Powerball-2
Full Tube
Guitar Amplifier
Operator´s Manual
Please, first read this manual carefully!
Tube
Amp
Technology
Table of Contents
Introduction |
page: |
4 |
|
Features and Functionality at a Glance |
5 |
Contents |
6 |
Front Panel Features: |
6 - 8 |
Input; Channel 1 - Clean & Channel 2 - Crunch Control Features |
|
Power Amp section: P.T.M. Display, Presence, Depth Punch |
8, 9 |
Channel 3 - Lead (3) & Channel 4 - Lead (4) Control Features |
9 - 11 |
Middle-boosted (button), Channel selection |
11, 12 |
Power Amp section: Master A/B |
12, 13 |
Stand By, Power |
13 |
Rear Panel Features: |
14 |
Mains, Mains Fuse |
|
S.A.C. Port for Z-9, Footswitch Ports |
14, 15 |
Noise Gate: Threshold Level |
16 |
FX Loop: Send, Return, and Balance |
17 |
Poweramp Output 4, 8, 16 Ohms |
17 |
Poweramp Output: speaker options |
18 |
Handling and Care |
18, 19 |
Troubleshooting |
19, 20 |
Technical Data, Detailed Specifications and Ratings |
21 |
Tube Map, Tube Exchange Service |
22 |
Remote Control Options |
23 |
Wiring of Principal Connectors |
23 |
Front Panel Diagrams for Noting Settings |
24, 25 |
Configuration table for Z-9 settings |
26 |
CAUTION! Please read and heed the following:
You'll find an ancillary pamphlet accompanying this owner's manual entitled Instructions for the Prevention of Fire, Electrical Shock and Injury. Be sure to read it before you plug in and power up the amp!
Note: Technical specifications are subject to change without notice.
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Congratulations, ENGL Amp user to your new Powerball-2 amplifier!
The second generation of the approved and extremely popular, 4-channel, all-tube powered amp head appears in an absolutely ingenious revised model; the successor is loaded with some additional, very meaningful features for guitarists: in addition to an optical facelift the new amp model is equipped with four gain control knobs making individual sensitivity adjustment and precise saturation tuning in the preamp section a piece of cake!
Designed to satisfy the exacting demands of discerning players, it delivers all the tonal hues and colors you need to paint the most vivid musical pictures imaginable. Housed inside this newly designed enclosure is a powerhouse 100-watt amp boasting 6L6GC tubes. It delivers the sonic goods you need to dial in everything from contemporary ultra-high gain lead tone to crystal-clear clean and punchy crunch sounds. An astonishing amount of gain reserves, remarkable tonal versatility, and bone-rattling bottom end have crowned the Powerball king of the heap among modern-day guitar amps.
Courtesy of its ability to crank out tight, focused low end, glossy top end and jawdropping sound pressure levels, this amp provides the contemporary guitarist with richly detailed tone and the kind of cut-thru-the-din assertiveness that sets standards for amps of this class. And in keeping with the ENGL tradition of engineering excellence, it sports a host of hip features: a second master volume (Master A/B), electronic power amp monitoring (P.T.M.), a switchable and adjustable FX Loop, and a Depth Punch knob that shapes the power amp's response by beefing up the low end.
But that's not the last word on this ENGL head's innovative features: you also get two different mid sound voicings, via the middle-boosted feature. We created these voicings to extend the range of lead sounds you have at your disposal by tweaking mid-range response to suit different playing styles and applications.
There are few more handy features to rave about: This amp sports our Serial Amp Control Port, or S.A.C. Port for short.
Plug an ENGL Z-9 Custom Foot Controller into to it and get hip to some very convenient remote control options. This footboard lets you activate the four channels directly in combination with Master A/B switching simply by tapping its four footswitches. And that affords you instant access to four sound variations at two different volume levels each. Moreover you can access further prominent features like Middle-boosted and FX Loop off/on; the build in Noise Gate affecting both Lead channels is switchable via footswitch in the new amp version too.
In addition, the amp comes with three stereo jacks designed to accept dual footswitches like the ENGL Z-4 or a MIDI switching system (e.g. ENGL Z-11) for selecting the channels and other crucial Amp features.
Old world craftsmanship and highest quality components are part of what makes ENGL amps so special, and the Powerball is no exception. On that note, please read and heed the guidelines on handling all-tube amps. The ENGL team is convinced that this amp will delight and inspire you. The Powerball amp will rock your world!
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Your ENGL Powerball-2 Amp puts at your disposal:
1.a logical control feature array, utmost ease of use and remarkably intuitive handling;
2.Top-shelf sound-shaping options and remarkable versatility with four channels and different midrange voicings. Channel 3 and 4 feature the separate mid control "Mid-boosted" for a precise sound tuning of lead sounds.
3.A broad tonal palette: surgically precise sound-sculpting functions are at your fingertips, and a tap of your foot on the conveniently compact footboard. This gives you very powerful remote control options.
4.Four first-rate fundamental sounds in glorious all-tube tone: Channel 1, Clean takes you from clean to a touch of mean. Channel 2, Crunch adds some grit to the mill for sweet crunch tones with a healthy helping of preamp overdrive.
Channel 3, Lead (3) takes you very deep into the saturation zone with
plenty of headroom to spare. Channel 4, Lead (4) offers an immense range of gain potential for creamy, singing lead tone or massive powerchords.
5.Even more tone-tweaking power courtesy of diverse sound shaping features: Bright and Bottom for Clean and Crunch and a separate Bottom sound feature for each Lead channel.
6.An ultra-advanced, tone-generating machine that will give you years of playing pleasure and value to boot.
Features and Functionality at a Glance
-> Four channels: Clean, Crunch, Lead (3) and Lead (4), each channel with separate Gain and Volume knobs.
-> Two voicing sections specially tuned for each channel: One three-band EQ for Clean and Crunch modes and one three-band EQ plus the "Middle-boosted" control pot for Lead (3) and Lead (4).
Two controls Treble-Clean and Treble-Crunch: a very special feature that lets you tweak the high-end response in both Clean and Crunch modes individually.
-> Four sound switching options in the preamp section: Bright and Bottom assigned to Clean and Crunch; one Bottom button assigned to Lead (3) and another Bottom button assigned to Lead (4).
-> Switchable and adjustable FX Loop. You can control the FX Loop remotely via a footswitch and use this circuit as a hardware bypass for connected FX.
-> EQ-system in the poweramp circuit: Presence and Depth Punch.
-> Two power amp Master knobs. You can footswitch these knobs to activate two different power amp volume settings on the fly without twisting a knob.
-> The optional Z-9 Custom Footswitch. It lets you select channels directly and control two additional (sound-shaping) features of your choice. Three ¼” stereo jack plugs accept three dual footswitches that let you control remotely the four channels,Middle-boosted, Master A/B, FX Loop, and Noise Gate.
-> A Noise Gate for the two Lead Channels. Activate it at the amp or via footswitch to suppress excessive noise at very high gain settings.
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Among the hallmarks of this fine amp are painstaking workmanship and finishing as well as rigorously tested and carefully selected quality components. You'll find guidelines on care and maintenance of tube amps on page 18 and 19. Under the heading Tips from the designer, you'll come across practical tips on the aforementioned features throughout the manual. All critical information concerning the operation of this amp 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 motives, so please give them due consideration.
Everyone at ENGL is confident that the Powerball-2 tube amp's extraordinary versatility and outstanding features are sure to delight you: Simply plug in, play and
be inspired by the tone of your great ENGL Amp!
A few words of wisdom from the designer:
Though this amplifier is relatively easy to handle and you're probably raring to give it a go, I recommend that you read the owner's manual thoroughly before you power it up. It is equipped with several safety features that require further explanation to prevent malfunctions.
Contents:
1.ENGL Powerball-2 Tube Amp Head type E645-2;
2.mains cord;
3.this manual;
4.a leaflet presenting diverse sound setting samples;
5.a pamphlet entitled Instructions for the Prevention of Fire, Electrical Shock and Injury.
Front Panel Features
At the back of the manual, you'll find fold-out diagrams of the front and rear panels. As you're reading the descriptions of the amp's features, you'll gain a better understanding of the topic of discussion if you unfold and refer to them as we go!
1 Input
¼" unbalanced input jack. Plug your guitar in here using a shielded cord.
A tip from the designer:
Depending on the type of cord and its shielding, you may occasionally encounter interference from sources such as radio stations or powerful magnetic fields. When this occurs, try connecting your guitar to the amp using different cords. What's more, to minimize signal degradation due to high-frequency loss, use the shortest cords feasible (as a rule, the shorter the cord, the less susceptible it is to high-frequency attenuation).
2 Clean Gain-1
Gain control for the Channel 1, Clean. This knob determines input sensitivity when the Clean channel is active.
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A tip from the designer:
In Clean mode, single-coil pickups may begin saturating the preamp when the knob is set to approximately the two o'clock position. Pickups with very high output levels (humbuckers or active pickups) will evoke mild overdrive at even lower settings. If you want squeaky clean tone (a pure guitar tone without preamp distortion, that is), simply back off the Gain control knob accordingly.
3 Crunch Gain-2
Gain control for the Channel 2, Crunch. This knob determines input sensitivity when the Crunch channel is active; use it to dial in the desired amount of preamp distortion.
A tip from the designer:
The amount of distortion depends on your guitar's pickups. If your guitar sports singlecoils and you want to add some grit to your tone and bite to your riffs, set the knob somewhere between 10 and 2 o'clock. For higher output pickups such as humbucking or active jobs, dial in settings between 9 and 1 o'clock. For an even bigger, beefier crunch tone, try Crunch Gain settings well beyond the 2 o'clock position.
CAUTION: Extremely high gain and volume levels can produce powerful feedback. Avoid feedback squeals; they can lead to hearing loss and damage speakers! At higher volumes, back off the Gain and Treble levels in order to prevent unchecked feedback!
4 Bright
This feature boosts the upper end of the high frequency range for Channel 1 and Channel 2 (or Clean and Crunch modes, if you prefer). Its intensity decreases as gain settings increase.
A tip from the designer:
For a crisp or glassy tone, activate the Bright boost. It brightens the sound of humbucking or muddy pickups. Bright affects both channels Clean and Crunch. Use it to tweak the amp's tone to taste, activating it to boost top-end frequencies or deactivating it to dampen high end response.
5 Bottom
Alters the EQ by boosting the low end range; the Bottom feature affects Channel 1 and Channel 2 (Clean & Crunch).
A tip from the designer:
If you want to ladle an extra helping of bottom-end oomph on crunch sounds, I recommend that you activate the Lo End Punch button. At very high Gain knob settings (> 3 o'clock) and with high output pickups, your best bet is to deactivate this button for a more focused, crisper tone.
6 Bass
This is the preamp voicing section's passive low-frequency EQ for Channel 1 and Channel 2 (Clean and Crunch modes).
7 Middle
This is the preamp voicing section's passive midrange frequency EQ for Channel 1 and Channel 2 (Clean and Crunch modes).
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8 Treble-Clean
This is the preamp voicing section's passive high-frequency EQ for Channel 1 (Clean mode).
9 Treble-Crunch
This is the preamp voicing section's passive high-frequency EQ for Channel 2 (Crunch mode).
A tip from the designer:
To help you get acquainted with the amp's fundamental sounds, I recommend that you set all tone controls to the center or 12 o'clock position. For higher-gain Crunch sounds, your best bet is to turn the respective Treble knob (9) well down to prevent the pickups and speakers from interacting at hi levels and generating feedback (the recommended setting is somewhere in the 10 to 1 o'clock range).
Bear in mind that you also have the Bright (4) button and the Presence (16) control knob at your disposal for shaping the high frequency range.
The Clean and Crunch channels are equipped with dedicated Treble knobs (8 & 9). This means that you can tweak the top end of each of the two channels separately to suit your taste and the given sonic scenario. You will find that grittier tones generally sound better with a touch less treble because preamp saturation makes higher frequencies figure more prominently in the signal.
10 Clean Volume-1
Determines the level of Channel 1 (Clean mode). Twist this knob to adjust Channel 1's volume and dial in the desired balance of levels with Channel 2, 3 and 4. Because this volume control is located pre effects loop, it also determines the effects send level for Channel 1. The green LED to the right of the knob lights up to indicate Channel 1 is on.
11 Crunch Volume-2
Determines the level of Channel 2 (Crunch mode). Twist this knob to adjust Channel 2's volume and dial in the desired balance of levels with Channel 1, 3 and 4. Because this volume control is located pre effects loop, it also determines the effects send level for Channel 2. The yellow LED to the right of the knob lights up to indicate Channel 2 is on.
12 Power Tube Monitor V1
This LED lights up when the current flowing through the V1 power amp tube was too high and the power tube monitor system has switched that tube off.
To learn more about this crucial protection feature, read the paragraph that follows section 15. See the tube layout chart on page 22 to locate V1's position on the amp chassis.
13PowerTubeMonitorV2
This LED lights up when the current flowing through the V2 power amp tube was too high and the power tube monitor system has switched that tube off.
To learn more about this crucial protection feature, read the paragraph that follows section 15. See the tube layout chart on page 22 to locate V2's position on the amp chassis.
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14PowerTubeMonitorV3
This LED lights up when the current flowing through the V3 power amp tube was too high and the power tube monitor system has switched that tube off.
To learn more about this crucial protection feature,read the paragraph that follows section 15. See the tube layout chart on page 22 to locate V3's position on the amp chassis.
15PowerTubeMonitorV4
This LED lights up when the current flowing through the V4 power amp tube was too high and the power tube monitor system has switched that tube off.
The next paragraph provides details on this crucial protection feature. See the tube layout chart on page 22 to locate V4's position on the amp chassis.
AnimportantnoteonthePowerTubeMonitor(P.T.M.)system:
The electronic power amp monitoring system constantly gauges the current flowing through each power amp tube. If it rises to too high a level the system shuts down the given tube.
This can occur when the amp is operated incorrectly (for example, if the impedance is wrong due to an incorrect speaker load; see page 18 for permissible loads), at extreme power spikes, or when a tube is defective.
Reset this electronic monitoring system by switching the standby switch off and on again. When you press the standby switch to turn the amp on again, the system again measures the current sent to the tube. If it is still too high, the power amp must be checked by a service technician, and the tube may have to be replaced if it is defective.
IMPORTANT, PLEASE NOTE: do not flip the Stand By switch off and on in short time intervals if a P.T.M. LED (12, 13, 14, 15) indicates a tube failure. Let a few minutes pass by before you engage the poweramp again after you have switched it off!
16 Presence
This power amp voicing knob's setting determines the amount of high-end frequencies and affects all four channels.
17DepthPunch
This power amp voicing knob's setting determines the amount of lo-end frequencies and affects all four channels.
18 LeadGain-3
Gain control for the Channel 3, Lead (3). This Control knob determines input sensitivity when Channel 3 is active. Use it to dial in the desired amount of preamp saturation level.
A tip from the designer:
The two Lead channels offers distinctive tonal characteristics; thus they are suited for different playing styles and techniques. The leaflet “Sound setting samples" illustrates several application examples.
CAUTION: Extremely high gain and volume levels in Lead mode can produce powerful feedback. Avoid feedback squeals; they can lead to hearing loss and damage
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