TECH 21, THE COMPANY
Tech 21 was formed by a guitarist possessing the unusual combination of a trained ear and elec-
tronics expertise. In 1989, B. Andrew Barta incorporated Tech 21 and made his invention commer-
cially available to players and studios around the world. His highly-acclaimed
SansAmp™ pio-
neered Tube Amplifier Emulation in professional applications for recording direct and performing
live, and created an entirely new category of signal processing. There have since been many entries
into this niche, yet SansAmp continues to maintain its reputation as the industry standard.
In addition to a full line of SansAmp models, Tech 21 also offers effect pedals and MIDI products, as
well as “traditional” style amplifiers for guitar and bass. Each product is thoughtfully and respectful-
ly designed by B. Andrew Barta himself with the player in mind.
Tech 21’s goal is to provide you with flexible, versatile tools to cultivate, control, refine and rede-
fine your own individual sound. We take great pride in delivering consistent quality sound, studio to
studio, club to club, arena to arena.
PRODUCT OVERVIEW
The SansAmp Character Series Deluxe format combines the warmth of a
100% analog signal path
with the convenience of digital programmability in a super simple, player-friendly stomp box format.
Our proprietary technology captures the rich, natural harmonics and sweet overdrive characteristics
inherent to tube amplifiers, and does so even at low volume. SansAmp delivers the same dynamics,
responsiveness, and sound quality of massive pro stage rigs in a portable, programmable pedal.
The ease of operation allows you to make changes on the fly, at the gig, even during your per-
formance --without having to take this manual with you. There are no complex formulas or
numerical calculations to learn, so there’s nothing to get in the way of your creative flow.
You can explore and custom tailor your tones, and put your favorites right at your feet. Custom
actuators provide a smooth transition between channels for instantaneous switching, so you can
dance to the music instead of your gear.
APPLICATIONS
WITH AN AMP:
Run the 1/4” output of the SansAmp directly into the input of the power
amp input, a.k.a. “effects return” (if applicable), of an amp. This will bypass the tone coloring section
of the pre-amp
and will defeat the amp’s master volume.
NOTE: BE SURE the INSTRUMENT VOLUME is OFF --BEFORE you turn on
the amp. Then
slowly increase the volume of the instrument. If it’s too loud overall, check that
the 1/4” Out Boost switch is disengaged (up) and then edit your presets accordingly. If it doesn’t get
loud enough for you, engage (depress) the 1/4” Out Boost switch to add 10dB.
Or, you can run the SansAmp into the front input of an amp. Be sure to keep the Level of
SansAmp close to unity gain, so as not to overload the amp’s input, which could result in undesir-
able distortion.
Tips for setting up your amp when using front input:
1. Plug into low gain channel or input.
2. Turn off Bright switch.
3. Turn presence control (if applicable) to 12 o’clock or below.
4. Set tone controls as flat as possible.
5. Set SansAmp Character Series Speaker Sim switch to off.
TO DRIVE A POWER AMP:
Run the output of the SansAmp into the input of a power
amp with an input sensitivity of -10dB to 0dB. Then use the master volume control of the power
amp to adjust your stage volume.
TO RECORD DIRECT:
You can plug directly into the input of a mixer/recorder and use
the on-board sounds of the SansAmp. Bear in mind, full-range systems yield a wide frequency
response. Therefore, you may need to adjust the EQ settings of the SansAmp to compensate.
THE INS AND OUTS
Standard Audio Procedure: TURN
(SansAmp)
ON FIRST. TURN OFF LAST. To
avoid unwanted and potentially speaker-damaging “pops” when connecting or disconnecting any
equipment,
always mute mixing board and/or turn down amp volume before plugging or
unplugging!
WARNING:
DO NOT run the speaker output of any amp directly into the
SansAmp. Severe damage to the amp and/or SansAmp may result.
SIGNAL LEVEL TO INPUT
SansAmp Character Series pedals are designed to accommodate instrument level signals to the
Input
, such as the output of a guitar, bass, the output of distortion pedals, etc. Signal level to Input
should be close to that of a standard electric guitar (approx. -10dB / 250mV).
NOTE: Hot pick-
ups will increase the gain structure of the SansAmp.
IN A (MAIN):
1/4-inch 1 megOhm, instrument level. Use as your main input when using a
single instrument. Also switches battery power on/off. To avoid battery drain, unplug when unit is
not in use.
IN B:
1/4-inch 1 megOhm, instrument level. For second instrument.
PARALLEL OUTPUT:
1/4-inch buffered, unbalanced direct output. Instrument signal pass-
es through, Uneffected, to the input of your stage amplification system or tuner.
BALANCED XLR OUTPUT:
Balanced 600-Ohm low Z output. Sends effected or
bypassed signal to mixing console/recorder.
XLR Out Pad Switch: -20dB pad to match the output to equipment
with different input level requirements. In the line level (up) position, the
output is 0dB. In the instrument level (down) position, the output is -20dB.
1/4” OUTPUT:
Unbalanced 1KOhm low Z output. Sends effected or bypassed signal to
amp rig or power amp.
1/4” Out Boost Switch: +10dB boost to match the output to equipment with different
input level requirements. In the instrument level (up) position, the nominal output is -10dB. In the
line level (down) position, the output is 0dB.
PHANTOM POWER
Allows you to “tap into” the power of a suitably equipped mixer. As the 3-conductor XLR sends
the audio signal to the input of a mixer, the mixer sends voltage back to the unit via the same 3
wires, eliminating the need for an external power supply. Consult your mixer’s owner’s manual for
set-up instructions. For live and studio use, let the engineer know your SansAmp is phantom
power operable.
NOTE: Minimum 24V DC regulated phantom power supply, however, 48V DC regulated is recom-
mended to optimize headroom and illuminate LEDs.
PHANTOM & GROUND CONNECT SWITCH:
When engaged (depressed), the
ground connects and unit will accept phantom power through the XLR Output. Disengaged (up),
the ground of your stage system and other interconnected gear is lifted/isolated from the ground
of the mixing console.
With a mixer only: If you are plugging your instrument into the SansAmp and taking the XLR
Output
to a mixer
--and do not have any other grounded equipment connected in
the setup-- you will have to engage (depress) the switch to connect the ground and activate
the phantom power.
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