Tech 21 TRADEMARK 10 User Manual

Owner's Manual

WARNINGS

•Attempting to repair this unit is not recommended and may void its warranty.

•Missing or altered serial numbers automatically void the warranty. For your own
protection, be sure the serial number labels on the unit and exterior box are intact.

ONE-YEAR LIMITED WARRANTY

Manufacturer warrants unit to be free from defects in materials and workmanship for
a period of one (1) year from the date of purchase. 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, Inc. will elect to
repair or replace it free of charge. After warranty period expires, manufacturer will
repair defective unit for a fee.

PROOF OF PURCHASE IS REQUIRED FOR ANY REPAIR

For residents of the U.S. and Canada, please call Tech 21’s main headquarters for
shipping instructions and a Return Authorization Number. Tech 21 will not accept
packages without prior authorization, pre-paid freight (UPS preferred), and proper
insurance.

FOR PERSONAL ASSISTANCE & INQUIRIES

Contact Tech 21, Inc., weekdays from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM, Eastern Standard Time.

DESIGNED AND MANUFACTURED IN THE U.S.A.

333 West 52nd Street, New York, NY 10019
Tel: [phone] / Fax: [phone]
E-Mail: info@tech 21nyc.com
Website: www.tech21nyc.com
© 1999 Tech 21, Inc.

Fill in the following information for future reference:

Serial Number______________________________________

Dealer’s Name _____________________________________

Dealer’s Address ___________________________________

Date of Purchase ___________________________________

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 highy-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 full line 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.

TRADEMARK 10, AN OVERVIEW

The overall design is far more than just a scaled-down version of its big
brother 60-watt, 2-channel Trademark 60 amp. The 100% analog Trademark
10 merges the simple-to-operate format of our exceptionally popular
SansAmp GT2 pedal with the look and feel of the Trademark 60, and pro­vides the totally

professional

sound quality for which Tech 21 is known.

Despite its humble stature, the Trademark 10 delivers a truckload of the
most desirable, big tube amp sounds --most obviously, Fender,®Marshall,

®

and Mesa/ Boogie,®and does so even at low levels. The interactive controls
give you access to specific tone shaping characteristics to create your own
trademark sounds as well.

For studio and live applications, our proprietary SansAmp Tube Amplifier
Emulation technology enables you to go straight into the mixer of a recorder
or PA system via the XLR Direct Output. In addition to the 3 preset speaker
styles you can choose with the flick of a switch, the Trademark 10 can also
be miked. For recording, you have the advantage of being able to employ dif­ferent microphones and miking techniques for even greater versatility. So
you can capture all the nuances of multiply-miked, large, loud stage rigs
without excessive volume.

The Trademark 10 is an affordable, multi-functional, super cost-effective
package weighing just over 14 lbs. Whether you’re a beginner, road warrior,
about-to-be, or already a big star, this truly useful amp is capable of fulfilling
a variety of needs, even as they change, throughout your entire career.

2

1

IMPORTANT SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS

The Trademark 10 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 the original power cord becomes dam­aged, refer your Trademark 10 for servicing.

WARNING: Attempting to repair this unit is not recommended and may void its
warranty. NOTE: In the U.S. and Canada, servicing of Trademark 10 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 and back 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 Trademark 10 up and running before you read the entire
manual. Note: By not reading the manual, you’ll miss out on how to get the most out
of your new investment!

1. Plug your instrument into the top-panel Input jack (on the left side).

2. Plug the AC cord into a wall socket.

3. Turn on the Trademark 10.

4. Use the quick start sample settings provided on the amp. If missing, please refer to
the Sample Settings in this manual.

5. Play your guitar and you should hear a sound coming through the amp. If not, check
that your guitar’s volume control is 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.

3

TOP PANEL

The Trademark 10 is designed with

active

controls, which cut and boost, rather than
traditional passive controls which can only cut. This gives you a much larger range of
adjustability and, ultimately, more variety.

It should be noted that you need not necessarily set everything at max to achieve
maximum results. As you experiment and become familiar with the controls’ interrela­tionships, you’ll easily be able to customize your own sounds.

INPUT JACK

Faithful to the original designs of traditional tube amplifiers, this 1/4" Input is high
impedance 1M . An additional low sensitivity input isn’t necessary due to the
trimmable Drive control.

CHARACTER SECTION

Overview

You should begin building your sound foundation with the Character Switches. We’ve
taken the best parts of the most-wanted tube amp set-ups and broken them down into
“components.” You can mix and match them in intriguing ways that would otherwise be
physically improbable, probably impractical, and definitely not financially feasible. First
choose the amplifier tonal character you want. Then select the modification that suits
your musical preferences. Then match it up with the speaker style to taste.

AMP

Each of the three positions affects multiple dimensions of the individual personality
traits inherent to each amplifier type. This switch is not merely a simple EQ change,
nor does it just affect the gain structure. Each amplifier type has its own tonality and
its own input sensitivity. Each reacts differently to the dynamics of your playing style
and to the signal level of the instrument.

TWEED: Fender

®

-style

BRITISH: Marshall

®

-style

CALIF: Mesa/Boogie

®

-style

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CHARACTER

AMP MOD SPEAKER

CALIF

BRITISH

TWEED

INPUT DRIVE

HOT

HI GAIN

CLEAN

U.S.

U.K.

FLAT