Operator`s manual

Power Soak Panel
22 Power Range Selector: Use this switch to activate the Power Soak and select the desired power
level. The Power Soak works only in combination with the amp's 8-Ohm Output (19)!
You have four options:
The first setting (I) is "Full Power." It deactivates the Power Soak and feeds the power amp's full
output to the 8-Ohm (19) or 16-Ohm (20) speaker outputs.
The second setting (II) is "5 Watts." It activates the Power Soak and reduces the power sent
to the 8-ohm cabinet connected to the 8-Ohm Output (19) to 30 percent (about 5 watts).
The third setting (III) is "1 Watt." It activates the Power Soak and reduces the power sent
to the 8-ohm cabinet connected to the 8-Ohm Output (19) to 5 percent (about 1 watt).
The fourth setting (IV) is "Speaker Off." It activates the Power Soak, whose resistors convert the
power amp's full output to heat, and switches the cabinet connected to the 8-Ohm Output off.
CAUTION: The Power Soak circuit works only in conjunction with an 8-ohm cabinet connected to
the 8-Ohm Output (19). Make absolutely certain a speaker is connected to the 8-Ohm Output - for
example, the E310 Combo's internal loudspeaker or an 8-ohm cabinet to the E315 Head - before
you engage the Power Soak by setting switch 22 to "5 Watts" or "1 Watt." The opposite goes for
the two 16-Ohm A and B outputs (jacks 20 and 21): Never activate the Power Soak by setting it to
"5 Watts", "1 Watt" or "Speaker Off" when cabinets are connected to the 16-Ohm outs! Be sure to
first disconnect any speakers plugged into these ports. If you select "Speaker Off," you can run the
amp (in most cases, the head) without a connected speaker.
If you want to drive one 16-ohm cabinet connected to the 16-Ohm Output A (jack 20) or two
8-ohm cabinets connected in series to outputs A and B (jacks 20 and 21), be sure to set the Power
Range selector (22) to "Full Power"! And if you connect an external 16-ohm cabinet to the E310
Combo, be sure to disconnect the built-in speaker before you power the amp up!
Heads up: When activated, the Power Soak's resistors convert some or all of the power amp's
output into heat. These heavy-duty resistors reside on a circuit board behind a steel grille.
Ventilation is important for every tube amp, but all the more so for this amp because the
temperature around the Power Soak circuitry can climb quite steeply depending on the Master
volume and Power Range Selector settings. So, make sure air can circulate freely around the back
of the amp!
Do not operate the amp at peak loads – that is, with the Master knob set to 12 o'clock or beyond,
pushing the power amp hard into overdrive - for longer periods with the Power Soak activated
because its power resistors may overheat!
Important tips from the designer:
You can use the Power Soak, which attenuates the signal sent to the onboard 8-ohm speaker or an
outboard 8-ohm cabinet, for several purposes. For example, you may want to shape your tone with
moderate (!) power amp saturation, but the volume with the Master knob cranked may be too
loud for the situation or location. In that case, simply cut the power sent to the speaker. You can
opt to reduce output by two-thirds or even down to just one watt. The "1 Watt" setting drastically
reduces the volume level, though it will still be loud enough for monitoring during recording
sessions. The Power Soak Selector's "Speaker Off" is the setting of choice when you want to mute
the speaker for direct-to-desk recording. The power amp's entire output is then fed to the Power
Soak's heavy-duty resistors, which ensure the power amp gets the load (8 ohms) it needs to run
safely. If you are using the Power Soak in combination with the Clean channel, don't drive the
power amp too hard by setting the Master to 12 o'clock or beyond because its tone will suffer and
the power resistors' temperature will rise sharply.
If you do set the Master to 12 o'clock or beyond, I highly recommend that you back off the Bass
and Input Gain knob settings, particularly for the Clean channel, to prevent undesirable clipping.
Bear in mind the golden rule that no speaker or cabinet may be connected to the 16-Ohm Output
(jack 20) when the "Speaker Off" setting is engaged. When in doubt, always check first!
If you want to record via the Line Out without a connected speaker – typically a cabinet connected
to the head – simply select "Speaker Off". The Power Soak's heavy-duty resistors will provide the
necessary load for the power amp.
Power Soak
not active
Power Soak
activated
Power Soak
activated
Power Soak
activated
I. Full Power II. 5 watts III. 1 watt IV. Speaker Off
1 watt
Full Power
5 watts
Speaker off
Power
Range
Selector
1 watt
Full Power
5 watts
Speaker off
Power
Range
Selector
1 watt
Full Power
5 watts
Speaker off
Power
Range
Selector
1 watt
Full Power
5 watts
Speaker off
Power
Range
Selector
Important note:
the Power Soak only
affects the 8 Ohms
Poweramp Output!
1 watt
POWER SOAK
R
Full Power
5 watts
Speaker off
Power
Range
Selector
22