Mesa/Boogie Flux-Drive Owner’s Manual

Owner’s Manual

SAFETY PRECAUTIONS:

• Read these instructions.

• Keep these instructions.

• Heed all warnings.

• Follow all instructions.

• Do not use this apparatus near water.

• Clean only with dry cloth.

• Be sure use only properly rated power adaptors or
universal power supplies (pedal board power supplies)
with appropriate attention paid to proper voltage, am­perage and ground schemes. Improper voltage/amper­age being provided to the pedal may cause poor tone,
inconsistent performance, damage to the unit, or all of
the above. Proper voltage, amperage and grounding
specs are supplied at the end of this manual.

• REPLACE THE BOTTOM LID after battery replace­ment before the unit is used. Some electronic parts
inside are static sensitive and can be damaged from
even a small static charge from contact with carpet or
other conductive surfaces. DO NOT SET A POWERED
UNIT “CONTROLS UP” ON A METAL (or any) SUR­FACE WITH THE BOTTOM REMOVED!

Congratulations on your choice of MESA/Boogie and wel­come to the MESA Family! The same passion for excel­lence, commitment to quality and dedication to customer
satisfaction is present in each and every product we make
in our one- and-only shop in Petaluma, California, U.S.A.
Rest assured that the very same people that hand-build
the finest amplifiers in the world built your pedal and you
have access to the same resources for help that all our
customers do. Call on us anytime and enjoy!

FLUX-DRIVE™

The FLUX-DRIVE offers a gain range that is similar to
Mesa’s GRID SLAMMER™ - in that it’s still an overdrive –
but it’s an Overdrive that goes farther up the gain-scale. It
also offers the more complete Tone shaping network with
individual TREBLE and BASS controls. This architecture
makes the FLUX-DRIVE a more complete preamp that
has versatility beyond that of the more classic Overdrive
pedals.

Setting the FLUX-DRIVE’s GAIN control low, a region
of subtle soft-clip threshold sounds are revealed. This
smoothly transitions to a more aggressive, harmonic-rich
middle zone that’s great for Classic Rock rhythm or Crunch.
At the upper end of the GAIN control real saturation begins.
The attack envelope gets rounder and more compressed
creating a thick, harmonically rich landscape to solo in.
This region is waiting to propel your guitar to the forefront
of a heavier mix and free you up… so your lead work can
be inspired and memorable.

FEATURES & CONTROLS

IN:

This ¼” phono jack is the Instrument Input for the
device. Plug the Output of your guitar into this jack with a
shielded cable of good quality. The jack is a switching type
jack and the circuit is turned on when a cable is inserted.
When the circuit is activated by inserting a cable, the inter­nal battery is being used to power it – so be sure to unplug
the cable from the INPUT when it’s not in use.

NOTE: The internal battery is switched to an “ON” state
(drawing voltage) by a switching element in the INPUT jack.
To prolong battery life, disconnect the cable from the ¼”
INPUT jack whenever the unit is not in use.

NOTE: IIf you wish to leave the INPUT connected perma­nently – as in a pedal board scenario – it is advisable to
power the unit with an external 9V DC power supply. When
an external (plug-in) DC 9-volt power supply is used to power
the unit, the DC jack on the pedal automatically disconnects
the battery to avoid battery wear and preserve its useful life.
If you are going to use external AC power either for long
periods or permanently in a pedal board set-up, remove the
internal battery to prevent (forgotten) battery corrosion.

OUT:

This 1/4” phono jack is the OUTPUT for the device.
Connect the OUTPUT to the Input of your amplifier (or the
INPUT of the next device in line) with a shielded cable of
good quality and of the shortest length possible.

NOTE: A Word on Cables… Always use shielded instru­ment cables of the best quality and shortest length possible
when connecting these types of devices. This will minimize
degradation of your sound, particularly high frequency

roll-off, due to the added capacitance in longer lengths of
cable. We recommend no more than 18-20 feet total (Input
and Output combined) between your instrument and the
termination at the INPUT of the amplifier. If you must use
longer cable lengths, you might consider the use of a Buffer
or Line Driver to keep the tonal integrity intact. While these
change the sound slightly, it will usually be preferable to top
end roll-off. And yes – those little 4” interconnects count
too, so count them in your cable length.

LEVEL:

This is the master output level and it controls the
amount of signal provided to the host amplifier. It can be
used either to balance levels to compensate for high GAIN
settings - so that no jump in level occurs when switched
out of BYPASS. Another application is higher LEVEL set­tings to purposefully send a hotter signal to the host amp
and “slam” the input stage for increased clip, drive or gain.

GAIN:

This control determines the amount of gain (over-

drive) in the signal path.

Set low (8:00 – 10:30) it produces a range of subtle over­drive that’s soft and furry, yet featuring the classic mid­punch associated with these types of circuits. This range
is great for pushed and clip-threshold rhythm sounds and
to add a slight bump for Blues solo sounds.

The middle range (10:30 – 1:30) offers the most useful
region of gain that begins to saturate but still retains a dy­namic punch that keeps notes expressive and tight. This
works well for both Rhythm and Solo work across many
styles of music.

The high range of the GAIN control (1:30 – 5:30) is all
about smooth saturation. This region is most suited for
single note soloing with its softer attack and more liquid
response. It also has some applications for big crunch
chording, but is not as harmonically complex in the top end
as some pedals that are dedicated to higher gain styles.

BASS:

This control works in tandem with the TREBLE
control to adjust low frequencies. Set low (7:30 – 12:00)
the sound will be skinny, tight and percussive. The higher
range (12:00 – 5:30) introduces rich, full low end that
rounds out the sound and adds low-end thump. Heavier
pick attack with higher BASS settings may produce a slow­er, less articulate feel as you “drag around” the extra lows.

TREBLE:

This control adjusts the amount of high fre­quencies present in the mix and – unlike devices with just a
TONE control - allows you to fine tune the high frequencies
separately from the low frequencies. The TREBLE control
makes up half of a more comprehensive tone control circuit
that offers greater flexibility over the entire frequency spec­trum. Set low (7:30 – 12:00) the sound will be darker, more
rounded and seemingly compressed. The upper range
of the TREBLE (12:00 – 5:30) brings in the cut, bite and
more open top-end to create a sound that is bright, tight
and aggressive.

AC POWER:

the pedal is the External Power Supply Jack and it accepts
the male plug from a standard 9-Volt DC“ wall-wart” power
supply. When installing your unit into a pedal board utilizing
a universal power supply (multi-output pedal board power

This standard female DC Receptacle on

supplies), connect the external power source here. SEE
WARNING BELOW!

NOTE: The Exter nal DC Power Supply is Not Included.
WARNING!!! To avoid immediate damage to your unit and
the voiding of your warranty, the Exter nal Power Supply
MUST be 9VDC with a NEGATIVE CENTER plug polarity
and a jack size of 2.1mm x 5.5mm. Do NOT connect a (Volt
AC Power Supply to the EXT Power Jack!

The internal battery is automatically disconnected by a
switching element in the External DC Receptacle on the
pedal. However, if you know you will not be using battery
power for an extended period – for example, if you are
mounting the unit to your pedal board permanently - it is
wise to remove the battery to avoid possible damage from
long-term battery corrosion.

INTERNAL BATTERY:

This unit can operate on either
a 9-Volt battery or a standard 9-Volt “wall-wart” DC power
supply. The unit is shipped from the Factory with a long-life
9-Volt Battery to facilitate easier trial demonstration in a
music store environment.

NOTE: The internal battery is switched to an “ON” state
(drawing voltage) by a switching element in the INPUT jack.
Disconnect the cable from the ¼” INPUT jack whenever the
unit is not in use to prolong battery life.

and remove it, note the orientation/direction of the battery
and terminals – and remove it. Replace if necessary.

NOTE: Any type of 9-Volt batter y will work in this device if
it is fully charged and functional. Carbon Zinc, Alkaline or
even Nickel Cadmium Rechargeable type batteries are all
acceptable replacements. Some pedal aficionados prefer
the “sweetness” they claim to hear from standard Carbon
Zinc type batteries, but you will have to decide what type
best serves your needs.

SPECIFICATIONS:

• Dimensions (W/D/H): 2.87” x 4.77” x 2.28” (73mm x
122mm x 58mm)

• Weight: 0.802lbs (364g) with battery, 0.702lbs (319g)
without battery

• True Bypass Switching

• Battery Type: 9VDC (one)

• Power Consumption (Current Draw): 9VDC/15mA

• DC Adapter (Optional): Power Jack 2.1mm x 5.5mm,
9VDC with Negative Center (Regulated Recommend­ed)

• Input Impedance: 1M Ohm (500k Ohm minimum)

• Output Impedance: 10k Ohm

SAMPLE SETTINGS: SAMPLE SETTINGS: USER SETTINGS:

MID-GAIN CRUNCH FLUX BUMP

®

SINGING SOLO SLAM IT

®

BATTERY REPLACEMENT:

To access the 9-Volt bat­tery for inspection, replacement or removal; make sure the
External Power jack is disconnected, remove the four Phil­lips- head screws from the four corners of the bottom lid