SWR Sound Bass Combo Amplifier User Manual
Black Beauty
OWNER’S MANUAL
SWR• SCOTTSDALE, AZ• USA
IMPORTANT SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS
CAUTION: TO REDUCE RISK OF ELECTRIC SHOCK, DO NOT REMOVE THE COVER OR BACK.
NO USER-SERVICEABLE PARTS INSIDE. PLEASE REFER TO A QUALIFIED SERVICE TECHNICIAN.
A. READ INSTRUCTIONS: All safety and operation instructions should be read before the product is operated.
B. RETAIN INSTRUCTIONS: The safety and operating instructions should be retained for future reference.
C. HEED WARNINGS: All of the warnings on this product and in the operating instructions should be adhered to.
D. FOLLOW INSTRUCTIONS: All operating and use instructions should be followed.
E. CLEANING: Unplug this product from the wall outlet before cleaning. Do not use liquid cleaners or aerosol cleaners. Use a
slightly damp cloth for cleaning.
F. WATER AND MOISTURE: Do not use this product near water; for example, near a swimming pool, wet basement, and the like.
G. ACCESSORIES: Do not place this product on an unstable cart, stand, tripod, bracket or table. The product may fall, causing
serious injury to a child or adult, and serious damage to the product.
H. VENTILATION: Slots and openings in the unit are provided for ventilation and to ensure reliable operation of the product, to
protect it from overheating, thus these openings must not be blocked or covered. This product should not be placed in a built-in
installation such as a bookcase or rack unless proper ventilation is provided or the manufacturer's instructions have been adhered to.
I. GROUNDING: This product is equipped with a three-wire grounding-type plug, a plug having a third (grounding) pin. This plug will
only fit into a grounding-type power outlet. This is a safety feature. If you are unable to insert the plug into the outlet, contact your
electrician to replace your obsolete outlet. Do not defeat the safety purpose of the grounding-type plug.
J. POWER CORD PROTECTION: Power supply cords should be routed so that they are not likely to be walked on or pinched by items
placed upon them, paying particular attention to cords at plugs and the point where they exit the product.
K. LIGHTNING: For added protection of this product during a lightning storm or when it is left unattended and unused for long
periods of time, unplug it from the wall outlet. This will prevent damage to the product due to lightning and power-line surges.
L. OVERLOADING: Do not overload wall outlets or extension cords as this can result in a risk of fire or electric shock.
M. OBJECT AND LIQUID ENTRY: Never push objects of any kind into this product through the openings as they may touch
dangerous voltage points or short out parts that could result in a fire or electric shock. Never spill liquid of any kind on the product.
N. SERVICING: Do not attempt to service this product yourself as opening or removing covers may expose you to dangerous voltage
or other hazards. Refer all servicing to qualified service personnel.
O. DAMAGE REQUIRING SERVICE: Unplug this product from the wall outlet and refer servicing to qualified service personnel under
the following conditions:
1) When the power supply cord has been damaged
2) If liquid has been spilled or objects have fallen into the product
3) If the product has been exposed to rain, water, or other conductive liquids
4) If the product does not operate normally by following the operating instructions
5) If the product has been dropped or damaged in any way
6) When the product exhibits a distinct change in performance.
P. REPLACEMENT PARTS: When replacement parts are required, be sure the service technician has used replacement parts
specified by the manufacturer or have the same characteristics as the original part. Unauthorized substitutions may result in fire,
electric shock, or other hazards.
Q. SAFETY CHECK: Upon completion of any service or repairs to this product, ask the service technician to perform safety checks to
determine that the product is in proper operating condition.
R. HEAT: The product should be situated away from heat sources such as radiators, heat registers, stoves or other products that
produce heat.
INTRODUCTION
Congratulations on your purchase of the SWR Black Beauty Bass Combo Amplifier! You now own the
heaviest-duty, biggest-sounding combo amp in SWR's world-renowned Professional Line of products for
bassists.
A little history: The SWR Black Beauty is the successor to the Basic Black, a combo we offered throughout
most of the 1990s as the most affordable solution for bassists who wanted the “SWR Sound“ in the simplest
all-in-one package possible. Our top-selling product for several years running, the Basic Black featured a tube
preamp (using a specially-selected 12AX7A vacuum tube), SWR’s patented “Aural Enhancer,” an easy-to-use
3-band EQ section, a custom-specified 250-watt 15" driver, and a high-quality, discrete solid-state 160-watt
power amp. After shipping thousands of units, we finally finished its run in 1999 for the purposes of a serious
upgrade.
Ironically, the same year that the Basic Black went into retirement, we released a new series of 15" drivers:
the Bertha series. Featuring a new custom-designed 15" speaker with a solid 350 watts of power handling—
and, of course, superior tone—the Big Bertha 2x15" and the Son Of Bertha 1x15" were released in 1999 to
rave reviews, and we continue to ship both models today. After seeing a sustained positive reaction to the
Bertha 15" drivers from a highly satisfied group of customers, we knew we had the foundation for a new 15"
combo.
The new Black Beauty takes that foundation and builds a powerhouse, feature-packed combo upon it. The
electronics section contains all of the popular tone circuitry from the Basic Black, but adds a variable
midrange control, a new XLR (Balanced) output circuit with greater flexibility in level and signal routing, a
selectable horn tweeter, Speakon and 1/4" extension speaker output jacks, and a rock-solid cabinet design
that completely isolates the electronics from the speaker complement. We’ve integrated a new feature: our
SubWave™ circuit, which produces a tone an octave below the original signal and tracks as well or better than
anything else on the market today. (The effect is foot-switchable, and we’ve provided a footswitch for your
convenience.) And, most importantly, it’s now more than double the power of the original Basic Black: the
upgraded power amplifier delivers 350 watts into its own speaker system, and more with an extension cabinet
connected. Add in the sleek new cosmetics on the chassis, and the chrome grill and logo, and you’ve got
what we call the Black Beauty. And, of course, each Black Beauty is assembled by hand and individually
sound-tested in the U.S.A. at our factory in Southern California.
It’s all part of SWR’s commitment to continued improvement and refinement of even our most popular
models, so that we can continue to assist today’s bassist in the pursuit of the ultimate goal: finding
equipment that not only does the job, but actually enhances the overall musical experience and contributes to
the creative process. Everyone here at SWR sincerely hopes that the purchase of your Black Beauty helps you
get there from here…and beyond.
Please take the time to read your User Guide thoroughly and completely, so that you can realize the full
potential of your new Black Beauty Bass Combo Amplifier. Once again, thanks for your purchase, and for
letting SWR help Amplify Your Future™ .
Sincerely,
SWR
BLACK BEAUTY OWNER’S MANUAL • 1
NOTE: Please take a moment to verify that the following items were included in your SWR Black Beauty
packaging: AC Cable, SubWave Activator Footswitch, (4) Heavy-Duty Caster Wheels, this owner’s manual,
SWR Catalog.
BLACK BEAUTY – FRONT PANEL FEATURES
• Dual independent input jacks compatible with both passive and active instruments
• Preamp Gain control with red LED clip indicator
• Aural Enhancer control
• SubWave™ Activator Switch (illuminated blue when engaged)
• SubWave™ Level control
• Bass control
• Midrange Level control
• Midrange Frequency control
• Treble control
• Effects Blend control (with pull-limiter-defeat option)
• Master Volume control
• Illuminated Neon Power On/Off switch
BLACK BEAUTY – REAR PANEL FEATURES
• XLR Pad (Level) control
• XLR Output jack
• XLR Mode switch (Direct, Direct + Sub, Line)
• Ground/Lift switch for XLR Output jack
• Tuner Out jack
• Side-Chain Effects Loop (Effects Send and Effects Return 1/4" jacks)
• SubWave™ Activator Footswitch jack
• Tweeter Mode Switch (Full Range, –6db, Off)
• Speaker Mode Switch (On, Off)
• Stereo Headphones Jack
• Speakon and 1/4" Extension Speaker Output jacks
• Speaker Fuse (3AG, 10-amp fast-blo)
• Line Fuse (3AG, 7-amp slo-blo)
• AC Power Cord Receptacle
SPECIFICATIONS
NOTE : All measurements were taken with a line voltage of 120VAC. All noise specifications are
“unweighted.” All voltages and watts are “RMS.” All measurements are taken with tone controls set flat,
Aural Enhancer at minimum.
Power Ratings (minimum)
350 Watts @ 4 ohms (internal cabinet)
400 Watts @ 2.6 ohms (with 8 ohms extension cabinet)
450 Watts @ 2 ohms (with 4 ohm extension cabinet)
2 • BLACK BEAUTY OWNER’S MANUAL
Frequency Response (power amplifier)
–3dB @ 20 Hz and 40 kHz
Sensitivity (full output under clipping, 8 ohms load, 100 Hz)
Passive Input Jack: 38 millivolts
Active Input Jack: 60 millivolts
Power Amplifier (Effects Return Jack “in”): 5 volts
Input Impedance
Passive/Active Input: 800k Ohms
Active Input: 60k Ohms
Effects Return: 27k Ohms
Output Impedance
Effects Send: 100 Ohms
Tuner Send: 100 Ohms
XLR (Balanced) Out: 750 Ohms
Signal To Noise Ratio
–72 dB (<10 millivolts typical)
Equivalent Input Noise
9 microvolts
Dimensions
23" W x 25-7/8" H x 18-3/8" D
Weight
95 lbs.
BLACK BEAUTY – GETTING STARTED
Remove the AC cable from the accessory pack and connect it from the amplifier to a standard wall outlet.
Make sure that the “Gain” and “Master Volume” controls are set to the minimum position (fully
counter-clockwise). Locate the power switch on the right side of the front of the unit and turn the amplifier
on. Upon powering up, don’t be surprised if you hear a small pop. This is absolutely normal and will not cause
damage to your speaker system.
(Eliminating this “power on transient” would require a component called a relay. SWR chose not to
incorporate this type of component due to the fact that relays degrade signal quality and often fail, causing
the unit to have no output and requiring a trip to a local service center. If you wish not to hear the pop upon
power up, locate the “Speaker On/Off” switch on the rear panel and set it to “Off” before you turn the unit
on. Be sure to remember to set the switch back to “On” afterwards, or you may find yourself wondering why
you don’t hear anything.)
Plug your instrument into the desired input jack (refer to “Front Panel Features” for greater detail). Turn your
instrument’s volume up to at least 75% of maximum and slowly adjust the gain control. Once you begin to
play your instrument and you see the red light (marked “preamp clip”) over the gain control illuminate, back
off the gain a bit. Now turn up the “Master Volume” and you should hear the sound of your instrument
amplified through the Black Beauty. For more detailed information, please read the entire manual carefully so
that you can fully realize the potential of the your new Black Beauty.
For those who wish to use an extension speaker cabinet with the Black Beauty, please skip ahead to
“Extension Speaker Output Section” on page 12.
BLACK BEAUTY OWNER’S MANUAL • 3
BLACK BEAUTY – FRONT PANEL FEATURES
INPUT JACKS
Both input jacks accept a standard 1/4" phone plug and both inputs can be used at the same time. Since the
two inputs are totally independent, no loss in volume or tone will occur by using two instruments
simultaneously. However, the main applicational use for the two separate input jacks is their difference in
level, as the Passive/Active input has five times more gain than the Active input. In other words, it’s not
necessarily intended as a “submixer” for two instruments, but no harm will come from having two instruments
plugged in at once. Please read below for more details.
PASSIVE/ACTIVE INPUT JACK
This input jack is designed to accommodate both “passive” instruments and most “active” instruments. A
passive instrument has no built-in preamp and does not use a battery, while an active bass utilizes a batteryoperated preamp for gain, tone controls, or both. The Passive/Active Input will work with all instruments having
a maximum output of less than 1 volt RMS. Some active pickups such as EMG, Bartolini, etc., use batteries
for operation and will work perfectly using this input. Instruments made by MTD, Sadowsky, Modulus, etc.,
have active electronics that are suited for use in the Passive/Active input.
Generally speaking, try this input first. If you hear a small amount of distortion and the preamp clip LED is not
activated, try using the Active input jack. If the Active input does not correct any audible distortion, check the
battery in your bass.
NOTE: If you would like to overdrive the first TUBE stage, this can be accomplished by using an external
preamp between your instrument and the Passive/Active input. To obtain optimum sound when trying this,
make sure the preamp clip LED is not activated. If this occurs, turn down your Gain control until the LED
does not light. The first preamp tube stage is NOT monitored by the preamp clip circuit for this reason.
ACTIVE INPUT JACK
The Active input jack should be used with instruments having a built-in (on board) preamp or other sound
sources that will produce output levels greater than 1 volt RMS. The number of bass manufacturers has
increased significantly over the years, and it’s impossible to try and keep track of them all. Generally, if you
have very “hot” pickups and/or tone controls installed in your instrument, and you use them to boost the level
of your bass signal 10 dB or more, you may find the Active input more compatible. The best judge is your own
ears.
If you’re using a keyboard or bass pedal with the Black Beauty, we have found the best choice to be the
Active input.
NOTE: Using the Active input with passive basses (active instruments will always employ a battery) may
result in a loss of high end transients. Players who roll off their high end starting at about 2kHz, or prefer a
“darker” sound, may find this input more to their liking.
If you hear some distortion with your active bass and are using the Active Input, make sure the preamp clip
LED indicator is not lighting. If the preamp stage is not being driven into clipping, replace the battery in your
instrument.
GAIN CONTROL
The Gain control adjusts the volume of the preamp section. Since the Gain control is similar to a “pad,” a
small amount of signal will be heard even with the Gain control rotated fully counter-clockwise (“MIN”) if the
Master Volume is up.
After all EQ settings and the Aural Enhancer are set, the Gain control should be raised until the preamp clip
LED barely flashes when your loudest note is struck. This will insure maximum signal to noise ratio and
prevent unwanted clipping of the preamp section.
NOTE: The Gain can serve as an EFFECTS SEND LEVEL ADJUSTMENT. If your effect is being
overdriven, turn down the Gain control and readjust your Master Volume for overall loudness.
PREAMP CLIP LED
The preamp clip LED will light whenever the preamp, tone section or output buffer reach clipping (run out of
4 • BLACK BEAUTY OWNER’S MANUAL
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