SWR Black Beauty, Owner'S Manual

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Black Beauty™ Black Beauty™
Congratulations on your purchase of the SWR® Black Beauty™ combo
bass amplifier!
The SWR tradition of innovation and excellence began in 1984, when
founder Steve W. Rabe developed an entirely new concept of bass
instrument amplification. Responding to advice and suggestions from
top L.A. recording bassists of the day who wanted their live sound to
resemble what they heard in studio playback monitors, Rabe devel-
oped a full-range, hi-fi bass system that allowed players to dial in any
tone they wanted with the accuracy of a studio mixing console. The
“SWR sound” was born.
The original Black Beauty was introduced in 2001 and, with its 350
watts of power and built-in Subwave™ effect, quickly became a fan
favorite. The crystal-clear tube preamp combined with the powerful
punch of a 15” driver turned out to be an ideal combination for players
who want to rattle the foundations, yet still hear the clarity of each
note. Now, in 2009, the Black Beauty has been given a complete makeover.
Borrowing from the design of its sister, the Redhead™, the Black
Beauty now has 400 watts of power (650 watts with a 4 ohm exten-
sion cabinet) and a complete array of professional features including a
studio-quality Line Out with front panel controls, a Compressor circuit
and Tuning mute. Standing alone, or as the key component of a com-
bo-based rig, the Black Beauty has the muscle to handle large venues
and the tonal response to complement the subtlest touch.
We’re confident that you will enjoy your new Black Beauty for many
years to come, and many thanks for “Stepping up” to SWR.
A. MUTE — Disables audio output from the Speaker
Outputs {Q/R}, as indicated by the LED. NOTE: Mute
does not affect the Tuner Out {S} nor Effects Loop {U}
outputs.
B. INSTRUMENT INPUTS
— Plug into either the Passive or
Active jack depending on the type of instrument used
and the tone characteristics desired:
• PASSIVE
— Normal sensitivity input for most
instruments with passive electronics. If you hear a small
amount of unwanted distortion and neither the Preamp
Clip LED {C}, nor the Power Amp Clip LED {K} are
ON, try using the Active Input.
•
ACTIVE — Reduced sensitivity input providing
cleaner response with high-output passive, and pre-
amplified active instruments.
C. GAIN — Adjusts preamp signal level. Use Gain together
with Master Volume {K} to set the overall loudness of
the amplifier. Your instrument, effects, and tone levels
all contribute to preamp level and should be adjusted
before Gain.
Gain is also the primary level control for the FX Loop
Send {U} jack on the rear panel and can be used to
accommodate the input sensitivity of external equipment
if necessary.
• PREAMP CLIP LED
— Indicates when the preamp
circuit is being overdriven (clipping) and causing signal
distortion. For the cleanest signal possible, set Gain
so that the Preamp Clip LED barely flashes at your
instrument's peak output levels, then back it off slightly.
If signal distortion is desired, use higher Gain settings
(unlike power amp clipping, preamp clipping is not
harmful to the amplifier).
Front Panel Front Panel
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