MASTER
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QUICK START GUIDE
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the preamp “drive”. Lower settings of the
GAIN knob (with higher settings of the
VOLUME knob) will produce a mildly
overdriven sound. Great for a powerful
crunch rhythm. Use higher settings of the
GAIN knob to push the channel into over-
drive to get some really raucous rock &
roll crunch tones. Set the GAIN switch to
[+] and crank the GAIN knob for massive
drive and sustain. This knob is active when
the red light below it is on.
SPECIAL NOTE: CHANNELS 2 and 3
are identical. This makes for a seamless
transition when switching between the two
overdrive settings.
11) CHANNELS 2/3 TONE CON-
TROLS: These channels share the passive
tone control designs of many revered clas-
sic tube amps. You’ll find a vast array of
stellar sounds at your fingertips.
Try some of our “suggested” settings as a
starting point to help you find your own
voice. Don’t be afraid to turn the knobs.
Find “YOUR TONE” with your ears, not
your eyes.
12) CHANNEL 2 VOLUME: Adjust the
loudness of CHANNEL 2. This knob is
active when the yellow light below is on.
13) CHANNEL 3 VOLUME: Adjust the
loudness of CHANNEL 3. This knob is
active when the red light below is on.
14) ISP DECIMATOR™: A unique fea-
ture you won’t find anywhere else. This is
ISP Technologies latest generation of high
performance Noise Reduction technology,
and it’s built into the Armageddon. Not
only does the DECIMATOR
TM
reduce noise
but will also solve the high gain feedback
or squealing problems that the high gain
guitar player fights. You know how diffi-
cult this problem can be. You play staccato
notes and in between each note you have a
squeal or burst of noise and feedback that’s
virtually impossible to control. Proper
setting of the threshold can eliminate this
problem for good. Typical threshold set-
tings are between 10:00 and 1:00, depend-
ing on your playing style. The unique thing
about the DECIMATOR
TM
is that it tracks
the signal from the guitar, rather than the
noise level, as with most gate type systems.
This means the DECIMATOR
TM
will fol-
low the dynamics of your playing without
“chopping off” your sound as a gate typi-
cally does. The DECIMATOR
TM
is active
only on the high gain channels.
15) DENSITY: This control varies the
amount of deep, low end in the power amp
section and affects all channels. Higher set-
tings create a really big, full low end.
Use this control sparingly at high volumes.
Excessive bass boost at high volumes
can cause some speakers to break up (tech-
nical term is “fart out”).
16) PRESENCE: Adjusts the amount of
overall “brightness” or “bite” in the power
amp section and affects all channels. Use
this knob sparingly also. Too much PRES-
ENCE boost at high volumes can make
your amp sound harsh. The louder you play
the less PRESENCE boost you will need.
17) MASTER MIDRANGE: This cool
feature gives you incredible control over
the critical midrange frequencies. It can be
assigned to any or all channels using the
mini toggles switches on the footpedal.
The DEPTH sets the amount of CUT or
BOOST while the LEVEL knob adjusts
the volume level. If you wish to cut the
midrange, set the MIDRANGE ON/
OFF switch to the ON position. Using
the DEPTH knob, adjust the amount of
midrange you want to cut. As you cut the
midrange, you will hear a natural de-
crease in volume. Use the LEVEL knob to
compensate for this drop in volume. You
can also use this for a midrange boost by
turning the DEPTH knob past 12:00 until
you get the amount of mid boost you want.
Now adjust the LEVEL control for the
desired volume change. For just a volume /
solo boost without the midrange coloration,
set the DEPTH knob at 12:00 and use
the LEVEL control as a footswitchable
volume boost.
18) MAIN MASTER: This is the MAS-
TER VOLUME knob that controls the
entire amp. Once you get your balance
between the three channels, you can now
turn up or down without messing with
those settings.
19) ON/OFF SWITCH: Turns the main
power On and Off.
NOTE: The correct procedure for turning
your amp ON and turn OFF is as follows.
When first powering the amp on, always
have the STANDBY switch in the STAND-
BY (CENTER) position. Turn the POWER
switch ON. Wait about 30 seconds or lon-
ger before moving the STANDBY switch
to PLAY. Reverse the procedure when
shutting the amp off. By following these
steps you will help extend tube life by not
“slamming” the tubes with high voltage
while they are cold.
20) STANDBY/PLAY SWITCH: When
in the STANDBY [CENTER] position,
the amp is warmed up and ready to play. To
play, switch to 60 watts (outside pair
of power tubes only) or 120 watts (all four
power tubes). Placing the switch in the
STANDBY position when you are not actu-
ally playing for extended periods of
time will also help increase tube life in the
long run.
ON
ON
