Line 6 LD400 Pro, HD400, HD750, LD150, LD175 User Manual

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Pilot’s Guide

Manuel de pilotage

Pilotenhandbuch

Pilotenhandboek

Manual del Piloto

40-00-0300 Electrophonic Limited Edition available @ www.line6.com Rev D

All product names referred to in this manual are trademarks of their respective owners, which are in no way associated or affiliated with Line 6. These trademarks of other manufacturers are used solely to identify the products of those manufacturers whose tones and sounds were studied during Line 6’s sound model development.

You should read these Important Safety Instructions. Keep these instructions in a safe place.

Before using your LowDown, carefully read the applicable items of these operating instructions and the safety suggestions.

1. Obey all warnings on the amp and in the LowDown Manual.

2. Connect only to AC power outlets rated 100-120V or 200-240V 47-63Hz (depending on voltage range of the unit; refer to back panel).

3. Do not perform service operations beyond those described in the LowDown Manual. Service is required when the apparatus has been damaged in any way, such as:

• power-supply cord or plug is damaged

• liquid has been spilled or objects have fallen into the apparatus

• the unit has been exposed to rain or moisture

• the unit does not operate normally or changes in performance in a significant way

• the unit is dropped or the enclosure is damaged.

4. The bottom of the metal chassis can get hot during operation. Do not touch during operation or shortly after.

5. Do not place near heat sources, such as radiators, heat registers, or appliances which produce heat. Keep the rear of the unit at least three inches from walls or other items that might block heat radiation.

6. Do not block any of the ventilation openings or use in an enclosed space.

7. Guard against objects or liquids entering the enclosure. Do not use or place unit near water.

8. Do not step on power cords. Do not place items on top of power cords so that they are pinched or leaned on. Pay particular attention to the cord at the plug end and the point where it connects to the amp.

9. Unplug the amp when not in use for extended periods of time. Unplug the amp during lightning storms.

10. Clean only with a damp cloth.

11. Do not defeat the safety purpose of the grounding type plug. A grounding type plug has two blades and a third grounding prong. The third prong is provided for your safety. When the provided plug does not fit into your outlet, consult an electrician for replacement of the obsolete outlet.

12. Only use attachments/accessories specified by the manufacturer.

13. Prolonged listening at high volume levels may cause irreparable hearing loss and/or damage. Always be sure to practice “safe listening.”

Line 6, LowDown, POD, A.I.R, Floorboard, FBV, FBV Shortboard, FBV4 and FBV2 are trademarks of Line 6, Inc. All other product names, trademarks, and artists’ names are the property of their respective owners, which are in no way associated or affiliated with Line 6. Product names, images, and artists’ names are used solely to identify the products whose tones and sounds were studied during Line 6’s sound model development for this product. The use of these products, trademarks, images, and artists’ names does not imply any cooperation or endorsement.

CAUTION: This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B digital device pursuant to Part 15 of FCC Rules. Operation is subject to the following two conditions: (1) This device may not cause harmful interference, and (2) this device must accept any interference received, including interference that may cause undesired operation.

WARNING: To reduce the risk of fire or electric shock, do not expose this appliance to rain or moisture.

CAUTION: To reduce the risk of fire or electric shock, do not remove screws. No user-serviceable parts inside. Refer servicing to qualified service personnel.

The exclamation point within a triangle means “caution!” Please read the information next to all caution signs.

The lightning symbol within a triangle means “electrical caution!” It indicates the presence of information about operating voltage and potential risks of electrical shock.

This symbol within a triangle means “caution! hot surface!” It is placed in areas that may become to hot to touch when device is in operation.

1. Passive & Active Input - Start by using the passive input. If your bass’s output distorts the input section, switch to the active input. You are clipping the input when the TUNER/CLIP (see 11) button lights up. (A “passive” instrument has no built-in preamp and does not use a battery. Active Input - An “active” bass utilizes a battery operated preamp.)

2. Amp Models - Spin this knob to select one of 5 groovealicious Amp Models or Synth Bass. All the LowDown controls will automatically dial in to sound great with that Amp Model, so you can just play!

3. Drive - Like the volume or gain knob on other amps; controls how much “dirt” you get in your sound.

4. Tone Controls – Bass, Low Mid, Hi Mid and Treble controls are customized for each Amp Model to give you optimal tonal control.

5. Channel Volume - Without affecting your tone, this control helps you balance the volumes of different amp-and-effect setups that you store in your LowDown’s channel memories (see 10). Start with it at 2 o’clock then adjust the Drive and Tone Controls to get the sound you want, and then use Channel Volume to make your presets even in volume.

6. Opto Comp - Turn clockwise to even out your playing dynamics (more compression). Watch for the Threshold light, and set the knob so that it comes on just at the point where you play with your typical intensity.

7. Smart FX - Spin this knob to get great FX, fast and easy: This knob selects Envelope Filter, Octaver, or Chorus, with a range of settings – from subtle to overpowering – for each effect. The LED shows the active effect.

5 6 7 8

8. Master Volume - You can choose the overall volume of the amplifier, without affecting your tone.

9. Deep - Selecting Deep will kick in a special tone shaping eq that will dial in the model for supreme fatness.

10. Channel Memories - Four programmable channels come pre-loaded with great factory presets but can be used to save your own custom settings.

11. Tuner/Clip button - engages the built in tuner. (Watch the Amp Model LED’s to see what note you’re tuning.)

NOTE: The following controls are on the rear of some units.

12. XLR Direct Out - This gives the sound man a

simulation of a mic'd cabinet that is model specific. To the left of the input is a ground lift.

13. Mute Horn - (LD175, LD300 Pro and LD400 Pro only) Mutes the horn for those of you who are adverse to high frequencies.

14. CD/MP3 - Plug in any audio source and it feeds directly into the LowDown speaker or headphones so you can jam with your favorite music or a drum machine. Use the input devices output control to adjust it’s volume.

15. Foot Control - Plug in an FBV Shortboard, FBV Express or FBV2 foot switch to access some very exciting functions to be explained later in this manual. See the “Using Your Feet” for more information.

16. Headphone - Listen with headphones to your LowDown mixed with what ever you would like to input into the CD/MP3 jack.

17. Power - on or off. The amp sounds better on.

Additional outputs of the HD400, LD400 Pro & HD750.

PRE OUT

UNBALANCED

EXTENSION

SPEAKER

OUTPUT

MINIMUM 8 OHM LOAD

18. Preamp Out - Plug in here to send your sound to an external bass amp or power amp without a simulation of a mic'd cabinet. (HD400 & HD750 only)

19. Extension Speaker Output (LD400Pro only)

Only use an 8 Ohm Speaker cabinet when using the Extension Speaker Output.

20. Speaker Outs (HD400 & HD750 only) -

Only use a 4 Ohm speaker cabinet when running in mono. Only use 8 Ohm speaker cabinets when feeding a pair. Warning! Do not plug two 4 Ohm cabinets into either the HD400 or HD750 as it can result in damage to the amplifier.

PARALLEL SPEAKER OUTPUTS

MINIMUM 4 OHM OUTPUT AT 400 WATTS

CONNECT

8 Ohm pair

4 Ohm single

ONLY

Using Neutrik Speakon Output Connections

The LD400 Pro, HD400 & HD750 all feature Neutrik Speakon NL4 series high current twist-lock speaker output connections. These are used instead of standard 1/4-inch unbalanced speaker jacks to provide superior and safe coupling characteristics with professional grade bass guitar cabinets like the Line 6 LowDown 410 cabinet.

Pins 1+ and 1- are used so that a standard two conductor Speakon-to-Speakon cable can be used, or a two conductor Speakon-to-1/4-inch adapter.

Warning! If a Speakon-to-1/4-inch adaptor must be used, we recommend that the power amp be OFF when plugging the amplifier to a standard 1/4-inch cabinet input jack to prevent any risk of shock.

Warning! Do not use a Speakon Cable labeled “BRIDGE MODE” with the HD400 or HD750. This can cause damage to the amp.

Here’s the LowDown...

Thanks for choosing the Line 6 LowDown. We’re excited to welcome you to the Line 6 community. We’ve spent tons of time dialing in your new amp with artists and technicians to deliver a fabulous range of critical bass tones. The LowDown was inspired by some classic bass amps that shaped the tone of rock and roll such as the Ampeg® SVT®, Ampeg® B-15, or the Marshall® Super Bass–amps that deliver tone that will rearrange your insides. These were, and still are, the standard for professional bass players the world over. Unfortunately, many of them are incredibly heavy and can very quickly empty your checking account or max out your credit card, so most of us working stiffs have gravitated to one of many fine affordable portable amps with fairly generic tone. Until now….



With LowDown we have worked hard to bring to you, for the first time, serious stadium bass rig tone in a reliable/affordable combo and pro heads with plenty of power for any venue. We have spent countless hours modeling the best of the best and faithfully reproducing them on the very amp you’re probably sitting on or fondly staring at right now. Whether you are looking for that mind bending funk tone or that classic rock tone heard round the world, Line 6’s LowDown brings it to you. The endless search for the perfect versatile and reliable amp has come to an end…. now let’s get started!

All product names are trademarks of their respective owners, which are in no way associated or affiliated with Line 6. These product names, descriptions and images are provided for the sole purpose of identifying the specific products that were studied during Line 6’s sound model development. AMPEG® is a trademark of St. Louis Music, Inc. MARSHALL® is a trademark of Marshall Amplification Plc.

Some sage advice…

Here are a couple bits of wisdom that will hopefully make your LowDown experience a happy and productive one. Before you position your amp in your rehearsal space or venue, consider a couple of things:

• Getting closer to a wall will increase the amount of perceived low end from your amp, and for an added bonus, get in a corner for even more pronounced low end. (Or move away from the walls if your tone is too boomy!)

• What sounds like great tone on stage doesn’t always translate to the audience in the rest of the room. After you set up and get your tone, it is a good idea to walk 20 feet out into the room, if your cord will allow, and listen to what your amp sounds like. Adjust your tone to achieve the compromise of what you need to hear on stage, and what sounds good in the room. Happiness will abound!

• If you purchased the LowDown 150 with the 12” speaker and kick back design, note that the perceived tone will be change when the amp is tilted back. When you tilt it back and use it as your monitor you lose a bit of low end but gain volume and clarity. This is good when you are in a small club/church environment. If you are in the garage jamming with friends or a medium size club you may want to keep the amp in an upright position to fill the room with your sound.

Amp Model Details

Just as a great artist has many colors to paint with, you to will be able to paint your music in many colors, thanks to the wide range of tone available in the LowDown. Each of these models when selected automatically dials up a great useable default sound that you can then change to your liking and save into a preset using the channel memories the front panel or with an FBV foot controller.

Some helpful hints

We have given you model specific tone controls. They react as the actual amp would in a given situation. For instance turning the treble up all the way is a very different experience on each model. We would suggest that you pull up an amp and start with these controls at 12 o’clock and the drive down, then decide what you want to hear from there.

If you want more low end, ask yourself if you want more round thick low end or do you want punchy low end. This will help you determine if you should add Bass or Low Mid to your sound. Sometimes adding Low Mid gives you the bottom you want with a punchier sound. The same goes for the high end, are you looking for clarity for your note or a percussive attack? If you want clarity many times Hi Mid will give that to you without adding the percussive attack.

Drive

This control is used to overdrive the preamp in order to get various distorted sounds. In the fully counter clockwise position is the cleanest least distorted sound and as you turn it clockwise you bring in distortion. Adjust to your taste.

Tone Controls

Bass, Low Mid, Hi Mid and Treble controls are customized for each Amp Model to give you optimal tonal control. These controls will help you to shape the tone you hear in your head.

Opto Comp - The compressor control adjusts the threshold of the compressor. The farther the control is rotated clockwise, the more dramatic the compression becomes which brings a more even dynamic to your sound. When completely in the counter-clockwise position, the compressor circuit is off. As you turn the knob clockwise, the threshold at which the compressor kicks in is lowered. The LED to the left of this control will light when the compressor hits –5db of gain reduction, which is a very good place to start.

Amp Model Descriptions

Clean

This model is all about clean, funk and fusion bass tone. It’ll give you all the warm lows and punchy highs you need. This sound was crafted during our studies of the Eden Traveler.

R & B

This Amp Model is a tribute to those late 60’s and early 70’s clean fat bass tones. It is the kind of tone you here on most Motown recordings, as played by a pioneering young James Jamerson. This Amp Model draws on our analysis of a 1968 B-15 Flip Top.

Rock

This sound was crafted during our studies of the ’74 Ampeg SVT. This workhorse has appeared on innumerable recordings and arena stages worldwide. And now all the tone of the 300 lbs behemoth 8X10 and head is available in your versatile, reliable and much lighter head or combo!

Brit

’68 Marshall Super Bass. Enough said. The Super Bass covers the kind of overdriven bass sound brought to us by late ‘60’s British rock pioneers such as Cream and The Who as well as ‘70’s giants Yes and Rush.

Grind

As the name would suggest, this is for you modern rock lovers, Alice in Chains, Mudvayne and Rage against the Machine. This model is based on a distorted SansAmp PSA-1 into an SVT with direct clean bass signal mixed in for that angry, clear and punchy aggression that takes your sound to DEFCON 1.

Synth

Remember the Gap Band or the Dazz Band? How bout Marilyn Manson or NIN? They all incorporate Synth Bass into their music and now you can too with this synth that we based on the classic synths of the 70’s. See the following page for a breakdown on Synth controls.

All product names are trademarks of their respective owners, which are in no way associated or affiliated with Line 6. These product names, descriptions and images are provided for the sole purpose of identifying the specific products that were studied during Line 6’s sound model development. AMPEG® and Sansamp® are trademarks of St. Louis Music, Inc. MARSHALL is a trademark of Marshall Amplification Plc.

About the Synth:

Selecting the Synth re-works the amp controls to give you Analog Synth control over the Bass Synth. Here’s what happens:

Drive

Adds post filter distortion. Start with this knob at 10 o’clock for a little dirt.

Waveform (Opto Comp)

A number of Waveforms are offered on this knob:

Cutoff (Bass)

Filter Frequency Cutoff. Start with this at 10 o’clock for deeper synth tones.

Resonance (Low Mid)

As you turn this knob clockwise you bring in resonance, think laser sounds.

Envelope (High Mid)

Filter Envelope Depth. The Filter Envelope is triggered every time you play a new and clear note. The Envelope amount controls how much the filter will open each time you play a note.

Attack/Decay (Treble)

Filter Envelope Rate. Controls the speed of the Filter envelope from fast to slow. Start with this control at 9 o’clock for typical Synth bass sounds.

OPTO COMP

WAVEFORM

The waveforms are split into 2 parts. Part 1 goes from sawtooth to triangle. Part 2 square wave to square wave with lots of pulse width modulation. Start at 9 o’clock for a fat tone.

Deep

Adds a octave down triangle wave for even fatter Synth bass tone.

Note: Each of the Low Down Smart Effects unlock even more hidden features and tonal secrets buried in the Bass Synth. Do take some time to dial around to uncover the tonal riches within!

Smart FX:

The Smart FX knob gives you a trio of the most popular and usable bass effects known to man:

Envelope filter

Modeled after a Electro-Harmonix Q-Tron, this is the baddest envelope filter on the planet. You have heard this on your favorite P-Funk and Red Hot Chili Pepper recordings. An envelope filter is a wah-wah type effect that is controlled by the dynamics of your bass note instead of being controlled by your feet.

Octaver

Modeled after the EBS OctaBass, this effect produces a single note one octave below the pitch of the played note, adding a powerful new vibe to your sound.

Chorus

Modeled after the much loved T.C. Electronic® Chorus, this is the most transparent, smooth and expressive chorus for bass ever built. Using it does not reduce your low end. It is especially beautiful on fretless bass.

For each of these effects you can choose anything from a subtle hint of change to total tone-bending sounds. While turning the knob, LowDown adjusts all the individual controls of the modeled effect to automatically give you a complete range of sounds, without having to mess with multiple knobs and switches. (We figured you would appreciate making music instead.)

All product names are trademarks of their respective owners, which are in no way associated or affiliated with Line 6. These product names, descriptions and images are provided for the sole purpose of identifying the specific products that were studied during Line 6’s sound model development. T.C. Electronic® is a registered trademark of T.C. Electronic A/S Corp. EBS® is a registered trademark of EBS. ELECTRO-HARMONIX® is a trademark of New Sensor Corp.

Channel Memories:

CAUTION!! Pressing one of these buttons could result in a tonal assault of epic proportions, proceed with caution. In all seriousness though, we have preloaded these four buttons with very popular and usable presets. But you can also store your own presets here as well. You can always get the factory presets back so don’t worry, change them to your hearts content.

Saving

To store your own “snapshot” of all knob positions (except Master Volume), press and hold one of these four buttons for two seconds. The LED flashes twice when the save is complete. To copy from one channel to another, press the button for the channel you want to copy from; now press and hold the button of the new channel location until the LED flashes twice. But wait, there’s more! If you would like to access more than four presets, buy an FBV Shortboard and you can access 36 custom delicious tones or store 36 of your own.

When LowDown is operating in Manual Mode, all of the controls are active and the sound of the amp is determined by the current knob settings. Just like a regular amplifier.

Tuner Mode

Press the Tuner button and you get an instant digital tuner. The volume is muted during tuning. Press any button to exit Tuner Mode.

The Amp Model LEDs correspond to the following strings on the bass guitar:

Clean = B string R & B = E string Rock = A string Brit = D string Grind = G string Synth = C string

Manual Mode: What You See Is What You Get

Press A, B, C or D to recall one of the 4 Channel Memories, press that button again and the channel light will go out and you will be in “manual mode.” When you are in manual mode none of the Channel Memory buttons are lit.

The Channel memory LEDs will indicate when the string you are playing is in tune. Channel B and C should both light GREEN when the string is in tune. If channel A or B LED is lit AMBER then the sting is flat. If channel C or D LED is lit AMBER then the string is sharp.

XLR Direct Output

This is your Direct Out for recording or sending your sound to a house sound system when you’re playing live. This output utilizes Line 6’s exclusive A.I.R. processing which has made Line 6 products like POD the undisputed standard for recording direct. The level of this output is set via Channel Volume and has a ground lift switch to lift the ground if your direct out is causing a buzz in the sound/recording system you are connected to. A bit of advice, many pro sound engineers here at Line 6 have made the direct out experience from this amp a beautiful one. Many sound engineers prefer to take a Pre Amplifier Direct Signal via a Direct Box. This is the de facto technique for getting basic bass tone in the house PA. When playing a gig in a club, ask the sound guy to consider using your direct out for amp and cabinet tone - they will not be disappointed!

Important

When using the direct out, there can be a ‘pop’ on the output on power up or power down. We recommend that you either disconnect the direct out or mute whatever the direct out is connected to before powering your LowDown on or off.

Mute Horn

Use this to bypass the horn on the LD175, LD300 Pro or LD400 Pro amps. Why would you want to bypass the horn you ask? Well, the horn has become a hotly disputed feature on modern bass amps. There are two schools of thought – Some go for the old school rock bass tone, with lots of sustain and a little distortion. Turns out that adding a horn to this kind of tone just makes it sound fizzy and cheap, so most Rock players prefer cabs without horns, or at least with the horn off. The second school of thought is the more modern jazz/funk/fusion/metal, (essentially everyone else) kind of player. They appreciate the articulation a horn can add to their tone, it emphasizes the attack of your tone, and makes for great R&B/slap tone! TIP: The LowDown knows where you’ve got the horn switch set, so we’ve done our work to make sure the Brit and Rock models don’t get fizzy even when the horn is engaged.

CD/MP3

Connect a CD player, MP3 player, drum machine or other device here, and you’ll hear it from LowDown speaker or headphone output. Very handy for jamming along! Use the output volume control on the connected device to set its level.

Phones

Connect your stereo headphones here to listen to your bass and/or your favorite CD and jam along for working on your favorite licks. Plugging in headphones disables your speaker output.

FBV foot controllers come with an included RJ-45 cable. Connect this cable between the LowDown and the side of the FBV. If you ever need a replacement cable, look for a Category 5, 10 Base-T or RJ-45 cable with male connectors on both ends. These can be found at almost any computer supply retailer.

Factory Reset of all Presets

You can reset all 36 of your LowDown programmable channels to their factory-programmed states by holding down the Channel A button as you turn on the power. Warning: This will erase ALL custom sounds you might have created. Ask yourself, “Do I really want to do this?” If your answer is yes, then go for it!

Using Your Feet

The FBV Shortboard includes all the controls needed to make your LowDown experience the best possible. Also available are the FBV Express for channel switching and Vol/Wah control and FBV2 for channel scroll. Note that the Line 6 Floor Board and FB4 foot controllers will not work with LowDown.

NOTE: Do not use a “cross-over” CAT-5 cable, as it may send voltage to unintended locations of your FBV controller and damage the unit.

FBV2

1. Functions as a two button channel scroll foot switch. This foot switch allows you to scroll through the 4 channels (the A,B,C & D buttons) of your LowDown.

FBV Express

1. Channel A, B, C & D: Select from the four Channel Memories. Manual mode: Press and hold lit channel.

2. FBV Pedal: Press the pedal forward to click the toe-switch, turning the pedal from Volume to Wah. The Wah is modeled after a vintage Tycobrahe ParaPedal Wah. You can use it as a wah that sounds like a foot controlled envelope filter or park it at a desired sound for some Sub Dub sounds.

3. Wah and Volume Lights: These light to show that a pedal is ready to control Wah or Volume.

Using your FBV Express Tuner

FLAT SHARPIN TUNE

UNTIL DISPLAY SHOWS

PRESS & HOLD

DONE TUNING? PRESS ANY OF THE A,B,C OR D FOOTSWITCHES

NOTE FLAT

FBV Shortboard

1. Channel A, B, C & D: Select from the four Channel Memories 

2. Bank Up - Bank Down: The FBV Shortboard gives you 9 banks of 4 channels each. Bank 1 is the same 4 memories you get from the LowDown front panel A,B,C, and D buttons when no FBV is connected. Also, the LowDown front panel A,B,C, and D buttons are the 4 presets from the currently selected bank on Shortboard.

3. Stomp/Mod/Delay/Reverb: You guessed it! These switch the LowDown effects on and off as if they were stomp boxes on a pedal board. We have included stickers to re-label your Shortboard.

STOMP turns the Smart FX on and off. MOD turns the compressor on and off. DELAY turns the Deep switch on and off. REVERB does nothing; it is just there for you to

stomp on, if you want to, so the crowd will think you are cool.

4. Tap/Tuner: LowDown does not use a delay so this is just to kick in the tuner. Hold this switch until you see the tuner on the pedal’s display. Press it again to exit tuner mode.

5. Wah and Volume Lights: These light to show that a pedal is ready to control Wah or Volume. Note: Pressing the pedal fully forward to click the toe-switch selects its control between Wah or Volume. If a separate expression pedal is connected to the rear panel 1/4inch jack, the pedal controls Wah only, with the toe switch toggling the Wah on/off.

6. External Pedal Jack: You can connect an expression pedal (such as the Line 6 EX-1) to the Shortboard’s rear panel 1/4-inch jack, and the connected pedal will control Volume.

7. FBV Pedal: Press the pedal forward to click the toe-switch, turning the pedal from Volume to Wah. The Wah is modeled after a vintage Tycobrahe ParaPedal Wah.

Saving with FBV Shortboard

To prepare for saving, it’s a good idea to browse through the various factory-stored preset sounds to decide which you can do without. Make a note of their Bank number and Channel letter so you can save your own sounds there instead.

Save

Step and hold on the FX LOOP switch until “NAME EDIT” is displayed. The Shortboard’s STOMP and MOD switches then select one of the characters of the channel name so you can edit it. The DELAY and REVERB switches choose from the available letters, numbers and symbols. The Bank Up and Bank Down switches then pick a Bank you’d like to save within.

Complete the Save

Press the A, B, C or D switch to store to that Channel Memory in the selected Bank. The display will show “SAVING”. Congratulations, you’re all done!

Line 6 LD400 Pro, HD400, HD750, LD150, LD175 User Manual

Specifications and Main Features

Frequently Asked Questions

User Manual