SWR 550x, Owner'S Manual

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8 • 550x
GAIN CONTROL
The Gain control adjusts the volume of the preamp section. Since the Gain control is similar to a "pad," a small amount of sig-
nal will be heard even with the Gain control rotated fully counter-clockwise ("MIN") if the Master Volume is up.
After all EQ settings and the Aural Enhancer are set, the Gain control should be raised until the preamp clip LED barely flashes
when your loudest note is struck. This will insure maximum signal to noise ratio and prevent unwanted clipping of the preamp
section.
NOTE : The Gain can serve as an EFFECTS SEND LEVEL ADJUSTMENT. If your effect is being
overdriven, turn down the Gain control and readjust your Master Volume for overall loudness.
PREAMP CLIP LED
The preamp clip LED will light whenever the preamp, tone section or output buffer reach clipping (run out of headroom). This
function does NOT monitor the first tube stage of the Passive input. See that section for more info.
In the event the clip indicator lights, turn down the Gain control. Since this circuit monitors the tone controls, boosting any one
of them can cause the clip LED to activate. Once again, you may leave the tone control at its desired level, but turn the Gain
control down further.
NOTE : Even though the Preamp Clip LED lighting indicates that at some point the preamp is clipping,
no harm is being done to your amplifier. However, clipping of the power amp can cause damage to
your speakers and is not recommended.
AURAL ENHANCER
The Aural Enhancer is a feature that's been on just about every SWR amplifier since the company's inception in 1984, and is a
trademark part of the "SWR Sound" people have come to know and love. It was developed to help bring out the fundamental
low notes of the bass guitar, enhance the high-end transients, and reduce certain frequencies that help "mask" the fundamen-
tals. The ultimate result is:
1. A more transparent sound, especially noticeable when slapping and popping.
2. It can make a passive bass take on an "active" type of quality when set at positions of "2 o'clock"
or further clockwise.
Let's take a second to learn how the Aural Enhancer works. Think of it as a variable tone curve that changes depending on
where you set the Aural Enhancer control knob. As you raise the control clockwise from the "MIN" position, you are elevating a
whole range of sound (lows, mids, and highs) at a variety of frequency points selected specifically because they're different
than those selected for the individual Tone Controls.
This remains true up to about the "2 o'clock" position. This position–a favorite for many users–brings out both the low end fun-
damentals and crisp highs and, at the same time, adds a little lower midrange to help cut through the band. However, if you go
further clockwise and past the 2:00 position, selected mids will start to drop off–specifically, a group of frequencies centered
around 200 Hz. At this point and after, the effect becomes much more pronounced. However, the curves involved here are
gentle, as opposed to the very extreme curves you can create by boosting or cutting the Active Tone Controls (EQ).
Most significantly for basses, the Aural Enhancer will help bring out the fundamentals of your lower registers without masking
them with overtones, as is possible when using the Bass control only. At the same time, it opens up the sibilance characteris-
tics of all instruments without being harsh.
Obviously, numbers and curves and circuits all mean nothing compared to what you hear with your own ears. Play a chord, a
repeated lick, or a harmonic, and turn the Aural Enhancer control to various points on the knob to hear the effect for yourself.
As always, your ears are the best judge when it comes to settings that affect the tone of your instrument.
SubWave™ CONTROLS