Radial Bassbone OD Owner`s Manual

®

BASS GUITAR OVERDRIVE

True to the Music

USER GUIDE

Radial Engineering Ltd.
1588 Kebet Way, Port Coquitlam BC V3C 5M5
Tel: [phone] • Fax: [phone]
Email: [e-mail]

www.tonebone.com

Table of Contents Page

Introduction .............................................................................................1

Features ..................................................................................................2

Overview .................................................................................................4

Making connections ................................................................................5

Channel EQ controls ...............................................................................6

Optimizing the input impedance ..............................................................7

Using one or two basses .........................................................................8

Effects loop .............................................................................................9

Overdrive ..............................................................................................11

XLR direct output ..................................................................................12

Mute and tuner output ...........................................................................13

Headphone level and output .................................................................14

Specifi cations ........................................................................................14

Warranty ..................................................................................Back cover

INTRODUCTION

Thank you for purchasing the Bassbone OD, the ultimate power
‘command center’ for you bass setup with a built-in overdrive to add
character and wow-factor to your performance.

Right about now, you are surely ‘chomping at the bit’ with excitement
getting ready to plug in and get playing! Stop! Wait! You must fi rst read
the manual! In this valuable piece of documentation, you will fi nd all kinds
of helpful hints on how to use the Bassbone OD live, in the studio or for
practicing.

Once you have read it, if you fi nd yourself confused about something
or it lacking detail, please take a minute to visit the Bassbone OD FAQ
page on the web site. This is where we post questions from users and
informational updates. If you still do not fi nd what you are looking for,
send us an email at [e-mail] and we will do our very best to
answer you in short order.

Now get ready to turn your old P-Bass into a Thunderbolt of Lightning!

Headphone Safety Warning: Very Loud Amplifi er

As with all products capable of producing high Sound Pressure Levels (SPL)
users must be very careful to avoid the hearing damage that may occur from
prolonged exposure. This is particularly important as it applies to headphones.
Prolonged listening at high SPLs will eventually cause tinnitus and can lead
to partial or complete loss of hearing. Please be aware of the recommended
exposure limits within your legal jurisdiction and follow them very closely. The
user agrees that Radial Engineering Ltd. remains harmless from any health
effects resulting from the use of this product and the user clearly understands
that he or she is entirely responsible for the safe and proper use of this product.
Please consult the Radial Limited Warranty for further details.

1

®

FEATURE SET: INPUT PANEL

True to the Music

1 2 3 7 986

22

21

19 17 1618

5

5

104

11

12

13

14

1520

1. DRIVE: Used to set the desired level of overdrive that will be applied to the signal.

2. MIX: Sets the relative ‘dry-wet’ mix between the original bass tone and the overdrive,
effects loop or both.

3. TONE: Adjusts the sonic character of the overdrive circuit.

4. HPF: High pass fi lter rolls-off excessive low frequency resonance and cleans up
signal. Choose between 80Hz, 150Hz and fl at (fi lter bypass) settings.

5. CHANNEL LED: Full size LED indicator lets you know which channel is active.
Green LED indicates channel-A is on, yellow LED indicates channel-B is on.

6. GAIN: Used to adjust the individual instrument level.

7. LOW: Low frequency shelving EQ used to accent or roll off bass.

8. HIGH: High frequency shelving EQ used to add shimmer or tone down the top end.

9. MID CONTROL: Semi parametric mid range with switchable center frequency.

10. MID SWITCH: Selects the center frequency for the mid range control. Choose
between 250Hz, 500Hz and 1kHz settings.

11. BLEND: Recessed switch mixes both channels for instruments with dual electric/
acoustic pickup systems. When engaged the A/B footswitch is deactivated.

12. DRAG (INPUT-B): Adjusts the load on a magnetic pickup for a more natural sound.

13. INPUT-B: Instrument input with ¼” switching jack. Enables the bass connected to
input-A to feed channel-B when not in use.

14. PZB (INPUT-A): Recessed switch boosts the signal and increases the impedance
to 10 meg-ohms for piezo equipped instruments.

15. INPUT-A: Instrument input with ¼” jack. Also feeds channel-B when no instrument
is connected to input-B.

16. MUTE: Footswitch mutes all outputs except the tuner out for quiet on-stage tuning.
Bright red LED illuminates when the outputs are muted.

Radial Engineering Ltd.

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Bassbone OD™

®

FEATURE SET: OUTPUT PANEL

25 2826 29 30 3124 2723

True to the Music

17. A/B FOOTSWITCH: Used to toggle between channel-A and channel-B.

18. EFX ASSIGN: Three position switch sets the overdrive footswitch function for

overdrive, effects loop or both.

19. BALANCED OUT: Built-in active Radial DI to feed the PA or recording system.

20. OUTPUT: ¼” jack used to feed the artist’s on-stage bass amplifi er.

21. LOOP ON: Recessed switch bypasses the footswitch function and keeps the

effects loop on at all times.

22. TUNER: Separately buffered, dedicated tuner output is always on.

23. PHONES: 3.5mm TRS mono headphone output with level control.

24. EFX LOOP: Send & receive ¼” connections for external effects.

25. 180° (LOOP): Recessed switch used to invert the polarity of the effects loop should

one of the guitar effect pedals reverse the phase.

26. PRE-POST: Routes the balanced output before (pre) or after (post) the effects loop

and overdrive.

27. OVERDRIVE FOOTSWITCH: Activates the overdrive. Works in conjunction with

the EFX assign switch to turn on and off the overdrive, effects loop or both. The
LED illuminates when on.

28. 180° (XLR): Recessed switch reverses pins-2 and 3 at the balanced XLR output to

phase align sound with PA or reduce feedback.

29. LIFT: Recessed ground lift switch disconnects pin-1 on the XLR output to help

eliminate hum and buzz caused by ground loops.

30. 15VDC: Connection for the Radial 15VDC/400mA power supply (included).

31. CABLE CLAMP: Prevents accidental power disconnection by locking down the AC

adapter cable.

Radial Engineering Ltd.

3

Bassbone OD™

®

True to the Music

OVERVIEW

The Bassbone OD is a powerful two channel instrument preamp that is
able to handle all types of instruments, depending on how it is confi gured.
Some examples include:

• Two channel preamp with one bass

• Selecting between two electric basses

• Switching between upright bass and electric bass

• Using it with a violin (piezo pickup) and an acoustic guitar (active pickup)

• Mixing two pickups from one instrument together

Using the Bassbone OD is fairly straight forward. Each channel is
equipped with a series of controls for volume, EQ and fi ltering so that
each instrument or pickup type can be optimized for tone or accentuated
for a specifi c need. One can select between channels using the A/B
footswitch or combine the two channels when using an instrument
that employs both magnetic and piezo transducers. What makes the
Bassbone OD truly unique is the way it is able to incorporate effects
pedals into the signal chain. These can be active all the time, bypassed
using the overdrive footswitch, or combined with the built-in overdrive to
create exciting new tones.

GETTING READY

There are (8) eight audio connection jacks on the Bassbone OD; two
for the inputs, two for the effects loop, a dedicated stage amp output, a
tuner out that works with the mute footswitch, a balanced DI output for
the PA system and fi nally, a headphone out. These let you confi gure the
Bassbone OD to your specifi c application.

The connectors are coupled with various ‘set and forget’ recessed
switches and rotary controls strategically located on the side panels.
These are purposely made to be hard to access as once set, they rarely
need to be changed. A small screwdriver is used to adjust the rotary
controls and push in or out the recessed switches.

Radial Engineering Ltd.

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Bassbone OD™