Owner manual

8
Setting Bass Mid, and Treble – OK, now it’s time to set the EQ, beginning
with the Bass and Treble controls. These controls cover a fairly broad
frequency spectrum and a little goes a long way. Adjust these controls up or
down as needed. We suggest playing a few notes in various areas of the neck
so you can hear what your adjustments have done across the fretboard.
Getting Distortion – For some styles of music, adding a little distortion to
your tone can be a cool thing. Personally, we don’t recommend you use
distortion when practicing as it can mask deficiencies in your playing
technique. But when playing along with a CD or MP3, you may want to add
a bit to get closer to the sound of the bass on the recording.
If you want to add some distortion, you can do so by turning up the Master
Volume. As you rotate the knob, you’ll first notice a very subtle distortion –
typically around 1:00. If you keep going, the distortion will increase. It is
possible to create so much distortion that it isn’t pleasant to listen to. We
don’t recommend this, as parents can get really testy if you sound bad. Just
something to keep in mind, ok?
IMPORTANT NOTE: Never use the Input Gain to create distortion. You
want your signal to be as clean as possible in the pre-amp stage. Always use
the Master Volume to get your distortion.
A FEW TECHNICAL THINGS TO REMEMBER
Clipping = Bad –As we said earlier, Clipping in the preamp section is a
Very Bad Thing and is to be avoided at all times. If you find yourself
running out of amplifier headroom, cut a little in the lower frequencies,
which require the most power from your amp. If you’re not sure if you’re
causing clipping in the pre-amp section, turn down the Master Volume to a
low level. If the distortion doesn’t go away, your Input Gain is set too high.
Adjust your Input Gain until the distortion goes away.