Koch Guitar Electronics Supernova Operating Instructions Manual

OPERATING INSTRUCTIONS GB

 2008 Koch Guitar Electronics

We, Koch Guitar Electronics, Neonweg 27, 3812RG Amersfoort, The Netherlands, declare under our sole responsibility that the product:

Guitar Amplifier

To which this declaration relates is in conformity with the following harmonized standards:

* EN 50081-1 [1991] Electromagnetic compatibility. Generic emission standard.

Part 1 : residential, commercial and light industry;

* EN 50082-1 [1991] Electromagnetic compatibility. General immunity standard.

Part 1 : residential, domestic and light industrial environment;

* EN 60065-1 [1993] Household electronic apparatus

Part 7 : Heating under normal operating conditions

* EN 60335-1 [1988] Safety of household and similar electrical appliances.

Part 1 : general requirements

following the provisions of Council Directive 98/336/EEC on the approximation of the laws of the Member States relating to electromagnetic compatibility and the provisions of Council Directive 73/23/EEC on the approximation of the laws of the Member States relating to low voltage and electrical safety.

Amersfoort, 1 December 2007

Dolf Koch

Normal

Volume

Drive Gain

Bass

Volume Volume

Mid Treble High Gain Ultra Gain

Bass Presence Bass

Volume Volume

Mid Mid

Presence Bass

Treble Treble

Mid Treble Master-1

OTS Drive Spring Reverb

Master-2

OTS Volume

Bright Clean

Inputs

1 4 5

2 3

Bass

S-1

CHs

Mid

S-2

OTS

Bright

P-1

Master

Voicing

FX Loops

Power Standby

Hi-Cut

P-2

Reverb

STORE

Speaker Damping

H M L

-5

0 10 0 10 0 10 0 10 0 10 0 10 0 10-5 +5 -5 +5-5 +5 -5 +5-5 +5 -5 +5 -5 +5

9910101111121213131414151516

11 12 13 14 15 16 20 21 22 23

24292530263127 28

32 33

10 17

MODEL 6060

MODEL 120

Fuse

Power

AT1.25A

Ceramic

AT1.25A

Ceramic

Off

VAC:

50/60 Hz, 250 Watts

Fuse -100/120V: (T) 220/240V:

230

115

100

6.3A

3.15A

-10dBV Signal Level

Mute-to-Tune

(Mono)

(or)

Channels

ChannelSelect

MIDI

11223344556

FXMute

Master1/2

From FX

Level

Level Level

From FX

ToFX

Thru

Serial FX Loops

Loop S1

Loop S2

Loop P1

Loop P2

Parallel FX Loops

ToTuner

MIDI

FS2

FS6

Speaker Outputs

ALWAYS CONNEC T SPE AKERS BEFO RE US E !!!

ALWAYS CONNECT SPEAKERS BEFO RE US E !!!

120 WattsO utputPo wer

1x 4

1x 8

2x 8

2x16

Stereomod e:2x 60 Watts Output Power Mono mode:60 Watts Output Power (L)

R Power Amp

Stereo

Mono

On Off

Mute switch onFrom-FX

Mute switch onTo-FX

E N G L I S H

Thank you forchoosing the Supernova from KOCH. You now own a "state-of-the-art" all-tube guitar amplifier of the highest quality. The Supernova has been designed and built by people who - fromtheir own experience as musicians - take guitar sound and quality very seriously. That is why this product was designed and built with the utmost care in order to meet all professional standards. Our goal was not only to design an amp which sounds fantastic and is easy to operate, but also to build it in such a way that it will serve you loyally for many years to come. Please take your time to read this manual carefully before you switch on the Supernova and also please fill in the warranty card and mail it. Thanks and lots of success with your new Supernova!

CAUTION: * BEFORE PUTTING INTO OPERATION

READ THESE OPERATING INSTRUCTIONS

CAREFULLY. * NO USER SERVICEABLE PARTS INSIDE. * REFER SERVICING TO QUALIFIED

SERVICE PERSONNEL ONLY.

WARNING:

* TO REDUCE THE RISKS OF ELECTRICAL SHOCK, DO NOT

REMOVE THE COVER.

* TO REDUCE THE RISK OF FIRE OR SHOCK HAZARD, DO

NOT EXPOSE AMPLIFIER TO RAIN OR MOISTURE. * THIS APPARATUS MUST BE EARTHED. * TUBES ARE HOT. DO NOT TOUCH DURING OPERATION.

FRONT PANEL FUNCTIONS

[1] INPUTS

NORMAL - Input for standard instruments, e.g. guitars with single-coil pickups. BRIGHT CLEAN - Input for high-output instruments, e.g. guitars with humbucker pickups. This

input has 6dB gain reduction to prevent overload and a filter which compensates guitar cable losses by boosting the high frequenciesas of 3Khz. (Due to their higher coil impedance, humbucker pick-ups suffer more from cable losses than single-coils, which may result in lack of sparkle in the clean sound)

NOTE: The BRIGHT CLEAN input only changes Channel 1, the CLEAN channel, but does not affect the Channel 2-5, the distortion channels.

[2] VOLUME: Controls the volume levelof Channel 1, the CLEAN channel. [3] BASS, MID & TREBLE: Classic passive tone controls ofChannel 1. [4] DRIVE: This DRIVE knob controls the amount of distortion in Channel 2, a medium gain

Pre-EQ Overdrive channel. Cleaner sound is achieved at lower settings (3 to 5),at higher settings (5 to 10) medium overdrive occurs which will produce more sustain and distortion.

[5] VOLUME: Controls the volume levelof Channel 2. [6] BASS, MID & TREBLE: Classic passive tone controls thatregulate low, mid and high

frequencies respectively, of Channel 2.

In this Pre-EQ Overdrive channel thetone control circuit is located before the overdrive stage, therefore it pre-shapes the overdrive tone which results in a bluesy type of distortion with lots of sweet mid-range harmonics.

[7] GAIN: This GAIN knob controls the amount of distortion in Channel 3, a medium gain Post-EQ Overdrive channel. Cleaner sound is achieved at lower settings 3-4, at middle settings 4-6 medium overdrive occurs which will produce more sustain and distortion. At high settings 6-10 heavy overdrive occurs, adding a lots of sustainand compression.

[8] VOLUME: Controls the volume level of Channel 3. [9] PRESENCE: Controls the amount ofboost in the upper mid frequency range of Channel 3. [10] BASS, MID & TREBLE: Classic passive tone controls of Channel 3.

In this Post-EQ Overdrive channel the tone control circuit is located after the overdrive stage, therefore it shapes the final overdrive tone which results in a more raw and rock type of distortion with lots of grind anddynamics.

[11] GAIN: This channel has four gain stages and thereforedelivers lots of sustain and compression without losing dynamics. This GAIN knob controls the amountof distortion in Channel4. Cleaner sound is achieved at lower settings 3-4, at middle settings 4-6 medium overdrive occurs which will produce more sustain and distortion. At high settings6-10 heavy overdrive occurs.

[12] VOLUME: Controls the volume level of Channel 4.

[13] ULTRA-GAIN: This channel has five gain stages and therefore delivers endless amounts of sustain and compression. This ULTRA-GAIN knob controls the amountof distortion in Channel5. Distorted sound is already achieved at low settings 2-3, at higher settings 3-5 heavy overdrive occurs which will produce a more powerful distortion. Atthe highest settings 5-10 ultra overdrive occurs, adding tons of power, sustain and compression.

WARNING: This Ultra-Gain channel requires a guitar with low microphonic pick-ups and sufficient screening. Otherwise squealing and/or excessive hum and noise may occur if the Ultra-Gain knob is turned above "4".

NOTE: The GAIN and the ULTRA-GAIN controls of the Supernova are very powerful and

practical 'sound-creators'. These dual controls control the amount of amplification in two amplifier stages simultaneously and combine Driveand Gain-Boost in oneknob.

[14] VOLUME: Controls the volume levelof Channel 5. [15] PRESENCE: Controls the amount ofboost in the upper mid frequency range of Channel

4 and 5

[16] BASS, MID & TREBLE: Classic post-distortion passive tone controlsof Channel 4 and 5. [17] OTS DRIVE: This DRIVE knob controls the amount of distortion of the OTS circuit. [18] OTS VOLUME: Controls the volume level of the OTS circuit.

NOTE: OTS stands for Output TubeSaturation. The Supernova is equipped with a 0.5 Watt all-tube power amp, not for driving any speakers but pure for creating new harmonic structures. This unique feature enables you to add real tube-power-amp distortion to all your sounds, clean as well as distorted!If CH1 is on, you can create nice and musical saturation of clean tones; in CH2-5 you can really fatten up all your crunchy or even your high-gain distortion tones. If the OTS is activated the small tube-power-amp is placedin the signal path, like it was plugged in as an effects unit in an effects loop.

[19] REVERB: The Supernova has a built-in spring reverb unit. This knob controls the amount of the Spring Reverb signal mixed with the original dry signal.[20] MASTER-1: If activated, this master volume control can be preset at a lower rhythm level.

[21] MASTER-2: If activated, this master volume control can be preset at a higher solo level. All functions described in the section below can be linked to each of the Supernova's 5

channels. They are MIDI accessible and recordable with the Store button. [22] VOICING SWITCHES

BASS: Boosts the lowest frequencies inall channels. MID SHIFT: Shifts the operating frequency of the Treble controls in all channels from the

standard frequency of 2 KHz down to 800Hz, thus creating a very naturaland musically sounding boost in the middle frequencies.

BRIGHT: Boosts the high frequencies. Theeffect is subtle but therefore always instantly useable without having to re-adjust thetone controls. HI-CUT: Cuts the highest frequencies. Theeffect is most noticeable with distortion sounds. It removes any schratchiness and smoothens out the sound.

[23] SPEAKER DAMPING: This switch selects speaker damping between High, Medium and Low. In the H (HIGH) positionthe power amp damps the speaker’s owncone-movement which results in a more controlled sound (compare with shock breakers of a car). In the M (MEDIUM) position the power amp’s dampingof the speaker is less, which results in a more open sound. In the L (LOW)position the damping is minimal which enhances the sound in the low and the high frequencies. Which option is best depends on personal taste.

[24] CHANNELS: Selects channels 1-5 as long as the FS-6 footswitch (set to Channel Switching) is not connected.

[25] OTS: Activates the OTS circuit [see 17, 18] byplacing it in the signal path. [26] MASTER: Selects Master-1 [20] or Master-2 [21]. [27] REVERB: Activates the built-in spring reverb unit [19]. [28] STORE: Stores any combinations ofchoices made with the switches 22-32 in a MIDI

program number (1-128). When the lever is pushed down the STORE LED flashes for 2 seconds indicating that storage will beactivated. After two seconds the STORE LED will light continuously indicating that storage has takenplace.

When the FS6 is connected and set to "Channel Switching Mode" the STORE button now only stores your current choices as default start-up setting.

NOTE: if a stored combination of choices is changed, the STORE LED will burn on half power indicating that the choices made donot correspond with the stored data.

NOTE: By holding the lever of the STORE switch downwhile switching on the Power switch [see back panel 1], all storeddata can be RESET.

[29-32] FX Loops: Activate the two serial FX loops S1 and S2, and the two parallel FX loops P1 and P2.

[33] STANDBY: This switch allows the SUPERNOVA to be placedin Standby (green LED off) or Active (green LED on) mode. In Standby mode the tubes remain hot, but the amplifier isnot operational. The green LED monitors the internal HT power supply for the tubes. If the amp is switched from the Active to the Standbymode, the green LED slowly dims indicating that the HT power supply shuts down slowly. The SUPERNOVA remains (partly) operational until the LED is completely off.

BACK PANEL FUNCTIONS

[1] POWER: This switch turns AC power on (red LED on) and off (redLED off). When the

switch is off the amplifier is completely shut down. NOTE: When switching the amplifier on, leave the Standby switch [33] in the “Off” position for 5-10 seconds thus allowing the tubes to heat up before switching to the Active mode.

[2] A.C. POWER

POWER CORD INPUT: The SUPERNOVA is equipped with aworldwide power supply. It is possible to change one of three voltages, 100, 115 or 230 inside the SUPERNOVA. Either of these voltages will work worldwide with minor power differences. The SUPERNOVA will work on either 50 or 60 hertz. After changing the voltage, make sure fuses are replaced with printed ratings on rear of

amp.

FUSE: Both fuse and spare fuse are located within the cap of the fuse holder. Fuse sled can be removed with a screwdriver. If thefuse should fail, it must be replaced with the same type

and value in order to avoid damage to the amp and to prevent voiding the warranty.

WARNING: Only a qualified technician should attempt an input voltage change. Personal injury or equipment damage may occur if done incorrectly.

WARNING: A voltage change or fuse replacement should only be attempted when the power cord has been disconnected from its power source.

[3] HT FUSE: This fuse protects the power supply in case of tube failure. If it blows, check for a bad power tube. If tube-failure is not the cause, the SUPERNOVA should be taken to a qualified service center for repair. If the fuse should fail, it must be replaced with the same

type and value to avoid damage to the amp and to prevent voiding the warranty. [4] MIDI IN / FS-6 CONNECTOR:

Provides an input for a MIDI Footcontroller or for the KOCH FS6-SN Footswitch. Pin 6 & 7 of theDIN connector provide +12VDC (fused) phantom power for feeding the FS6SN footswitch. If a different MIDI Foot controller is used and if it is designed to accept an external +12VDC supply on pin 6 and/or 7, a special 7-pin MIDI cable must be used.

FS6-SN FOOTSWITCH

The optional FS6-SN Footswitch is equippedwith six switches and is able to operate in two different modes, which can be selected with the little slide switch on the bottom side.

CH - CHANNEL SWITCHING MODE The Six switches now have thefollowing functions:

- Five CHANNEL switches for selecting one of the five channels.

- One SOLO/RHYTHM switch for activating the Master-1 [front panel 20] or the Master-2 [front panel 21] volume control.

MIDI - SOUND SWITCHING MODE The FS-6 now operates as a simple MIDI Foot controller. The six switches now correspond with the first six (out of 128) MIDI programs.

NOTE: The first five switches now do NOT necessarily correspondwith the five channels anymore. In this mode it is advised to think more in creating six different Sounds than selecting channels.

[5] MIDI THRU CONNECTOR:

Provides an output for running theMIDI data through to another MIDI controlled apparatus e.g. an effects unit. If the FS-6 Footswitch is connected and set to the CHANNEL SWITCHING MODE this output is NOT active.

[6] MIDI CHANNEL SELECTOR:

Selects each of 12 MIDI channels.See MIDI IMPLIMENTATION CHART for further details. If all switches are in theOFF position, the SUPERNOVA receives all channels simultaneously (OMNI MODE).

[7] FS-2 JACK: Provides an input for the optional KOCH FS2-SN Footswitch.

FS2-SN FOOTSWITCH

The FS-SN footswitch has two switches:

- The left-hand switch is for silencing the amp except the MUTE-TO-TUNE output jack [8]. Thus providing the possibility for switching guitars or tuning yourguitar silently.

-The right-hand switch is for muting all effect signals atthe same time thus providing the possibility to switch between DRY andWET.

[8] MUTE-TO-TUNE JACK: Provides an output for connecting a Guitar Tuner. SERIAL EFFECTS LOOPS S1 AND S2: [9, 11] TO FX (=SEND): These jacks provide a buffered output from the preamp of the

SUPERNOVA and can be used to connect an external effects unit. These jacks must be connected with the input(s) of the effects unit(s) (see alsoCONNECTION DIAGRAM pages).

[10, 12] FROM FX (=RETURN): Thesejacks provide an input for external effects units and must be connected to the output of these units. When used they disconnect the preamp of the SUPERNOVA from the power amp.

PARALLEL EFFECTS LOOPS P1 AND P2: If these parallel loops are used, direct signal must be taken off the effects unit's signal

(for example with the effects unit's dry/wet mix control). [13, 16] TO FX (=SEND): These jacks provide a buffered output from the preamp of the

SUPERNOVA and can be used toconnect external effects units. These jacks must be connected with the input(s) of the effects unit(s) (see alsoCONNECTION DIAGRAM pages).

[14, 17] FROM FX (=RETURN): Thesejacks provide an input for external effects units and must be connected to the output of these units. The REVERB/FX MIX control allows volume adjustment of the external effects signal.

[15, 18] LEVEL: Controls the volumelevel of the effects signal inputted in the parallel effects loops P1 and P2.

All four FX loops (S1, S2, P1, P2) can be switched ON/OFF with the switches [29-32] at the front panel. The serial loops S1 and S2 are relay bypassed when switched OFF. The parallel loop P1 is relay muted on the FROM FX (return) jack when switched OFF. The parallel loop P2 is relay muted on the TO FX (send) jack when switched OFF, thus enabling delay effect signals to fully fade out.

NOTE: The effect loops operate ona -10dBV signal level which guarantees compatibility with both instrument-level effects like floor-pedals and guitar-processors, as well asline-level effects like professional 19 inch rack mount devices.

NOTE: If connecting an effects unit to the SUPERNOVA causes hum, a ground-loop may cause it.

[19, 20, 21] SPEAKER OUTPUT JACKS: Provided for connection of speaker(s) or speaker cabinet(s) with an impedance of 1x4/2x8 ohms, OR 1x8/2x16 ohms, OR 1x16 ohms. (see also CONNECTION DIAGRAM page)

WARNING: Never play the SUPERNOVA without a speaker connected. This may cause serious damage to either the power tubes and/or the output transformer. Always use speaker cable.

[22] STEREO/MONO SWITCH (Model 6060 only): Provided for switching theR(ight) Channel ON (STEREO) or OFF (MONO). In the OFF position the R(ight) Channel speaker outputs do not have to be connected to a speaker cabinet or a Loadbox.

POWER TUBE OPTIONS

Each type of power tube has its own distinctive sound character, therefore changingto a different type (or mix of types)of power tubes will also change the SUPERNOVA’s overall sound. Due to special bias control circuitry, the SUPERNOVA is able to accept almost anytype of power tube, for example: EL34, 6CA7, 6L6, 6550, KT66, KT77, KT88, KT90 and KT100. The SUPERNOVA is provided with two separate bias control trimmers (located inside on the PC board)

6060 STEREO VERSIONS One trimmer is for the twoleft power tubes and one for the two right power tubes, therefore either one quartet (=4 matched tubes) or two duets (= 2 matched tubes) of power tubes can be used. Also different types oftubes can be used for each side, for example the two left tubes may be EL34’s while the two right tubes are 6L6’s or 6550’s.

120 MONO VERSIONS One trimmer is for all four power tubes, a quartet (=4 matched tubes) of power tubes must be used. Also different types of tubes can be used, forexample 6L6, KT66, KT88 or 6550’s.

REPLACING TUBES

 SAFETY FIRST: DISCONNECT THE POWER CORDFROM ITS POWER SOURCE

AND LET HOT TUBES COOL.

 CHECK THE ‘TUBE LOCATION DIAGRAM’ ON THE CHASSIS FOR THE CORRECT

TYPE NUMBERS AND LOCATIONS.

 REPLACE TUBES ONLY WITH ORIGINAL KOCH HIGH QUALITY TUBES. [IF OTHER

TUBES ARE USED THE WARRANTEE OBLIGATION EXPIRES]

NOTE: Always have the amp rebiasedafter replacing the power tubes. Biasing instructions can be found inside the amp. Rebiasing the amp is not necessary only if KOCH power tubes are used with the same type and bias-class number.

If you have any doubts, please take no risks and let a qualified technician do the job.

Preamp and Power tubes wear out and have to be changed from time to time to maintain the SUPERNOVA's best performance. Tubes behave like strings, they lose highs, lows and dynamics and after a period of time they have to be replaced. Exactly when is hard to say but this is an indication: if you play almost every day change tubes each year, if you play once or twice a week change tubes every 2-3 years. Tubes rarely fail. If they arebad, these might be the symptoms:

PREAMP TUBES (ECC83, 12AX7, 7025):

- Microphonic whistling or squealing on one or both channels.

- No or low amp volume on one or more channels.

- Excessive noise on one ormore channels. POWER TUBES (EL34, 6550):

- Loud crackling that is notaffected by front panel controls.

- Intermittent or regular blowing fuses.

- Weird amp ‘distorting’.

- Hum. Changing a tube is a simple and quick fix for most problems in your amp.

In case of failure, just one bad power tube can be replaced withoutre-biasing only if a KOCH

tube with the same type and bias-class number is used.

If power tubes with a different or unknown bias-class numberare used for replacement, the two inner and/or the two outer tubes have to be replaced and the amp has to be rebiased.

Always use a set of four (one quartet), or two sets of two (two duets) matched replacement power tube sets to maintain the amp's best performance.

Again, if you have any doubts, please take no risks and consult your dealer and/or a qualified technician.

CHECK FOR UPDATESOF THIS MANUAL AT WWW.KOCH-AMPS.COM

MIDI DIP Switch Coding

See back panel [6])

S1 S2 S3 S4 S5 S6

OMNI 0 0 0 0 0 0

CH1 ON 0 0 0 0 0 CH2 0 ON 0 0 0 0 CH3 ON ON 0 0 0 0 CH4 O O ON 0 0 0 CH5 ON 0 ON 0 0 0 CH6 0 ON ON 0 0 0 CH7 ON ON ON 0 0 0 CH8 0 0 0 ON 0 0

CH9 ON 0 0 ON 0 0 CH10 0 ON 0 ON 0 0 CH11 ON ON 0 ON 0 0 CH12 0 0 ON ON 0 0 CH13 ON 0 ON ON 0 0 CH14 0 ON ON ON 0 0 CH15 ON ON ON ON 0 0 CH16 0 0 0 0 ON 0

0 = OFF

MIDI Implementation Chart

Function Number Recognized Remark Basic Channel OMNI

1-16OO

Depending on dipswitches

Program Change 0-127 O Preset 1-128

7 O Mute Active if value smaller than 64; else off 20 O OTS Active if value larger than 63; else off 21 O Master Active if value larger than 63; else off 22 O Reverb Active if value larger than 63; else off 23 O FX Loop S-1 Active if value larger than 63; else off 24 O FX Loop S-2 Active if value larger than 63; else off 25 O FX Loop P-1 Active if value larger than 63; else off 26 O FX Loop P-2 Active if value larger than 63; else off 27 O Low Active if value larger than 63; else off 28 O Mid shift Active if value larger than 63; else off 29 O Bright Active if value larger than 63; else off 30 O Hi-Cut Active if value larger than 63;else off 31 O All FX Loops Switches off if value smaller than 64