Line 6 Variax Acoustic 700 User Manual

ACOUSTIC

Pilot’s Handbook

40-00-0039 Electrophonic Limited Edition available @ www.line6.com Rev A

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. To avoid damage to Variax’s Digital Communications Connector, always use Line 6 supplied cables and replace the protective end cap
when not in use.

5. Power the XPS Footswitch only with the included PX-2 Power Supply or equivalent.

6. 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).

7. Do not step on power cords. Do not place items on top of power cords so that they are pinched or leaned on.

8. Unplug your Variax Acoustic and XPS Footswitch when not in use for extended periods of time.

9. Do not perform service operations beyond those described in the Variax Acoustic 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.

10. Prolonged listening at high volume levels may cause irreparable hearing loss and/or damage. Always be sure to practice "safe listening."

Gigbag, XPS Footswitch, PX-2 Power Supply, TRS Cable, Bridge Saddle Wrench, Truss Rod Wrench

Your Variax should include these accessories:

WARNING: To reduce the risk of fire or electric shock,

do not expose this appliance to rain or moisture.

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.

CAUTION: No user-serviceable parts inside. Refer

servicing to qualified service personnel.

Please Note:

Line 6, Variax Acoustic, Variax, POD, and the Line 6, Variax Acoustic 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

Welcome to Variax................................. 1–2

Basic Operations...................................... 3-6

Connections
Battery Power
XPS Direct Box Operation

Primary Controls........................................ 7

Volume
Mic Position
Compressor
Model Select

Instant Alternate Tuning........................ 8-10

Preset Tunings
Custom Tunings

Save Our Sounds....................................... 11

The Guitars of Variax Acoustic..........12-28

Care and Maintenance........................29-30

Customer Service..................................... 32

Warranty Information..............................33

Welcome to Variax Acoustic

Thanks for buying a Variax Acoustic and joining
us in our quest to apply the miracle of modern
technology to the pursuit of great acoustic guitar
tone. You now own detailed models of some of the
most distinctive acoustic instruments of all
time–wrapped up in a single comfortable and highly
playable guitar.

How does it work?

How do we get so much great acoustic sound from
the compact Variax Acoustic? We use piezo bridge
saddles, similar to the piezo pickup in many electric­acoustic guitars, to capture each individual string's
vibrations. We then process the signals through
software algorithms that capture the physical
properties of the guitars that we've modeled.

This process dynamically alters Variax Acoustic's
own natural string vibrations in real time to match
the modeled instrument's unique tonal
characteristics. That means there's no delay caused
by having to detect a pitch and turn it into a MIDI
note, and there's also no issue with tracking hammer­on's, pull-off's, slides, bends, slurs or any other
techniques that are a part of your style.
How did we manage to capture the tonal souls of

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these classic instruments for instant recall from

your Variax Acoustic? We're glad you asked....

The Dream...

Several years before Variax Acoustic 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. We wondered–could it be
possible to capture a complete range of guitar tone
in a single instrument? After a couple of years of
research, development, and countless hours playing
dozens of vintage electric and acoustic guitars, we
released the original Variax, the world’s first
modeling guitar. But while the Variax is perhaps
the ultimate general-purpose guitar, we also wanted
to specifically address the unique needs of the
acoustic musician.

How, we asked ourselves, can we use modeling
technology to improve such a traditional instrument?

The first requirement, of course, would be sound.
Since this new instrument would be dedicated
entirely to acoustic instruments, we developed new
algorithms that use all of the power of the Variax
brain to authentically re-create the complex timbres
of the vibrating strings and resonant bodies of the
guitars we were modeling.

Next, we decided to tackle a problem that had
plagued acoustic guitarists since the advent of
electrified music–how to get a great acoustic sound
on-stage and in the studio. With our unique Mic
Position control, you can adjust your tone the way
professionals do–by changing mic position. And
since our mic is a DSP algorithm, you don’t have
to worry about feedback or noise leakage.

Another key ingredient to both live and recorded
acoustic instrument sound is compression. To
further simplify the life of the Variax Acoustic
owner we decided to add a remarkably effective,
yet simple to operate compressor.

Many acoustic guitarists are fond of alternate
tunings, but re-tuning during a performance can
often become–literally–a show-stopper. To remove
this obstacle from between you and your creativity,
we gave the Variax Acoustic the ability to re-tune
for you, at the press of a button.

The Journey

Once we had decided what we wanted the Variax
Acoustic to do, we then had to figure out how to
make it work. As we refined the modeling
techniques we developed for the original Variax,
we created a guitar that would feel (and look) right

for the wide variety of musical environments in
which this instrument would live.

A guitar this different, with so many unique abilities,
deserved an equally unique approach to its on­board controls. So we worked out a way to give
the player simple ways to optimize the sound for
specific techniques and musical contexts. And easy
access to the memory and alternate tuning functions
that make the Variax Acoustic so amazingly
convenient. And of course, to fill our instrument
with the sounds of so many archetype acoustics, we
had to audition truckloads of vintage guitars to find
the ones with just the right sound. Just as we did
with the original Variax, we 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 Acoustic. An entire
acoustic collection in a single instrument.

2

Basic Operations

Connections

You may have already noticed that the Variax
Acoustic has two output connectors: a familiar 1/4­inch jack and a second RJ45 jack protected by a
rubber cap. The RJ45 connector will be the way
you will connect to Line 6 products with a “Variax”
input, and add additional sounds and abilities to
your Variax Acoustic in the future. The uses of the
RJ45 connection will be described in the owners
manual for the products that offer that input; all
of the operations described in this manual will use
the 1/4-inch output.

OR

Battery Power

Of course, the electronics of the Variax Acoustic
will need power, so to use this simple hookup, you'll
need to install six AA cells in the on-board battery
compartment. If you use fresh alkalines, you should
get approximately 10-12 hours of operation.

Battery Low Indication

Being surprised by a battery failure is no fun, so we
give you a warning when your AA’s are failing.
The indicator LED, if green, will give a short red
blink about once every second. If it’s red, it will
give a short green blink about once every second.
More on the indicator LED later…

The battery will only be used when a standard guitar
cable is connected. For longest battery life, always
"turn off" your Variax Acoustic by unplugging it
when not in use.

Simple Operation

The simplest way to use the Variax Acoustic is to
connect it directly to the mixer or an acoustic
amplifier with a standard mono guitar cable.

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NOTE: At the gig with no AA batteries? Unclip

the plastic battery holder from the connector and
swap in an ordinary 9V battery. This "emergency"
setup will give 1 to 2 hours of battery life.

XPS Direct Box Operation

We realize that constantly changing batteries can
be a real drag, so we included a more convenient
option–the unobtrusive yet capable XPS.

PX-2 Power Supply

Mono Cable

XLR

1/4”

POWER

Tip

To VariaxTo Amp

Sleeve

Ring

Powering your Variax Acoustic with the XPS is
easy. Use the included TRS cable (meaning "Tip­Ring-Sleeve" or also simply known as a "stereo"
cable) to connect the Variax Acoustic to the INPUT
jack of the XPS. Connect the PX-2 power supply
to the XPS POWER jack, and use a standard mono
guitar cable to connect the XPS's 1/4-inch OUTPUT
to your acoustic amp or mixer.

POWER

XLR

1/4”

TRS Cable

Use a standard XLR/mic cable to connect the XPS's
XLR output to feed a mixer or recorder's input with
a balanced, +4dBu "line level" signal. While you
can also connect this to some acoustic guitar amps,
you may get better results with the 1/4-inch cable,
because most amps like to receive a lower level
signal than the XPS's XLR puts out.

The XPS can also work as either an A/B or a
Standby switch. If, for example, you want to send
your DREADNOUGHT sound to the PA but want
to send your ROUNDNECK sound to an acoustic
amp, just use the switch: When the 1/4" indicator
light is lit on your XPS, you've got your signal
routed to the 1/4" OUTPUT. When the XLR

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indicator light is lit, your signal will now be routed
to the XLR OUTPUT. If you are only using one
of the outputs, selecting the other one is a handy
way to mute your output.

The Phantom Menace

When sending the XLR output of the XPS to a
mixing board, be sure that phantom power is either
off or not supplied to the XPS. Since phantom
power puts a healthy voltage on the cable, using
the A/B switching function of the XPS will produce
a very unhealthy pop in the speakers. The
soundman will not be pleased.

XLR Hum

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.

Cable Specifications

If you happen to lose the Custom Cable supplied
with your Variax Acoustic, you can obtain a
replacement from Line 6 Customer Service (see
page 32 of the Pilot's Handbook for contact
information). You can also simply use any high-

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quality TRS cable up to 18 feet in length.

NOTE: If you have batteries installed in your
Variax Acoustic, they will be bypassed when using
your XPS Direct box. If the guitar is connected to
the XPS and the XPS power is disconnected, any
batteries installed in the Variax acoustic will be
drained.

XLR Cable

To P.A., Mixer or Recorder

To Amp - Mono Cable

POWER

XLR

1/4”

TRS Cable

6

Primary Controls

Let’s start simple, and work up to the fancy stuff:

Volume

The center slider is also the most important. Push
it toward the Model Select knob to get louder.
Pretend to push it away from the Model Select knob
when people ask you to turn down.

Mic Position

The top slider (the one furthest away from you when
you hold the guitar) allows you to alter the position
of the modeled microphone. Here’s a simple way
to remember how it works: As you move the slider
closer to the soundhole (away from the Model Select
knob), the Mic Position is also getting closer to the
soundhole. Some of the instruments modeled in the
Variax Acoustic don't have a soundhole, but the
control will work similarly for these instruments.
When the slider is close to the Model Select knob,
the strings (and upper frequencies) are emphasized;
when the slider is close to the soundhole, the body
(and lower frequencies) are emphasized.

Compressor

The bottom slider allows you to change the level
of compression. A compressor usually has a lot of
controls to adjust, but we take care of all the

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complicated stuff for you. Just push the slider toward
the Model Select knob for more compression, and
away from the knob for less.

Model Select

The Model Select knob has several functions. First
of all, it allows you to choose the active instrument
model. Rotate the knob to choose from the 16
Variax Acoustic models. The name visible in the
slot is the active model. The LED will help you see
the name on dark stages, or in the closet if you are
very shy. The Model Select knob also lets you engage
the Instant Alternate Tuning function. With a
quick press on the knob, the LED will change from
green to red. Now, none of the notes are where you
thought they were! To learn the method to our
madness, refer to the next section, Instant Alternate
Tuning. But wait, there’s more: The Model Select
knob also lets you save any customizations you have
carried out. More on that in the upcoming Save
Our Sounds section

MIC POSITION

VOLUME

COMPRESSOR

.