Alesis WILDFIRE 30 User Manual
User Manual
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Table Of Contents
Chapter 1: Introduction .............................................. 3
About the Wildfire.................................................................... 4
Wildfire Basics .........................................................................5
How to Use This Manual ......................................................... 7
Chapter 2: Hookup Diagram ...................................... 9
Chapter 3: A Tour of the Wildfire ............................ 11
Front Panel............................................................................. 11
Rear Panel .............................................................................. 15
Chapter 4: Selecting Programs................................ 17
Chapter 5: Editing Programs ................................... 19
Chapter 6: Storing & Copying Programs .............. 21
Chapter 7: Using the Tuner ...................................... 23
Chapter 8: Deferred Program Change................... 25
Chapter 9: Stereo-Linking Two Amplifiers........... 27
Chapter 10: EFFECT Knob Settings....................... 29
1
Chapter 11: Troubleshooting ................................... 41
Chapter 12: Specifications........................................ 43
Chapter 13: Contact Information............................ 45
Table of Contents
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2
1 Introduction
F
Welcome!
Thank you for making the Alesis Wildfire a part of your
setup. Since 1984, we've been designing and building
creative tools for the audio community. We believe in
our products, because we've heard the results that
creative people like you have achieved with them. One
of Alesis' goals is to make high-quality music equipment
available to everyone, and this user manual is an
important part of that. After all, there's no point in
making equipment with all kinds of capabilities if no one
explains how to use them. So, we try to write our
manuals as carefully as we build our products.
The goal of this manual is to get you the information
you need as quickly as possible, with a minimum of
hassle. We hope we've achieved that. If not, please drop
us an email and give us your suggestions on how we
could improve future editions of this manual.
We hope your investment will bring you many years of
creative enjoyment and help you achieve your musical
goals.
Sincerely,
The people of Alesis
or more effective service
and product update
notices, please register
your Wildfire online at
http://www.alesis.com/
support/warranty.htm.
3
1 Introduction
About the Wildfire
Our Wildfire guitar amplifiers are compact and light, but
extremely powerful. Perfect for both practicing and
performing onstage, all three Wildfire models are
endowed with the same professional-quality
amplification system and features that make this line of
amplifiers unique. Just take a look:
Wildfire Key Features
• Three models: Wildfire 15 (15W RMS and 8” speaker),
Wildfire 30 (30W RMS and 10” speaker) and Wildfire 60 (60
W RMS and 12” speaker)
• On-board stereo effect processor with 9 effect modules that
provide multiple selectable effects
• 80 preset effect patches that you can fully edit, store and
restore to the factory default settings
• Over 40 different effects with adjustable parameters and
innumerable effect combinations
• Built-in auto-chromatic tuner
• Bass and Treble control knobs for direct EQing of the
audio signal (Wildfire 60 only)
• Drive knob for direct control over the DRIVE parameter
found in the effects processor (Wildfire 30 and Wildfire 60
only)
• Speaker Output for connecting to an external 8-ohm speaker
• Stereo Link Output for connecting to the input of a second
amplifier for true stereo output
• Input for an optional expression pedal for controlling
effect parameters
• Input for optional footswitches for changing user programs
• Headphones jack for quiet, private playing in stereo
• AUX Input for a CD player or other line-level device—play
along to your favorite songs!
4
Introduction 1
Wildfire Basics
Benefits of an On-Board Effect Processor
If you use guitar effects, you probably do so by linking
pedals together into a chain or by using a multi-effect
processor. All this extra equipment can cost a fortune
and crowd your playing space. The Wildfire, however,
simplifies things because it includes all the effects you
need right in your amplifier. Instead of tripping over
extra wires and turning knobs and pushing buttons on
pedal after pedal, with the Wildfire you have full control
over dozens of effects without the need for an external
processor!
Effect Modules
If you were to think of the Wildfire’s effect processor as
a series of individual pedals linked together, then each
pedal in that series would be considered an effect
module. The Wildfire has nine separate effect modules,
as shown below:
You can assign one effect to each of these modules and
adjust its parameters accordingly. For more on the
Wildfire’s effect modules, see chapter 10.
Effect Types
When we use the word “effect” in this manual, we’re
usually referring to an effect type. Each module provides
you with a selection of effect types, only one of which
may be chosen for each module. For example, the DIST
module allows you to select which type of distortion you
want (ACOUSTIC, TUBE CLEAN, RHYTHM and
others). The behavior of each of these effect types may
be adjusted in one or more ways to produce variations
of the effect.
5
1 Introduction
Parameters
A parameter is a control that changes the characteristics
of an effect. When we use the word “parameter,” we are
referring to the “direct control” parameter available to
the DIST, FX1, FX2 and FX3 modules. DIST’s
parameter is called DRIVE, and the parameters for FX1,
FX2 and FX3 are labeled PARAM. The characteristic
controlled by a parameter varies from effect to effect.
Programs
A program is a combination of effect
modules and their respective settings.
In PLAY mode, you have quick access
to the Wildfire’s eighty programs via the
Program Up and Down buttons, optional
footswitches and the VALUE knob. The
programs are divided up into banks A – H and are
identified by a bank letter and a program number on the
display.
Playing in Stereo
The Wildfire outdoes most other guitar amplifiers by
providing stereo output instead of the standard mono.
We strongly encourage you to take advantage of the
wonderful benefit this provides for your sound, because
many of the Wildfire’s excellent effects will sound even
better when you listen to them in stereo. See chapter 9
for instructions on how to connect a second amplifier to
the Wildfire using the STEREO LINK OUTPUT. If
you don’t have a second amplifier, you can immediately
enjoy the stereo effects simply by listening with
headphones.
6
Introduction 1
H
How to Use This Manual
This manual is divided into the following sections
describing the various functions and applications for the
Wildfire. While it's a good idea to read through the
entire manual once carefully, if you already have general
knowledge about guitar amplifiers and effects, you
should use the table of contents to look up specific
functions.
Chapter 2: Hookup Diagram shows you how to get the
Wildfire connected and turned on.
Chapter 3: A Tour of the Wildfire describes all the controls
and features of the unit. This chapter features labeled
diagrams of the front and rear panels. The paragraphs
that follow the diagrams provide more in-depth
explanations of these features.
Chapters 4 through 9 include step-by-step instructions for
using the Wildfire, including how to select and edit
programs, use the tuner function, store and copy
programs, use the Defer Program Changes feature, and
stereo-link two amplifiers.
Chapter 10: Effects Knob Settings explains the Wildfire’s
effect modules and types, as well as other settings
controlled by the EFFECT and VALUE knobs.
Chapter 11: Troubleshooting can give you a hand if you’re
experiencing problems with the Wildfire. You’ll find that
most issues can be resolved simply and quickly.
Chapter 12: Specifications is full of information for the
more technical users.
Chapter 13: Contact Information lets you know the best way
to reach us if you have any questions or comments.
elpful tips and advice
are highlighted in a
shaded box like this.
When something
important appears in
the manual, an
exclamation mark (like
the one shown at left)
will appear with some
explanatory text. This
symbol indicates that
this information is vital
when operating the
Wildfire.
7
1 Introduction
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8
2 Hookup Diagram
A
The first thing we’ll show you is how to get your
Wildfire up and running. The following diagram shows
you the most common method of hooking up your
Wildfire, but you certainly aren’t limited to the devices
you see here. For example, you may want to connect a
tape player to the AUX inputs instead of a CD player.
And you can even use the Wildfire to amplify keyboards
or other instruments.
lthough you can
experiment with
different types of
instruments, the
Wildfire performs best
with a guitar, as it was
made specifically to
handle that
instrument’s frequency
9
2 Hookup Diagram
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10
3 A Tour of the Wildfire
The diagrams in this section illustrate the features you’ll
find on the Wildfire’s front and rear panels. The text
that follows the diagrams explains those features.
Front Panel
Some of the front-panel features described here are not
available on all Wildfire models. Refer to the diagram
below to determine exactly which features are found on
the model that you possess.
Input
Display
VALUE Knob
BASS Knob
MASTER VOLUME Knob
Power Switch
Program Up/Down
Input
Program Up/Down
Input
Program Up/Down
Display
Display
EFFECT Knob
VALUE Knob
EFFECT Knob
EFFECT Knob
11
DRIVE Knob
MASTER VOLUME Knob
DRIVE Knob
VALUE Knob
MASTER VOLUME Knob
TREBLE Knob
HEADPHONES Jack
HEADPHONES Jack
Power Switch
HEADPHONES Jack
Power Switch
3 A Tour of the Wildfire
M
F
Input
Plug in your guitar here using a guitar patch cord. You
can also plug in another amplifier’s line output in order to
create a stereo link with that amplifier (refer to chapter 9 for
details). You should use a 1/4” tip-sleeve (TS) cable.
Program Up/Down
While in PLAY mode, the Program Up button
increments the program number, and the Program
Down button decrements the program number. When
you press both buttons together, the Wildfire goes into
BYPASS mode, in which the audio signal from your
guitar simply passes through the Wildfire without being
affected. When you hold both buttons down for longer
than half a second, the Wildfire goes into MUTE mode,
in which no signal at all leaves the amplifier. When you
are in BYPASS or MUTE mode, the tuner is activated.
You may use optional footswitches to perform the same
functions as the Program Up and Down buttons. The
Wildfire works with both normally open (NO) and
normally closed (NC) footswitches.
Display
This LED display is made up of two digits and two
decimal points. In PLAY mode the digits indicate the
current bank letter and program number. When you
turn the EFFECT knob to a module or parameter, the
two digits display the setting of the selection.
Descriptions of settings for each mode and parameter
are in chapter 10.
The Display also contains two decimal points, each to
the right of one of the digits. The # decimal point is
used by the Wildfire’s tuner to help indicate the pitch of
a note you’re playing, and the EDITED decimal point
lights up when you have changed the settings of the
current program. You can read more about these in
chapter 5 “Editing Programs” and chapter 7, “Using the
Tuner.”
ake sure the amplifier
is turned off before you
connect your guitar or
any other instrument to
the Wildfire.
ootswitches must be
plugged in and not
pressed when you turn
on the Wildfire.
Otherwise, the swi tch e s
may not function
properly.
12
A Tour of the Wildfire 3
I
EFFECT Knob
The EFFECT knob is used for selecting effect modules,
parameters and other settings to edit. Around the knob,
you’ll see the names of sixteen different settings,
including nine effect modules, four effect parameters
(DRIVE and the three PARAMs) and two programlevel settings (LEVEL and ROUTE). The PLAY setting
is what you’ll want to be in while playing your guitar
through the Wildfire.
Refer to chapter 10 for descriptions of the possible
values for the effect modules and parameters.
VALUE Knob
In PLAY mode, this knob lets you select a program.
When you make a selection other than PLAY with the
EFFECT knob, you are in edit mode, and the VALUE
knob allows you to change the setting of the mode,
parameter or global setting you have selected. Also, you
can press this knob to store changes you have made to a
program.
DRIVE Knob (Wildfire 60 and 30 only)
This knob gives you direct control of the DRIVE value,
which is the parameter for the DIST module. Increasing
the DRIVE value boosts the level of distortion and
increases the loudness of the audio signal.
When an effect program is recalled, the DRIVE value is
also recalled from that program regardless of the
position of the DRIVE knob. But once you turn the
DRIVE knob, the program will jump to the new
DRIVE setting, and the program will be edited, which is
evidenced by a lit EDITED decimal point on the display.
When you turn the DRIVE knob, the DRIVE value will
appear on the display for a few seconds. You may also
modify the DRIVE setting by turning the EFFECT
knob to DRIVE and using the VALUE knob to change
the amount of drive.
f you turn the DRIVE
knob when the DIST
module is turned off, the
display will show “--”
and the audio signal
will not be affecte d.
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