Page 1
User ’s Guide for the
Bass Amplifier Head
Proudly Made in the U.S.A. by Ampeg
Page 2
2
T
ABLE OF CONTENTS
Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3
Important Safeguards and Precautions . . . . . . . . . .3
The Front Panel Controls and Their Use . . . . . . . .4
The Rear Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5
Troubleshooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6
System Block Diagram . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7
Technical Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . .back cover
PB800
PortaBass Bass Amplifier Head
Thank you for choosing the Ampeg PB800 PortaBass Bass Amplifier
Head. The PB800 features Ampeg’s radical new Micro Dynamic
Technology power amp circuitry and TWO individually adjustable input
channels. This gives you the ultimate combination of power, tone, and
portability in a small, lightweight package.
In order to obtain maximum performance and enjoyment from your
new Ampeg amplifier, please read these instructions prior to its use.
IMPORTANT SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS
• READ, FOLLOW, HEED, AND KEEP ALLINSTRUCTIONS AND WARNINGS.
• DO NOTOPERATE NEAR ANY HEATSOURCE AND DO NOT BLOCK ANY VENTILATION OPENINGS ON THIS APPARATUS. FOR PROPER OPERATION, THIS UNIT REQUIRES 3”
(75CM) OF WELL VENTILATED SPACE AROUND HEATSINKS AND OTHER AIR FLOW PROVISIONS IN THE CABINET.
• DO NOTUSE THIS APPARATUS NEAR SPLASHING, FALLING, SPRAYING, OR STANDING LIQUIDS.
• CLEAN ONLY WITH LINT-FREE DAMP CLOTH AND DO NOTUSE CLEANING AGENTS.
• ONLY CONNECT POWER CORD TO APOLARIZED, SAFETYGROUNDED OUTLETWIRED TO CURRENT ELECTRICAL CODES AND COMPATIBLE WITH VOLTAGE, POWER, AND
FREQUENCY REQUIREMENTS STATED ON THE REAR PANEL OF THE APPARATUS.
• PROTECTTHE POWER CORD FROM DAMAGE DUE TO BEING WALKED ON, PINCHED, OR STRAINED.
• UNPLUG THE APPARATUS DURING LIGHTNING STORMS OR WHEN UNUSED FOR LONG PERIODS OF TIME.
• ONLY USE ATTACHMENTS, ACCESSORIES, STANDS, OR BRACKETS SPECIFIED BY THE MANUFACTURER FOR SAFE OPERATION AND TO AVOID INJURY.
• WARNING: TO REDUCE THE RISK OF ELECTRIC SHOCK OR FIRE, DO NOT EXPOSE THIS UNIT TO RAIN OR MOISTURE.
• SERVICE MUSTBE PERFORMED BYQUALIFIED PERSONNEL.
• OUR AMPLIFIERS ARE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING HIGH SOUND PRESSURE LEVELS. CONTINUED EXPOSURE TO HIGH SOUND PRESSURE LEVELS CAN CAUSE PERMA-
NENT HEARING IMPAIRMENTOR LOSS. USER CAUTION IS ADVISED AND EAR PROTECTION IS RECOMMENDED IF UNIT IS OPERATED AT HIGH VOLUME.
CAUTION
RISK OF ELECTRIC SHOCK
DO NOT OPEN
WARNING: TO REDUCE THE RISK OF FIRE OR ELECTRIC SHOCK, DO NOT EXPOSE
THIS APPARATUS TO RAIN OR MOISTURE. TO REDUCE THE RISK OF ELECTRIC
SHOCK, DO NOT REMOVE COVER. NO USER-SERVICEABLE PARTS INSIDE. REFER
SERVICING TO QUALIFIED SERVICE PERSONNEL.
PRECAUCION
RIESGO DE CORRIENTAZO
NO ABRA
PRECAUCION: PARA REDUCIR EL RIESGO DE INCENDIOS O DESCARGAS ELECTRICAS, NO PERMITA QUE ESTE APARATO QUEDE EXPUESTO A LA LLUVIA O LA HUMEDAD. PARA DISMINUOIR EL
RIESGO DE CORRIENTAZO. NO ABRA LA CUBIERTA. NO HAY PIEZAS ADENTRO QUE EL USARIO
PUEDO REPARAR DEJE TODO MANTENIMIENTO A LOS TECHNICOS CALIFICADOS.
ATTENTION
RISQUE D'ELECTROCUTION
NE PAS OUVRIR
ATTENTION: PROTÉGEZ CET APPAREIL DE LA PLUIE ET DE L'HUMIDITÉ AFIN D'ÉVITER TOUT
RISQUE D'INCENDIE OU D'ÉLECTROCUTION. POUR REDUIRE D'ELECTROCUTION NE PAS ENLEVER
LE COUVERCLE. AUCUNE PIECE INTERNE N'EST REPRABLE PAR L'UTILISATEUR. POUR TOUTE
REPARATION, S'ADRESSER A UN TECHNICIEN QUALIFIE.
"IT IS NECESSARY FOR THE USER TO REFER TO THE INSTRUCTION MANUAL"
“ES NECESARIO QUE EL USUARIO SE REFIERA AL MANUAL DE INSTRUCCIONES.”
"REFERREZ-VOUS AU MANUAL D'UTILISATION"
EXPLANATION OF GRAPHICAL SYMBOLS:
EXPLICACION DE SIMBOLOS GRAFICOS:
EXPLICATION DESSYMBÔLES GRAPHIQUES:
"DANGEROUS VOLTAGE"
“VOLTAJE PELIGROSO”
"DANGER HAUTE TENSION"
=
=
Page 3
3
PB800
PortaBass Bass Amplifier Head
In the world of high performance bass amps, Ampeg amplifiers stand alone. In true Ampeg tradition, the PB800
offers you more power , performance and tone than any other bass amplifier in its class. The outstanding features
which set your new amplifier apart from the competition are listed below.
• MDT POWER AMP: Micro Dynamic Technology amplifier circuitry provides maximum power in a
small lightweight package – the efficiency of this design eliminates the need for heavy heat sinks,
transformers and filter capacitors
• TWO SEPARA TECHANNELS: Change instruments without swapping instrument cables or read-
justing amp controls
• THREE BAND ROTARY EQ: Three bands of equalization and a selectable Middle Frequency pro-
vide optimum tone control
• ULTRA LOW, ULTRA HIGH SWITCHES: Enhances flexibility and tone control
• EFFECTS LOOP: Send and Return jacks are combined with an Effects Blend control for virtually
noise-free use of your favorite effects
• TRANSFORMER BALANCED LINE OUTPUT: XLR jack with level control, ground lift, and a
pre/post-EQ switch – for patching into house consoles, mixing boards, or external power amplifiers
• SPEAKON®AND 1/4” SPEAKER OUTPUT JACKS: Compatible with either type of connecting cable
• MADE WITH PRIDE IN THE U.S.A.
Features
Important Safeguards and Precautions:
All Ampeg products are designed for continuous safe operation, as long as common sense is used and steps are taken to help avoid certain
problems. Abiding by the following rules can help prevent damage to your amplifier, yourself, and others.
• The amplifier is equipped with a three-pronged AC power cord. To reduce the risk of electrical shock, NEVER remove or otherwise
attempt to defeat the ground pin of the power cord.
• Connect the amplifier ONLY to a properly grounded AC outlet of the proper voltage for your amp.
• Avoid sudden temperature extremes, rain and moisture. Also, avoid sudden and intense impact. (If the unit has been subjected to
any of the preceding abuses, have it looked at by an authorized service center.)
• NEVER set the amplifier on a support that might give out under its weight.
• Always keep the total speaker impedance at or above the rated load.
• Unplug the amplifier before cleaning it. NEVER spray liquid cleaners onto the amplifier. Wipe it with a slightly dampened, lint-free
cloth to remove dirt and film.
• Do not use the amplifier if it has sustained damage to the chassis, controls, or power cord. Refer the unit to an authorized service
center for inspection.
• Amplifiers capable of producing high volume levels are also capable of inflicting permanent hearing loss or damage, if the exposure
to such levels is prolonged. Such damage is progressive and irreversible! Consider using quality hearing protection devices.
Speakon®is a registered trademark of Neutrik USA
Declaration Of Conformity
#41, Effective 01-01-2001
Manufacturer’s Name: SLM Electronics
Production Facility: 1901 Congressional Drive, St. Louis, MO 63146, USA
Production Facility: 700 Hwy 202 W, Yellville, AR 72687, USA
Shipping Facility: 1400 Ferguson Ave., St. Louis, MO 63133, USA
Office Facility: 1400 Ferguson Ave., St. Louis, MO 63133, USA
Product Type: Audio Amplifier
Complies with the following Standards:
Safety: EN60065, E60065, C22.2, UL6500 and/or UL813
EMC: Directive 89/336/EEC, EN55103, EN55013, EN61000,
and/or FCC 47CFR 15B clA
Supplementary information provided by:
SLM Electronics - R & D Engineering
1901 Congressional Drive, St Louis, MO 63146, USA
Tel.: 314-569-0141, Fax: 314-569-0175
Page 4
4
The Front Panel Controls and Their Use:
Items 1 through 10 are typical for channels 1 and 2.
1. 0dB: Connect your bass guitar here by
means of a shielded instrument cable. If
your bass has active electronics or highoutput pickups, or if the Peak LED (#4) illuminates at low signal levels, connect your
bass to the -12dB jack (#2).
2. -12dB: Connect your bass guitar here
by means of a shielded instrument cable. If
your bass has passive electronics or lowoutput pickups, or if the Peak LED (#4)
does not illuminate at high signal levels,
connect your bass to the 0dB jack (#1).
3. GAIN: Use this control to adjust the level
of the signal going into the preamp. Adjust
this control until the Peak LED (#4) flashes
on strong signal peaks.
4. PEAK: This LED will illuminate when the
level of the preamp signal is close to overdriving the amplifier. For the best signal to
noise ratio, set the Gain control (#3) so the
Peak LED flashes on strong signal spikes
during normal playing of your instrument.
5. ULTRA LOW: This switch, when depressed, increases the low frequency output by 6dB at 40Hz.
6. LOW: Use this control to adjust the low
frequency level of the amplifier. This control
allows an adjustment of +/-16dB at 100Hz.
7. MID: Use this control to adjust the
midrange frequency level of the amplifier.
This control allows an adjustment of +/15dB at the frequency selected by the Mid
Freq control (#8).
8. MID FREQ: Use this control to select the
frequency for the Mid control (#7). The Mid
Freq is sweepable from 180Hz (fully counter clockwise) to 1.8kHz (fully clockwise).
9. HIGH: Use this control to adjust the high
frequency level of the amplifier. This control
allows an adjustment of +/-15dB at 5kHz.
10. ULTRA HIGH: This switch, when depressed, increases the high frequency output by 8dB at 10kHz.
11. EFFECTS BLEND: Use this control to
adjust the level of external effects that are
connected to the Effects Send and Return
jacks (#21 and #20, rear panel). With this
control in the fully counterclockwise position no effect is applied to the signal. As
you rotate the control clockwise the level of
the effect increases and the level of “dry”
signal decreases.
NOTE: When using the effects loop with a
compressor/limiter, this control must be
rotated fully clockwise for optimum results.
12. LIMIT: This LED illuminates when the
internal limit circuit is activated. This indicates that the amplifier is nearing full output and the limiter is keeping the amplifier
from clipping the output signal.
13. MASTER: Use this control to adjust the
output level of the amplifier. If the Limit LED
illuminates, reduce this control until the
Limit LED only flashes on strong signals.
14. POWER ON INDICATOR: This light
illuminates when the amplifier is turned on.
15. POWER: Use this switch to apply
power to the amplifier. The amp is on when
the top of the switch is depressed and off
when the bottom of the switch is
depressed.
PB800
PortaBass Bass Amplifier Head
1 2 3 6 7 8 9 11 1512 14134 510
Page 5
5
The Rear Panel:
16. AC LINE IN: Firmly insert the female
end of the supplied AC power cord into this
socket. The grounded power cord should
only be plugged into a grounded power
outlet that meets all applicable electrical
codes and is compatible with the voltage,
power, and frequency requirements stated
on the rear panel. Do not attempt to
defeat the safety ground connection.
17. CIRCUIT BREAKER: The circuit
breaker protects the unit from damage
caused by excessive current demands. If
the amplifier stops working, check the circuit breaker. If it has opened, the button will
protrude showing a contrasting color.
Reset the circuit breaker by depressing it
until it latches. The breaker must cool down
for a short time before the button will latch.
If the circuit breaker opens repeatedly,
have the amplifier inspected by a qualified
service person.
18. SPEAKER OUTPUTS: Connect the
amplifier to your speaker cabinet(s) using
heavy gauge speaker cables terminated
with the appropriate connectors. The
Speakon®jack is recommended when playing at full output levels.
ATTENTION: When connecting speaker
cabinets to the amplifier, the minimum
total impedance load must not be lower
than two ohms. The following chart shows
the total impedance load when connecting
multiple speaker cabinets in parallel:
19. LINE OUT: Use this 1/4” jack to send a
post-EQ line level signal to an external
amplifier, mixing console or recording
equipment.
20 EFFECTS RETURN: When using an
external effect, connect the effect’s output
into this jack by means of a shielded signal
cable.
21. EFFECTS SEND: When using an
external effect, connect this jack to the
effect’s input by means of a shielded signal
cable.
22. LEVEL: Use this control to adjust the
level of the signal at the Transformer balanced Line Out jack (#23).
23. TRANSFORMER BAL. LINE OUT:
Use this XLR jack to send a line level signal to an external amplifier, mixing console
or recording equipment. The signal at this
jack may be pre or post-EQ, depending on
the setting of the Pre/Post switch (#25).
24 GND/LIFT: When this switch is
depressed the ground pin of the
Transformer Balanced Line Out jack (#24)
is interrupted. This may reduce residual
hum and buzz which is sometimes picked
up by line out signal cables. This switch
does not affect signal at the 1/4” Line Out
jack (#19).
25. PRE/POST: This switch determines
whether the signal at the Transformer
Balanced Line Out jack (#23) is pre-EQ
(switch out) or post-EQ (switch depressed).
26. FAN: The PB800 employs an internal
cooling fan to circulate air through the unit
to prevent thermal overload conditions. Do
not obstruct the rear or side panel air vents.
Allow substantial clearance at all vents for
proper air circulation at all times.
Cabinet # of Total
Impedance Cabs Impedance
4Ω 22Ω
8Ω 24Ω
8Ω 42Ω
16Ω 28Ω
16Ω 44Ω
Speakon®is a registered trademark of Neutrik USA
PB800
PortaBass Bass Amplifier Head
16 17 18 19 20 21 24 262522 23
Page 6
6
PB800
PortaBass Bass Amplifier Head
Troubleshooting
In the unlikely event that your PB800 should malfunction, take a few minutes to troubleshoot it before you call for service. Sometimes you can save yourself time and money by doing it yourself, and often the cure for the problem is simple.
If the problem isn’t covered above, or if the steps lead you here, then contact your Ampeg dealer for service information. Also, you should refer your amp to an authorized service center for servicing if it gets dropped, has liquid spilled
into it, or sustains damage to its power cord (see page 3).
Page 7
7
PB800
PortaBass Bass Amplifier Head
System Block Diagram
CHANNEL 1
0dB
-12dB
CHANNEL 2
0dB
-12dB
CW
EFFECTS
BLEND
GAIN
GAIN
EFFECTS
RETURN
EFFECTS
SEND
HIGH
PASS
FILTER
HIGH
PASS
FILTER
ULTRA
LOW
ULTRA
LOW
ULTRA
HIGH
PEAK
ULTRA
HIGH
LIMIT
LOW MID HIGH
LOW MID MID
MID
FREQ
FREQ
HIGH
MASTER
PRE
POST
LINE
OUT
LEVEL
POWER
AMP
TRANSFORMER
BAL. LINE OUT
GND
LIFT
SPEAKER
OUTPUTS
Page 8
Ampeg reserves the right to change specifications without notice.
Proudly Made in the U.S.A. by Ampeg • ©2003 SLM Electronics, 1400 Ferguson Avenue, St. Louis, MO 63133 U.S.A.
P/N 47-053-11 • 12/23/03
PB800
PortaBass Bass Amplifier Head
Technical Specifications
OUTPUT POWER RATING 800 Watts RMS, 2 ohm load, 120VAC
550 Watts RMS, 4 ohm load, 120VAC
TONE CONTROLS
Ultra Low: +6dB @ 40Hz
Low: ±16dB @ 100Hz
Mid: ±17dB @ Selected Frequency
Mid Freq: 180Hz - 1.8kHz
High: ±15dB @ 5kHz
Ultra High: +8dB @ 10kHz
GAIN 65dB
SIGNAL TO NOISE RATIO 80dB typical
POWER REQUIREMENTS
Domestic: 120VAC, 60Hz, 200VA typical (925VA @ full power)
Export: 100/120VAC, 50/60Hz, 200VA typical (925VA @ full power)
230-240VAC, 50/60Hz, 200VA typical (925VA @ full power)
SIZE AND WEIGHT 15” W x 3.75” H x 11.5” D; 22 lbs.
www.ampeg.com
Loading...