BassForce XXL - Uncategorized HUGHES & KETTNER - Free user manual and instructions

USER MANUAL BassForce XXL HUGHES & KETTNER

GENERAL FEAT U R E S

ACTIVE INPUT:Use this jack to connect basses with high output levels, notably active instruments or basses equipped with humbucking pickups. PASSIVE INPUT:Connect traditional basses with passive pickups and tone controls to this jack. EQ MATRIX:Use this rotary knob to dial in several different basic sounds. EQ MATRIX ON: Activates the basic sound selected with the rotary knob. When the EQ Matrix is switched on, the standard EQ section of the BassForce remains active. GAIN: Controls the input sensitivity of the BassForce preamp. Use it to dial in a level suitable for the output level of the bass you have connected. Higher gain settings produce punchier tone well-suited to rock styles. SATURATION LED: Indicates that the BassForce preamp is being mildly overdriven. For ultra-clean sounds, set the GAIN knob so that this LED does not illuminate. BASS:This active voicing control defines the bottom end. At a setting of 12 o’clock, the signal remains completely unaf- fected. MID FREQ:Lets you select which mid-range frequencies are affected. The MID LEVEL knob determines the intensity of the adjustment. MID LEVEL:Determines to what extent the mid-range frequencies are boosted or cut. TREBLE:Use this control to adjust the high end, i.e. dial in over- tones or add a cutting edge to the tone. To give your BassForce a warmer tone, we placed this pot in the circuit right after the input stage, so it also has some influence over preamp saturation. MASTER:Controls the stage volume of the BassForce. It does not, however, influence the output level of the LINE OUT jack. At higher volumes, the DynaClip circuit kicks in and the tone of the amp will produce a more "growling" tone. PHONES:Connect headphones to this jack. The BassForce speaker output circuit is automatically muted when this jack is used. MAINS:AC power switch. REAR PANEL MAINS SOCKET:Connect the Euro-norm mains cable to this socket. The fuse bracket is integrated in the socket; ensure you use specified replacement fuses only! SPEAKERS: Use this output to connect external speakers/cabi- nets. You have two options for connecting additional cabinets to the BassForce XXL. For one, the amp is equipped with a seri- al speaker circuit that lets you do just that—drive the internal speaker in series with a connected external speaker. Although this increases resistance and thus decreases power output, the surface area of the speakers is enlarged several times over. For the other HOMEoption, the amp is equipped with an external speaker jack that deactivates the internal speaker, letting you connect a set of speakers with a total load no lower than 4 ohms. LINE OUT:Balanced output of the BassForce preamp. Connect it to a mixer or power amp. This output is post-EQ section—in other words, the tone knobs influence this signal; the MASTER volume knob, however, does not. FX RETURN:Connect the output of your effects device to this jack. FX SEND: Connect this output to the input of your effects device. FOOTSWITCH: Input jack for a standard footswitch. Note: The front panel switch is deactivated when you plug a footswitch into this jack.

3.1 THE EQ MAT R I X

The BassForce series is equipped with the EQ MATRIX, a feature that lets you activate four different settings of a 31-band graphic equalizer at the flick of a switch. Renowned professional players helped define these sounds and we painstakingly tuned them to give you instant tone at your fingertips. BASSFORCE XXL SOUND I: Warm bottom end, easy on the mids, shimmering highs, suitable for all playing styles. BASSFORCE XXL SOUND II: Highly defined and precise, lets you and your audience hear every nuance of your slap technique. BASSFORCE XXL SOUND III: Fretless bass tone, also ideal for ballads, particularly when the preamp is ever so slightly saturated. BASSFORCE XXL SOUND IV: Heavy stuff for serious headbanging; regardless whether you use a pick or your fingers, this is a great sound for rock bass.3.2 INPUT SECTION AND EQ SECTION While the EQ MATRIX enables you to quickly and effectively call up radically different sounds, the amp's standard EQ section is primarily designed to let you adapt the amp to the venue and/or stage, as well as to the instrument you are using. Of course you can also use the standard EQ controls to dial in any type of sound you desire. In this case, you should occasionally switch the EQ MATRIX on to compare sounds and ensure the best results when you do select another sound during your set. Two factors have a major impact on the sound of your BassForce:

1. The Gain Setting:

The BassForce preamp's response depends largely on the type of instrument you are using, its pickups and output signal level. The SATURATION LED will illuminate as the amp goes from a clean sound to a tube-like mellow overdriven tone. If the LED lights up in response to every note you play, the preamp of the BassForce is thoroughly saturated. In this case, turn the GAIN or TREBLE knob down.

2. Mid-range Fine-tuning:

You'll find the following procedure particularly effective:

• Turn the MID LEVEL control all the way up so you can clearly hear the results when you tune the frequency band.

• Dial in the desired center frequency via the MID FREQ knob. You will hear a wah-wah effect when turning this knob. At whatever point you stop rotating the knob, the correspon- ding frequency will be clearly audible. You may find that a given frequency is particularly annoying, but not to worry, help is near: simply cut the culprit.

• You can now amplify/attenuate selected frequencies as desired via MID LEVEL. If you leave the MID LEVEL knob in the center or 12 o'clock position for a given frequency, that fre- quency will not be affected. With a bit of practice, you can even tune an attenuated frequency range, but keep in mind that for the human ear, attenuated frequencies are generally more difficult to discern.

3.1 DIE EQ MAT R I X