Workingman’s 2004
OWNER’S MANUAL
SWR • CORONA, CA • USA
2 • WORKINGMAN’S 2004
INTRODUCTION
Founded in 1984, SWR specializes in quality amplifiers and speakers addressing the needs of the professional and semi-professional bassist. Widely known as the makers of the finest bass systems in the world, SWR has recently gained popularity among
instrumentalists of all types, stemming from the introduction of a series of products intended for the acoustic musician. SWR and
its advisory board, consisting of some of the world's finest musicians, have constantly strived to identify the changing needs of
musicians everywhere, and to respond with new and useful designs, each one unique unto itself.
Numerous requests from our customers to produce a line of products that would incorporate accurate sound, high reliability, quality components, hand-made craftsmanship, and an overall low price, resulted in the development of the Workingman's Series of
amplification from SWR.
The precision electronic section featured in the Workingman's Series of amplifiers is entirely hand-built, employing a variety of
technologies selected for their sound quality and practical usefulness in a roadworthy and studio-ready amplifier, including an alldiscrete initial gain stage in the preamplifier section and discrete solid-state design in the power amplifier. Regardless of its lower
price, the Workingman's Series offers no compromises of the essential SWR design and construction philosophy. Corners are not
cut from a more elaborate model: rather, each product's design parameters are conceived from the ground up and the best available components are selected for each application. Once again, with sound, reliability and price consciousness in mind.
The tone-shaping section of all Workingman's Series amplifiers, including the Aural Enhancer (found in all SWR Preamps and
Integrated Amplifiers) and the Tone Controls, will not impose a character on your sound. They will instead make the interface
between your instrument and the speaker system (two of the largest factors in your final tone) a simple matter requiring minimal
effort. The center frequencies of the Tone Controls were chosen for their musical effect on most basses.
SWR amplification is handmade and individually tested in the United States. Everyone at SWR sincerely hopes that you are satisfied
with your recent purchase, as we are extremely proud of the quality and attention that goes into each and every SWR product. We
truly hope that your purchase of an SWR helps bring out the best in your playing and adds to your enjoyment of music.
WORKINGMAN'S 2004 - POWER SPECIFICATIONS
200 watts @ 4 ohms
160 watts @ 8 ohms
Minimum Impedance: 4 ohms
WORKINGMAN'S 2004 - RACK CASE ENCLOSURE
The Workingman's 2004 comes enclosed in a sturdy, custom fitted rack, covered in midnight blue carpet with stack lock corners.
The rack case was designed specifically to house the Workingman's 2004 chassis and features a single open rack space (directly
below the amplifier) for mounting the effect unit of your choice. Most single rack space effect units or digital tuners on the market
today will mount
perfectly into this space.
Dimensions: 23.25" W x 7.5" H x 13.5" D
Weight: 19 lbs.
WORKINGMAN’S 2004 • 3
WORKINGMAN'S 2004 - FRONT PANEL FEATURES
BALANCED DIRECT RECORD OUT
The Balanced XLR output is a true balanced output. No front panel controls affect its signal. The tone and output level are controlled only by the instrument plugged into one of the input jacks. To use this feature, run an XLR (Cannon) cable from the Balanced
D.I. to the input of a tape machine, mixing console, etc. This output is also suitable for sending a signal to a house mixer in live situations.
Wiring for the XLR connector is American standard (as follows):
Pin 1 = ground, Pin 2 = +, Pin 3 = -
TUNER OUT
The "Tuner Out" send jack allows the user to connect their instrument tuner to the Workingman's 2004 without having to unplug
and go back and forth from amp to tuner to amp. Like the Balanced D.I. output, this feature is isolated from the rest of the circuitry
and no other controls other than your instrument have an affect on this feature. Being on a sidechain (isolated) also avoids loading
down of the instrument causing a loss in its dynamic range.
To use this feature, plug in a shielded patch cord from this jack to the INPUT of your tuning device. Turn the amp on and you're
ready to go. If you don't want to monitor your sound while tuning, turn down the Master Volume control or position the selector
switch on the back panel to the "headphones" (middle) position.
INPUT JACKS
Two separate and independent input jacks are provided so that the best signal to noise ratio can be obtained without overloading
the preamp section. The Passive input has over twice the gain than that of the Active input. Both inputs can be used simultaneously
without affecting the volume or tone of the other. One use of these inputs would be to plug your bass into the Passive input and
practice along with a drum machine by plugging it into the Active input. Please see below for a detailed explanation of these inputs.
PASSIVE/ACTIVE INPUT
This input can and should be used if your instrument has passive electronics (no built-in preamp). Some pickups, such as EMG, etc.,
employ batteries for operation and will work perfectly using this input. Technically speaking, this input should be used if your instrument has an output voltage of 1 volt RMS or LESS. Consult the owner's manual that came with your instrument or ask the manufacturer if you are unsure.
Please Note: Generally speaking, you should try the Passive input jack first. Some built-in preamps, such as those made by
Bartolini and Music Man, can be used with this input depending on their internal gain settings. If you hear a small amount of distortion and the Preamp Clip LED is not activated, try using the Active input jack. And please note, some passive pickups DO distort.
Because of the hi-fi nature of all SWR products, even the smallest amount of distortion originating at the source (instrument) may
be heard.
ACTIVE INPUT
The Active input jack should be used with instruments having a built-in (on-board) preamp that will produce signals over 1 volt
RMS. Known basses that should use the Active input only are the Kubicki X-Factor and some Ovation electrics. Some really "hot"
pickups installed in your instrument may find the Active input more compatible. The best judge is your own ears.
Please Note: Using the Active input with passive basses may result in a loss of high-end transients. Players who roll off their
high-end starting at around 2K to 3KHz may find this input more to their liking.
If you hear some distortion from your active bass and are using the Active input jack, CHECK YOUR BATTERY!! Also, make sure the
Preamp Clip LED is not lighting.
4 • WORKINGMAN’S 2004
PREAMP CLIP LED
The Preamp Clip LED will light whenever the Preamp, Tone section or output buffer reach clipping (run out of headroom). In the
event the Preamp clip indicator lights, turn down the Gain control. Since the Preamp Clip also monitors the Tone section, boosting
any one of the tone controls can cause the LED to activate. Again, turn down the Gain control if this happens.
Please Note: Constant clipping of the preamp will not harm the electronics in your Workingman's . However, damage can
occur to speakers due to near-DC content present in a clipped waveform. Do not defeat the limiter when overdriving the preamp.
GAIN CONTROL
The gain control adjusts the volume of the preamp section. After the Tone controls, Aural Enhancer and any effects you may be
using have been set to your liking, the Gain control should be set to where the Preamp Clip LED barely flashes upon hitting your
loudest note. After setting the Gain, use the Master Volume to set the desired volume level. Using these controls in this manner
assures the maximum signal-to- noise ratio with no distortion caused by the preamp circuits clipping. Since the Gain control is similar to a "pad", a small amount of signal will get through with the Gain control turned all the way down. The Gain also adjusts the
level sent to the Effects send jack. If your effect is being overdriven, turn down the Gain Control.
USING THE TONE CONTROLS
To get the most out of the Tone Controls of your Workingman's , it would be best to first understand how the Aural Enhancer
works, and how it interacts with the Bass, Midrange and Treble controls. Think of it as a variable tone curve, changing with its position. As you raise the control from its "0", or fully counterclockwise position, you are elevating the whole range of sound (lows,
mids, and highs) at frequency points different than those selected for the individual Tone Controls. This remains true up to about
the "2 o'clock" position, at which point the mids start to drop off. The curves involved here are gentle, as opposed to the very
extreme curves you can create with the Tone Controls. Most significantly, the Aural Enhancer will raise the low end at a point lower
than the Bass control itself. For a 4-string bass, the Bass control itself will suffice. For the 5-string player, the Aural Enhancer will
help bring out the fundamentals of your instrument in the 30-60Hz range.
BASS CONTROL
The Bass control itself, as stated above, works in a range that will be useful under most "normal" conditions. Its musical use might
be thought of as a "fatness" control. Leaving the Aural Enhancer in a position lower than 12 o'clock will not boost the extreme bottom so much as to make indistinct the working of the Bass control. The overall "punch" of your instrument, from your low E-string
on up about two octaves (midway up the G- string), will be determined with this control. With passive instruments, this will be
straightforward. With active instruments having bass-boost controls more exploration will be worthwhile. (Some active tone circuits
have boost-cut controls such as Tobias, Sadowsky, etc. Others such as Music Man, may be straight boost controls).
MID RANGE CONTROL
The Mid Range control operates in a crucial area for most instruments. Many basses, particularly with roundwound strings, can
have a very "honky", or nasal, sound. Dropping the Mid Range control can go a long way toward smoothing out your tone. We suggest, though, that what sounds best when your listening to your tone by yourself may not be what works best in a band or recording. Sometimes that objectionable quality may be just the right "hair" on your note to still have an audible presence in the track or
on stage.
TREBLE CONTROL
The Treble control operates in a tonal area that extends through and beyond the usual Treble control range. The Transparency
control "kicks in" at a much higher frequency. Boosting the control will open up the sound of a dull instrument, particularly in conjunction with a tweeter, should you have one in your speaker system. However, this is also the range of string rattle, finger slides,
pickup clicks, etc. Again, we recommend you experiment with the control alone with your instrument while finding your tone, and
listen again in a band context, both near to and away from your speaker system. Qualities like punch, fatness, presence and bite
can be fairly well spread out. Treble, despite the broad dispersion of most tweeters, is a very directional quality. Spend some time
exploring what you can hear in this area as you move around.
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