LD15
Pilot’s Guide
Manuel de pilotage
Pilotenhandbuch
Pilotenhandboek
Manual del Piloto
40-00-0177 Electrophonic Limited Edition available @ www.line6.com Rev A
Line 6 and LowDown 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.
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 LD15 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 LD15 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.”
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.
Low Down Pilot’s Guide © 2008, Line 6, Inc.
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
too hot to touch when device is in operation.
INPUT
1
CLEAN R&B ROCK GRIND THRESHOLD
2
3 5 6 7
DRIVE OPTO COMPTREBLEHI-MIDLO-MIDBASS
4
FILTER
OFF
SMART FX
OCTAVER
CHORUS
LD 15
MASTER
15 Watts / 8 inch
PHONES /
CD /
RECORD OUT
MP3 IN
8
9
POWER
10
1. Input – The front panel amp model and tone
controls, plus the top panel effects, all apply to the
Bass that’s connected here.
2. Amp Models – Select one of these buttons to
select one of 4 groovealicious Amp Models and all the
LowDown controls will automatically dial in to sound
great, so you can just play! These buttons come preloaded with great factory presets but can be used to
save your own custom settings.
3. Drive – is 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. 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.
6. 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.
7. Master Volume – You can choose the overall
volume of the amplifier, without affecting your tone.
8. 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. The instrument input must have a plug
inserted to allow the input from the CD/MP3 player
to be heard. Use the input device’s output control to
adjust its volume.
9. Headphone – Listen with headphones to your
LowDown mixed with what ever you would like to
input into the CD/MP3 jack.
10. Power – On or off. The amp sounds better on.
Here’s the LowDown...
Hey. 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, and 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 gravitate
to one of many fine portable utility combo 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
portable/affordable combo. 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,
the Line 6 LowDown brings it to you. The endless
search for the perfect small gigging amp has come to
an end…. Now let’s get started!
Some sage advice…
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)
*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 SVT are registered trademarks of St. Louis Music, Inc. Marshall is a registered trademark of Marshall Amplification Plc.
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 leave or change to your liking and save
by pressing and holding the button for 2 seconds.
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.
Experiment with the tone controls because we have
given you a range of tone that has never been available
in a combo before.
Drive
This control is used to overdrive the preamp in order
to get various distorted sounds. In the fully counterclockwise 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 right 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 hear 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 combo!
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.
*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
SVT are registered trademarks of St. Louis Music, Inc.
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
Peppers 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 TC 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.
Saving
To store your own “snapshot” of all knob positions
(except Master Volume), press and hold the current
model button for two seconds. The LED flashes twice
when the save is complete.
CD/MP3
Connect a CD player, MP3 player, drum machine or
other device here, and you’ll hear it from LowDown’s
speaker or headphone output. Very handy for jamming
along! The instrument input must have a plug inserted
to allow the input from the CD/MP3 player to be
heard. 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.
Factory Reset of the Model
Defaults and a Special Hidden
Feature
You can reset all 4 of your LowDown’s programmable
models to their factory-programmed states by pressing
and holding down the Clean model button as you turn
on the power. Clean will flash to tell you the reset is
complete. 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!
Also, there is a very popular sound that you may have
seen on the LD15 big brothers. We have given you a
secret way to change the Clean model to be the Brit
model and put your LD15 into Rock Mode. Press and
hold the Clean and R&B model buttons as your turn
on the power. Clean and R&B will flash back and
forth to indicate that you have changed the Clean
model into the Brit model.
Brit
Based on* a ’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.
If you would like to return the Clean model to the
LD15 just press and hold the Clean and R&B model
buttons as you turn on the power. Clean and R&B will
light solid to indicate that you have restored the Clean
model. As long as you don’t mind losing your settings
for Clean and Brit, you can change from Normal Mode
to Rock Mode anytime you want.
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. MARSHALL™
is a trademark of Marshall Amplification Plc.
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