ENGL E580 Midi Tube Preamp User manual

Tube

Amp

Midi Tube Preamp 580

Programmable

Guitar Tube Preamp

Operator´s Manual

Please, first read this manual carefully!

Tube

Amp

Technology

2

Table of Contents

Introduction

Features and Functionality at a Glance

Front Panel Features

Sound-Shaping Features: Knobs
Sound-Shaping Features: Buttons
Control Features
Combination Control Features

Page
4

4 - 5

6 - 7
8 - 10
10 - 12
13 - 15

Rear Panel Features

Preset and MIDI Channel Array

Factory Presets

Names and Descriptions

Step-by-step Illustrated Handling Guide

PC Software Remote Control Panel Features

Glossary

Troubleshooting

Handling and Care

Technical Data

Specifications in Detail
Tube Map
System Information
Wiring of Principal Connectors
Block Diagram

Quick reference on Control Features

The Making of... a Few Closing Words from the Amp Designer

Note Pad for User Presets

16 - 19

19 - 20

21 - 24

25 - 38

39 - 42

42 - 45

46 - 47

47

48
49
49
50
51

52

53

54 - 56

Supplementary information

CAUTION! Please read and heed the following:

You'll find an additional pamphlet accompanying this owner's
manual entitled "Instruction for the prevention of fire, electric shock
or injury of persons". Be sure to read it before you plug
the preamp in and switch it on!

Note: Technical specifications are subject to change without notice.

57 - 60

3

Congratulations on your purchase of an MIDI Preamp E580!
Marrying tried-and-true all-tube technology to state-of-the-art microchip-powered
technology, this groundbreaking guitar preamp sets new standards with its sheer
audio brilliance—tone, authenticity and sonic variety is what this baby is all
about. Fully programmable control features and ten sound-shaping buttons put
an arsenal of voicing tools at your fingertips. Many of these features shape the

soundscape in ways we believe you have never heard before, and the virtually
infinite variety of options boggles the mind.

You'll soon discover that this preamp conjures up extremely sophisticated tones
that nonetheless sound earthy and authentic courtesy of its tube-driven
circuitry. To make this marriage of two disparate worlds work, the sound-shaping
features are controlled by a multiprocessor computer system equipped with three
microcontrollers that work hand in hand with advanced multitasking software.

What all this means to you:

1. utmost ease of use and remarkably intuitive handling

2. excellent sound-shaping options and greatest flexibility courtesy of its many
special features and programming possibilities

3. one preamp for every gig - live, studio and home-recording - featuring
an onboard programmable speaker simulation system

4. extremely wide range of sounds produced by custom-designed, programmable
filter systems in the individual tube stages
The different sound-shaping buttons actually shape the characteristic curve.
This technology can't be realized with conventional tube preamps, which is
why this preamp is literally one of a kind.

5. processor-controlled knobs and buttons allow stored sounds to be reproduced
with absolute precision any time, anywhere, under any operating conditions

6. You are now the proud owner of an ultra-advanced sound-generating machine
that will give you years of playing pleasure and value to boot.

Features and Functionality at a Glance

-> 256 presets. Directly selectable via MIDI and freely programmable, these
presets are grouped in two banks, A and B, and addressed via different
MIDI channels. This affords you the convenience of using one bank for
live gigs and the other for studio work.

-> 40 factory presets with preprogrammed audio examples that you can edit
and copy to MIDI presets as desired.

-> Manual mode in which the preamp operates just like a conventional preamp.

-> A shadow preset is assigned to each MIDI preset, serving much the same
purpose as the trash basket you may be familiar with on computers.

-> Non-programmable Master that may optionally be controlled in real time
via an external MIDI volume foot pedal.

-> The knobs are rotary encoders with an infinite control range. The advantage
of these knobs is that you can access a stored setting directly no matter what
the knob's actual position may be and adjust the setting in real time.

-> 11-segment circular LED chains. One of these surrounds each knob, indicate
its current setting. The LEDs flash when a MIDI preset's settings are changed.
The display also shows steps in increments while you are changing a setting.

4

-> Tube-powered stereo effect loop; wet effect signal may be mixed with
the dry preamp signal from 0 -100% (that's parallel to serial).
This setting is programmable.

-> Passive 4-way tone controls. You can modify the voicing section's EQ
characteristics by means of the Contour button.

-> Stereo outs with level switch for routing signals to a stereo power amp.

-> Stereo line outputs. These are frequency-corrected (or, if you prefer,
compensated) and equipped with programmable filters offering different
loudspeaker and cabinet characteristics. The preamp comes with two
versions of these outs, stereo ¼” jacks for connecting recording gear,
and balanced XLR outs for feeding the preamp signal to mixing consoles.

-> MIDI IN, THRU, OUT ports let you integrate the preamp into a MIDI system.

-> RS232 interface for remote control via PC and downloading software updates.

-> Remote Control Panel software for PC gives you a bunch of nifty features
for controlling preamp remotely from a computer.

Selected quality components, excellent workmanship and strict quality control
ensure this preamp retains its value over the long run. Guidelines on care and
maintenance of tube amps are on page 47. Please be sure to read these before
operating your preamp. You'll also come across boxes shaded gray throughout
the manual. Sandwiched by descriptions of the preamp's various functions, they
offer contain handy tips on the aforementioned function. All critical information
pertaining to the operation of this preamp is preceded by "NOTE", "CAUTION",
"Read and heed” or some other eye-catching comment. We're calling your
attention to these remarks for reasons of safety or other compelling reasons, so
please give them due consideration

The ENGL team wishes you all the best—may you and your preamp enjoy an
harmonically rich future together!
Everyone at ENGL is convinced that this tube preamp's astonishing versatility and
unrivalled features are sure to delight you: Just plug in, play, store your favorite
settings, and enjoy the sound!

A few words of wisdom from the designer:

Though this preamp is relatively easy to handle and you're probably raring to give
it a go, I recommend you read the owner's manual thoroughly before you power
the preamp up. Particularly in handshake mode with a personal computer, there
are some very important things you need to know to avoid malfunctions. Don't be
daunted by the preamp's outward complexity. Yes, it is sophisticated, but it is very
easy to use once you get the hang of it. In this manual, I've described the features
and functions of the preamp in a hopefully enlightening variety of ways, in some
cases, with accompanying illustrations. These should explain everything you need
to know about your preamp and make handling a piece of cake.

Contents:

1. ENGL MIDI Tube Preamp 580;

2. 3,5" Disk with Software "Remote.exe" and "readme" files;

3. One connector cable 7 m in length (Sub D-9, male & female connector 1:1 );

4. This Operating Instructions;

5. A pamphlet entitled "Instruction for the prevention of fire, electric shock
or injury of persons"

5

Front Panel Features

As you're reading these descriptions of the preamp's features, you'll gain a better
understanding of the topic at hand if you unfold of the diagrams of the front and
rear panels at the back of the manual and refer to them as we go!

1 INPUT

Plug your electric guitar into this ¼" jack.
If you choose to mount the amp in a 19" rack system, you can also route the
signal in via the Auxiliary jack (41) located on the rear panel of the preamp.
Input jack 1 on the front panel has priority, meaning that the signal patched into
the Auxiliary jack is cut off whenever a plug is inserted into the front panel jack.

Sound-shaping Features: Knobs (Rotary encoders)

A word about these knobs:
The Gain (2), Bass (3), Lo Mid (4), Hi Mid (5), Treble (6), Effect (7), and Volume
(8) knobs offer a control range comprising 21 steps. Like the status of the
sound-shaping buttons, the settings of these knobs may be programmed to MIDI
presets 1 to 128, bank A and bank B. The 11-segment LEDs surrounding every
knob indicate the given knob's current setting.
Odd-numbered steps are indicated by a single LED. Take, for example, step 5 or
the fifth increment on the scale. It is indicated by the third LED from the left. Even
steps are indicated by two neighboring LEDs. For example, the first and second
LEDs of the scale light up to indicate step 2, and so forth.
You can change every setting of any MIDI preset directly, meaning there's no
programming involved. Simply grab a knob and rotate. When you do this, that
change you have made activates MSF (memory status feature) and the given LED
will flash, telling you that this knob's setting in a MIDI or factory preset has been
edited. The circular and segmental LED chains always show the knobs' current
settings. In addition, steps are indicated in the display as decimal numbers as you
dial in a new setting. By giving you precise indications of any given value, this
feature lets you adjust knobs more swiftly and accurately, particularly when you're
in a hurry.
The Master knob is an exception to this rule. Its workings are described in detail in
section 9 below.

2 GAIN

This knob controls input sensitivity for all of the preamp's operating modes. For
Crunch, Soft Lead and Heavy Lead modes, it determines the amount of preamp
saturation. The AFC controls an internal filter that operates in parallel to the Gain
knob, automatically adapting and optimizing the frequency response of the
preamp to best match the setting you have selected.

A tip from the designer:

On account of its programmability, the preamp's Gain knob's response is different
than you would expect from gain controls found on conventional preamps. The
signal is not muted completely when you set it to step 1. For this reason, you can
dial in extremely low input levels for extremely high-level guitar signals. That puts
the low gain control range below step 5 (about the 9 o'clock position) to good
use, which is rarely the case on a conventional amp.

6

CAUTION: Extremely high gain and volume settings in Lead mode can lead to
high-level feedback. Avoid those dreaded feedback squeals, they can damage
your hearing loss and speakers!

3 BASS

As its name would indicate, this is the passive 4-way voicing section's Bass knob. It
interacts with the other tone controls, and it is influenced by the Contour button's
setting.

4 LO MID
This knob of the passive 4-way voicing section shapes the low mids within a
frequency range of 300 Hz to 500 Hz.
The Lo Mid knob interacts with the other tone controls, and it is influenced by the
Contour button's setting.

5 HI MID

This knob of the passive 4-way voicing section shapes high mids above a frequency
of 1.5 kHz. The Hi Mid knob interacts with the other tone controls, and it is
influenced by the Contour button's setting.

6 TREBLE

This is the passive 4-way voicing section's treble knob. It interacts with the HI MID
control.

7 EFFECT

This knob determines the amount of wet or effect signal when a signal processor
is inserted in the effects loop. Its starts with a wet balance of 0%, sweeping
through the control range and finally arriving at step 21, which gives you a wet
balance of 100%. To prevent signal degradation and loss, a tube-driven passive
circuit mixes the wet and dry signals.
Note: Whenever the effects loop is not in use, be sure to set the Effect knob to
step 1!

8 VOLUME

This knob determines the basic level of the preamp. You can use it to balance
levels as you see fit by dialing in different or identical levels for different presets.
For this reason, Volume knob settings may be stored, which you can't do for
Master knob settings.

9 MASTER

This knob determines the overall output level. Bear in mind that this level will
depend on the Volume knob setting. Master knob settings can't be stored and, in
contrast to the Volume knob, its setting remains the same when you activate
other presets. The Master knob's control range comprises 11 steps, whereby each
step is indicated by a separate LED. You can control the Master level remotely via
an external MIDI volume pedal. For this purpose, be sure to set the Volume
parameter located in the setup to On (see Control Features).

10 POWER

This is the mains power button that switches the preamp on and off.

7

Sound-shaping Features: Buttons

The sound-shaping buttons' statuses may be programmed to MIDI presets 1
through 128, bank A and bank B. An LED located above every sound-shaping
button indicates its current status.

11 PREAMP DEFEAT

This is a bypass that cuts the preamp out of the signal chain when you press the
button. In this case, the input signal is routed directly to the Send jack.
The LED located above the button illuminates to indicate the preamp is bypassed.

A tip from the designer:

This option comes in handy when you want to insert another preamp or an effect
processor into a serial loop along with the MIDI Preamp E580. If the other
preamp can also be bypassed, you can switch between the two preamps on the
fly or even run them both at the same time. If you want to connect a second
preamp, insert it into the stereo effects loop and set the Effect knob to step 21
when you want activate the second preamp. You could even daisy chain several
preamps or effect processors.

12 CLEAN LEAD

This button switches back and forth between Clean and Lead preamp operating
modes. The LED lights up to indicate Lead mode is active.

13 GAIN LO HI

Use this Gain control to set and activate different preamp saturation levels for the
two operating modes Clean and Lead. In Clean mode, your options are Clean or
Crunch, in Lead mode they are Soft or Heavy Lead. The LED lights up to indicate
Gain Hi is active.

A tip from the designer:

The gain ranges of the different operating modes overlap a tad, meaning that
you can dial in some dirt in Clean Gain Lo mode with high Gain settings similar to
what you get when you dial in low Gain settings in Clean Gain Hi mode. However,
the frequency response and dynamics of the two operating modes are different,
which adds even more interesting hues and textures to your tonal palette.

14 BOTTOM

This sound-shaping feature changes the preamp's bottom end frequency response
in all operating modes. You'll perceive a considerable boost in bass frequencies
when you activate it. The LED lights up to indicate the Bottom bass boost circuit is
active.

A tip from the designer:

When you're using a guitar equipped with bass-heavy pickups, you are
well-advised to switch this feature off to prevent it from muddying your tone,
particularly at higher Gain settings.
In fact, you should make a habit of deactivating this feature at higher Gain
settings (take that to mean anything over step 15), otherwise your distorted tone
will become far too sludgy.

8

15 CONTOUR

This feature gives you another option for shaping predominantly mid-range
frequencies. When it is off, the Lo Mid knob affects the 500 Hz range, when it is
on, the knob affects the 300 Hz range. The LED lights up to indicate Contour is
active.

A tip from the designer:

The Contour knob shifts the entire frequency range of the voicing section so
that—by virtue of that handy storage option—you actually end up with two
separate sets of tone controls. Try activating Contour when you're going for
classic clean tone. Switch Contour off when you want something a little more
contemporary and direct—that modern in-your-face sound, if you will.

16 BRIGHT

This function boosts the upper frequencies in all operating modes. The LED lights
up to indicate Bright is active.

A tip from the designer:

For a crispy or glassy tone, set the Bright switch to the On position. This setting
brightens the sound of humbucking or any other muddy pickups.

17 CLEAN ULTRA BRIGHT

Though this option affects the Clean channel only, it boosts the upper end of
both clean (in Gain Lo mode that is) and crunch (Gain Hi) sounds. Though this is
indeed a treble boost, it affects frequencies that lie somewhat lower than the
highest frequencies in the spectrum. The LED lights up to indicate Ultra Bright
Clean is active.

A tip from the designer:

Activate this feature to conjure really glossy clean sounds. Great for doing the
country twang thing and spanking the funk plank, it also adds some top-end
shimmer to dark or muddy pickups. You'll find it easy to dial in loads of top-notch
tones in combination with the Contour and Modern/Classic sound-shaping
buttons.

18 MODERN/CLASSIC

This button switches between two fundamentally different voicings, modern and
Classic. The LED lights up to indicate Classic is active.

A tip from the designer:

The modern voicing is less dynamic, offering fewer mid-range frequencies. You'll
find that its voicing becomes far more prominent when you're running the
preamp at higher gain levels to evoke more distorted sounds.
Modern is your best bet for heavier sounds, Classic fits the bill for vintage styles.
For lead sounds you generally want tones that pack a punch powerful enough to
cut through the din. For this sonic scenario, I recommend you either activate
Contour for a Lead/modern configuration or stick with Classic.

19 RECORDING OUT BASS

This feature affects the filter system of the frequency-compensated Line Out only;
it will not affect the regular stereo outs when activated. When you switch this
option on, it boosts the bottom end of the Line Out filter. The LED lights up to
indicate the bass boost for the Line Out filter is on.

9

20 RECORDING OUT TREBLE

This feature affects the filter system of the frequency-compensated Line Out only;
it will not affect the regular stereo outs when activated. When you switch this
option on, it boosts the top end of the Line Out filter. The LED lights up to
indicate the treble boost for the Line Out filter is on.

A tip from the designer:

With these two EQ parameters, you can opt for different filter settings to simulate
different types of speakers and cabinets. You should activate Rec Out Bass (19)
when you want to emulate a closed-back 4x12 cab. To avoid nasty overtones (at
least that how we feel about overly nasal honk) in the recording output in Lead
mode, I recommend you switch Rec Out Treble (20) off when you're running the
preamp in this operating mode. On the other hand, if you want really spiky clean
sounds, feel free to activate it and store it in the appropriate MIDI presets.

21 STATUS DISPLAY

These three seven-segment displays tell you which of the preamp's various
operating modes are currently active. After you power the preamp up, the ENGL
logo cycle through the display from right to left twice while the preamp carries
out an internal system check. Then the display will show 000, which indicates
Manual mode.
MIDI, factory and shadow presets are indicated by three digits, for example, MIDI
preset 1 appears in the display as "001". When you rotate a knob, the steps are
indicated by two digits, for example, step 3 on any knob appears in the display as
"03". The first zero falls by the wayside to make it easier for you to distinguish
between presets and settings in the display. To learn more about the various
display functions and statuses, consult pages 26 to 38, Handling MIDI and
Programming Functions.

Control Features

This category of features is comprised of administrative rather than sound-shaping
functions. Due to space constraints on the front panel, some functions are
activated by pressing two or three buttons simultaneously. However, this applies
primarily to the lesser used options; you'll find the most important functions are
accessible directly via a single button.

22 DOWN

This button is decremental, meaning that it activates the next lower preset
number every time you press it. If you're in a hurry or have a long way to go
between numbers, hold the button down to scroll more swiftly through the
presets. Note that the preamp won't switch to another sound until you release
the button. If you hold the button down for more than three seconds, the system
switches to Hi Speed Preset Select mode, meaning that it races through the
selection of presets.
In combination with other control buttons, you can activate a variety functions
that are described in detail on pages 13 to 15 in the section entitled "Combination
Control Features".

10

23 UP

This button is incremental, meaning that it activates the next higher preset
number every time you press it. If you're in a hurry or have a long way to go
between numbers, hold the button down to scroll more swiftly through the
presets. Note that the preamp won't switch to another sound until you release
the button. If you hold the button down for more than three seconds, the system
switches to Hi Speed Preset Select mode, meaning that it races through the
selection of presets.
In combination with other control buttons, you can activate various functions that
are described in depth on pages 13 to 15 in the section entitled "Combination
Control Features".

24 MANUAL

This button sets the preamp to Manual operating mode, which is actually
something of a misnomer. More a status than an operating mode, Manual
describes the state of the preamp when no preset is active. Manual is the default,
it is activated once you power the preamp up and the system has finished running
its internal system check.
When you opt for this operating mode, you can't store settings, meaning that the
preamp handles like a conventional non-programmable preamp. The most recent
settings of all knobs and buttons are stored automatically when you switch the
preamp off. This means that whatever configuration you dialed in the last time
you used the preamp will be available by default when you switch it on again.
What's more, when you activate Manual mode you can press and hold the
Manual button for some three seconds to go from any MIDI or factory preset
immediately to the most recently activated preset (Preset Back Skip).
Manual mode is indicated in the display by 000. Note that this operating mode
can't be activated via MIDI.
You can activate special selection options in Manual mode, for example, MIDI
Channel Select mode; these are accessed in combination with other control
buttons as described on pages 13 to 15 in the section "Combination Control
Features".

A tip from the designer:

Switching from Manual mode to a MIDI preset via the Manual button (Preset
Back Skip) comes in handy when you want to compare two different sounds
without a lot of navigating fuss. Think of Manual mode as a blank canvas: Dial in
any sound you see fit and then store it to a MIDI preset. You'll find out how this is
done on page 32.
Manual is also useful when you want to go from a higher number MIDI preset
(say preset 69) to factory presets in a hurry. And if you accidentally activate
Manual, for instance when you're selecting a shadow preset, you can immediately
return to the given MIDI preset.

11

25 WRITE/COPY

This option lets you save a MIDI preset's edited settings (in this context, "edit"
simply means changing settings). The system will select a Write operation
whenever you edit a MIDI preset. You'll know that this is the case because when
you rotate a knob or press a sound-shaping button, the corresponding LEDs flash.
A Write operation is executed exclusively for MIDI presets. Here's how you can
distinguish between Write and Copy: with the former you're actually
programming or writing a new MIDI preset, with the latter you´re making an
exact duplicate of an existing preset.
So the system will select Copy if you did not edit a MIDI preset. This means that
the given preset becomes the source, and its unedited contents are dumped to
another preset. The center decimal point in the display illuminates to indicate a
Copy operation is underway. If you activated Copy accidentally, you can cancel
that command by pressing the MANUAL button. The system will cancel Copy if
you don't activate a new preset within some 30 seconds.
The programming process—the Write command, that is—is not carried out as soon
as you press the button. First the preset number will begin flashing in the display
to indicate that the preamp is about to program this preset. The reason for this is
to prevent inadvertent programming. You can cancel the programming process at
any time during this phase.
The preset will only be programmed successfully if you press and hold the button
until the preset number in the display stops flashing, and the LEDs of the knobs
and sound-shaping features that you have edited stop flashing.
You'll have to go through the same routine to copy a preset once you select a
target preset.
In this case, the original contents of the MIDI preset are automatically dumped to
the corresponding shadow preset. The same thing applies when you overwrite a
target preset by means of the Copy option.
Copy is always activated for factory presets as well as in Manual mode whenever
you edit a setting.
You can protect every MIDI preset against unintentional overwriting by locking it.
Once you have locked a preset, it can't serve as the target of a Write or a Copy
operation. A locked preset can, however, serve as the source of a Copy operation.

A tip from the designer:

Descriptions of seemingly complicated functions like the one above can sometimes
be hard to follow. For this reason, this owner's manual includes some diagrams
that illustrate the diverse procedures step by step. Hopefully, these will make
easier to understand these processes. You'll find these hands-on explanations on
pages 25 to 38.

12

Combination Control Features

This category comprises all control features that require two or three control
buttons to be pressed simultaneously. Try to make a habit of pressing these
buttons at precisely the same time, otherwise the function of whatever button
you press first will be activated.

MANUAL & DOWN: Activates preset bank A.

You can switch to bank A by pressing these two buttons at the same time.
Though this will work in Manual mode as well as when you have activated a MIDI
preset or a factory preset, it is actually designed for MIDI bank switching
purposes. We didn't disable this function for Manual mode and factory presets,
but it won't actually do anything because neither Manual mode nor factory
presets make a distinction between banks. You can switch banks until the cows
come home, the given memory slot will always remain the same.
Bank A is indicated in the display without the decimal point at left.
The MIDI channel setting always applies to the currently active bank. If the
decimal point between "c" and "h" (c h.) in MIDI Channel Select mode doesn't light
up, this tells you that the MIDI channel setting applies to bank A.

MANUAL & UP: Activates preset bank B.

You can switch to bank B by pressing these two buttons at the same time. This
will work in Manual mode as well as when you have activated a MIDI preset or a
factory preset. Please be aware that although you can do this for Manual mode
and factory presets, this option is meaningless because there is no subdivision of
banks. The memory slot will remain unchanged.
Bank B is indicated in the display with the left decimal point.
The MIDI channel setting always applies to the currently active bank. If the
decimal point between "c" and "h" (c.h.) in MIDI Channel Select mode lights up,
this tells you that the MIDI channel setting applies to bank B.

A tip from the designer:

In my book, 256 MIDI presets plus 256 shadow presets should satisfy the storage
requirements of even the most obsessive control freak. If you're one of those
people who can't imagine what all these memory slots could possibly be good for,
let me propose the following use for the second bank to you:
Courtesy of its tunable Line Out filter, the preamp is great for studio gigs and
hard disk recording. If you find yourself in either of these situations, it would be a
good idea to organize the presets you use for gigging in one of the two banks
and your studio presets in the other. It gets better: By defining suitable MIDI
channels on the MIDI footboard and the preamp itself, you can always switch to
the same preset number for the same part in every song for live and studio gigs,
yet still call up different settings that suit the given application. That makes it so
much easier to find the desired preset, and you don't have to memorize different
preset numbers for live and studio applications. This option pays off even if you
use it to store just a dozen different sounds programmed for live and studio gigs.

13

MANUAL & WRITE in Manual mode: MIDI Channel Select mode.

Press these two buttons simultaneously while the preamp is in Manual mode to
activate MIDI Channel Select mode. This mode lets you determine the desired
MIDI channel for the currently active bank. The display shows ch. (short for
channel) briefly and then the MIDI channel, for example c01 or onl for OMNI. Off
tells you that the reception of MIDI data is deactivated for the respective bank.
Set the desired MIDI channel using the UP or DOWN buttons. If the display flashes
for one or several channels, this means that the given channel has already been
assigned to the other bank. If a bank is set to OMNI, all MIDI channels are locked
for the other bank. In this case, the other bank can only be set to Off.
After you have selected the desired MIDI channel, store it by pressing the Write
button.
Again, be sure to hold the Write button down until the display reads 000 to
indicate Manual mode and the display no longer flashes. Otherwise, the Write
operation will be canceled before the channel setting is stored.
Press the MANUAL button to quit MIDI Channel Select mode without storing a
channel.
If no other function is activated, the system will quit MIDI Channel Select mode
automatically after about 12 seconds.

DOWN & UP in Manual mode: Volume Controller Setup mode.

Press these two buttons simultaneously while the preamp is in Manual mode to
activate Volume Controller Setup mode. This mode lets you set up the preamp so
you can control the Master level remotely via a MIDI volume pedal. Once you
have pressed the two buttons simultaneously, the display will read Vol for about
two seconds. Then it will indicate the current status, which will be either On or
Off.
You can quit Volume Setup mode without changing its status by pressing the
Manual button (for example, if you just want to view the current status). Use the
UP or DOWN buttons to change the status from On to Off and vice versa. Press
the Write button to store the new setting. Again, be sure to hold the Write
button down until the display reads 000 to indicate Manual mode and the display
no longer flashes. Otherwise, the write operation will be canceled before the
setting is stored.
If no other function is activated, the system will quit Volume Controller Setup
mode automatically after about 12 seconds

MANUAL & WRITE while a preset is activated: Switching to a shadow preset.

Press these two buttons simultaneously while a MIDI preset is active for
approximately three seconds and the preamp will switch to the shadow preset of
that MIDI preset.
The shadow preset contains this MIDI preset's settings as they were before you
edited them or copied another configuration to this memory slot. You can quit
the shadow preset at any time by pressing the Manual button.
The contents of the shadow preset and the contents of the MIDI preset are
swapped when you press the Write button. This means that the old (overwritten)
setting is dumped back to the MIDI preset and the current (new) setting of the
MIDI preset is dumped to the shadow preset. Shadow and MIDI presets can only
be swapped if the given preset is not locked. Again, be sure to hold the Write
button down until the display indicates the MIDI preset number and the three
decimal points no longer flash. Otherwise, the write operation will be canceled.

14

The preamp quits the shadow preset automatically after approximately 6 seconds,
and the system switches back to the MIDI preset. Note that you can't edit settings
using the sound-shaping features or knobs while a shadow preset is active.

DOWN & UP while a preset is activated: Locking and unlocking a MIDI preset

Press these two buttons simultaneously while a MIDI preset is active for
approximately three seconds to lock the preset. Locking a preset protects against
unintentional overwriting when you accidentally press the Write or Copy buttons.
The right decimal point appears in the display to indicate that this preset is locked.
Lo appears in the display, alternating with the preset number to indicate the
actual locking procedure is underway. Be sure to hold the two buttons down until
the number of the preset now longer flashes in the display.
The procedure for unlocking a preset is the same as the aforementioned locking
method. ULo appears in the display, indicating that the preset is being unlocked.
Once the MIDI preset is unlocked, the right decimal point disappears from the
display.

A tip from the designer:

This locking option will serve you well as soon as you start programming the
preamp. You can immediately lock MIDI presets to prevent you from selecting
them as targets for copy operations by mistake. The right decimal point appears
in the display indicating that this memory slot is already taken as soon as you dial
in a preset. And when you're using your preamp at live shows, neither friend nor
foe can tamper with your sounds, unless of course in the unlikely event that he or
she is familiar with the second operating level of your preamp.

DOWN & UP & WRITE in Manual mode: Unit Check mode is activated.

Press this combination of buttons simultaneously for approximately three seconds
to set the system to Unit Check mode. You should get a kick out this mode. It
steps through the control ranges of every knob on the preamp, letting you hear
every change from step 1 to step 21. Step 11 (the twelve o'clock or center
position) is the starting and ending position for each knob.
Once this function runs through every knob on the preamp, it moves on to the
sound-shaping functions, activating and deactivating them in the sequence in
which they are arrayed. This feature serves as an audio system check, and it lets
you audition the sounds produced by each step on every control range.

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Rear Panel Features

Please unfold and refer to the diagrams of the front and rear panels at the back
of the manual and refer to them as you read through the following explanations!

26 MAINS:

Connect a mains cord here.

CAUTION: Make sure you use an intact line cord with an grounded plug! Before
you power the preamp up, ensure the voltage value printed beside the mains
receptacle is the same as the current of the local power supply or wall outlet.

27 MAINS FUSE BOX:

Contains mains fuse (rear chamber) and a spare fuse (front chamber).

CAUTION: ALWAYS make sure replacement fuses are of the same type and have
the same ratings as the original fuse!

28 GROUND LIFT SWITCH

This switch severs the grounding circuit connecting the preamp's internal ground
to the wall receptacle's grounding. You can set the switch to GROUND floated
when you have connected a signal processor or power amp and you want to
prevent the two devices' ground circuits from creating a ground loop that
manifests itself in annoying humming.

CAUTION: If you're operating the preamp with a power amp or signal processor
that offers no direct connection between the internal ground and the outlet
ground, ensure this switch is set to the Ground position. Otherwise you may
encounter an irritating humming noise with a frequency of 50/60 Hz.

29 STEREO FREQUENCY CORRECTED LINE OUTPUT

This stereo ¼" jack serves as the output of the frequency-corrected line filter. It
delivers an unbalanced signal and it is equipped with a ground terminal. You can
patch the preamp signal routed through this jack to a recorder or a PC's audio
card via some type of adapter (depending on the type of inputs on the audio
card). Dial in the desired signal level via the Level knob (31).

30 OVEROAD

This LED illuminates to tell you the Line output is being overloaded. When it lights
up, back off the signal level using the Level knob.

31 LEVEL

This knob control the signal level of the frequency-corrected Line output. Use it to
adjust the preamp's Line output signal level to match the input gain of the mixing
desk's or recorder's input.
This knob lets you adjust levels from +3 dB to some -30 dB for very sensitive
inputs.

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32 & 33 LINE OUT BALANCED

These are the frequency-corrected (compensated) and balanced right and left
channel line outputs. Pin 2 and 3 of the XLR jack carry the signal, pin 1 = N.C. or
ground depending on the position of the Ground switch (34).
You can insert the signals routed through these outputs directly into a mixing
console or recording gear equipped with balanced inputs. The advantage of a
balanced circuit is that this type of connection will not create a ground loop,
provided of course it is wired correctly. Dial in the desired signal level for the two
balanced line outputs by adjusting the Level knob (31).

A tip from the designer:

The level of the line output is determined by the following factors: the input level
(Gain), the Volume knob as it is set in the given operating modes of the preamp,
and to a certain extent, the settings of the tone controls, as well as the position of
the Master knob.
Those are a lot of variables to be dealing with, so I recommend you first program
presets to taste, then dial in the best possible level for any signal processor you
may have connected, and finally adust the output level using the Level knob.
Certainly the best way to go about this is to call up the various presets and dial in
a setting for each that doesn't overload the output even at higher volume levels.
While you're at it, make sure that all of these levels are a reasonable match for
the input sensitivity of whatever recording device or mixing console you are using.
You can always fine-tune the level for each preset by means of the connected
device's input sensitivity or gain knob on.

34 LINE OUT GROUND

This switch assigns pin 1 of the XLR socket to ground (Ground to Pin 1). You'll find
this option comes in handy when you want to earth the circuit you have routed to
a mixing console or recording device.

35 LEVEL

This button determines the output level of the stereo output jacks. Press the
button to set a higher level (up to 10 dB) suitable for driving less sensitive power
amps. Do not press if you need a lower level (down to -10 dB) to feed the signal
to additional signal processors or extremely sensitive power amp inputs.

36 STEREO OUTPUT RIGHT

This unbalanced ¼" line out jack carries the preamp's right channel signal. You can
patch the signal routed to this jack to a power amp or a signal processor using a
shielded cord equipped with ¼" plugs.

37 STEREO OUTPUT LEFT

This unbalanced ¼" line out jack carries the preamp's left channel signal. You can
patch the signal routed to this jack to a power amp or a signal processor using a
shielded cord equipped with ¼" plugs.

38 FX LOOP RETURN: RIGHT

This is the right channel input for the FX loop. Connect this input to a signal
processor's right output/send jack using a shielded cable equipped with ¼" plugs.

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39 FX LOOP RETURN: LEFT

This is the left channel input for the FX loop. Connect this input to a signal
processor's left output/send jack using a shielded cable equipped with ¼" plugs.

40 FX LOOP SEND

This is the FX loop's output. Connect this output to the input of a signal processor,
or another preamp. ALC automatically adjusts the level of this output to the
different operating modes of the preamp. Use a short shielded cord equipped
with ¼" plugs to connect the preamp.

41 AUXILIARY INPUT

This is the preamp's ancillary input. The circuit is wired in series with the input
located on the front panel. Use it to connect the preamp to a 19" rack setup. The
front panel input has priority. In other words, when you insert a plug into the
front panel jack (1), the signal routed in via the Aux. Input is cut off.

42 P.C. REMOTE CONTROL

You can connect this D-Sub 9-pin port to a personal computer via the serial RS232
interface (Com port). The factory-included software features the Remote Control
Panel; it lets you do just that—control the preamp remotely from your PC.

CAUTION: Connect this port to the serial interface (Com port) of a compatible
personal computer running a Windows* operating system only!
NEVER connect the ENGL Custom Footswitch Z-5 or any other device to this port
because this could damage the preamp's computer system!
* Windows is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation.

Note: If you have a live connection between the preamp and a PC, make
absolutely sure you launch the Remote Control Panel on the PC before you switch
on the preamp. Otherwise the preamp may activate Software Download mode,
which could wreak havoc with the internal software of the preamp's main
processor!

43 MIDI OUT

This 5-pin DIN port (diode connector) will only send out MIDI data that the
preamp is programmed to handle. MIDI data is filtered by the internal computer
system, so to speak. For example, say bank A is assigned MIDI channel 01 and
bank B MIDI channel 12. In this case, only MIDI program change commands for
these channels are routed out via the MIDI OUT port. The same holds true for
MIDI volume controller commands.

44 MIDI THRU

Unlike MIDI OUT, this DIN port will forward all incoming MIDI data to any other
connected MIDI device.

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