Hartke LX5500, Owner'S Manual

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LX Series Bass Amplifier 7
Setting up your Hartke LX Series Amplifier is a simple procedure, which takes only a few minutes.
1. Remove all packing materials (save them in case your unit requires servicing in the future)
and decide where the amplifier is to be physically placed. To avoid potential overheating, be
sure that the rear panel fan is unobstructed and that there is proper ventilation around the
entire unit.
2. Begin by hooking up your bass cabinet(s) to the twist-and-lock or 1/4” speaker output
connectors on the rear panel. Any appropriately rated bass cabinets with a total minimum
impedance of 4Ω (that is, 4Ω or greater) can be used. In order to ensure correct phase
correlation when using the 1/4” outputs, the tip of the amplifier’s speaker jack should be
connected to the “+” (hot) input of your loudspeaker, and the sleeve of the amplifier’s
speaker jack should be connected to the “-” (ground) input of your loudspeaker. When using
the twist-and-lock outputs, the +1 output should be connected to the “+” (hot) input of
your loudspeaker, and the -1 output should be connected to the “-“ (ground) input of your
loudspeaker.
3. Next, connect the 3-pin AC plug into any grounded AC socket. Don’t turn the amplifier on just yet.
4. Use a standard shielded instrument cable to connect your bass to the LX5500 or LX8500
INPUT jack on the front panel. On the front panel of the LX5500/LX8500, set the MASTER
control to the 12 o’clock position and set the GAIN knob to the fully counterclockwise “0”
position. Set the COMPRESSOR knob counterclockwise until it is in the “0” position, and set
the EQ knobs to the 12 o’clock position.
5. Press the Power switch on the rear panel to turn on the amplifier.
6. Set the output of your bass to its maximum level. Then, while playing, slowly turn the LX
amplifier’s GAIN control up until the desired level is reached. If you hear distortion, even
at a low MASTER setting, lower the GAIN control or back off the output of your bass. If the
problem persists, check for a faulty cable.
7. When you have settled on a GAIN and MASTER volume, the next step is to adjust the tonal
characteristics of your sound. Set the DRIVE control and EQ controls to taste. When you get
an equalization setting that complements your instrument and playing style, it’s a good idea to
write it down for future reference.
8. Now try out the compression circuit. As you rotate the COMPRESSOR knob, the input signal
from your bass becomes more compressed. You’ll hear peak signals (such as string slaps and
pops) begin to sound increasingly “squashed” relative to the lower-level signals produced
by standard fingerstyle playing. The result will be a decreased dynamic range, but an overall
leveling of signal throughout the full range of your instrument.
9. If you’re using an external signal processor, turn the amplifier off momentarily and connect
a standard audio cable from the FX SEND jack to your effects processor input, and a second
standard audio cable between the FX RETURN jack and your effects processor output.
Then turn the amp back on and play your bass while adjusting the controls of your outboard
effects processor. For best results, set both the input and output gain of all connected effects
processor(s) to 0 dB (unity gain), so that there is no increase or decrease in level whether the
effects are switched in or out.
Quick Start