Mesa/Boogie DC5 Manuel utilisateur

Owner's Manual

The Spirit of Art in Technology

1317 Ross Street, Petaluma, CA 94954

USA

MBOOGIE

ESA

DUALCALIBER DC - 5

Hello from the Tone Farm...

YOU, the smart player and all around intuitive human, have put your trust in us to be

your amplifier company. This is something we do not take lightly. Our reward is that

we've made a classic amplifier and by choosing this amplifier, you have become part of

the MESA family...Welcome! Our goal is to never let you down. Your reward is that you

are now the owner of an archetypical guitar amp bred of fine all tube amp

heritage...benefiting from the many patented pioneering MESA/Boogie circuits that led to

the refinement of your new instrument. Feel confident, as we do, this amp will inspire

many hours of musical satisfaction and lasting enjoyment. It was built with you in

mind, by players who know the value of a fine musical instrument and the commitment

it takes to make great music. The same commitment to quality, value and support we

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Precautions

Overview ______________________________________________________________________________ 1

FRONT PANEL: _________________________________________________________________________ 1

Power-Up ______________________________________________________________________________ 2

CONTROLS:

Gain _______________________________________________________________________________ 2 & 3

Rhythm Channel Pull Boost ______________________________________________________________ 3

Treble _________________________________________________________________________________ 3

Midrange ______________________________________________________________________________ 3

Bass __________________________________________________________________________________ 4

Presence ______________________________________________________________________________ 4

Reverb ________________________________________________________________________________ 4

Master _____________________________________________________________________________ 4 & 5

Graphic EQ ____________________________________________________________________________ 5

Output Level ___________________________________________________________________________ 6

Toggle Switches ________________________________________________________________________ 6

REAR PANEL: __________________________________________________________________________ 7

Fuse __________________________________________________________________________________ 7

EQ Select ______________________________________________________________________________ 7

Footswitch EQ/REVERB: _________________________________________________________________ 7

FX Loop: Send & Return _________________________________________________________________ 8

FX Mix ________________________________________________________________________________ 8

Recording _____________________________________________________________________________ 8

Silent Recording (speaker mute switch) ____________________________________________________ 8

Slave__________________________________________________________________________________ 9

Speaker _______________________________________________________________________________ 9

Factory Sample Settings ________________________________________________________________ 10

Personal Settings Page _________________________________________________________________ 11

TUBE TECH TALK:

Tube Noise & Microphonics______________________________________________________________ 12

Diagnosing Power Tube Failures _________________________________________________________ 12

Diagnosing Pre-Amp Tube Problems ______________________________________________________ 13

Bias Adjustment, an article by Randall Smith ________________________________________ 14, 15 & 16

Parts Sheet ___________________________________________________________________________ 17

UAL

ALIBER

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:

Do not expose amplifier to moisture, rain or water, direct sunlight or extremely high temperatures.

Always insure that amplifier is properly grounded.

Always unplug A.C. power cord before changing fuse or any tubes

When replacing fuse, use only same type and rating

Avoid direct contact with heated tubes.

Insure adequate air circulation around amplfier.

Keep amplifier away from children.

Be sure to connect to an A.C. power supply that meets the power suplly specifications listed on the

rear panel of the unit.

If there is any danger of lighting 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 buttons, switches and controls.

Remove the power plug from the A.C. mains socket if the unit is to be stored for an extended

period of time.

Do not use solvents such as benzene or paint thinner to clean the unit. Wipe off exterior with soft

cloth.

Be sure to have the warranty card for this product filled out by the store at which it was purchased

and return to Mesa Engineering promptly.

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

PERMANENT HEARING DAMAGE!

No user serviceable parts inside. Refer service to qualified personnel.

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

conforms with local standards.

READ AND FOLLOW INSTRUCTIONS OF PROPER USAGE.

PAGE 1

DC-5

Operating Instructions

Your DC-5 amplifier was designed to deliver maximum performance in a format based on simplicity. Its easy to dial nature allows

each of the two channels to deliver a wide range of sounds in both clean and overdrive styles. The Dual Caliber uses two 6L6 power

tubes to fuel its healthy fifty watt power section. We are pleased by its surprising headroom, yet truly musical “clipability” when

pushed. The DC-5’s pre-amp was no afterthought as you may have deduced by the six 12AX7s tucked snugly away under the swing

away tube clamp. Two separate sets of tubes are used to accomplish the Rhythm and Lead channels. It’s really like having two

separate amplifiers built into one chassis. Ultimate flexibility is achieved by providing two complete sets of Tone and Master controls

as well as the channel assignable 5 Band Graphic Equalizer. Two different sounds can be switched between without compromising

tone or levels.

Looking to the Rear Panel assures that all your interfacing needs are covered. A parallel effects loop with a Mix control provides tone

insurance for even those questionable effects. Arecording circuit dialed for direct to board sessions provides accurate reproduction of

the DC-5’s pre-amp. When the session goes late into the night, the silent recording speaker mute switch comes in real handy. To use

the DC-5 in larger rack systems, or to interface to other power sections, the Slave Jack and Level Control is a welcome feature.

Three speaker jacks (one 8 ohm, and two 4 ohm) are provided to ensure the proper impedance match to many types of speaker

enclosures. An auto assign EQ rotary control lets you decide whether the 5-Band graphic enhances the Rhythm Channel, the Lead

Channel, both, or even allows footswitching of the EQ independently. The Reverb can also be footswitched in or out.

As you can see, the DC-5 provides all the features any demanding pro could need and at the same time remains simple to operate.

Overview:

FRONT VIEW DC-5

GAIN TREBLE MID BASS PRESENCE REVERB MASTER

PULL BOOST

INPUT

FOOT

SWITCH

80 240 750 2200 6600

OUTPUT

LEVEL

STANDBY POWERLEAD

ON ONRHYTHM

UAL

ALIBER

DC-5

REAR VIEW DC -5

1.25A

2.5A SB

EQ SELECT RETURN RECORDING

FX MIX

SEND

OUT

RHY LEAD

FT SW

100%

FTSW EQ/REV

HANDBUILT IN PETALUMA

PATENT APPLIED FOR

SILENT RECORDING

MUTE SPKR ON

SLAVE

8 OHM 4 OHM 4 OHM

SPEAKERS

OOGIE

ESA

FUSE

PAGE 2

First familiarize yourself with the layout of the Front Panel and locate the Lead / Rhythm switch on the right side of the chassis, next

to the STANDBY Switch. This toggles you between the top (Rhythm) Channel and the bottom (Lead) Channel. If you don’t have the

Rhythm/Lead Footswitch connected, this switch will activate the channel switching function. Before we get too critical about each

control, let’s audition the two channels with a basic clean setting in the Rhythm Channel and a fairly high gain overdriven sound in the

Lead Channel.

Connect your favorite guitar to the instrument input jack. FLIP the power switch “ON” while leaving the standby switch set to “STANDBY”.

(It’s always a good idea to practice this start up procedure) as at least 30 seconds of warm-up time lessens the shock on cold power

tubes, thus prolonging their life substantially. Next set the controls and the Graphic EQ per this example:

Flip the STANDBY Switch to the ON position and listen to the two channels using either the footswitch or

the Channel Select toggle switch found on the right side of the Front Panel. The EQ Rotary Control on the

left side of the Rear Panel, controls the EQ assignment. This popular “V” type curve works well in both

Rhythm and Lead Channels, but most players tend to use it more in the Lead Channel, finding the Rhythm

plenty sweet by itself without the use of the EQ. (see page 5 for more information on EQ)

Again, these are merely examples of the two channels. Experimentation leads to finding many different

sounds in each channel and understanding the controls and the way they interact, can make this much

easier and more fun. Now lets get specific!

Now that you have heard the DC-5’s two channels, let’s move on to understanding the controls and their interactive roles in achieving

the sounds that you want to hear.

This is by far the most powerful control in each channel. It not only determines the overall gain amount, shape and sensitivity of the

channel...but it is also a powerful Tone control. Generally speaking, whatever is dialed here ultimately determines the channels

personality. Set low, it allows cleaner, brighter sounds with enhanced dynamic response, espe-

cially in the higher frequencies. Set high the whole personality of the channel becomes darker,

fatter and more overdriven. In the DC-5 we worked hard to make sure the entire range of Gain

available is usuable and more importantly, musical. Don’t think for a moment that this simple one knob

layout limits you as to the amount and texture of gain. Long neurotic hours were spent to ensure the

ranges of gain were stylistically accurate. It’s probably a good time to mention that most of the great

sounds can be found by setting the GAIN Control moderately, especially in the LEAD Channel. For

FRONT PANEL:

POWER-UP:

TREBLE MID BASS PRESENCE REVERB MASTER

OUTPUT

LEVEL

DC-5

ALIBER

UAL

STANDBY POWERLEAD

ON ONRHYTHM

GAIN

PULL BOOST

INPUT

FOOT

SWITCH

80 240 750 2200 6600

563

655

224

EQ SELECT

FTSW EQ/REV

OUT

RHY LEAD

FT SW

FUSE

1.25A

2.5A SB

CONTROLS:

GAIN:

PULL BOOST

INPUT

FOOT

SWITCH GAIN

PAGE 3

example, somewhere between

thru

. In the RHYTHM Channel try setting this control somewhere between

thru

Use of moderation here will reduce the likelihood of pesky tube microphonic problems ever occuring, while at the same time making

the two channels easier to balance in volume and effects send strength.

By now you have probably noticed the top channels’ GAIN Control is fitted with a PULL BOOST. This activates a relay that simulta-

neously switches several parts internally to produce a great high gain rhythm sound.

This boost transforms the RHYTHM Channel into an over the top crunch channel or a unique and different

lead sound that is more dynamically aggressive and stripped. Pulling this control revoices everything so

that the Gain is dramatically increased and the whole range of upper harmonics is lowered in frequency

and boosted substantially. Check out a setting with control pulled and set to about

. GRINDING? If this

isn’t enough gain for you yet...wait....there’s more to come!

As with most guitar amplifiers, the TREBLE Control is the strongest of the three rotary tone controls. Its setting on the DC-5 deter-

mines the blend and strength of the MIDDLE and BASS Controls. Set high, it is the dominant control, minimizing the amount of MID

and BASS that would be possible in the mix. Set low, the TREBLE becomes the recessive control

and a warmer, darker blend is produced. Dial with care. Subtle tweaking of this control tends to

produce the best results.

Through endless daily tone dreaming, the “if-only” design dictum led to the dial-in-gain boost. In the DC-5 a third over the top crunch

sound was made possible by the inclusion of the RHYTHM Channels dual purpose MID Control. From

to about

the taper

is adjusted to act as a very effective MID Control. As you increase the MID to

and

above, you will hear the lower Mids getting more pronounced and fatter. At about 6

the MID leaves behind the old notion of being a tone control and becomes a truly

usuable gain control. This upper range is a smokin’ addition to the RHYTHM Channel’s

GAIN Control for all kinds of higher gain rhythm sounds. Try the MID set high and the

GAIN Control at about

for a cool blues solo sound. “Dime” the MID and activate

the GAIN Control’s Pull Boost for a grinding crunch rhythm sound. If this still isn’t crazy

enough for you...Max the GAIN and TREBLE Controls and set the PRESENCE Control

to 0or

, turn on the Graphic and give it the old “V” curve and plug into a 4x12 with

some Celestion Vintage 30’s or 25’s. This should be sufficently heinous for even the sickest crunch fiends. As you can see, the

versatility that this dual purpose MID control lends to the rhythm channel greatly expands its usefulness as both a clean and overdrive

channel.

NOTE: The lower region of the MID Control determines midrange punch and boldness in lower gain sounds and a smooth vocal

blend in high gain sounds. It can be very effective acting as a “cut through the band control” in certain situations. Remember, settings

of the TREBLE Control greatly affects this controls strength.

CONTROLS:

(Continued)

GAIN (

continued

)

RHYTHM CHANNEL PULL BOOST:

GAIN

PULL BOOST

INPUT

FOOT

SWITCH

TREBLE:

GAIN TREBLE

PULL BOOST

INPUT

FOOT

SWITCH

MIDRANGE:

GAIN TREBLE MID

PULL BOOST

INPUT

FOOT

SWITCH

PAGE 4

This control blends in the lower frequencies and its effectiveness, again, depends on the setting of the TREBLE Control. It should be

set with moderation as extreme settings in either low or high directions can produce an unbalanced tone. Be “especially” careful in

higher Gain settings of either channel. Too much Bass will cause a flabby unfo-

cused sound that can’t be dialed out with the graphic EQ because excessive

Bass has been introduced to the pre-amp in the early stages. Try setting the

BASS control to

for clean sounds in the RHYTHM Channel and

below when dialing up high gain overdriven sounds in this channel. In the LEAD

Channel, try setting the Bass somewhere between

and

. These settings

will vary with the amount of Gain and Treble you have dialed up.

These two controls attenuate the high end and control dynamic compression in the power section. High settings produce more

sparkle, cut and lend a more open quality to the Channel. Low settings of the PRESENCE control compress the sound and enhance

the more vocal qualities of single notes.

This control can also produce a fatter, warmer character, especially in

the LEAD Channel. Lower Treble settings, combined with low Pres-

ence settings produce the richest, roundest lead sounds. Try setting

the RHYTHM Channels’ PRESENCE Control at around

for for the sweet blend of sparkle and cut. This range in the RHYTHM

Channel also tends to give the impression of more headroom. Try a

LEAD Channel PRESENCE Control setting of

to start with and

adjust to taste. Avoid setting the LEAD PRESENCE Control to

when high Gain and Treble settings are in use. This reduces the likelihood of annoying microphonic tube problems.

The DC-5 has an individual REVERB Control per channel. This enables different amounts of the rich ALL TUBE Reverb to be mixed

with the dry signal of each channel. It is normal for extreme settings of the REVERB Control to slightly alter the character of the

channel as the voicing of the Reverb circuit becomes more

dominant in the mix.

The individual channel MASTER Controls serve three purposes in the layout of the DC-5. FIRST: They serve as level balancing

controls for each of the two channels. This enables a wide range of front end gain settings

to be matched to a given listening level and the level of the other channel. SECOND: They

act as effects send controls, for each channel, in the Effects Loop. As with many of the

controls on the DC-5, the best results for balance and tone are usually found in the me-

dium range of this control. THIRD: The Master Control is the Recording jacks’ send level

control.

CONTROLS:

(Continued)

BASS

GAIN TREBLE MID BASS

INPUT

FOOT

SWITCH

PULL BOOST

PRESENCE:

GAIN TREBLE MID BASS PRESENCE

INPUT

FOOT

SWITCH

PULL BOOST

REVERB:

GAIN TREBLE MID BASS PRESENCE REVERB

PULL BOOST

INPUT

FOOT

SWITCH

MASTER:

BASS PRESENCE REVERB MASTER

PAGE 5

When using the direct Recording jack found on the Rear Panel to interface directly to a mixing board or recorder, this control will

determine the amount of signal you will be sending via this jack. In this application it is usually best to start with the MASTER Controls

set to 0and gradually increase them to the proper level. This minimizes the possibility of blowing speakers or eardrums in the event

the engineer has an extremely sensitive input headroom setting in place at the console.

NOTE: When trying to use your DC-5 at extremely low volume levels it will be necessary to reduce the far left GAIN control. Once

the Masters and Output Levels has been reduced to roughly 1.5, reducing the Masters or Output Level below this point causes phase

interaction that prevents a clean signal from passing through this circuit junction. If you must use your DC-5 at whisper levels to

practice late at night etc...get used to reducing the Gain as well as the Masters and Output levels. This effect is most noticeable in the

Rhythm channel set for a crystal clean sound. In the Lead channel set for a high gain sound the interaction effect is greatly reduced

and virtually unnoticeable.

The five band graphic provides limitless additional shaping of the already curvacious tone. It is bypassable and channel assignable.

It is also footswitchable manually via the stereo 1/4 inch jack located on the Rear Panel. These assignment choices are menued on

the rear panel around the rotary control that is used to choose each position. The five choices are: “OUT’ all the time (bypassed), “IN”

all the time (engaged), “IN” on the Rhythm Channel, “IN” on the Lead Channel and “Footswitchable.” The Graphic is not a necessity

to amazing tone, but can greatly enlarge the scope of sonic possibilities through experimentation. If you never turned it on you would

still have one of the most amazing sounding amps around...but it’s there...so you may as well take a crack at some tweaking. One

setting that keeps popping up as a classic Boogie EQ curve is the fabled “V”. This setting increases the bottom, scoops the mids and

leaves the highs to do their harmonic best. Be sure to try this at some point as many Boogie users have found it to be their main sound

with its huge wideness and spread. Below are some sample settings that we see used quite often, but by all means experiment.

CONTROLS:

(Continued)

MASTER (continued)

GRAPHIC EQ:

80 240 750 2200 6600

The fabled "V" shape

80 240 750 2200 6600

PAGE 6

This lonely knob is the DC-5’s final Output knob or overall master. After the relative balance of the two channels has been set with

the channel MASTER controls, use this OUTPUT control to increase or decrease the listening volume. It is also the effects return level

control, a point we thought you should know. This design element makes setting up a lot

easier and gives you one less knob to deal with when interfacing to your favorite effects.

Optimum setting depends on the size of the room you wish to rock, but generally the DC-5

sounds best with a setting somewhere between 2and

on the OUTPUT LEVEL control.

This toggle calls up one channel or the other and can take the place of the channel select footswitch when there isn’t one handy.

Perfect for set breaks... this toggle switch also serves an even more important purpose. In the STANDBY position the tubes areat idle

so that during power up they may warm up before being put to use. Before Power is switched on make sure the Standby switch is in

the STANDBY position. Wait at least 30 seconds and then switch the STANDBY to the “ON”

position. This prevents tube problems and increases their toneful life substantially.

This switch delivers the A.C. power to the DC-5. Make sure the unit is grounded (All three terminals of the A.C. cord must be

connected whenever possible to avoid injury to the user as well as to the unit) and that the

proper voltage is present. Follow the cold start procedure described in the above section ON /

STANDBY when powering up your DC-5.

CONTROLS:

(Continued)

OUTPUT LEVEL:

TOGGLE SWITCHES

RHYTHM / LEAD:

POWER:

STANDBY POWERLEAD

UAL

ALIBER

DC-5

OUTPUT

LEVEL

ON ONRHYTHM

OUTPUT

LEVEL

STANDBY POWERLEAD

ON ONRHYTHM

UAL

ALIBER

DC-5

ON/STANDBY:

OUTPUT

LEVEL

STANDBY POWERLEAD

ON ONRHYTHM

UAL

ALIBER

DC-5

OUTPUT

LEVEL

STANDBY POWERLEAD

ON ONRHYTHM

UAL

ALIBER

DC-5

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