Model:AcoustiCube 3
S/N: 040000097
230/115 V Fuse 3.15 A
0
4 0 0 0 0 0
6
7
9
4. Operating Basics
Starting up
Ensure that the mains voltage at your location corresponds
with what is permitted for operating your acousti
Cube 3
.
You will find the necessary information
on the rear sticker under "voltage”
(AC-voltage). Before starting the amp,
both master- and return-control should
be on zero position (as far as it will go
left) and all other control buttons
should be in mid position.
Then make all necessary cable connec-
tions (mains, instrument, microphone, or link). Now you can
switch on your
acousti
Cube 3
with the power switch at the rear of the amp.
The green power lamp indicates that the amp is ready for
operation.
Choosing the best adjustment
Decide which input stage at your amp is the best for your
purpose:
piezo
for passive pickup systems only
line
sources with line-level, instruments with ac-
tive pre-amps and magnetic pickups
9V
phantom-power for line sources (max. power
check technical data)
mic
balanced microphone input. Rear XLR-input
mic input is parallel to input 2
48V
phantom voltage supply for condenser micro-
phone.
E/P
for simultaneous operation of a passive piezo
pickup and an electret microphone using a
3-pole instrument cable with stereo 6.3 mm
plug. Assignment: tip=piezo, ring=mic.
sleeve=ground
Use the mode button to choose the appropriate input stage. In
order to activate phantom power/voltage, press the button in
line or mic modus for three seconds and the appropriate phan-
tom power/voltage will be switched on.
Level Control
Please check as follows:
Preconditions: Pad switch not in use, mute switch not in use;
preamp of the instrument (if present): EQ mid position, volume
open ca. 1/2 to 3/4.
Now set the pre master and master control at the
acousti
Cube 3
in the zero position and increase the gain until
the clip indicator shortly flickers while playing powerfully. If
the gain adjusts itself ca.”9-11 o’clock”, you can be sure that
the source, e.g. your inst pickup
a) can completely level the Cube’s input stage and that
b) the overall background noise level (hiss, drone) is minimi-
acousti
Cube 3
C
-6-
zed. Then reduce the gain in order to create some headroom
(dynamic reserve) and determine the appropriate volume with
master control.
The clip control generally indicates that the input signal is too
strong. In fact, changing the active tone control affects the clip
control. Short flickering is not dangerous. Still you should en-
sure that it stays that way. To be on the safe side, gain or volu-
me of the source (instrument, microphone) should be slightly
reduced to guarantee perfect and distortion-free reproduc-
tion. If necessary you can mute the amp’s channel with the mu-
te control. Mute can be operated via footswitch, but the effect
will be different (amp: ”hardwire”, footswitch: -40dB attenua-
tion).
Advice / Problems:
Full drive can be achieved at a very low gain level. If the input
signal is too strong it can be reduced with the pad-switch: if
you do not succeed in making the input stage clip by turning
on full gain and full volume on the instrument, the source’s
signal is too weak. The audible result is not up to the perfor-
ming standard of the acoustiCube. The background noise is
too loud and the chance for feedback increase.
Background Noise Analysis:
Leave the adjustments as they are and turn the gain at the
acoustiCube to the zero position. The only noise you will hear
now is that of the acoustiCube. Open the gain until the prior
position is reached, and then analyse how the background noi-
se level changes.
Tone Control:
The acoustiCube’s three band tone controls are active and con-
structed to fulfil the specific requirements of both acoustic in-
struments and other sources. The colour switches activate a
mid-cut-treble-boost-filter that especially suits finger picking.
AER DSP 4 Digital Effect – internal effect
The acoustiCube 3 has a built-in (internal) digital 32bit AER-ef-
fect processor. With the effect–programme–endless-encoder
you can choose between 100 (0-99) effect programmes (factory
settings: chapter 6). The number of the chosen effect can be
seen in the two-digit display. The direction in which you turn
the control does not matter.
You can connect your acoustiCube with a computer via USB-ca-
ble, change the effect program parameters that suit your
requirements, make combinations and store them under a new
name. (See software handbook).
Two of the 100 effects can be stored and recalled via the AER
footswitch. You can select an effect and by pressing the pro-
gramme-encoder on your acoustiCube this effect is stored. In
the display you will see one dot, right next to the first digit.
The first footswitch–memory–space is active. Selecting the se-
cond effect, the same procedure is followed. Now the display
shows two dots. The second footswitch–memory–space is ac-
tive. The footswitch button "memory” allows switching bet-
ween the two footswitch-memory-spaces.
