Specifications

Setting Up and Using the Model 3500/5500

WARNING: Hartke amplifiers can deliver very high power levels. Driven to

full power, they can damage connected loudspeakers, regardless of brand,

size, or configuration. Care should be taken not to strain connected

loudspeakers as this can cause permanent damage and will degrade the per-

formance of the entire system. If you see connected loudspeakers moving

excessively, turn your system down immediately or use the equalization and/

or compression controls to reduce the amount of subharmonic (extremely

low frequency) signal.

Setting up your Hartke Systems 5500 Bass Amplifier is a simple procedure which

takes only a few minutes:

1. Remove all packing materials (save them in case of need for future service)

and decide where the amplifier is to be physically placed. To avoid potential

overheating problems, be sure that the rear panel is unobstructed and that there

is good ventilation around the entire unit, particularly behind the rear-panel fan.

2. Begin by hooking up your bass cabinet or cabinets, using the 1/4” unbalanced

Speaker output connectors on the rear panel; it is never a good idea to power up

any amplifier that is not connected to loudspeakers. We recommend the use of a

single 4 ohm cabinet or two 8 ohm cabinets. Hartke amps are optimized for use

with Hartke bass cabinets, although other brands of speakers can be substituted.

Any appropriately rated bass cabinet with a minimum impedance of 4 ohms (that

is, 4 ohms or greater) can be used. In order to ensure correct phase correlation,

the tip of the Model 3500/5500 speaker jack should be connected to the “+” (hot)

input of your loudspeaker, and the sleeve of the Model 3500/5500 speaker jack

should be connected to the “-” (ground) input of your loudspeaker.

3. Next, connect the 3-pin AC plug into any grounded AC socket. Don’t turn the

amplifier on just yet, though.

4. Use a standard music instrument cable to connect your bass to the appropri-

ate Input jack on the front panel (if your bass has active circuitry,* connect it to

the “Active” input; if not, connect it to the “Passive” input). On the front panel

of the Model 3500/5500, set the Master volume control to “0” (fully counter-

clockwise) and set both Pre-Amp A (Tube) and B (Solid State) knobs to “5” (the

twelve o’clock position). Set the Compression knob to its “Off” position (fully

counterclockwise—you’ll hear a click) and set both Contour knobs to their center

detented “0” position. Finally, set the graphic equalizer In/Out switch to its “Out”

position.

5. Press the front panel Power switch in order to turn on the amplifier. After

approximately three seconds, you’ll hear a click, indicating that the relay protec-

tion circuitry has completed cycling and that power to the system has been pro-

vided.

6. Set the output of your bass to maximum and then, while playing, slowly turn

the Master volume control up until the desired level is achieved. If you hear dis-

tortion even at low amplifier Master volume settings, back off the output of your

bass (or check for a faulty cable).

* Bass guitars that have active circuitry normally require a battery for the circuitry to

be functional.

ENGLISH