Pilot’s Handbook
40-00-0007 |
Electrophonic Limited Edition |
Rev B |
Before using your Variax you should read these Important Safety Instructions. Keep these instructions in a safe place.
1.Obey all warnings in this Pilot’s Handbook.
2.Do not place near heat sources, such as radiators, heat registers, or appliances which produce heat.
3.Guard against objects or liquids.
4.Power the XPS Footswitch only with the included PX-2 Power Supply or equivalent.
5.Connect the PX-2 Power Supply only to AC power outlets rated 100-120V or 230V 47-63Hz (depending on the voltage range of the included power supply).
6.Do not step on power cords. Do not place items on top of power cords so that they are pinched or leaned on.
7.Unplug your Variax and XPS Footswitch when not in use for extended periods of time.
8.Do not perform service operations beyond those described in the Variax Pilot’s Handbook. Repairs and service operations beyond the scope of those in the Pilot’s Handbook should be performed only by qualified service personnel.
9.Prolonged listening at high volume levels may cause irreparable hearing loss and/or damage. Always be sure to practice “safe listening.”
Your Variax should include these accessories:
Gigbag, XPS Footswitch, PX-2 Power Supply,TRS Cable, 1.5mm Allen wrench, 4mm Allen wrench
WARNING: To reduce the risk of fire or electric shock, do not expose this appliance to rain or moisture.
CAUTION: No user-serviceable parts inside. Refer servicing to qualified service personnel.
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.
Please Note:
Line 6, Variax, POD, Vetta and the Line 6 and Variax logo 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.
Table of Contents |
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Welcome toVariax ................................. |
1–2 |
Basic Operations......................................... |
3-6 |
Connections |
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Battery Power |
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XPS Footswitch Power |
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XPS Footswitch Direct Out |
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Controls.................................................. |
7-10 |
Controls |
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Build a Custom Guitar |
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Contents of Custom Knob Positions |
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The Guitars ofVariax........................... |
12-22 |
General Notes About the Models |
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Pickup Numbering |
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Model Descriptions |
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Care and Maintenance ........................ |
23-24 |
Neck Relief Adjustment |
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Intonation Adjustment |
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Action Adjustment |
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Customer Service..................................... |
26 |
Warranty Information.............................. |
27 |
Welcome to Variax
Thanks for buying a Variax and joining us in our quest to apply the miracle of modern technology to the pursuit of great guitar tone. You now own detailed models of some of the most distinctive electric and acoustic guitars of all time—all wrapped up in a single comfortable and highly-playable instrument with a style all its own.
How does it work?
How do we get all of these sounds in a guitar that doesn't even have any visible pickups? We use piezo bridge pickups to capture each individual string’s vibrations, and process the signals through software algorithms that capture the physical and electronic properties of the guitars that we've modeled.
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This process dynamically alters Variax’s own natural |
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string vibrations to match the modeled instrument's |
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unique tonal characteristics. That means there’s no |
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delay caused by having to detect a pitch and turn |
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it into a MIDI note, and there’s also no issue with |
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tracking bends, hammer-on's, pull-off's, slides or |
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any other techniques that are a part of your style. |
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Plus, since Variax delivers its uncannily accurate |
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sounds without the use of traditional magnetic |
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pickups, it isn't susceptible to hum from fluorescent |
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lights or computer monitors. |
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How did we manage to capture the tonal souls of all these classic guitars and spirit them into your Variax? We’re glad you asked.…
The Dream...
A couple of years before Variax was born, we turned our attention from the PODs, amps, and effects that we had been developing to take a fresh look at the guitar itself. Like all guitarists, we were intimately familiar with the unique pleasures that come from various instruments, and the great tonal variety that the world of electric and acoustic guitars has to offer. We wondered—could it be possible to capture a complete range of this tone in one single instrument? It was a daunting task, but then so was the idea of squeezing a whole collection of amps and effects into one little kidney bean shaped metal box. So we figured, why not give it a go?
What, we asked ourselves, might this marvel do? Well, for one thing, how about giving you access to an unprecedented number of certified classic sounds? How about letting you change from the sound of a 50’s solidbody to the sound of a 60’s electric 12string as easily as using a pickup selector switch? How about the round, smoky tone of a hollowbody
archtop or the full-bodied resonance of a dreadnought acoustic? How about the raspy growl of a resonator, or the buzzing drone of a sitar?
The Journey
We knew our sounds would have to be amazingly accurate to meet the needs of discriminating guitarists, so we began an intensive research project into guitar physics. Like Frankenstein’s lab, our own R&D facility became the site of round-the-clock investigations of the mysterious secrets of guitars’ life force. We systematically examined every factor that contributes to each guitar’s tone, and developed ways to measure the complex interactions of vibrating strings, resonant bodies, and magnetic pickups. Equally important, we developed ways to capture these interactions mathematically so we could get the same sounds from our own guitar-in- the-making.
As we refined our measuring and modeling techniques, we perfected a new, powerful hardware platform that could deliver our astoundingly accurate sounds. With the ability to switch sounds in the fraction of a second that it takes to slap a pickup selector switch to the next position. With less noise than a standard humbucker. That could be powered in a variety of ways. And, most importantly, that performs so flawlessly that you can forget it’s even there.
Of course, a guitar that delivers such a vast array of tones really needs a look all it’s own, so we started developing the look and feel of a guitar that could be used in any musical endeavor. We combined our innovative guitar modeling technology with a deceptively simple control layout and a comfortable, balanced body inspired by the best aspects of many of the guitars we had chosen to model.
With the body and brain of the Variax completed, it was time for us to create the soul. We auditioned a drool-inducing array of vintage instruments to find the ones with the most distinctive voices and personalities. We applied our painstaking measuring techniques to these specimens, and refined our models while constantly referring back to the originals for accuracy. When each model reached the point of not only sounding like the original, but also being as much fun to play, it was done.
The result of our labors? Variax. An entire guitar collection in a single instrument.
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Basic Operations
Connections
You may have already noticed that the Variax has two output connectors: a familiar 1/4-inch jack and a second “mystery” jack protected by a rubber cap. This “mystery” connector will be the way you will add future upgrades and additional capabilities to your Variax, but all of the operations described in this manual will use the 1/4-inch output.
Guitar Cable to Amp
The simplest way to use the Variax is to connect it directly to your amplifier (or stompboxes) with a standard mono guitar cable.
Battery Power
Of course, the electronics of the Variax will need power, so you’ll have to install six AA cells in the on-board battery compartment. If you use fresh alkalines, you should get approximately 12 hours of continuous operation.
The battery will only be used when a mono cable is connected – the standard cable you’d use for a guitar. For longest battery life, always unplug your Variax when not in use.
NOTE: If you find yourself at a gig with no AA cells, you can unclip the plastic battery holder from the connector and substitute an ordinary 9V battery. This is only an “emergency” alternative, though, as the battery will only last 1 to 2 hours
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XPS Footswitch Power
We realize that constantly changing batteries can be a real drag, so we included a more convenient option—the unobtrusive yet capable XPS Footswitch.
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PX-2 Power Supply |
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XLR |
POWER |
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To Amp |
1/4” |
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To Variax |
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Tip |
Sleeve |
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Ring |
Powering your Variax with the XPS Footswitch is easy. Use the included TRS cable (meaning “tip- ring-sleeve” or also simply known as a “stereo” cable) to connect the Variax to the INPUT jack of the XPS Footswitch. Connect the PX-2 power supply to the XPS Footswitch POWER jack, and use a standard mono guitar cable to connect the XPS Footswitch’s 1/4" OUTPUT to your amp or effects.
Mono Cable
TRS Cable
NOTE: If you have batteries installed in your Variax, they will be bypassed when using your XPS Footswitch. If the guitar is connected to the XPS and the XPS power is disconnected, any batteries installed in the Variax will be drained.
Cable Specifications
If you happen to lose the Custom Cable supplied with your Variax, you can obtain a replacement from Line 6 Customer Service (see page 24 of the Pilot's Handbook for contact information). You can also simply use any high-quality TRS cable up to 18 feet.
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XPS Footswitch Direct Out
But wait—there’s more: Not content to merely provide power to the Variax, the eager to please XPS Footswitch also functions as a combination A/B switch and direct box.
Why, you ask? Well, the detailed acoustic models of the Variax may lack something when played through an electric guitar amplifier, because these guitar amps don’t have the extended high frequency range of, say, an acoustic guitar amp with a tweeter, or a PA system. To insure that you get that allimportant high end shimmer from your acoustic sounds, here’s the drill:
Connect your guitar cable from the XPS 1/4" OUTPUT jack to your amp and/or stompboxes. Connect the (balanced, +4 dBu compatible) XLR OUTPUT of your XPS to your PA system or acoustic amplifier with a standard mic cable.
When the 1/4" indicator light is lit on your XPS Footswitch, you’ve got your guitar routed to your standard amp. Jump on the switch to light the XLR indicator light, and your signal will now be routed to the XLR OUTPUT, bathing you in the tonal glory of full frequency range sound!
XLR Hum and A/B Switching
The XLR output of the XPS is designed to connect to the balanced inputs that are typical on good quality mixers and recording systems. Connecting the XLR output to a device with an un-balanced input may cause hum on that device when the XPS 1/4-inch output is selected. You may be able to use an XLR to 1/4-inch in-line transformer (the kind that does impedance matching as well as adapting the connectors) to eliminate the hum. Better yet, if you find that you want to be able to send your Variax's output to two separate, un-balanced devices with 1/4-inch inputs (like guitar amps, say) we recommend the use an of ordinary A/B switch connected to the 1/4-inch output of the XPS.
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