Akai UniBass UB1 Reference Manual

UNIBASS UB1

English

WARNING!

To prevent fire or shock hazard, do not expose this appliance to rain or moisture.

CAUTION

RISK OF ELECTRIC SHOC K

DO NOT OPEN

CAUTION: TO REDUCE THE RISK OF ELECTRIC SHOCK

DO NOT REMOVE COVER (OR BACK). NO USER-SERVICEABLE PARTS INSIDE. REFER SERVICING TO QUALIFIED SERVICE PERSONNEL.

THE SYMBOLS ARE RULED BY UL STANDARDS (U.S.A.)

The lightning flash with arrowhead symbol, within an equilateral triangle, is intended to alert the user to the presence of uninsulated “dangerous voltage” within the product’s enclosure; that may be of sufficient magnitude to constitute a risk of electric shock to persons.

The exclamation point within an equilateral triangle is intended to alert the user to the presence of important operating and maintenance (servicing) instructions in the literature accompanying the appliance.

5B-En

1-En

Harmonized Bass Distortion

English

CAUTION (Only for products sold in Canada and U.S.A.)

To prevent electric shock, do not use this polarized AC power plug with an extension cord, receptacle, or other outlet unless the blades can be fully inserted to prevent blade exposure.

ATTENTION

Afin d’éviter tout risque de décharge électrique, n’ utilisez pas cette prise polarisée avec une rallonge, une prise de courant ou autre sortie á moins que les lames puissent être complétement insérées et qu’elles ne soient plus visibles.

IMPORTANT (for U.K. customers only)

This equipment is fitted with an approved converter plug. To change the fuse in this type of plug proceed as follows:

1) Remove the fuse cover and old fuse.

2) Fit a new fuse which should be a BS1362 5 Amp A.S.T.A. or BSI approved type.

3) Refit the fuse cover. If the AC mains plug fitted to the lead supplied with this equipment is not suitable for your type

of AC outlet sockets, it should be changed to an AC mains lead, complete with moulded plug of the appropriate type. If this is not possible, the plug should be cut off and a correct one fitted to suit the AC outlet. This should be fused at 5 Amps.

If a plug without a fuse is used, the fuse at the distribution board should not be greater than 5 Amp.

PLEASE NOTE: THE SEVERED PLUG MUST BE DESTROYED TO AVOID A POSSIBLE

The wires in this mains lead are coloured in accordance with the following code:

As the colours of the wires in the mains lead of this apparatus may not correspond with the coloured markings identifying the terminals in your plug, please proceed as follows:

The wire which is coloured BLUE must be connected to the terminal which is marked with the letter N or coloured BLACK. The wire which is coloured BROWN must be connected to the terminal which is marked with the letter L or coloured RED. DO NOT CONNECT ANY WIRE TO THE PIN MARKED E OR

OR YELLOW & GREEN WHEN WIRING THE PLUG. Ensure that all the terminals are securely tightened and no loose strands of wire exist. Before replacing the plug cover, make certain the cord grip is clamped over the outer sheath of the lead and not simply over the wires.

SHOCK HAZARD SHOULD IT BE INSERTED INTO A 13 AMP SOCKET ELSEWHERE.

BLUE — NEUTRAL BROWN — LIVE

OR COLOURED GREEN

14-En

14-F

6F-En

English

CHANGES OR MODIFICATIONS NOT EXPRESSLY APPROVED BY THE MANUFACTURER FOR COMPLIANCE COULD VOID THE USER’S AUTHORITY TO OPERATE THE EQUIPMENT.

32-En

This appliance is not equipped with a main power switch. Even when the appliance is turned off, the power supply to the appliance is not completely turned off when the power cord is plugged in. Pull out the adaptor when not using the appliance for long periods.

4-En

FCC WARNING

This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B digital device pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference in a residential installation. This equipment generates, uses, and can radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed and used in accordance with the instructions, may cause harmful interference to radio communications. However, there is no guarantee that interference will not occur in a particular installation. If this equipment does cause harmful interference to radio or television reception, which can be determined by turning the equipment off and on, the user is encouraged to try to correct the interference by one or more of the following measures:

• Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna.

• Increase the separation between the equipment and receiver.

• Connect the equipment into an outlet on a circuit different from that to which the receiver is connected.

• Consult the dealer or an experienced radio/TV technician for help.

21B-En

This digital apparatus does not exceed the Class B limits for radio noise emissions from digital apparatus set out in the Radio Interference Regulations of the Canadian Department of Communications.

27-En

AVIS POUR LES ACHETEURS CANADIENS DU UB1

Le présent appareil numérique n’ément pas de bruits radioélectriques dépassant les limites applicables aux appareils numériques de la Class B prescrites dans le Règlement sur le brouillage radioélectrique édicté par le ministère des Communications du Canada.

27-F

English

WARNING

The UB1 UNIBASS is designed to be used in a standard household environment.

Power requirements for electrical equipment vary from area to area. Please ensure that your AC Adaptor supplied meets the power requirements in your area. If in doubt, consult a qualified electrician or AKAI professional dealer.

120 VAC @ 60 Hz for USA and Canada AC Adaptor MP-9 (CA) 220~230/240 VAC @ 50 Hz for Europe AC Adaptor MP-9 (EVB)

PROTECTING YOURSELF AND THE UB1 UNIBASS

• Never touch the AC Adaptor with wet hands.

• Always disconnect the AC Adaptor from the power supply by pulling on the adaptor/plug, not the cord.

• Allow only an AKAI professional dealer or qualified professional engineer to repair or reassemble the UB1 UNIBASS. Apart from voiding the warranty, unauthorized engineers might touch live internal parts and receive a serious electrical shock.

• Do not put, or allow anyone to put any object, especially metal objects, into the UB1 UNIBASS.

• Use only a household AC power supply. Never use a DC power supply.

• If water or any other liquid is spilled into or onto the UB1 UNIBASS, disconnect the power, and call your dealer.

• Make sure that the unit is well-ventilated, and away from direct sunlight.

• To avoid damage to internal circuitry, as well as the external finish, keep the UB1 UNIBASS away from sources of direct heat (stoves, radiators, etc.).

• Avoid using aerosol insecticides, etc. near the UB1 UNIBASS. They may damage the surface, and may ignite.

• Do not use denaturated alcohol, thinner or similar chemicals to clean the UB1 UNIBASS. They will damage the finish.

• Modification of this equipment is dangerous, and can result in the functions of the UB1 UNIBASS being impaired. Never attempt to modify the equipment in any way.

• Make sure that the UB1 UNIBASS is always well-supported when in use on a firm level surface.

• In order to assure optimum performance of your UB1 UNIBASS, select the setup location carefully, and make sure the equipment is used properly. Avoid setting up the UB1 UNIBASS in the following locations:

1. In a humid or dusty environment

2. In a room with poor ventilation

3. On a surface which is not horizontal

4. Inside a vehicle such as a car, where it will be subject to vibration

5. In an extremely hot or cold environment

• Be sure to wait for a few seconds before turning the unit on again after the power has been turned off to ensure proper operation.

• When you connect this unit to other equipment, make sure that all of the other equipment is turned off in order to prevent malfunction or damage to speakers.

The AKAI UB1 is a computer-based instrument and uses software contained in ROM. Software that is provided with the instrument, including information contained in this manual, is copyrighted by applicable laws. You can use that software or information concerning the instrument only for personal use. You are strictly prohibited to copy or modify any part of the software or manual without written permission from AKAI professional M.I. Corp. in Japan.

English

For bass players who want to add more depth to their sound, the UniBass is at your feet giving great versatility and depth to your playing style. It does this by shifting the pitch one octave up and outputing the original bass sound plus the effect sound

you can even output the original and effect sounds to two separate amps). Now it’s your turn to stand out! Using the MODIFY mode, you can add an upper 5th up or lower 4th to the effect or mute the original bass sound completely. Tone and distortion can also be adjusted for more control of the sound.

5 6 7

(you can control the mix between the two,

10 11

12 13

MIX output

This outputs a mix of the direct and effect signals. If you plug into the EFFECT output, this outputs the direct signal only.

EFFECT output

This outputs only the effect signal.

DC IN

Plug the supplied MP-9 (9-volt) AC adapter in here.

INPUT

Plug your bass in here.

OUTPUT LEVEL control

This sets only the level of the effect sound. The level of the direct signal is not affected and remains the same even when the effect is turned off.

DISTORTION control

The distortion effect emulates the sound of an overdriven guitar. The higher the setting the more pronounced the effect becomes.

TONE control

Controls the tone of the effect sound.

INPUT LEVEL control

This sets the input level. Set it so that the red LED (OVER) doesn't light when playing at your loudest.

Level meter: The LEDs show the following levels for the input signal:

NOISE GATE THRESHOLD control

Sets the threshold level of the noise gate. The noise gate function cuts off the harsh noise when the signal level is low, especially with the distortion effect.

MODIFY switches (10/11)

SWITCH MODE

This selects how the MODIFY (13) footswitch works: LATCH - The footswitch toggles the modify mode on and off.

UNLATCH - Modify is turned on only while pressing and holding the footswitch.

(MODIFY LED lights while the MODIFY is active.)

SELECT

This selects the type of effect when the MODIFY (13) footswitch is on: ADD UPPER 5TH - Upper 5th is added to the effect sound.

SOLO - The direct signal is muted and only the effect sound is played. ADD LOWER 4TH - Lower 4th is added to the effect sound.

ON/OFF footswitch

Switches the effect on and off.

MODIFY footswitch

Switches the modify mode on and off.

Red - overload / Yellow - correct level / Green - low level

English

Operation:

1. Connect your bass to the INPUT jack.

2. Connect the MIX output to the input of your amplifier.

If you want to separate the bass and effects sounds, also connect the EFFECT output to the input of a separate amplifier. In this case, MIX outputs the original bass sound and EFFECT outputs the effect sound.

3. Turn your amp/s on.

4. Adjust the INPUT LEVEL while playing the bass. The level should be adjusted so

as the Red LED does not come on when playing at your loudest. However, since the pitch cannot be determined properly if the level is too low, the level should be adjusted as high as possible without turning on the Red LED.

5. Press the ON/OFF (left) footswitch to turn the effect on.

6. Adjust the TONE, DISTORTION and OUTPUT LEVEL to suit your taste.

NOTE:

If noise is noticeable when the bass is not being played, and the effect is on, adjust the NOISE GATE THRESHOLD by turning it to the minimum position and then turn it slowly to the point where the noise becomes unnoticeable (while not playing). Play the bass to check that the effects sound is released OK. If the release is too abrupt or unnatural sounding, try turning the NOISE GATE THRESHOLD down a little.

MODIFY mode

In MODIFY mode, you can add a upper 5th or a lower 4th sourd to the one octave high effect sound. Or you can mute the original bass sound completely. Also, you can set how the MODIFY footswitch works. The MODIFY LED lights when the mode is on.

The SELECT switch selects the type of effect when the MODIFY mode is turned on:

ADD UPPER 5TH - Upper 5th is added to the effect sound. SOLO - The direct signal is muted and only the effect sound is played. ADD LOWER 4TH - Lower 4th is added to the effect sound.

NOTE:

Please do not turn the SOLO mode on within 10 seconds of turning the power on, as there may be an audible click.

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