Instruction Manual
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USER MANUAL
MAG ROOTMOASTER
Front Panel
SPECIFICATIONS
VU
Ashdown Ampliers reserve the right to change specications without notice. E & O E. All contents © Ashdown 2014.
INPUT
A single input jack socket is Provided for your instrument. This is a high impedance input designed to perfectly match the
impedance of the pick-ups on a passive bass. It also has sufficient headroom available to allow active basses to be used. Use
the input gain control to adjust for the sensitivity of your instrument.
INPUT CONTROL
The input control sets the signal level through the preamp in conjunction with the input level vu meter. This is adjusted to give a reading of 0vu on the
meter for average playing dynamics with occasional peaks into the red region. Please note that the setting of this may have to be re-adjusted after
modification of the E.Q. controls.
SHAPE
With this button in a fixed E.Q. is superimposed on the pre-amp to give a bass and treble boost to the sound. This gives +8db at 50hz and This gives
+10db at 10khz.
E.Q.
This button switches the equalisation section in or out i.e. the Bass, Middle and Treble controls and the two rotary controls placed between these.
EQUALISATION
This consists of bass, middle and treble controls with two more rotary controls placed in-between. This can be used in a number of ways:
Firstly as a very simple bass, middle and treble tone control section as found on older traditional amplifiers. This is done by leaving the 340hz and
1.6Khz controls set in their centre positions and using only the bass, middle and treble controls to alter the overall tone.
Secondly, if more control is required then the 340hz and 1.6Khz controls can also be used to tailor the E.Q. In the regions between the main tone
controls.
This provides a very versatile equalisation section, it is simple to understand and operate, yet provides a wide degree of variation. It retains the
simplicity of a three control tone section but provides the flexibility of a graphic equaliser.
COMPRESSION
Adding a small amount of compression gives a fat bottom end to the sound and allows a greater volume of amplification to be used without the
playing peaks distorting the amplifiers output stage.
You will also find that this will add definition to your playing bringing out notes within a run more clearly as it evens out the dynamics of your playing. A
large amount of compression can be used as an effect but it will tend to reduce the dynamics in your playing to such an extent that the volume of the
note will be the same no matter how hard or soft you hit the string.
Compression also adds sustain to notes making them longer before they die away.
The compression level control adjusts the degree of compression applied to the bass signal. For this to function correctly the input level must be
correctly set as described in the input control section above.
When the input level is correctly set there will be hardly any difference in volume between compression in and compression out. This is because
the MAG automatically compensates for the reduction in level that would be apparent when compression is added by increasing the overall gain to
restore the volume to its pre compression level, because of this you may notice an increase in background noise with high compression settings.
Compression is switched in/out with the push button adjacent to the compression level control.
SUB HARMONICS
This section produces sub harmonics an octave below the notes being played. The level of these sub harmonics relative to the straight bass sound
can be adjusted using the level control.
This is very effective in thickening the sound and you will find in use that only a small degree of this lower octave is required to really fill out the sound
and provide a character that is not possible by any other means.
The degree of sub harmonics is also dependant on the setting of the bass control.
DIRECT INJECT ( D.I. )
A balanced D.I. Is provided on the front panel XLR socket. This provides a post E.Q. Post effects signal.
The output signal from this XLR socket is set to a level and impedance suitable for connecting directly into a balanced microphone input of a mixing
desk for either direct injection into the pa system or for recording.
EFFECTS SEND/RETURN
A serial effects loop is provided at a level of 0db. The effects send and return sockets for this are on the front panel below the D.I. Socket.
The effects send socket can also be used as a line out socket if required. The signal path through the preamp is only broken when a jack plug is
inserted into the effects return socket. The effects send is situated after the E.Q.
TUNER/LINE OUT
This output socket provides a line level signal that can be used either for a permanent connection to a tuner or a line output for connection to other
power amplifiers and speakers.
OUTPUT LEVEL
The output control adjusts the overall level of the amplifier. Adjust this for your preferred overall stage playing volume.
Everything possible has been done to make these reliable, minimum service, high quality, long lasting powerful bass amplifiers.
We know you will appreciate the effort that has been put into the design and manufacture of this unit and you will be rewarded in your choice of bass
amplifier by long life and reliability.
INPUTS
High Input Impedance - 3.9M ohms Input range 150mv to 20v p - p
Low Input Impedance - 10k ohms Input range 300mv to 40v p - p
Effects Return Impedance - 22k ohms Input level 0dbu nominal
OUTPUTS
Tuner Output Impedance - 10k ohms Level 0dbu nominal
Effects Send Impedance - 22k ohms Level 0dbu nominal
D.I.Output 600 ohms balanced Level -20dbu nominal
Speaker Outputs Minimum Impedance - 4 ohms
Frequency Response -3db at 22hz and 25khz
EQUALISATION
Bass +/- 15db @ 100hz
Lo Mid +/- 15db @ 340hz
Middle +/- 15db @ 660hz
Hi Mid +/- 15db @ 1.6Khz
Treble +/- 15db @ 7khz shelving
Deep + 8db @ 50hz
Bright + 10db @ 10khz
Signal to Noise Better than 80db (E.Q. Flat)
Distortion Less than 0.5% THD
Output Power 220watts RMS into 4 ohms.