Crate Amplifiers BXH-220 User Manual

Page 1
for the
Owner’s Manual
BXH-220
BASS AMPLIFIER
INPUT GAIN CONTOUR
LEVEL
MASTERINPUT
POWER
LINE OUT
LEVEL
EFFECTS
BLEND
HEADPHONES
LEVEL
LIMIT
POST EQ
PRE EQ
ON–15dB
DECREASE GAIN
INCREASE GAIN
OK
40 100 225 625 1.6k 4k 8k 16k
Page 2
Congratulations!
You are now the proud owner of the innovative Crate BXH-220 Bass amplifier. This feature-packed pow-
erhouse offers you solid state reliability with classic Crate performance and high cosmetic appeal.
Like all Crate products, your BXH-220 Bass amp is Musician Made in the U.S.A., using only the best com­ponents. Extensive testing at many stages in its production, including a final “audition” by a skilled musician, insures you that your BXH-220 Bass amp is the best it can be.
In order to get the best possible performance, please read this manual before you use the amplifier.
And thank you
for choosing .
Contents:
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3
Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3
The Front Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4
The Rear Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5
Some Suggested Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6
System Block Diagram . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7
Technical Specifications . . . . . . . . . .back cover
THIS EQUIPMENT HAS BEEN DESIGNED AND ENGINEERED TO PROVIDE SAFE AND RELIABLE OPERATION. IN ORDER TO PROLONG THE LIFE OF THE UNIT AND PREVENT ACCIDENTAL DAMAGES OR INJURY, PLEASE FOLLOW THESE PRECAUTIONARY GUIDELINES:
CAUTION: TO REDUCE THE RISK OF ELECTRIC SHOCK, DO NOT OPEN CHASSIS; DO NOT DEFEATOR REMOVE THE GROUND PIN OF THE POWER CORD; CONNECT ONLYTO A PROPERLY GROUNDED AC POWER OUTLET.
WARNING: TO REDUCE THE RISK OF FIRE OR ELECTRIC SHOCK, DO NOT EXPOSE THIS EQUIPMENT TO RAIN OR MOISTURE. CAUTION: NO USER-SERVICEABLE PARTS INSIDE. REFER SERVICING TO QUALIFIED SERVICE PERSONNEL. CAUTION: IF YOU USE AUDIO AMPLIFIERS PROFESSIONALLYOR IN WORK RELATED SITUATIONS AS AN EMPLOYEE, THE OCCUPATIONALSAFETY
AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION (OSHA) HAS SPECIFIED REGULATIONS CONCERNING PROLONGED EXPOSURE TO HIGH SOUND PRESSURE LEV­ELS. PLEASE REFER TO THE CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS DOCUMENT 29CFR1910 FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION.
CAUTION
RISK OF ELECTRIC SHOCK
DO NOT OPEN
CAUTION: TO REDUCE THE RISK OF ELECTRIC SHOCK,
DO NOT REMOVE COVER.
NO USER-SERVICEABLE PARTS INSIDE.
REFER SERVICING TO QUALIFIED SERVICE PERSONNEL.
ATTENTION
RISQUE D'ELECTROCUTION
NE PAS OUVRIR
ATTENTION: 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.
VORSICHT
ELEKTRISCHE SCHLAGGEFAHR
NICHT OFFENEN
VORSICHT: ZUR MINIMIERUNG ELEKTRISCHER SCHLAGGEFAHR NICHT
DEN DECKEL ABENHMEN. INTERNE TEILE KONNEN NICHT VOM
BENUTZER GEWARTET WERDEN. DIE WARTUNG IS QUALIFIZIERTEM
WARTUNGSPERSONAL ZU UBERLASSEN.
"IT IS NECESSARY FOR THE USER TO REFER TO THE INSTRUCTION MANUAL" "REFERREZ-VOUS AU MANUAL D'UTILISATION" "UNBEDINGT IN DER BEDIENUNGSANLEITUNG NACHSCHLAGEN"
EXPLANATION OF GRAPHICAL SYMBOLS:
"DANGEROUS VOLTAGE" "DANGER HAUTE TENSION" "GEFAHLICHE SPANNUNG"
=
=
2
BXH-220 BASS AMPLIFIER
Page 3
Introduction:
Crate’s new BXH-220 Bass amplifier is a feature-packed, professional-strength powerhouse which can deliver incredible bass sounds. Rugged construction, reliable American craftsmanship and solid state elec­tronics add up to create one very roadworthy, stage-ready piece of gear.
The BXH-220 packs solid performance into a compact head unit, contained in a rugged Tolex
®
covered cabinet. Its side-mounted handle and heavy-duty rubber feet on two sides (not just the bottom, but also on the end you set it down on in real life) increase its value to those musicians who are always “on the go.” The amplifier will deliver 220 watts into 4 ohms, or 150 watts into 8 ohms. A listing of the features of the amp is given below.
Features:
Additional information can be found on the pages indicated.
• Solid state circuitry for reliable service and incredible tones.
• Crate’s APM (Automatic Power Maximizer) limiter circuit for the most output without distortion.
• Variable input gain control with -15dB pad switch and 3 input icon LEDs for the best match between your bass and the amplifier (page 4).
• Switchable contour control (page 4).
• 8-band graphic equalizer for optimum tone control (page 4).
• Balanced line out with adjustable level control and “pre/post” switch (pages 4 and 5).
• Headphone jack with adjustable level control for private practice sessions (page 4).
• Effects loop for noiseless use of your favorite processors and effects (page 5).
• Musician made in the U.S.A.
• Crate’s exclusive 5-year warranty (U.S. only - see your dealer in other areas for warranty information)
BXH-220 BASS AMPLIFIER
3
Page 4
1. INPUT: Connect your bass to the amplifier here.
2. GAIN: Use this control to properly match the output of your bass to the amplifier. With the amp’s Master level control at “0”, begin playing your bass as you normally would. Watch the adjacent LEDs (#4) as you turn up the Gain con­trol: the proper setting for the Gain con­trol is the one where the “OK” LED lights most often while playing. If the “Decrease Gain” LED stays lit even with the Gain control turned down low, press in the -15dB button (#3) and continue adjusting the Gain control until the prop­er setting is obtained.
3. -15dB: If your bass has active elec­tronics or “hot” pickups, its output signal may need to be padded to get the best signal to noise setting from the Gain con­trol. If the “Decrease Gain” LED stays lit with the Gain control turned down low, press in the -15dB button.
4. LEDs: These three LEDs are your guide to properly setting the Gain con­trol. Follow the steps given for the Gain control (#2) until the “OK” LED lights most often while you play.
5. CONTOUR: This control allows you to make additional changes to your tone and is active only when the Contour On/Off switch (#6) is pressed in. As the “wave” icons indicate you can enhance both the lows and highs at the same time, or add mid punch.
6. CONTOUR ON/OFF: Use this switch to engage the contour circuitry. With the switch pressed in, the Contour control (#5) is active.
7. EQUALIZATION: This eight-band graphic equalizer allows you to custom tailor your tone. Each slider controls the frequency indicated directly below it and offers a cut or boost of 10dB at various frequencies from 40Hz to 16kHz
8. MASTER LEVEL: Use this control to set the output level of the amplifier. This controls the signal level at the Speaker Output jacks (#19), as well as the Preamp Out jack (#17).
9. LIMIT: The amplifier employs Crate’s APM Automatic Power Maximizer protection circuitry to keep the output distortion-free even at high volume levels. Whenever the output nears its clipping point, the limit circuit kicks in to keep the output clean. The Limit LED lights up when the APM lim­iter circuit is activated. Occasional flash­ing of the LED is normal. Very frequent flashing or constant illumination indicates the output level is too high; reduce the Master level control and/or your instru­ment’s output until the LED flashes less.
10. LINE OUT LEVEL: This controls the level of the signal at the Balanced Line Out jack (#20). You may also use this output (or the headphone jack, #14) to run a signal to a tuner.
11. POST/PRE : This switch selects the tap point for the signal at the Balanced Line Out jack. With the switch out, the signal is tapped before the eq, contour and effects loop (“pre”). With the switch pressed in, the signal is tapped after the eq, contour and effects loop (“post”).
12. EFFECTS BLEND: This control proportions the amount of effect added to the signal going to the power amp stage. At the “0” position the signal is “dry” (no effect added); as you bring the control towards “10” the amount of effect applied increases. (“5” is a 50/50 blend of dry signal and effects.)
13. HEADPHONES LEVEL: This con­trol adjusts the signal level at the Headphones jack (#14).
14. HEADPHONES: Plug a pair of stereo headphones in here for private lis­tening. The signal at this jack is post Gain and post EQ. The level of the signal here is determined by the setting of the Headphones Level control (#13). Using
headphones does not disable the speaker outputs. You may also use this
output (or the line out jack, #20) to run a signal to a tuner.
15. POWER: This two-position switch turns the amp on and off, “on” being the UP position. The switch lights up when the amp is turned on.
The Front Panel:
BXH-220 BASS AMPLIFIER
4
1
INPUT GAIN CONTOUR
2 4 5 8 10 12 13 157
INCREASE GAIN
OK
DECREASE GAIN
40 100 225 625 1.6k 4k 8k 16k
ON–15dB
3 6 9 11 14
LINE OUT
LEVEL
POST EQ
PRE EQ
MASTERINPUT
EFFECTS
BLEND
EQUALIZATION
LEVEL
LIMIT
HEADPHONES
LEVEL
POWER
Page 5
16. POWER CORD: Connect the male end of this cord to a properly grounded AC power outlet. Use only a grounded
outlet! DO NOT defeat the ground pin of the cord! If the amplifier is used out-
side of the United States, see the area’s Crate dealer for the proper power cord or consult a local professional electrician.
17. PREAMP OUT: A pre-amplified line-level signal may be tapped from this jack for sending to an external amplifier, powered monitor, recording console, mixing board or effects processor. This is an unbalanced, mono 1/4” jack.
18. POWER AMP IN: A pre-amplified line level signal may be sent directly into the bass amp’s power amp (as when slaving two amplifiers together, for exam­ple). Connection to this jack interrupts the signal from the internal preamp to the power amp. The Preamp Out (#17) signal is not interrupted.
19. SPEAKERS: Use these jacks to con­nect the amp to your speaker cabinet(s). Use heavy-duty speaker cables with mono 1/4” plugs. These jacks are wired in parallel. Don’t use cabinet combina­tions resulting in impedance loads below 4 ohms. Use the chart below to help determine parallel loads. If in doubt, ask your dealer.
Cab Imp. # Cabs Total Imp.
8 ohms 2 4 ohms 16 ohms 2 8 ohms 16 ohms 4 4 ohms
20. BALANCED LINE OUT: Use this
3-pin XLR jack to send a line level signal to the house sound board or mixing con­sole. The level of the signal at this jack is determined by the setting of the Line Out Level control on the front panel (#10). This signal is switchable to be either pre or post EQ through the front panel Pre/Post switch(#11).
21. EFFECTS LOOP SEND: This unbalanced jack lets you send a signal out to an external effects processor or tuner. The signal at this jack is post-EQ, pre-Master. Connect this to the input jack of the processor or tuner.
22. EFFECTS LOOP RETURN: This jack receives the signal from the output jack of an external effects processor. Use shielded cables with mono 1/4” plugs for connecting the Effects Loop.
The Rear Panel:
BXH-220 BASS AMPLIFIER
5
16 17
CAUTION
RISK OF ELECTRIC SHOCK
DO NOT OPEN
AVIS:
RISQUE DE CHOC
ELECTRIQUE. NE PAS OUVRIR.
WARNING:
TO REDUCE THE RISK OF ELECTRIC SHOCK, DO NOT EXPOSE THIS EQUIPMENT TO RAIN OR MOISTURE.
BXH-220
MODEL:
BXH22031U2
SERIAL:
120 60
LINE: V ~ Hz WATTS: MAX
MADE IN THE U.S.A.
BY SLM ELECTRONICS
1400 FERGUSON AVE.
ST. LOUIS, MO 63133
PREAMP
OUT
PWR AMP
S P E
150W @ 8 OHMS
A
220W @ 4 OHMS
K
MIN. LOAD
E R S
IN
19 20
18
BALANCED
LINE OUT
EFFECTS
LOOP
RETURN
SEND
22
21
Page 6
Some Suggested Settings:
Rock:
Jazz:
Country:
Funk:
6
BXH-220 BASS AMPLIFIER
AS NEEDED OUT
AS NEEDED IN
AS NEEDED
IN
AS NEEDED
IN
Page 7
System Block Diagram:
BXH-220 BASS AMPLIFIER
7
INPUT
-15dB PAD
GAIN
PEAK
LED
CONTOUR
ON / OFF
8 BAND
GRAPHIC
MASTER
EFFECTS
BLEND
POST
PRE
EFFECTS SEND
EFFECTS RETURN
BALANCED LINE OUT
LINE OUT
LEVEL
PREAMP OUT
LIMIT
LED
POWER AMP IN
POWER
AMP
SPEAKER OUT
SPEAKER OUT
HEAD­PHONES
HEADPHONE
LEVEL
Page 8
T
echnical Specifications:
©1997 SLM ELECTRONICS • A DIVISION OF ST. LOUIS MUSIC, 1400 FERGUSON AVENUE, ST. LOUIS, MO 63133
47-589-51 • 07/97
CRATEcontinually develops new products, as well as improves existing ones. For this reason,
specifications and information in this manual are subject to change without notice.
Maximum Input Signal Level Accepted 17 volts peak to peak (-15dB switch pressed in)
Input Impedance 500k ohms (-15dB switch out), 75k ohms (-15dB switch in)
Signal to Noise Ratio 75dB typical
Output Power Rating 160 watts RMS @ < 5% THD w/8 ohm load, 120VAC line
220 watts RMS @ < 5% THD w/4 ohm load, 120VAC line
Gain @ 1kHz 67dB with EQ flat, Contour off
EQ Section 20dB range (±10dB) @ 40Hz, 100Hz, 225Hz, 625Hz, 1.6kHz,
4kHz, 8kHz and 16kHz
Input Power Requirements 120VAC, 60Hz, 250VA
100/120VAC, 50/60Hz, 250VA 230VAC, 50/60Hz, 250VA
Size and Weight 7-1/4”H x 21”W x 12-1/2”D, 35 lbs.
BXH-220 BASS AMPLIFIER
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