Driver’s Guide for the CRATE LIMO battery powered amplifier with the new rugged, lightweight molded polymer enclosure!
C R AT E CONGRATULATIONS! You are now the proud owner of the Crate TX50DE battery powered amplifier with Digital Signal Processing. At last, you can take your music with you and have great tone on the road. Not only is the TX50DE compact and portable, it also sports two separate channels and the incredible sound that has made Crate a household name among musicians. The high tech polymer enclosure makes the amplifier lighter and even more portable! Your Crate amplifier is musician-made in the U.S.A.
C R AT E FEATURES: • Two separate channels • Crate’s Digital Signal Processing (DSP) • Insert jack for connecting external effects • CD Inputs for connecting background music • Footswitch control of channel selection and DSP on/off • Headphones jack for silent operation • Internal rechargeable power supply for up to 8 hours of normal playing time, 2 hours at full output – fully recharges within 6 hours (when battery is fully discharged; shorter if partially charged) • Two-color battery status LED – red indi
C R AT E ABOUT THE POWER SUPPLY: The TX50DE uses a sealed lead-acid 12-volt battery as its internal power source. Unlike ni-cad batteries, this battery has no “memory” – it can be fully recharged at any time, without damage to the battery. When fully charged, the LED next to the power switch will illuminate yellow with the switch at the on (“I”) position. The LED will change to red when the battery is low and needs recharging.
C R AT E ABOUT THE POWER SUPPLY (continued): The TX50DE may also be powered by using a 12-volt vehicle cigarette lighter adapter, available at most electronic supply stores. Make certain that the polarity on the adapter matches what is shown below. POSITIVE NEGATIVE Connect the small round end of the adapter to the 12VDC Automobile adapter jack (#26, page 8), then connect the other end of the adapter into the vehicle’s cigarette lighter socket.
C R AT E THE FRONT PANEL: 1 2 3 9 10 11 1. LOW Z: Connect a low impedance microphone here by means of a shielded signal cable terminated with an XLR type connector. 2. HIGH Z: Connect a high impedance microphone here by means of a shielded signal cable terminated with a 1/4” connector. 3. LEVEL: Use this control to adjust the output level of the mic channel. 4. LOW: Use this control to adjust the low frequency level for the mic channel. 5.
C R AT E 8 17 18 19 20 21 14. LOW (Active only when the Channel Select switch is in the out position): Use this control to adjust the low frequency level for the instrument channel 2. 15. MID (Active only when the Channel Select switch is in the out position): Use this control to adjust the mid frequency level for the instrument channel 2. 16. HIGH (Active only when the Channel Select switch is in the out position): Use this control to adjust the high frequency level for the instrument channel 2. 17.
C R AT E THE REAR PANEL: DC CHARGER PLUG DC CIGARETTE LIGHTER ADAPTOR LIT WHEN CHARGING 15V DC 12V DC 25 26 POSITIVE NEGATIVE 26. DC CIGARETTE LIGHTER ADAPTER, 12 VDC: Plug the small round connector of the optional 12-volt car adapter into this jack to play the amplifier from a vehicle, instead of the internal battery. NEVER connect the supplied 15-volt charger to this jack! See page 4 for additional information. 25.
C R AT E SUGGESTED SET-UPS: The TX50DE can be used in a variety of different ways, some of which are shown below and on the following page. Use these ideas to fuel your imagination for the setup which best suits your needs. Idea 1 – Play and sing, with external effects and backup: Connect a microphone to the Low Z jack. Connect an instrument (acoustic or electric guitar, keyboard) to the Instrument Input jack. (This high-Z input works with all types of pickups, from Piezo to active types.
C R AT E SUGGESTED SET-UPS (continued): Idea 3 – Sing along: Connect a low impedance microphone to the Low Z jack. Connect a high impedance microphone to the Instrument Input jack. Connect a tape player (for sound tracks and back up music) to the CD Input jacks. A single button footswitch may be used to turn the DSP on and off.
C R AT E SYSTEM BLOCK DIAGRAM: SHAPE INSTRUMENT CHANNEL CHANNEL SELECT 1 LEVEL GAIN 2 TONES DSP SEND CD INPUTS LEVEL LOW MID HIGH FOOTSWITCH DSP/CH.
C R AT E TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS OUTPUT POWER RATING 50W RMS @ 10% THD, 4 ohms, 13.6VDC in INPUT IMPEDANCE 1M ohm MAXIMUM SIGNAL ACCEPTED Mic Low Z 2V peak to peak Mic Hi Z 12V peak to peak Instrument 12V peak to peak GAIN Mic Instrument 57dB High Z, 72dB Low Z 44dB w/Gain switch out, Ch2 85dB w/Gain switch in, Ch1 SENSITIVITY Mic Instrument 3.5mV RMS High Z, 20mV RMS Low Z 80mV RMS w/Gain switch out, Ch2 .
