Aguilar Tone Hammer User manual

TONE HAMMER Preamp/D.I. Pedal

Congratulations on your purchase of the preamp/direct box so powerful it
could only be called the Tone Hammer! Designed to be more than just a
“preamp in a pedal” and with more functionality than a standard D.I., the
Tone Hammer is an essential tool for every bassist’s arsenal.

Starting with the warm, organic sound that Aguilar is known for, the Tone
Hammer adds fully sweepable midrange frequencies in addition to treble
and bass controls for maximum tonal sculpting. Separate Gain and
Master controls allow you to dial in just the right gain structure for any
instrument.

To give this tone shaping unit the ultimate flexibility we are introducing our
proprietary Adaptive Gain Shaping circuitry (AGS). AGS allows the player
to kick in an additional gain structure and EQ curve with the "stomp" of a
button. You can now easily go from modern slap sounds to vintage warmth
or overdriven tones. The Tone Hammer has plenty of headroom due to its 18 volt operation
and will reproduce the most dynamic playing styles. With the Tone
Hammer's pristine D.I. you are set to hit the studio or the stage.

— 3 Band EQ with fully sweepable midrange
— Adaptive Gain Shaping circuitry (AGS)
— D.I. with selectable pre/post operation
— 18-Volt operation via batteries, phantom power or optional power supply

Owner’s Manual

Manual Version 1.2

I. Features and Functions

A. Top Panel

GAIN: Controls input sensitivity level
TREBLE: +/- 18 dB @ 4 kHz
BASS: +/- 18 dB @ 40 Hz
MID FREQ: 180 Hz to 1 kHz
MID: +/- 17 dB of cut or boost
MASTER: Controls output level
ENGAGE FOOTSWITCH: toggles between on/bypass (blue LED indicates on)
AGS FOOTSWITCH: toggles AGS on/off (orange LED indicates on)

Adaptive Gain Shaping (AGS)

-AGS changes the gain structure and EQ interactively with the gain knob position. This
produces a "vintage voiced" EQ that adapts as you adjust the gain knob. The lower the gain
knob setting, the "flatter" the EQ applied. The higher you set the gain knob, the more
saturated the gain structure becomes, and the more the bass is tightened and the treble
smoothed.

-AGS provides a continuously variable boost depending on the position of the gain
knob. The higher the gain setting, the more boost you will get.

-The AGS circuitry surrounds the midrange controls, enabling you to get a huge variety
of tonal characteristics by simply adjusting the gain and midrange controls. What this
gives you is a flexible control to get a wide range of tonal colors.

-With the Gain knob set from 7 o'clock to 11 o'clock, AGS gives up to 12dB of clean
boost with warm, glassy, vintage EQ.

-With the Gain knob set from 11 o'clock to 1 o'clock, AGS gives up to 15dB boost, with a
little vintage growl as the EQ tightens up the bass.

-With the Gain set from 1 o'clock to maximum, AGS gives up to 16dB boost full of
warm, vintage saturation. The EQ tightens up the bass even more for a smoother
response.