies is much higher than those affected by the TREBLE Control and they open up the
sound, making it more three dimensional and breathing. We tend to prefer the BRIGHT (right) position due to this more
open and transparent quality, even for jazz or solo sounds. It is often preferable to retain these higher, sparkling frequen-
cies and roll out the lower, and sometimes harsher, ones with lower settings of the TREBLE and PRESENCE Controls to
produce a sound that is sweet and warm.
On the other hand, use the BRIGHT switch set to the NORMAL position to create a more traditional, less enhanced clean sound when
connecting directly to a console. Because near field monitors can often sound too bright and traditional clean sounds have often been
achieved by mic’ing up favorite old cabs, the rounder voice of the NORMAL (left) position can be very helpful in creating a sound with more
girth and less sparkle.
-3db PAD:
This (lower switch) mini toggle provides a pad for CHANNEL 1 and can be used to clean up the signal for ultimate clean sounds when
using the
Recto Pre
direct into a recording console. The left position is NORMAL and allows the full strength signal of your instrument to
be fed to the input tubes first stage. The right position activates a- 3db Pad and knocks down the signal strength fed to this first stage by
this amount.
Again, because near field monitors can be like putting a microscope on your sounds, the subtle and normally undetect-
able breakup or overdrive you’ve probably been living with as your live clean sound, is far less soulful in the direct
environment. This switch puts a - 3db Pad in line with the input so that the signal is padded before it hits the grid of the
input tube. Because this pad occurs prior to the GAIN Control, it knocks down your guitars’ signal strength, much like
turning down the volume pot. In fact, if you don’t mind the change in sound with your guitar set low, this is another way to
achieve what the pad does.
If you prefer to use this scheme, it is helpful to put a capacitor of a small value (.001pf) across the volume pot of your guitar so that you
don’t lose too much top end as you roll the pot down. Some will prefer this to the slight roll of that occurs when the - 3db Pad is switched
into the circuit.
It is important to understand - and get a feel for - the headroom scenario at this crucial place in the circuit. If there is any clipping at this first
stage, no settings of the GAIN or TONE controls at later stages will diminish or remove it. Knowing this and utilizing the - 3db Pad will help
you to get a great clean sound and will save valuable time in the studio.
PAGE 6
FRONT PANEL CONTROLS: (Continued)
GAIN
BRIGHT
-3DB
GAIN
BRIGHT
-3DB