Power Soak Panel
26 Power Range Selector:
Use this switch to activate the
Power Soak
and select the desired power
level. The
Power Soak
works only in combination with the amp's 8-Ohm Output (23)!
You have four options:
The first setting (I) is "Full Power." It deactivates the
Power Soak
and feeds the power amp's full
output to the 8-Ohm (23) or 16-Ohm (24) speaker outputs.
The second setting (II) is "5 watts." It activates the
Power Soak
and reduces the power sent
to the 8-ohm cabinet connected to the 8-Ohm Output (23) to 25 percent (about 5 watts).
The third setting (III) is "1 watt." It activates the
Power Soak
and reduces the power sent
to the 8-ohm cabinet connected to the 8-Ohm Output (23) to 5 percent (about 1 watt).
The fourth setting (IV) is "Speaker Off." It activates the
Power Soak
, whose resistors convert the
power amp's full output to heat, and switches the cabinet connected to the 8-Ohm Output off.
CAUTION:
The Power Soak circuit works only in conjunction with an 8-ohm cabinet connected to
the 8-Ohm Output (23). Make absolutely certain a speaker is connected to the 8-Ohm Output - for
example, an 8-ohm cabinet - before you engage the
Power Soak
by setting switch 26 to "5 watts"
or "1 watt."
The opposite goes for the two 16-Ohm A and B outputs (jacks 24 and 25): Never activate the
Power Soak
by setting it to "5 watts", "1 watt" or "Speaker Off" when cabinets are connected
to the 16-Ohm outs!
Be sure to first disconnect any speakers plugged into these ports. If you select "Speaker Off," you
can run the amp without a connected speaker, for example, to practice with headphones.
If you want to drive one 16-ohm cabinet connected to the 16-Ohm Output A (jack 24 or two
8-ohm cabinets connected in series to outputs A and B (jacks 24 and 25), be sure to set the
Power
Range selector
(26) to "Full Power"!
Heads up:
When activated, the
Power Soak's
resistors convert some or all of the power amp's
output into heat. These heavy-duty resistors reside on a circuit board behind the upper rear panel.
Ventilation is important for every tube amp, but all the more so for this amp because the
temperature around the Power Soak circuitry can climb quite steeply depending on the Master
volume and
Power Range Selector
settings. So, make sure air can circulate freely around the back
and the top of the amp!
Do not operate the amp at peak loads – that is, with the Master knob set to 12 o'clock or beyond,
pushing the power amp hard into overdrive - for longer periods with the
Power Soak
activated
because its power resistors may overheat!
Important tips from the designer:
You can use the
Power Soak
, which attenuates the signal sent to a connected 8-ohm cabinet, for
several purposes. For example, you may want to shape your tone with moderate (!) power amp
saturation, but the volume with the Master knob cranked may be too loud for the situation or
location. In that case, simply cut the power sent to the speaker. You can opt to reduce output by
three quarters or even down to just one watt.
The "1 Watt" setting drastically reduces the volume level, though it will still be loud enough for
monitoring during recording sessions.
The
Power Soak Selector's
"Speaker Off" is the setting of choice when you want to mute
the speaker for direct-to-desk recording or for practicing with headphones.
The power amp's entire output is then fed to the
Power Soak's
heavy-duty resistors, which ensure
the power amp gets the load (8 ohms) it needs to run safely.
If you are using the
Power Soak
in combination with the Clean channel, don't drive the
power amp too hard by setting the
Master
to 12 o'clock or beyond because the power resistors'
temperature will rise sharply.
If you do set the
Master
to 12 o'clock or beyond, I highly recommend that you back off the
Bass
and Input Gain knob settings, particularly for the Clean channel, to prevent undesirable clipping.
Bear in mind the golden rule that no speaker or cabinet may be connected to the 16-Ohm Output
(jack 24) when the "Speaker Off" setting is engaged. When in doubt, always check first!
If you want to record via the
Line Out
or use headphones without a connected
speaker – typically a cabinet connected to the head – simply select "Speaker Off".
The
Power Soak's
heavy-duty resistors will provide the necessary load for the power amp.
Power Soak
nicht aktiv
Power Soak
aktiviert
Power Soak
aktiviert
Power Soak
aktiviert
I. Full Power
II. 5 watts
III. 1 watt
IV. Speaker Off
1 watt
Full Power
5 watts
Speaker off
Power
Range
Selector
1 watt
Full Power
5 watts
Speaker off
Power
Range
Selector
1 watt
Full Power
5 watts
Speaker off
Power
Range
Selector
1 watt
Full Power
5 watts
Speaker off
Power
Range
Selector
Important note:
the Power Soak only
affects the 8 Ohms
Poweramp Output!
1 watt
POWER SOAK
R
Full Power
5 watts
Speaker off
Power
Range
Selector
26
