800
Blue-Power Switch & LED
The
blue
-Power LED will illuminate when the unit is turned on.
Preamp Select Switch
Depending on your preference, choose either
solid-state
or
tube
gain input for the preamp.
Passive 0dB & Active -6dB Input Jacks
Use the
Passive Input (0 dB) for bass guitars that have passive electronics (such as single-coil, split-
coil and Humbucking pickups). Use the
Active Input (-6dB) for
hot
, or
active
pickups. These inputs
are not intended for connecting more than one instrument at a time.
Tip:
Using the -6dB input when playing your bass (passive or active) at full gain, and you pluck the
strings hard will reduce the potential of input clipping.
Gain Control
The
Gain control is a volume adjustment for the preamp, which is selectable between using
solid-
state
or
tube
circuitry. The tube circuitry features a single
12AX7A, dual-triode preamp tube. The Gain
control should normally be set around the middle, which should be the position for most basses. If
your bass has an unusually low output, increase the
Gain control to the desired level, conversely for
higher output basses use a lower setting. Increasing the
Gain control also affects the level of drive
when the Tube-Drive feature is engaged.
Compressor
To increase the consistency of your tone and further the performance of the power amplifier, we have
provided an adjustable compressor. This compressor is fairly simple to use, with only a simple
thresh-
old
control to make adjustments. The compression ratio is 2:1 and the attack / release-time is preset
for optimally.
Tip:
To use the Compressor, rotate the control clockwise until the desired threshold is reached. It will
be apparent to you audibly as well as visually; a red LED (located to the right of the control) will illu-
minate as the compressor limits the signal. The LED will also indicate the how much compression is
being applied by its intensity and duration.
TUBE
Drive Control
The
TUBE
Drive feature controls the amount of
tube-overdrive,
or saturation, in the signal. The
tube-
overdrive
is powered by a
12AX7A, dual-triode preamp tube. Activate the circuit by depressing the
TUBE
Drive mode switch or using the
optional
footswitch. The green
LED, above the
TUBE
Drive switch,
will illuminate indicating
TUBE
Drive mode is active. To achieve higher levels of overdrive, increase the
Gain control at the preamp stage. If you want your overdrive level to go beyond the usual threshold,
into
absolute meltdown
, increase the
TUBE
Drive control fully clockwise. (Instead of stopping at 10 we
made the
TUBE
Drive control go beyond, into uncharted territories of overdrive.) Nudge the knob
just a
little
into the extreme of
MAX, listen to the gain level take off. Naturally, there will be some extra noise
coming out of the amplifier at this high setting. This is normal, and a perfectly acceptable tradeoff,
when achieving so much overdrive.
Tip:
Many unique sounds can be obtained by changing some controls in conjunction with
the
TUBE
Drive control. Some bassists prefer minimal distortion with a lot of Scoop, some
may prefer massive overdrive (and lots of midrange growl) and others may go for that deep
dry bass. These sounds can be achieved easily by adjusting the Scoop, the Tube-Drive and
the Tube-Drive’s Mix controls in conjunction with each other.
Drive Switch
The
TUBE
Drive switch is located on the front panel and is used to activate the
TUBE
Drive
overdrive
circuit. The circuit can also be activated by an optional footswitch (
AFS-2). A green LED, located
directly above the
TUBE
Drive switch, will illuminate.
