AMPEG SVT-4PRO User Guide
Owners Guide for the
Owners Guide for the
Bass Amplifier
Bass Amplifier
®
Ampeg
Ampeg® is Proudly Made in America
is Proudly Made in America
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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 slight-
ly dampened, lint-free cloth to remove dirt and film.
• Don’t 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!
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Important Safeguards and Precautions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3
Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3
The Front Panel Controls and Their Use (English) . . . . .4,5
The Front Panel Controls and Their Use (Spanish) . . . . .6,7
The Rear Panel (English) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8,9
The Rear Panel (Spanish) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10,11
Connections: Mono Bridged . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12
Dual Mono . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12
Stereo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12
Biamp, Full Range and Lows . . . . . . . . . .13
Biamp, Highs and Lows . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13
Biamp With Secondary Amplifier . . . . . . . .13
Some Suggested Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14
Rack Mounting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14
Troubleshooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15
System Block Diagram . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15
Technical Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .back cover
SVT-4 PRO Bass Amplifier
IMPORTANT SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS
• READ, FOLLOW, HEED, AND KEEPALLINSTRUCTIONS AND WARNINGS.
• DO NOT OPERATE NEAR ANY HEAT SOURCE 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 NOT USE THIS APPARATUS NEAR SPLASHING, FALLING, SPRAYING, OR STANDING LIQUIDS.
• CLEAN ONLY WITH LINT-FREE DAMP CLOTH AND DO NOT USE CLEANING AGENTS.
• ONLY CONNECT POWER CORD TO A POLARIZED, SAFETY GROUNDED OUTLET WIRED TO CURRENT ELECTRICAL CODES AND COMPATIBLE WITH VOLTAGE, POWER, AND
FREQUENCY REQUIREMENTS STATED ON THE REAR PANEL OF THE APPARATUS.
• PROTECT THE 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 MUST BE PERFORMED BY QUALIFIED PERSONNEL.
• OUR AMPLIFIERS ARE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING HIGH SOUND PRESSURE LEVELS. CONTINUED EXPOSURE TO HIGH SOUND PRESSURE LEVELS CAN CAUSE PERMA-
NENT HEARING IMPAIRMENT OR 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 PER-
MITA 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 DES SYMBÔLESGRAPHIQUES:
"DANGEROUS VOLTAGE"
“VOLTAJE PELIGROSO”
"DANGER HAUTE TENSION"
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An Introduction to your new Ampeg SVT-4 PRO Bass Amplifier
The harmonically rich sound and legendary performance of the AMPEG SVT are redefined in the SVT-4
PRO. This versatile and powerful bass amplifier delivers up to 1600 watts of unsurpassed musical power,
and offers the classic vibrancy of tubes with several outstanding features.
All of the features and controls of your SVT-4 PRO are covered in detail within the pages of this owner’s
guide. We recommend that you go over them before you use the amplifier.
Features
In the world of high performance bass amps, Ampeg’s SVT amplifiers stand alone. In true Ampeg tradition, the SVT-4 PRO offers you more power, performance and flexibility than any other bass amplifier in its
class. Below are some of the outstanding features of your new amplifier - features which set it apart from
the competition!
• DUAL SEPARATE POWER AMPLIFIERS: Operate in true stereo or mono bridged
mode for even greater output power (page 8,12)
• BIAMP CAPABLE: Adjustable crossover frequency control and low-to-high fre-
quency balance control allow you to fine tune the biamp abilities of the amplifier
(page 5,13)
• 5-POSITION MIDRANGE SELECTOR: Take your pick from the five center fre-
quency points available to get just the right midrange voice (page 4)
• COMPRESSION CONTROL: Allows you to control the dynamics of the tonal
response characteristics from the power amp, from punchy to compressed (page 4)
• 9-BAND GRAPHIC EQ: Use as a “second channel” for bass solos, or to shape your
sound to your own exacting standards - an independent level control lets you adjust
the Graphic EQ volume - switchable at front panel or with a footswitch (page 5).
• TUNER OUT JACKS: Two jacks, one on the front panel, one on the rear panel -
allows connection to an electronic tuner and provides an “always live” monitor feed
even when the output is muted (page 4,9)
• SPEAKON
®
JACKS: For more reliable connections at higher outputs and for mono
bridged connections (in addition to 1/4” speaker out jacks) (page 8)
• TRANSFORMER BALANCED LINE OUTPUTS: Independent level control - two
transformer balanced XLR and two balanced/unbalanced 1/4” output jacks - switchable stereo or mono (one “wet,” one “dry” signal), pre- or post-EQ (page 8,9)
• STEREO EFFECTS LOOP: Connect your effects here for increased intensity and
quieter operation (page 9) - can be bypassed with front panel switch or footswitch.
• POWER AMP IN/PREAMP OUT:Two separate loops, one for each channel: a sep-
arate preamp may be connected to the Power Amp In jack, and the Preamp Out
jack may be connected to a slave amp (page 8)
• FOOTSWITCH CONTROL: Use a footswitch to bypass the Effects Loop, and to
activate the Graphic EQ and the Mute feature (page 8)
• CIRCUIT BREAKER PROTECTION: A heavy duty resettable circuit breaker pro-
vides protection against fault conditions (page 8)
Speakon®is a registered trademark of Neutrik AG.
SVT-4 PRO Bass Amplifier
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The Front Panel Controls and Their Use
SVT-4 PRO Bass Amplifier
1. INPUT: Connect your bass guitar here using a shielded
instrument cable.
2. TUNER OUT: This jack is provided for connection to an
electronic tuner and is always “live,” even when the Mute
switch (#3) is engaged. This allows for “silent tuning” as well
as providing a monitor feed which stays hot even when the
house mix is muted. In addition, this jack may also be used
as a -6dB input (when not connected to a tuner).
3. MUTE: This switch, when depressed, mutes all outputs
except the Tuner Outs. This is excellent for tuning your bass
with an electric tuner without having to adjust any levels to
turn down your house volume. Afootswitch can also be used
to control muting as long as the Mute switch on the front
panel is left in the “out” position. (The front panel switch is still
active with the footswitch connected. Please refer to #38, rear
panel.)
4. -15dB: This switch, when depressed, will attenuate the
input signal by 15dB. If your bass has active pickups, depress
this switch to better accommodate its output signal level.
5. GAIN: This controls the gain of the preamp. Adjust this
control until the Peak LED (#6) flashes on strong signal peaks
(but is not illuminated constantly while playing). To obtain the
best signal to noise ratio, set the Gain control to the highest
possible setting and adjust the Master (#19) to obtain the
desired volume level.
6. PEAK LED: This LED will illuminate when the preamp signal is nearing its clipping level, indicating optimum gain setting.
7. COMPRESSION: This controls the amount of signal compression. At the fully counter clockwise position there is no
compression; at fully clockwise the compression ratio is 10:1.
The sonic effect of compression is reduced dynamics,
increase sustain and a more consistent output level regardless of how light or hard the strings are played. The compressor is very transparent – that is, there is very little effect
on the tone of your instrument.
8. UL TRA HIGH: This switch, when depressed, increases the
high frequency output by 6dB at 5kHz.
9. ULTRA LOW: This switch, when depressed, greatly
enhances the amount of low-end bass tones which you can
feel and hear, especially the low E and low B strings (5-string
basses).
10. BASS: This control allows for 12dB of cut or boost at
50Hz. The low frequency output is flat at the center position.
11. MIDRANGE: This control allows for 15dB of cut or boost
at the center frequency selected by the Frequency control
(see #12). The midrange output is flat at the center position.
12. FREQUENCY: This control allows you to select the center frequency for the midrange control (#11), giving you a
choice of five “voices” for the midrange. The numbers correspond to the following center frequencies as indicated:
1=220Hz, 2=450Hz, 3=800Hz, 4=1.6kHz, 5=3kHz.
13. TREBLE: This control allows for 19dB of cut or 14dB of
boost at 5kHz. The high frequency output is flat at the center
position.
14. BRIGHT: This switch, when depressed, adds a more lively top end response to the input signal.
1 2 5 6 7 10 113 4 8 9
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SVT-4 PRO Bass Amplifier
15. GRAPHIC EQ: This switch, when depressed, enables the
9-band Graphic EQ (see #23 and 24). The sound of your
bass will only be affected by the settings of the EQ slider controls when this switch is depressed, or when a footswitch is
pressed. (A footswitch will override the front panel switch.
Please refer to #38, rear panel.)
16. LINE OUT LEVEL: This controls the strength of the signal at the Line Out jacks (#40,41,44,45, rear panel).
17. EFFECTS BYPASS: This switch, when depressed,
bypasses the Effects Loop. (A footswitch will override the front
panel switch. Please refer to #38, rear panel.)
18. LIMIT DEFEAT: The SVT-4 PRO employs internal limiter
circuits to help keep the power amplifier’s output clean at
extreme volume levels. (All amplifiers may begin to clip their
output signals as they approach maximum output levels,
resulting in potentially speaker-damaging distortion.) These
circuits may be defeated by depressing this switch, which
may result in an increase in output power but with the possibility of distortion. Use discretion whenever playing with the
Limit circuits defeated.
19. MASTER: This controls the overall output level of the
amplifier. For the best results, adjust the Gain control as
directed (see #5) and use this control to obtain the desired
volume level.
20. LIMIT LED: This LED will flash any time the internal limit
circuit is called upon to keep the amplifier’s output signal
clean. This indicates that the amplifier is nearing full output
and the limiter is keeping it from clipping the output signal.
21. CROSSOVER FREQUENCY: This sets the crossover
point between the Biamp High and Biamp Low Outputs when
using the amplifier in the biamp mode. (See page 13.)
22. CROSSOVER BALANCE: This adjusts the relative level
between the low and high frequency biamp signals when
using the amplifier in the biamp mode.
23. 9-BAND GRAPHIC EQ: These sliders control the amplitude of the signal at the frequency indicated below each control. The center position of each control is flat: sliding the control upward will increase the output signal level of that frequency; sliding the control downward will decrease it.
The Graphic EQ can be used in two ways: 1) To fine tune your
sound, make small adjustments at the desired frequencies and
leave the EQ on throughout the entire session. (This is great for
adapting to varying room acoustics when going from club to club,
etc.) 2) For a completely different sound, make larger adjustments
and only activate the EQ when you want a “second channel” sound
(such as during bass solos).
24. LEVEL: This is the output volume control for the Graphic
EQ and only affects the signal when the EQ is engaged. If the
EQ’d signal is too soft, slide the Level control up; if it’s too
loud, slide the control down.
25.POWER LED: This LED illuminates green when the
Power switch (#27) is depressed.
26. ACTIVE LED: This LED illuminates when the Graphic EQ
switch (#15) is depressed.
27.POWER: This heavy-duty rocker switch applies AC power
to the amplifier: the amp is ON when the top of the switch is
depressed, OFF when the bottom of the switch is depressed.
24 2725 26
12 13 1614 15 19 21 222017 18
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