ART Pro Audio CoolSwitchPro User Manual

COOLSwitchPro

A/B-Y Switch with Isolation

USER'S MANUAL

IMPORTANT SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS - READ FIRST

This symbol, wherever it appears, This symbol, wherever it appears, alerts
alerts you to the presence of uninsulated you to important operating and
dangerous voltages that may be sufficient maintenance instructions in the
to constitute a risk of shock. accompanying literature. Please read

the m anual.

Read instructions Retain these safety and operating
instructions for future reference. Heed all warnings print ed here
and on the equipment. Follow the operating instructions printed
in this user guide.

Do not open There are no user serviceable parts inside. Refer
any service work to qualified technical personnel only.

Grounding Only connect the unit to equipment with properly
grounded mains power. Do not defeat the grounding and
polarization means of the power cord plug of the connected
equipment. Do not remove or tamper with the ground
connection on the power cord of the connected equipment.

Environment Protect from excessive dirt, dust, heat, and
vibration when operating and st oring. Avoid tobacco as h, drink
spillage and smoke, especially that associated with smoke
machines.

Handling Protect the controls from damage during transit. Use
adequate padding if you need to ship the unit. To avoid injury to
yourself or damage to the equipment, take care when lifting,
moving or carrying the unit.

Servicing Refer servicing to qualified technical personnel only.
Installation Install the unit in accordance with the instructions

printed in the user guide.

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OVERVIEW

The ART COOLSwitchPro A/B-Y Switch with Isolation is a
handy foot-operated box that lets you switch an instrument
signal (guitar, bass, or keyboard) t o either of two amplifiers or
amp channels, A or B. The "Y" funct ion sends the input signal
to both the A and B outputs in parallel.
Switch-selectable features on the B channel add versatility to
the basic switching functions. A high quality audio transformer
can be switched in to provide isolation between the input and
output signals. This helps reduce the danger of shock when the
amplifiers are at a different potential. Also, this isol ation, along
with a ground lift function, helps to eliminate the hum caused by
ground loops. A phase reverse function lets you make sure
both amps are in phase.

The ART COOLSwitchPro is completely passive with true
bypass and is housed in a rugged, stable case with industrial­grade footswitches spaced for easy operation. It will provide
many years of reliable service, whether on stage or in the
studio.

Features

Sends your signal to either of two amps or both with foot

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control

• Switchable transformer isolation helps prevent shocks and

remove hum

• Switchable phase invert helps make s ure both amps are

properly in phase

• Switchable ground lift helps remove another potential

source of hum

• Always connected "thru" jack for us e with a tuner or ot her

piece of gear

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• Can be used in reverse to select between two inst rum ents

connected to one amp

• Passive operation requires no power and provides true

bypass

• Rugged all aluminum case sits flat and optimum

footswitch spacing allows easy operation

• Perfect for stage or studio use

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CONNECTIONS

All connections are made through 1/4-inch TS (mono) jacks
whose function is labeled on the top of the unit. Use shielded
cables with 1/4-inch TS (two conductor) plugs to connect to
these jacks.

INPUT

Plug your instrument (guitar, bass, or keyboard) or other signal
source into this jack.

THRU

This jack provides a direct hard-wired connection to the input
jack which is not affected by any switch function. Use it to
connect to an electronic tuner or to provide an extension to
your input cable.

OUTPUT A

Use this jack to connect to your main amplifier or channel.

OUTPUT B

Use this jack to connect to your secondary amplifier or channel.
The functions controlled by the rocker switches on the front
panel are applied to this output.

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OPERATION

PUSHBUTTON SWITCHES (top)

Y

Pushing this footswitch alternates between connecting the
INPUT jack to both the OUTPUT A and the OUTPU T B jacks
(the Y function) or to just one of the jacks (which one is
selected by the A/B switch).

A/B

Pushing this footswitch alternately connects the INPUT jack to
either the OUTPUT A or the OUTP UT B jack., assuming the Y
function is disabled.

ROCKER SWITCHES (front)

The functions controlled by these switches operate on the

OUTPUT B jack.

TRANSFORMER ISOLATE

This switch allows you to insert the audio isolation transformer
between the INPUT and OUTPUT B jacks. In the DIRECT

position, the transformer is

bypassed. In the ISOLATE

position, the transformer is inserted.

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PHASE

This switch allows you to invert the phase of the signal to the

OUTPUT B jack. This function is only available when the
TRANSFORMER ISOLATE switch is in the ISOLATE position.

When the PHASE switc h is in the 0 position, the phase is not
affected. In the -180 position, the phase is inverted.

GROUND LIFT

This switch allows you to break the OUTPUT B ground
connection from directly connecting to the other ground
connections. In the GND position, OUTPUT B's ground is
connected. In the LIFT posit ion, the direc t c onnection is broken
and there is only an AC signal path to ground.

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APPLICATION

The COOLSwitchPro is a simple product. You might not think
there would be much to say about how to use it , but i t t urns out
there's quite a bit we'd like to say.

First, let's talk about saf ety. The COOLSwitchPro doesn't plug
into an AC outlet, but because one of i ts main applic ations is to
connect to two power amplifiers that do plug into AC, the
possibility exists for dangerous voltages to exist, especially if
the amps are not properly grounded. Make sure your amps are
equipped with the proper plugs incorporating safety grounds
and that you're using equipment approved by recognized saf ety
agencies (UL, CSA, etc.). Plugging all your equipment into the
same circuit (e.g. by using a single power strip) can help
reduce the danger of shocks. Don't use an amp with a two­pronged plug or defeat the ground functi on of a three-pronged
plug by using a cheater adapter unless you really know what
you're doing, are feeling lucky, or don't mind going out in a
blaze of glory. You've been warned!

Now let's talk about actually using this thing. Before making any
connections, make sure your amps are unplugged, with their
power switches off and their volume controls turned al l the way
down. Now connect your guitar or other instrument to the
INPUT j ack of the COOLSwitchPro using a c able with 1/4-inch
phone plugs on each end (hereafter referred to as a "guitar
cable"). Use guitar cables to connect the COOLSwitchPro's
OUTPUT A jac k to your main amplifier and OUTPU T B jack t o
your alternate amp. All rocker-switch functi ons operate on the
signal going to the OUTPUT B jack. For now, make sure all
rocker switches are switched to the left and in their normal or
inactive position (DIRECT, 0, and GND).

Next, assuming you paid attention to the safety warnings
above, connect your amplifiers to AC power.

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No smoke or sparks? Good. Now turn on the am ps and turn up
the volume controls slightly. While strumming your guitar or
otherwise creating an input signal, verify that you get sound
from both amps by toggling the A/B footswitch. Toggle t he Y
footswitch and verify that the sound c omes from both amps or
just one. With sound from both amps, now's a good time to
listen for hum. If you hear any, try switching the GROUND LIFT
switch in the front to t he LIFT position. If you stil l hear hum, try
switching the TRANSFORMER ISOLATE switch to the
ISOLATE posit ion. For reduci ng hum, always try the ground lif t
first, then use the transformer for isolation only if necessary, to
minimize the effect the COOLSwitchPro has on your signal.

Next, let's check that your amps are in phase, or, in other
words, that the speakers move in the same direction when
playing the same signal. As you might guess, the PHASE
switch is what we'll use to fix phase problems. However, note
that this switch only works when the transformer is switched i n
(TRANSFORMER ISOLATE switch in the ISOLATE position).
Set up your amps side by side and set them for equal volume.
Make sure the Y footswitch is toggled so that sound comes
from both amps. While strumming your guitar (lower
frequencies or bass notes work best), t ry switching the PHASE
switch back and forth. One position should yield sound that is
fuller, more centered and with more defined bas s, a sign that
the amps are in phase, The other position should sound
weaker and more hollow and unfocused, indicating the amps
are out of phase. Use the setting you prefer (you may like
hollow, weak sound).

That's all you really need to know to use your COOLSwitchPro.
However, here's a few more things to think about.

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Other Uses

Connect your electronic tuner to t he THRU jack for tuning on­the-fly. Or, if you prefer, connect your tuner to the OUTPUT B
jack (instead of using this jack for a second amp) to provide
silent tuning. The A/B footswitch will act as a mute switch,
sending your guitar signal to t he tuner instead of to your am p.
Push the footswitch again and you're back in business.

The COOLSwitchPro can be used to switch between two amp
channels as easily as it can switch between two separate
amps. Or you can turn things around and switch two different

guitars (or guitar and keyboard or two different keyboards or ....

you get the idea) between one amp or amp channel. Sinc e the
COOLSwitchPro is completely passive, the normal rules of
keeping your inputs and outputs straight don't apply.

The COOLSwitchPro would normally be the last pedal in your
signal chain before the amps, but that does n't mean you can't
change things up a bit and put some pedals after it. For
example, you might have some effects that "go" with one am p
but not the other. Play around, break the "rules". You won't hurt
the COOLSwitchPro!

Passive vs. Active

We've mentioned that the COOLSwitc hPro is a passi ve device.
This has certain benefits, like being able to disregard whether a
jack is an input or an output, as we talked about above. It also
means that no power is required.

However, there can be downsides. Some guitar pickups are
relatively high impedance signal sources. A passive device can
"load" them down. This lowers the s ignal level and can affect
the frequency response.

You may notice a sli ght loss of higher

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frequencies with some guitar pickups when using the
COOLSwitchPro, especially with the phase reversed.

There are several things you can do to minimize these eff ects.
Try adjusting your amp's volume and tone controls to
compensate. Keep your guitar's level c ontrols all t he way up s o
that the control's impedance doesn't add to the pickup
impedance. Try using a preamp, or any active effect pedal,
between your guitar and the COOLSwitchPro. Finally, if
possible, try using a different pickup.

BLOCK DIAGRAM

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WARRANTY INFORMATION

Limited Warranty (USA only)

Applied Research and Technology will provide warranty and
service for this unit in accordance with the following warrants:

Applied Research and Technology, (ART) warrants to the
original purchaser that this product and the components thereof
will be free from defects in workmanship and materials for a
period of three years from the date of purchase. Applied
Research and Technology will, without charge, repair or
replace, at its option, defective product or component parts
upon prepaid delivery to the factory service department or
authorized service center, accompanied by proof of purchas e
date in the form of a valid sales receipt.

Exclusions

This warranty does not apply in the event of mis use or abus e of
the product or as a result of unauthorized alterat ions or repairs.
This warranty is void if the serial number is altered, defaced, or
removed.

ART reserves the right to make changes in design or make
additions to or improvements upon this product without any
obligation to install the same on products previously
manufactured.

ART shall not be liable for any consequential damages,
including without limitation damages resulting from l oss of use.
Some states do not allow limitations of incidental or
consequential damages, so the above limitation or exclusion
may not apply to you. This warranty gives you specific rights

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and you may have other rights, which vary, from st ate to state.
The warranty terms listed above are only valid withi n the United
States of America.

For units purchased outside the United States, an aut horized
distributor of Applied Research and Technology will provide
service. For information on warranty and service policies
outside of the U.S., please contact your local distributor.

Please fill in the following information for your reference:

Date of purchase: _________________________
Purchased from: _________________________
Serial Number: _________________________

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SERVICE

The following information is provided in the unlikely event that
your unit requires service.

1. Be sure that the unit is the cause of the problem. Check to
make sure that the unit has power supplied, that all cables
are connected correctly, and that the c ables themselves
are in working condition. You may want to consult with
your dealer for assistance in troubleshooting or testing
your particular configuration.

2. If you believe that the ART unit is at fault, go to

www.artproaudio.com. Select "Support", then "Return

Authorization Request" to request a return authorization
number.

3. If you are returning the unit for s ervice, pack the unit in it s
original carton or a reasonable substitute. The original
packaging may not be suitable as a shipping c arton, so
consider putting the packaged unit in another box for
shipping. Print the RA number clearly on the outsi de of the
shipping box. Print your return shipping address on the
outside of the box.

4. Include with your unit: a note with the RA number and
your contact information, including a return shipping
address (we cannot ship to a P.O. box) and a daytime
phone number, and a description of the problem,
preferably attached to the top of the unit . Also include a
copy of your purchase receipt.

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