Tech 21 BPW60 Owner's Manual

Download

Page 1

Page 2

TECH 21, THE COMPANY

Tech 21, Inc., was formed by a guitarist possessing the unusual combination

of a trained ear and electronics expertise. In 1989, B. Andrew Barta incorpo-

rated Tech 21 and made his invention commercially available to players and

studios around the world. His highly-acclaimed

SansAmp™

pioneered

Tube Amplifier Emulation in professional applications for recording direct

and performing live, and created an entirely new category of signal process-

ing. While there have since been many entries into this niche, SansAmp

continues to maintain its reputation as the industry standard.

After developing a variety of SansAmp models, Tech 21 expanded its offer-

ings to include effect pedals; a compact, battery operable MIDI footcon-

troller, the

MIDI Mouse;

as well as “traditional” style amplifiers for guitar

and bass. Each product is thoughtfully and respectfully designed by

B. Andrew Barta himself with the player in mind. Our goal is to provide you

with flexible, versatile tools to cultivate, control, refine and redefine your

own individual sound. Tech 21 takes great pride in delivering consistent

professional quality sound, studio to studio, club to club, arena to arena.

Page 3

BASS POWER WEDGE 60, AN OVERVIEW

Like most Tech 21 products, the Bass Power Wedge 60 is designed to be

multi-functional. For studio and live applications, it can be utilized as a pre-

amp amplifier system and as a personal monitoring system.

These rugged wedges are compatible with

any

direct recording device or

pre-amp, analog or digital, tube or solid state, in stomp box or rackmount

formats, from

any

manufacturer! (We are, of course, partial to SansAmp,

but, hey, that’s just us.)

The Bass Power Wedge 60 allows you to take all those great direct record-

ing sounds you’ve spent so much time creating out to a gig without having

to tweak all of your presets. Simply plug your SansAmp or pre-amp du jour

into a Bass Power Wedge 60, and run the XLR output to the house P.A. You

can amplify all your personal settings without getting any additional col-

oration. Just volume, no tone. You can even take this set-up into the studio

and take advantage of employing various miking techniques.

As a live stage monitor, you control what you need to hear. Three projection

angles (15º, 45º, 90º) provide ample flexibility for your positioning prefer-

ences. We’ve even included convenient, 3-band active EQ controls to com-

pensate for difficult rooms.

Ground independent inputs and output allow you to endlessly chain Bass

Power Wedge 60s together --even in stereo. There’s no limit to how many

you can have --for yourself, your drummer (who will most certainly appreci-

ate the individual level control), or whoever else would benefit from being

able to hear you.

IMPORTANT SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS

The Bass Power Wedge 60 is powered by potentially hazardous voltage. Therefore, observe the following safety precautions:

WARNING: To avoid the risk of fire, electric shock or injury, do not expose this unit to moisture. Do not remove the chassis from its cabinet, or remove metal covering from chassis parts. Removing the chassis from its cabinet exposes extremely dangerous high voltages. There are no user-serviceable parts inside. Hazardous voltages are present inside the chassis. Refer all servicing to qualified personnel.

CAUTION: Never modify the power cord. If original power cord becomes damaged, frayed, or has exposed wires, replace immediately with same rating and gauge, or higher. Replacements are commercially available or you can contact Tech 21 directly.

WARNING: Attempting to repair this unit is not recommended and may void its warranty. NOTE: In the U.S. and Canada, servicing is performed at factory only. In other countries, please refer repairs to the local Tech 21 authorized distributor.

ADDITIONAL PRECAUTIONS:

1. Do not allow liquids or objects to penetrate unit.

2. When in use, provide proper ventilation at top of unit.

3. During heavy use, chassis may get hot to the touch. Handle with care.

4. Protect unit from strong impact.

5. Do not locate near heat.

6. This unit must be earth grounded.

QUICK START INSTRUCTIONS

Here’s how you can get your Bass Power Wedge 60 up and running before you read the entire manual. By not reading the manual, however, you’ll miss out on how to get the most out of your new investment!

1. Plug your amp or pre-amp/processor output into the XLR input (preferably) or 1/4” input of the Bass Power Wedge 60.

2. Be sure your amp or pre-amp/processor is already turned on. (See “Noteworthy Notes” #1: Powering Up and Powering Down.)

3. Be sure the volume of the Bass Power Wedge 60 is turned down and then plug the AC cord of the Bass Power Wedge 60 into a wall socket and turn it on.

4. Play your bass and you should hear sound through the Bass Power Wedge 60. If not, check that all volume controls are turned up, recheck your connections, and be sure your cable isn’t faulty. If there is still no sound, refer to factory or qualified technician.

Page 4

THE INS AND OUTS

1/4” INPUT

Accepts 1/4” output of your pre-amp/processor or amplifier. This specialized input features an isolation transformer to eliminate ground loops when using the Bass Power Wedge 60 in conjunction with an amplifier. Be aware that this transformer loads down passive pickups. If you would like to plug your instrument directly into the Bass Power Wedge 60, either use an active guitar or any buffered type of effect pedal (Boss®, Ibanez®, Tech 21, etc.) in bypass mode in order to drive the low input impedance of the cabinet.

XLR IN

Balanced XLR input accepts XLR output of your pre-amp/processor or amplifier. This specialized input is also linked to the isolation transformer to eliminate ground loops when using the Bass Power Wedge 60 in conjunction with an amplifier or chaining with additional Bass Power Wedge 60s.

NOTE: If you have a choice, we recommend utilizing the XLR output of your preamp/processor or amp into the XLR input of the Bass Power Wedge 60. The only difference between the two inputs is that the XLR balanced lines provide increased hum rejection. Additionally, we advise against using both inputs at the same time.

XLR OUT

Balanced low impedance XLR parallel output is connected directly to the input, so that the signal bypasses the tone controls. For live gigs, you can use this output directly into the P.A. system so you won’t need to mic the Bass Power Wedge 60.

GROUND LIFT

Connects or disconnects the ground between the XLR output of the Bass Power Wedge 60 and the mixer. We recommend starting with the ground lifted. If necessary, connect the ground by pushing the button in.

TONE SECTION

The Bass Power Wedge 60 includes convenient, on-board, 3-band

active

EQ controls, which cut and boost, rather than traditional passive controls which only cut. This gives you greater control over a larger range of adjustability to compensate for virtually any situation.

NOTE: These tone controls only affect the power amp and speaker, not the XLR output. The signal going into the 1/4” input or XLR input passes straight through. So you can tailor your stage sound to the room without affecting the sound out of the P.A.

Additionally, be aware that you need not set everything at max to obtain maximum results. (See “Noteworthy Notes” #3: EQ.)

LOW, MID, HIGH

Boost or cut ±12dB from the center point (12 o’clock).

ODDS AND ENDS

LEVEL

Adjusts the volume level of the Bass Power Wedge 60. (Refer to “Noteworthy Notes” #4: Volume.)

SPEAKER

Our 100-watt, 8 cast-frame, custom-designed 10” speaker gives you full range response.

FUSE

Fuse holder is located inside A/C cord receptacle. You must remove the power cord to change fuse. Replace with similar type & same value. Wedges from 100-

120V: use 3A. Wedges from 220-240V: use 1.6A.

®Registered trademarks of their respective companies.

Page 5

NOTEWORTHY NOTES & CONSIDERATIONS

1) Powering Up and Powering Down. To avoid the typical loud pop and

potential harm to the Bass Power Wedge 60 speaker, power up in this order:

For mono applications:

1st: Amp or Pre-amp/processor 2nd: Bass Power Wedge 60

For stereo applications:

1st: Stereo processor 2nd: Amp or Pre-amp/processor 3rd: Bass Power Wedge 60

With PA System: Be sure to keep the PA volume fader down until all

connections are made and everything is turned on.

2) Hum. If nothing is plugged into the input of the Bass Power Wedge 60, you may notice a slight hum caused by the open transformer. When you plug something into the input, the circuit will be completed and the hum will disappear.

3) EQ. We recommend starting with all controls flat. Then use each sparingly as needed for whatever room you’re in. Remember, you need not set everything at max to obtain maximum results. It would be rare that turning all the tone controls up would accomplish a favorable sound. In most instances, a slight cut of the Mid control should be adequate.

4) Volume. When chaining the Bass Power Wedge 60 with an amp, be sure to set the Level control to match (approx.) the output volume of the amp. If the Bass Power Wedge 60 is set higher than the amp, it may cause undesirable distortion. Note: Rely on your ears. The position of the level knobs of the amp and Bass Power Wedge 60 may not necessarily be the same.

5) Kick Back and Cables. As noted in the overview, there are three different projection angles: 15º, 45º, and 90º to suit your positioning preferences. To avoid accidental unplugging of your equipment, we recommend feeding your cables through the spring-loaded handle.

6) Enjoy !

BASS POWER WEDGE 60 SPECIFICATIONS

General Description: Front-ported wedge cabinets constructed of plywood, covered in heavy duty black carpeting, with chrome-plated steel grill and recessed, springloaded handle.

Model Number: BPW60 Input Impedance: 10 k Nominal Input Level: -20dBm to +4dBm Optimal Output Load: 8 Power Output: 60W Maximum Power Consumption: 120W AC Input Power (factory set): 100V, 117V, 220V, 230V, 240V Cycles: 50/60 Hz

NOTE: Each unit is constructed for specific voltages. AC power cannot be switched.

Speaker: Tech 21 Model #2110-B, Cast-frame, custom

designed 10” / 100W - 8 Dimensions: 17.75”w x 16.75”h x 15”d (maximum) Weight: 35 lbs.

Replacement parts (i.e., knobs, grill panel, speaker, logo plate, handle, etc.) are available through your authorized dealer, distributor or directly from Tech 21, Inc.

Note: With on-going product development and improvements, specifications and/or the cosmetic appearance of these units may change without prior notice.

6 7

Page 6

POWER WEDGE 60 POWER WEDGE 60

POWER WEDGE 60

POWER WEDGE 60 POWER WEDGE 60

SANSAMP XLR

DIRECT OUT

XLR OUT

XLR

XLR OUT

XLR

Bass Power Wedge 60 Hook-Up Diagrams (MONO):

Bass Power Wedge 60 Hook-Up Diagrams (STEREO):

TO CHAIN OR TO P.A.

INPUT

XLR

XLR OUT

TO CHAIN OR TO P.A.

PRE-AMP/

PROCESSOR

XLR OUT

TO CHAIN OR TO P.A.

INPUT

STEREO EFFECTS

PROCESSOR

L R

INPUT

*When available,

it is preferable

to use XLR jacks

POWER WEDGE 60 POWER WEDGE 60

XLR OUT

XLR

LANDMARK 600

INPUT

STEREO EFFECTS

PROCESSOR

L R

INPUT

SANSAMP

XLR

DIRECT

OUT

XLR OUT

INPUT

TO CHAIN OR TO P.A.

XLR OUT

INPUT

TO CHAIN

OR TO P.A.

Use XLR to 1/4"

cable or line matching

transformer, such as

Shure Model #A95UF,

or equivalent

*When available,

it is preferable

to use XLR jacks

POWER WEDGE 60 POWER WEDGE 60

LANDMARK 600

(or other amp with XLR direct out)

INPUT

PRE-AMP/

PROCESSOR

With SansAmp Bass Driver DI (and amp, if desired)

POWER WEDGE 60

SANSAMP XLR

DIRECT OUT

XLR OUT

XLR

INPUT

OUTPUT

TO CHAIN

OR TO P.A.

BASS AMP

(without XLR direct out)

INPUT

XLR OUT

TO CHAIN OR TO P.A.

POWER WEDGE 60

EFFECTS LOOP

SEND

OR PRE-AMP

OUT