The TriAxis Thread

[zepp]

In the previous dimension, I started a thread on TriAxis repairs and mods. At the time I bought one that has some problems, and I documented the fixes.

I have that stuff documented with some detail on my site

TriAxis Refurbishment
TriAxis Phat Mod Reversal

Dump more TriAxis knowledge into this thread


If anyone can show me how to get the HTML content from those links to render properly here so people don't need to go to a different site, that would be wonderful.

[zepp]

Here's some shit from the otherworld.

Noise:

The solution to my noise issues was a combination of new tubes, and an inspection of the point-to-point wiring. The wiring inspection led me to discover one of the wires was weakened and had actually broken at some point. So check the wiring in your TriAxis if you are having strange issues with the audio!

OP AMP replacements can also help with noise or unwanted distortion. A suitable low noise replacement is the OPA2604AP. You will likely have to buy these off of eBay from a Chinese vendor.

MIDI Issues:

If you are having issues with erratic MIDI patch change behavior or your TriAxis' memory getting scrambled, then the opto-isolator on the TX2C PCB (the front board) is probably bad. Make sure you get the correct part, which is 6N138. Low power variants of this chip will not work. I found this out the hard way.

Calibration:

Your TriAxis may also need to be calibrated. Wonderful calibration guides have been provided by Toe-Knee and are linked below:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Dyv...SqCA2SO4y/view

https://www.flickr.com/photos/184069...7/48674691976/

Capacitors:

Many TriAxis units are now over 20 years old, so it may be a good idea to replace the capacitors on yours. A full listing of the capacitors needed is at this link:

https://wordpress.com/post/fixallthe...rdpress.com/22

Phat Mod Reversal:

Most people think the phat mod sucks. Here's a guide to reversing it.

https://forum.grailtone.com/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=59839

Batteries Suck:

The battery-backed RAM chip can be directly replaced with an NVRAM chip and the battery can be removed. Premade replacements can be found here.

https://www.pinitech.com/products/6264_nvram.php

This post will be updated with more useful info when I get it

[7 Dying Trees]

I'll add to this, I just had a gain mod and dynamic voice mod done to my triaxis. the gain mod are 2 trim pots which allow gain to be increased to taste.

the DV mod has been 5 trim pots to control DB range (one per band) and another set of 5 to control the Q of each band. Is pretty cool and fully user adjustable

[Chris]

What the world really needs is a way to get 2:90 mode sounds out of the TA without needing a 500lb power amp that has enough wattage to lower the air pressure in the room you're playing it in.

I love the TA/290 combo but as a bedroom guy I'll never in my life need the amount of power this thing puts out. But I've tried the TA through my 20/20 and a few different SS power amps and it's not the same.

[zepp]

I'll add to this, I just had a gain mod and dynamic voice mod done to my triaxis. the gain mod are 2 trim pots which allow gain to be increased to taste.

the DV mod has been 5 trim pots to control DB range (one per band) and another set of 5 to control the Q of each band. Is pretty cool and fully user adjustable

Sounds useful. Got links on details for these?

[zepp]

What the world really needs is a way to get 2:90 mode sounds out of the TA without needing a 500lb power amp that has enough wattage to lower the air pressure in the room you're playing it in.

I love the TA/290 combo but as a bedroom guy I'll never in my life need the amount of power this thing puts out. But I've tried the TA through my 20/20 and a few different SS power amps and it's not the same.

Fully agree. Even my 50/50 is overkill for me and it doesn’t have the fancy stuff for the TriAxis. I’d love to find out what I am missing without needing to buy a 2:90

[Chris]

Fully agree. Even my 50/50 is overkill for me and it doesn’t have the fancy stuff for the TriAxis. I’d love to find out what I am missing without needing to buy a 2:90

What sucks is that you are 100% missing a big chunk of the glory without the 2:90. 7 Dying James talked me into the thing and he was right.

[Greg McCoy]

I'm sure he'll eventually get a 2:90.

Triaxis ownership is an inevitable one way ticket to eventually preaching the gospel about how the 2:90 is the king of all power amps and is needed to unlock the Triaxis's full potential. I don't think there has ever been a conversation about the Triaxis in the history of spoken language where the 2:90 wasn't mentioned.

[desertdweller]

I was such a fan of Petrucci in the 90s, it took me until the 2000s to be able to afford a proper Triaxis rig. This rack below from that era is still one of the best sounding rigs I've ever had:



I sold that rig off around 2011 or so, then years later found some screaming deals on a Triaxis and a "broken" 2:90 I picked up for next to nothing. Turns out the 2:90 only had a blown fuse. This was a fun rig I was planning to use with a live band until I realized I don't want to lug this all around to rehearsals and gigs! The drawback for me was that the Triaxis was so long you needed the extra long rack cases for it. I'd love to see them come out with an updated version that would fit in a standard or short rack. Either way, here's my more recent Triaxis setup from a couple years ago:

[Chris]

I'm sure he'll eventually get a 2:90.

Triaxis ownership is an inevitable one way ticket to eventually preaching the gospel about how the 2:90 is the king of all power amps and is needed to unlock the Triaxis's full potential. I don't think there has ever been a conversation about the Triaxis in the history of spoken language where the 2:90 wasn't mentioned.

This is 100% correct. I liked the Triaxis as a piece of niche gear that was a clever collectible when I first got it. I actually like it as a viable, good sounding preamp when paired with the 290.

TA / 290 / AxeFx is the pinnacle of Good 90s Prog Metal Tone Mountain.

[desertdweller]

What sucks is that you are 100% missing a big chunk of the glory without the 2:90. 7 Dying James talked me into the thing and he was right.

Yeah the Triaxis doesn't sound right running into the power amp section of other amps. It really needs the dedicated Mesa power amps to sound right. I noticed a HUGE difference as well running it through a 2:90 as opposed to the 2:50. The 2:50 still sounded really good, but the 2:90 is amazing and you instantly hear the difference.

[Chris]

This was a fun rig I was planning to use with a live band until I realized I don't want to lug this all around to rehearsals and gigs

Right? 35lbs doesn't sound like much but for whatever reason when you chuck it into a 4U rack and it becomes akin to picking up a 45-50lb dumbbell, it's a bit much.

What's worth mentioning is that if you want just the deep mode, that 1U ultralight Carvin with the "eq expand" gets somewhat close to it. Considering it's ike 1/10 the price and only weighs 4lbs, if you don't need the power and don't want to spend the 2:90 cash, it's a worthy alternative. I know it's SS so it's heresy but it sounds as good as the 20/20 IMO.

[JJ Rodriguez]

Anyone ever try it running into a VHT 2/90/2? Inquiring minds want to know for reasons...

[Greg McCoy]

Right? 35lbs doesn't sound like much but for whatever reason when you chuck it into a 4U rack and it becomes akin to picking up a 45-50lb dumbbell, it's a bit much.

What's worth mentioning is that if you want just the deep mode, that 1U ultralight Carvin with the "eq expand" gets somewhat close to it. Considering it's ike 1/10 the price and only weighs 4lbs, if you don't need the power and don't want to spend the 2:90 cash, it's a worthy alternative. I know it's SS so it's heresy but it sounds as good as the 20/20 IMO.

Have you seen Carvin's new pedalboard power amp? I was thinking of getting the SD power stage, but the new Carvin looks like a great value for an ultra portable rig. I want one for my pedalboard contained rig.



SS Power amps are fine. Most people can't even tell the difference. The ARTs rule too.

Unless you have a Triaxis, which needs the 2:90, the king of all power amps.

[desertdweller]

Anyone ever try it running into a VHT 2/90/2? Inquiring minds want to know for reasons...

OT: Your avatar is insane, I love it

[desertdweller]

Have you seen Carvin's new pedalboard power amp? I was thinking of getting the SD power stage, but the new Carvin looks like a great value for an ultra portable rig. I want one for my pedalboard contained rig.



SS Power amps are fine. Most people can't even tell the difference. The ARTs rule too.

Unless you have a Triaxis, which needs the 2:90, the king of all power amps.

TBH I have heard nothing but bad about these things. For the money, you can't beat the Seymour Duncan PS170 for a pedal power amp.

Also, it may look small, but it packs a power supply the size of a trap from the Ghostbusters you have to account for as well, while the PS170 is all self-contained.

Here's some info on the Harley Benton variant, a re-brand:

Mind you, I wouldn't think the Triaxis would sound good with either of these types of amps, it really needs a tube power stage and these amps are clean solid state power.

[JJ Rodriguez]

OT: Your avatar is insane, I love it

The real melon scratcher is am I the man or am I the cat?

[Greg McCoy]

Anyone ever try it running into a VHT 2/90/2? Inquiring minds want to know for reasons...

I actually personally like the Triaxis into other power amps. Most people don't. It's contextual. I assume the VHTs would be fine.

It's a specific contextual tone people are referring to. Usually Dream Theater types. This album is Triaxis, and for that kind of music I think it rules, but most people would find it too light on bass, too "dry", not "Deep enough" and too twangy.

It doesn't absolutely have to say 2:90 to get the sound people are describing, what the whole "gotta get a 2:90" thing is a reference to is the "deep" mode on the 2:90 as well as some other functionality most other power amps don't have. There are some other power amps that have something similar, don't know about the VHTs.

Although, funnily enough, the Demonoid album is actually a Triaxis into a 2:90. Marshall cab though. So it's not the special "Triaxis -> 2:90 sound" people are thinking of.

[Tony]

What the world really needs is a way to get 2:90 mode sounds out of the TA without needing a 500lb power amp that has enough wattage to lower the air pressure in the room you're playing it in.

I love the TA/290 combo but as a bedroom guy I'll never in my life need the amount of power this thing puts out. But I've tried the TA through my 20/20 and a few different SS power amps and it's not the same.

I've actually got a power amp that works super well with the triaxis but it does lean heavily towards the 60w iic power amp.

But watch this space. Current working on a simulish power amp that's 2x6v6 in pentode & 2x el84 in triode

[zepp]

What sucks is that you are 100% missing a big chunk of the glory without the 2:90. 7 Dying James talked me into the thing and he was right.

I'm sure he'll eventually get a 2:90.

Triaxis ownership is an inevitable one way ticket to eventually preaching the gospel about how the 2:90 is the king of all power amps and is needed to unlock the Triaxis's full potential. I don't think there has ever been a conversation about the Triaxis in the history of spoken language where the 2:90 wasn't mentioned.

You are both absolutely right

I think in time I'm going to break down and have the TriAxis>AxeFx>2:90>Torpedo Studio setup.

[Tony]

Here's some shit from the otherworld.

Noise:

The solution to my noise issues was a combination of new tubes, and an inspection of the point-to-point wiring. The wiring inspection led me to discover one of the wires was weakened and had actually broken at some point. So check the wiring in your TriAxis if you are having strange issues with the audio!

Been speaking with a guy who really got his noise down to next to nothing in comparison with the stock triaxis.

Combination of replacing all parts on the tube board and changing the heaters to elevated dc referenced ones.

[Leon]

The magic of the 2:90 is the SimulClass power. You get so much character and response from the Class A side. It's strange to me that it never took-off as a feature on more amps, or that it hasn't (or has?) been modeled as a power amp option in the AxeFx, Helix, etc.

[zepp]

Been speaking with a guy who really got his noise down to next to nothing in comparison with the stock triaxis.

Combination of replacing all parts on the tube board and changing the heaters to elevated dc referenced ones.

I'm interested in learning more. I have the parts for the full recap still sitting around. When it's time to open mine back up again, I think I'd rather do all the mods at once...

[Tony]

I'm interested in learning more. I have the parts for the full recap still sitting around. When it's time to open mine back up again, I think I'd rather do all the mods at once...

Next time I have mine open im going to try and figure it out.

The components are easy enough. From experience it will be the tantalum caps that are noisy as they deteriorate the fastest.

I'll have to do some measuring to find a suitable dc point for elevation.

[zepp]

Next time I have mine open im going to try and figure it out.

The components are easy enough. From experience it will be the tantalum caps that are noisy as they deteriorate the fastest.

I'll have to do some measuring to find a suitable dc point for elevation.

I don't have the replacement tantalums, only recorded the electros. Hm.

I also have some new op amps to install.