Tech 21 PL1 FLY RIG User Manual

POWER REQUIREMENTS

Utilizes included 9V DC, 100-240V universal auto-switching power
supply, 200mA, center negative.

NOTE: See page 3 for instructions how to change the prong
assembly.

Tech 21 Model #DC9.

For replacements, contact your local dealer/distributor, or Tech 21.
Maximum power consumption of the Fly Rig: approx 100mA.

ARNINGS:

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* There are no user-serviceable parts inside. Attempting to repair unit is

not recommended and may void warranty.

* Missing or altered serial numbers automatically void warranty. For

your own protection: be sure serial number labels on the unit’s back
plate and exterior box are intact, and return your warranty
registration card or register online.

Note: This equipment has been tested and found to
comply with the limits for a Class B digital device, pursuant
to part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to

provide reasonable protection against harmful interference
in a residential installation. This equipment generates, uses and can radi­ate radio frequency energy and, if not installed and used in accordance
with the instructions, may cause harmful interference to radio commu­nications. However, there is no guarantee that interference will not
occur in a particular installation. If this equipment does cause harmful
interference to radio or television reception, which can be determined
by turning the equipment off and on, the user is encouraged to try to
correct the interference by one or more of the following measures:

• Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna.

• Increase the separation between the equipment and receiver.

• Connect the equipment into an outlet on a circuit different from that
to which the receiver is connected.

• Consult the dealer or an experienced radio/TV technician for help.

WARRANTY:

ONE YEAR LIMITED. PROOF OF PURCHASE REQUIRED.

Manufacturer warrants unit to be free from defects in materials and
workmanship for one (1) year from date of purchase to the original
purchaser and is not transferable. This warranty does not include dam­age resulting from accident, misuse, abuse, alteration, or incorrect cur­rent or voltage. If unit becomes defective within warranty period, Tech
21 will repair or replace it free of charge. After expiration, Tech 21 will
repair defective unit for a fee.

REPAIRS:

ALL REPAIRS for residents of U.S. and Canada: Call Tech 21 for
Return Authorization Number. Manufacturer will not accept

packages without prior authorization, pre-paid freight (UPS preferred)
and proper insurance. International residents should contact our local
distributor, which can be found on the Support page of our website.

FOR PERSONAL ASSISTANCE & SERVICE:

Contact Tech 21 weekdays 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM, EST: 973-777-6996.

Hand-built in the U.S.A. using high-quality components
sourced domestically and around the globe.

T: 973-777-6996 • F: 973-777-9899
E: [e-mail] • www.tech21nyc.com
©2018 Tech 21 USA, Inc.

TECH 21, THE COMPANY

Tech 21 was formed by a guitarist possessing the unusual combination
of a trained ear and electronics expertise. In 1989, B. Andrew Barta
made his invention commercially available to players and studios around
the world. His highly-acclaimed SansAmp™ pioneered Tube Amplifier

mulation in professional applications for recording direct and per-

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forming live, and created an entirely new category of signal processing.
There have since been many entries into this niche, yet SansAmp contin­ues to maintain its reputation as the industry standard.

With a full line of SansAmp models, Tech 21 also offers effect pedals
and MIDI products, as well as “traditional” style amplifiers for guitar

nd bass. Each product is thoughtfully and respectfully designed by B.

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

PRODUCT OVERVIEW

A Tech 21 Fly Rig is more than a pedalboard. In a single pedal. And no
board. Less than 13 inches long and weighing just over 20 oz., this sleek,
compact unit embodies an entire rig. At its heart, is the all-analog
SansAmp, which makes it possible to go direct to a PA or mixer. For ef­fects, you have all the essentials and fun stuff, too. What you don’t have
are crackling patch cables, dying batteries or ground loops. No stinkin’
van, heavy flight cases, cable spaghetti, and no dead weight.

With a Fly Rig, you can relax. For fly gigs across the globe, jamming at the
local hang, and last minute sessions, you’ll be the first one ready to go.
You can stop stressing over what to pack and agonizing over what to
leave behind. You can stop dreading cheesy backline loaners and over­heating at the mere thought of your touring rig going down. Just pop
your Fly Rig into your guitar case and head for the door. (Be sure to
wipe that smile off your face when the rest of the band shows up sweat­ing and out of breath.).

PAUL LANDERS PL1 SIGNATURE FLY RIG

Known for staunchly rejecting any compromise of their vision or con­forming to being politically correct, Rammstein is one of, if not the most
unique bands on earth. Their internationally-acclaimed shows take the
term “spectacle” to a whole new level. Their outspoken lyrics, driving
rhythms and crunchy attacks come together in a contagious groove typi­cally incongruous with industrial metal. Each member is devoted to the
same uncompromising ethos, which is evident in their surprisingly tasteful
musicality, creative wit and saucy humor.

Paul Landers has been a long-time user of Tech 21 gear, both the
SansAmp GT2 and SansAmp PSA. While he liked the format of the Fly
Rigs, they simply didn’t have all the features he specifically wanted. Given
Paul’s long term relationship with Andrew Barta, it was a no-brainer to
collaborate on a Fly Rig to fit his needs.

Just prior to serious discussions on the development, Rammstein were in
rehearsals for their 2017 tour. Paul initially opted for, dare we say, a very
high-end digital emulator/effects processor. When it unexpectedly went
down, he grabbed his trusty SansAmp GT2. It was unanimously agreed by
the crew, sound engineers, fellow band members, and Paul himself, the
GT2 had more “air” and liveliness. This marked the initial design founda­tion for Paul’s Signature Fly Rig.

Unlike our other Fly Rigs, the Paul Landers PL1 Signature Fly Rig offers 2
SansAmp channels, one clean and one dirty. Other distinguishing features
include a custom-designed Vibrato effect with tap tempo control, an
Ambiance control with choice of atmosphere, and two modes of Boost.

Paul is known for his impish grin and waggish sense of humor, but the
PL1 Signature Fly Rig is brutally serious!

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APPLICATIONS

For DIRECT RECORDING or DIRECT to PA. All of the tone
shaping and cabinet emulation needed is already incorporated into the
SansAmp section of the pedal. The PL1 automatically converts your
guitar signal to Low Z allowing you to plug into a variety of inputs that
would normally load down your guitar’s signal. It can be plugged into
mixers (live and studio), workstation/recorders, and even directly into
the sound card on a computer.

s a PRE-AMP or STOMPBOX with a guitar amp. You can

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connect the PL1 in-line just as you would a standard distortion pedal. If
the pre-amp of your amplifier is imparting too much of its own charac­ter on the pedal, plug into the low level input and set the pre-amp as
clean and neutral as possible. As most amps tend to be on the bright
side, you may need to start with High in the SansAmp section below
12 o’clock and adjust as necessary.

Also, be aware that most tube amps have a tone stack. When every­thing is on max, they tend to cut the mid range. So don’t be surprised
to find that the flattest sound is achieved with bass and treble at mini­mum, and mid at max. Since most tube amp passive tone stacks work in
a similar fashion, we recommend this as a good starting point and ad­justing to taste.

You can also plug into the effects loop return (if the amp has one). This
will disable the entire pre-amp of the amp for a truer representation of
the pedal’s sound.

GOOD TO KNOW BEFORE YOU START

SIGNAL FLOW OF THE PAUL LANDERS FLY RIG

SET LEVEL CONTROLS FOR UNITY GAIN

Set the level controls so you have the same volume coming from your
speaker/monitor whether the pedal is active or in bypass. This ensures
the next device in the signal chain won't get slammed by a much hotter
signal than what would normally come from the instrument. Similarly,
you wouldn't want a drop in volume either, which would force the next
device to struggle for enough signal.

NOTE: When running the PL1 Output directly to the PA, set the
SansAmp Levels fairly high to achieve the best signal-to-noise ratio.

SET ALL OTHER CONTROLS AT NOON, just to get started.

CLIP WARNING

The Ambiance control in the DLA section has a built-in clip warning.
Like a VU meter, it will flash yellow to warn you if the Fly Rig is being
overloaded.

You can then trim the corresponding control(s) accordingly: Boost or
the SansAmp Levels. Bear in mind that occasional blinks (peaks) are
okay and can be expected when you dig into your strings, but it should
not be continuously lit.

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UNIVERSAL POWER SUPPLY

The included power supply is provided with a U.S. prong assembly in­stalled. To change the prong assembly to one of the included European,
UK or Australia/New Zealand styles, be sure the power supply is un­plugged and follow these instructions:

Press the PUSH switch to release the
prong assembly. Slide the assembly up
(about halfway) to align the side tabs of
the prong assembly with the slots of
the power supply housing. Then pull up
to remove the assembly. Choose the
new prong assembly, align the side tabs
with the slot of the housing and slide
down until it clicks into position.

NOTE: You cannot slide the prong
assembly all the way out.

THE INS AND OUTS

1/4” INPUT: 1megOhm instrument level. For normal operation, sig­nal level to Input should be close to that of a standard electric guitar
(approx -10dBm / 250mV). The input is designed with the same sensi­tivity and loading characteristic as a tube amp.

!! WARNING !! DO NOT RUN THE SPEAKER OUT-

PUT OF ANY AMP directly into a Fly Rig/SansAmp

input. Severe damage will result.

1/4” UNIVERSAL OUTPUT: Unbalanced 1kOhm Low Z instru-

ment level output. This output can be connected to High Z guitar ampli­fiers (or effects) as well as Low Z mixer and computer inputs. Output level
is unity gain when pedal is in bypass mode. It also drives long cables without
loss of signal integrity, even in bypass.

BALANCED XLR OUTPUT & GROUND
CONNECT SWITCH: Balanced low Z output. When

the Ground Connect switch is engaged, the ground con­nects. Disengaged, the ground of your stage system and
other interconnected gear is lifted (isolated) from the
ground of the mixing console.

GUIDE TO FUNCTIONS and CONTROLS

(in order of signal flow)

SANSAMP Sections:

he all-analog SansAmp technology is designed for a smooth, even re-

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ponse which enables the Fly Rig to run directly into mixers of recording

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esks and PA systems, as well as augment your existing amplifier set-up. It

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an also be used to enhance previously recorded tracks.

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SANSAMP WASSER

The SansAmp Wasser (Water) section focuses on clean amplifier tones.

COMP: A single, continuously variable control to dial in just the right
amount of compression you need. A little goes a long way, from soft
and barely noticeable to super squashy, infinite sustain. Utilizes old
school, all-analog, FET-based technology from the ‘50s and ‘60s, which is
inherently warmer, more transparent and more musical than other meth­ods of compression.

LOW and HIGH: On-board post-EQ section gives you full control,
like having a studio mixing board at your fingertips. Unlike passive tone
controls that only cut, these active controls cut and boost. At 12 o’­clock, they are flat.
LOW is tuned to ±12dB @ 120 Hz
HIGH is tuned to ±12dB @ 3.3 kHz

LEVEL: Adjusts the output level of the unit when the SansAmp sec­tion is engaged. This control has an exceptionally wide range for maxi­mum compatibility with a variety of equipment.

BITE Switch: Engaged (in position), Bite activates a presence boost
to the SansAmp tube amplifier emulation circuitry to provide extra
clarity to the top end. It adds definition to your notes, provides an edgy
sound with increased harmonics and a slight breakup.

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ANSAMP FEUER

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The SansAmp Feuer (Fire) section focuses on dirty amplifier tones.

DLA Section

Delay with Tap Tempo + Vibrato + Ambiance

The delay is voiced for the sounds of a vintage tape echo.

DRIVE: Adjusts the overall amount of gain and overdrive, similar to
when the output section of a tube amp is being pushed.

LOW, MID, HIGH: On-board post-EQ section gives you full con­trol, like having a studio mixing board at your fingertips. Unlike passive
tone controls that only cut, these active controls cut and boost. At 12
o’clock (unity gain), they are flat.

LOW and HIGH are active shelving EQs, cut or boost ±12dB,

with pivot point at 1K.

MID is tuned to ±12dB @ 700 Hz / 1400 Hz.

MID SHIFT Switch: Selectable between 700 Hz (in position)

and 1400 Hz (out position).

LEVEL: Adjusts the output level of the unit when the SansAmp sec­tion is engaged. This control has an exceptionally wide range for maxi­mum compatibility with a variety of equipment.
Level Tip: For the best signal-to-noise ratio, especially when running
the PL1 directly to the PA, be sure the Level control is set at unity gain
(matching the bypass signal),

BOOST Section

Dual-mode, post-SansAmp positive boost up to +6dB and “negative”
boost down to -10dB.

TIME: Controls the amount of delay. This single, continuously-vari­able control provides a smooth sweep up to 750 milliseconds of delay
time. You can easily dial-in the exact amount of delay desired with one
turn of the knob. Turning the Time control while playing will transpose
the pitch of your guitar note, just like a vintage analog delay.
In Vibrato mode, Time functions as a speed control.

REPEATS: Feeds back the delayed signal to the input of the delay cir­cuit to generate the number of repeats. At minimum (7 o’clock), you will
hear one repeat. As you increase the setting, the repeats will follow ac­cordingly until they are almost infinite. At max, it will repeat infinitely.
Repeats Tip: When using the DLA in front of an amp, the amp will
compress the signal and the repeats will become more pronounced.
Therefore, you will most likely need to have the setting lower than you
would when running through an effects loop. For instance, you may find a
Repeats setting at 10 o’clock through an effects loop will yield 3 repeats.
However, through the front of an amp, you may find a setting of 8 o’clock
will give you the same results.

LEVEL: Triple function control adjusts the output level of the DLA
section, serves as a clip warning (see page 2), and works as a depth con­trol when in Vibrato mode.

TAP TEMPO: Dedicated footswitch makes it simple to just tap in
the delay tempo or Vibrato speed you want during your performance.
Tap Tempo will override the Time setting (and conversely, turning the
Time knob will override the Tap Tempo). The Tap Tempo works in By­pass so you can set it ahead of time. A special feature of the Tech 21
Tap Tempo is that it will not change the pitch of your guitar tone when
you change the pace. This provides a seamless transition for on-the-fly
adjustments if your drummer drifts.

VIBRATO

Engages a vibrato effect and alters the functions of Time and Level:
Time controls the speed of the vibrato. Min = Slow; Max = Fast.
Level adjusts the depth of the vibrato. At minimum, there is no effect.
Note: You can also use the Tap Tempo to control the speed, which will
override the Time control (until you readjust the Time control manually).
Also note, Repeats is disabled when in Vibrato mode.

Punch mode (out position) provides pure volume adjustment
and doesn’t change the tone.

Punch mode (in position) enhances solos by engaging a wide mid­range boost.

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AMBIANCE

This single, continuously-variable control provides a smooth, full sweep
to easily dial-in the amount of ambiance desired. Choose from:

Out position = Close mic’d ambiance.

In position = Standard room ambiance.
Note: Ambiance will automatically be on when Wasser or Feuer is en­gaged. Turn to minimum when “off” is desired.

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THER GOODIES

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CHROMATIC TUNER

he TAP/TUNER footswitch engages the chromatic tuner. Simply hold

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the footswitch down to engage the tuner, which will simultaneously
mute the signal path. The LED in the tuner window will then light up. If
the green light is on, you’re in tune. If you’re not, the red arrows serve
as indicators:

Arrow points up = Flat. Raise the pitch.
Arrow points down = Sharp. Lower the pitch.

As you get closer to being in tune, the arrow will blink
faster and turn off when you are in tune. The green light
then comes on and you’re good to go.

When you’re finished tuning, simply hit the footswitch to disengage.

HEADPHONE

Switches the 1/4-inch output into headphone mode to drive both
sides and provide higher powered output.

NOTE: Be sure to disengage when going direct
to a mixing board or amplifier, as it will easily
clip the signal.

OTEWORTHY NOTES

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1) Using the Fly Rig with headphones. Settings may sound

brighter through the headphones, so simply adjust the controls accord-

ingly. Remember to disengage the switch when going direct to a mixing

board or amplifier, as it will easily clip the signal.

2) Tech 21 controls are unusually sensitive and tend to per-

form well beyond what would be considered “normal.” So you need

not set everything at max to get maximum results. For instance, to

brighten your sound, rather than automatically boosting High all the

way up, try cutting back on Low first.

3) To find the best settings for interacting with your other gear,

you may need to use radically different settings for each individual way

you use it. You need not be discouraged or suspect something is wrong

with the unit. If you’ve got your sound, you’ve simply found the right bal-

ance to complement each individual piece of gear. We recommend you

start with the tone controls at 12 o’clock and cut or boost as necessary.

4) Tech 21 pedals have exceptionally low noise levels.

However, they may amplify noise emanating from the input source. To

minimize noise, we recommend active electronic instruments have the

volume set so that the clip light barely comes on when in Bypass, and

have the tone controls positioned flat. If you need to boost, do so

slowly and sparingly. Also check for pickup interference by moving

your guitar or turning the volume off. Be aware single coil pickups are

more likely to generate noise.

5) Placement notes: The Fly Rig can be treated as an amplifier or

pre-amp when it comes to setting up your signal chain:

Place the following effects BEFORE the Fly Rig:

Phaser/Vibe, Overdrive, Wah.

Place the following effects AFTER the Fly Rig:

Delay, EQ, Flanger, Phaser (yes, after is good, too), Pitch Shifter, Reverb.

6) Buffered bypass eliminates the shortcomings associated with

“true bypass” (pops and clicks, and high-end loss when multiple pedals

are connected together), as well as signal loss associated with other

types of switching circuits.

7) Custom actuators. All Tech 21 pedals feature smooth, custom,

silent-switching actuators.

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