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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 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, manufacturer 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, weekdays from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM, Eastern Standard Time.
DESIGNED AND MANUFACTURED IN THE U.S.A.
Fill in the following information for future reference:
Serial Number______________________________________
Dealer’s Name _____________________________________
Dealer’s Address ___________________________________
Date of Purchase ___________________________________
Tel: 973-777-6996 / Fax: 973-777-9899
E-Mail: info@tech 21nyc.com
Website: www.tech21nyc.com
© 2003 Tech 21 USA, Inc.
(rev.10/07)
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IMPORTANT SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS.
RISK OF ELECTRICAL SHOCK
DO NOT OPEN
CAUTION
CAUTION: TO REDUCE THE RISK OF ELECTRICAL SHOCK, DO
NOT REMOVE COVER. NO USER-SERVICEABLE PARTS INSIDE.
REFER SERVICING TO QUALIFIED SERVICE PERSONNEL.
RISQUE D'ELECTROCUTION
NE PAS OUVRIR
ATTENTION
ATTENTION: POUR REDUIRE LES RISQUES D'ELECTROCUTION
NE PAS ENLEVER LE COUVERCLE. AUCUNE PIECE INTERNE
N'EST REPARABLE PAR L'UTILISATEUR. POUR TOUTE
REPARATION, S'ADRESSER A UN TECHNICIEN QUALIFIE.
ELEKTRISCHE SCHLAGGEFAHR
NICHT OFFNEN
VORSICHT
VORSICHT: ZUR MINIMIERUNG ELEKTRISCHER SCHLAGGE-
FAHR NICHT DEN DECKEL ABNEHMEN. INTERNE TEILE KONNEN
NICHT VOM BENUTZER GEWARTET WERDEN. DIE WARTUNG
IST QUALIFIZIERTEM WARTUNGSPERSONAL ZU UBERLASSEN.
READ AND SAVE THESE INSTRUCTIONS.
HEED ALL WARNINGS.
This unit is powered by potentially hazardous voltage. Therefore,
observe the following safety precautions:
This symbol, wherever it appears, alerts the user to the presence of uninsulated dangerous
voltage within the product’s enclosure that may be of sufficient magnitude to constitute a
risk of electric shock to persons.
This symbol, wherever it appears, alerts the user to important operating and maintenance
instructions in the accompanying literature. Read the manual.
Read and follow all instructions before using product.
1.
2. Do not use product near water (such as near a bathtub, washbowl, kitchen sink,
swimming pool, in a wet basement, etc.).
3. Unit should be located so that its location or position does not impede the flow of
air through the ventilation openings.
4. Product should be located away from heat
sources such as radiators, heat registers, or other
products, including amplifiers, that produce heat.
5. Product should be connected to a power
supply only of the type described in the operating instructions or as marked on the product.
6. Protect power cord from being walked on
or pinched particularly at plugs, convenience
receptacles, and the point where they exit
from the unit.
7. Do not allow objects or liquids to penetrate
the enclosure through openings.
8. During heavy use, chassis may get hot to
the touch. Handle with care.
9. Protect unit from strong impact.
10. Unplug product before cleaning. Never spray liquid cleaners into the amp: wipe
with a clean, lint-free cloth to remove dirt and film.
11. Only use attachments/accessories specified by the manufacturer.
12. This product should be used only with a cart or stand recom-
mended by the manufacturer. When a cart is used, use caution when
moving the cart/product combination to avoid injury from tipping over.
13. Amplifiers may be capable of producing high volume levels that
could cause permanent hearing loss or damage, if the exposure to
such levels is prolonged. Such damage is progressive and irreversible! If you experience any hearing loss or ringing in the ears, consult an audiologist.
1
14. Unplug unit during lightning storms or when unused for long periods of
time.
15. This unit must be earth grounded. To reduce the risk of electric shock, NEVER
remove or otherwise attempt to defeat the ground pin of the power cord. If the provided plug does not fit into your outlet, consult an electrician for replacement of the
obsolete outlet.
WARNING: To avoid the risk of fire, electric shock or injury, do not expose this unit
to rain or 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.
FUSE
Fuse holder is located inside A/C cord receptacle. You must unplug
and remove power cord to change fuse.
Replace with similar type
and same value: 100V units: use F 1A L
117V units: use F 1A L
230V units: use F 0.5A L
240V units: use F 0.5A L
QUICK START AND STOP INSTRUCTIONS
QUICK START: Here’s how you can get your Trademark 30 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. Attach the AC cord to the amp and plug into a wall socket.
3. Be sure the Level controls on the Trademark 30 are down, then turn on the amp.
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.
QUICK STOP: After shutting off the Trademark 30 (or any amp), wait at least 10 seconds
before turning it back on.
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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 Emulation in professional applications for
recording direct and performing live, and created an entirely new category of signal
processing. 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 offerings to
include effect pedals, 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 30, AN OVERVIEW
This 100% analog amplifier design is based upon the simple-to-operate format of our
exceptionally popular SansAmp GT2 pedal and provides the totally
sound quality for which Tech 21 is known. The Trademark 30 delivers a truckload of
big tube amp sounds 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.
professional
TOP PANEL
The Trademark 30 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 interrelationship
of the controls, 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 1MOhm. 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.
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 30 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 30 is a distinctive, multi-functional amplifier weighing just 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.
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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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MOD
MADE IN U.S.A.
Influences the gain structure of the AMP selected.
CLEAN: Stock tube amp set-up.
HI GAIN: Gives you an extra gain stage, as if you were to install an
additional 12AX7 tube in the pre-amp section.
HOT: Produces a “spitty, tube-driven-past-the-brink texture.”*
*This descriptive quote is taken from Tom Mulhern’s review of the
SansAmp Classic pedal, published in
Guitar Player Magazine
REVERB
Rich, full sounding Accutronics®3-spring reverb. Increase from minimum (7 o’clock).
We recommend starting at 12 o’clock and then adjusting to taste.
LEVEL
Adjusts the overall volume. It also affects the XLR Direct Out, allowing you to block
the signal to the audience or recording console when you want to tune or unplug
.
your guitar.
SPEAKER
FLAT: Yields the transparent, natural characteristic of the Tech 21 special-
design 10” speaker.
UK: Achieves the sound of a “green back” Celestion®-style speaker associated
with early Marshall
content and increased low end. It is recommended for big, mega crunch,
balls-to-the-wall results.
US: Achieves the sound of an Electro-Voice®-style speaker used in early
Mesa/Boogie
It produces a smoother sound with more low-end punch and less upper midrange content.
®
4x12 closed-back cabinets. There is greater high mid-range
®
amps. Similar to UK, but it gives a little more extended range.
DRIVE
Adjusts the overall amount of gain and overdrive.
MASTER SECTION
EQ
Specifically voiced for guitar, these active controls set the tonal balance of the amp
relative to your environment.
LOW, MID and HIGH
Boost or cut ±12dB from the center point (12 o’clock). We recommend starting
with the EQ controls flat, at 12 o’clock. Then try a slight Low boost (2 o’clock)
with a slight Mid cut (10 o’clock), and a slight High boost (2 o’clock).
REAR PANEL
HEADPHONE
The Headphone output overrides the speaker for undisturbed (and non-disturbing)
practicing. It can also be used as a 1/4" direct out, should an XLR input not be available on your recorder. You can then use your headphones through the mixer. Be
aware, however, to provide better audibility through headphones, there is slightly
more high end with this output than the XLR Direct Out. Therefore, you should compensate accordingly (or you can opt to use the Effect Loop Send instead).
SPEAKER
By incorporating Tech 21’s exclusive technology with our 10” speaker, the Trademark
30 gives you a choice of speaker styles associated with each of the most desirable
cabinet styles.
If you want to use an external speaker cabinet, simply plug in the speaker cable from
the external cabinet. This will defeat the internal speaker. The Trademark 30 is capable of driving a 2x12 cabinet or 4x12 cabinet, however,
less than 4 Ohms.
complement our specialized circuitry. Therefore, using a standard commercial speaker may result in a significant change of the sound.
Note: The Trademark 30’s speaker is specifically designed to
do not use speakers rated at
5
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SANSAMP™ DIRECT OUT
For recording in a home studio or pro facility, the SansAmp XLR output is like having
a built-in direct box. The SansAmp circuitry not only captures the warm, rich, natural
harmonics and sweet overdrive characteristics inherent to tube amplifiers, its
speaker emulation encompasses all aspects of multiply-miked tube amp rigs. So
you can plug straight into the board and get the same sound that comes out of the
Trademark 30 directly onto tape.
EFFECT LOOP
The Effect Loop allows you to connect external effects between the pre-amp and
power amp section of the Trademark 30.
Connect the input of your effect to Send; output of your effect to Return. We recommend that time-based (i.e., chorus or delay) effects be inserted in the Effect Loop and
external distortion/wah pedals be placed between the guitar and the Trademark 30.
The mic level, -20dB output is matched to the output volume of the speaker, as determined by the setting of the Level control. If you place a microphone in front of the
speaker, the volume level of the XLR Direct Out will be approximately the same.
If you need to consider family and neighbors, you can defeat the internal speaker by
plugging a dummy cable into either the Speaker jack or the Headphone jack. You can
then use headphones through your mixer.
For live gigs, you can use this output to go direct into a PA system or to chain with
our own
sample Hook-up Diagrams and refer to Optional Speaker Cabinets in the
Specifications for more information.)
Power Engine 60™
powered
extension cabinets, in mono or stereo. (See
Be aware that you can also use the Send as an alternate 1/4" direct out, should an
XLR input not be available on your recorder.
On the next page, you’ll find some helpful Effect Loop diagrams for chaining
Trademark 30s, adding a remote volume control, and how to hook-up two Trademark
30s for stereo.
NOTEWORTHY NOTES & CONSIDERATIONS
1) Use a condenser mic (or even a ribbon mic) to record. This will give you
a truer representation of the sound in the room. Dynamic mics do not have a flat
response and will color the sound, making it darker and mid-rangey. While we never
discourage experimentation, it is our intention only to make you aware of how the
results will differ.
2) You need not crank up the amp to record. The power amp distortion is predetermined by the Character settings. You can use medium volume and close miking
for an intimate sound, or back the mic off for more “room.”
3) If you use the XLR Direct Out and a mic: you may experience a thin sound,
caused by phase cancellation. Try repositioning the mic until it goes away or invert
the phase of one of the signals.
GROUND LIFT
Connects or disconnects the ground circuits between the XLR Direct Out of the
Trademark 30 and the mixer. We recommend starting with the ground lifted. If necessary, connect the ground by pushing the button in.
7
4) Enjoy your new amp!
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Trademark 30 Hook-Up Diagrams
SEND
RETURN
STEREO EFFECTS
PROCESSOR
INPUT
RETURN
L R
INPUT
TRADEMARK 30 TRADEMARK 30
STEREO HOOK-UP
STEREO EFFECTS
PROCESSOR
*
INPUT
L R
INPUT
SANSAMP
XLR
DIRECT
OUT
XLR
OUT
INPUT
TO CHAIN
OR TO P.A.
POWER ENGINE 60
XLR
OUT
INPUT
TO CHAIN
OR TO P.A.
POWER ENGINE 60
Use a line matching
transformer, such as
Shure Model #A95UF,
or equivalent
*When available,
it is preferable
to use XLR jacks
TRADEMARK 30
STEREO HOOK-UP with POWER ENGINE 60s
SEND
RETURN
TRADEMARK 30 TRADEMARK 30
INPUT
CHAINING TRADEMARK 30s
SANSAMP XLR
DIRECT OUT
XLR
IN
XLR
OUT
XLR
IN
XLR
OUT
INPUT
POWER ENGINE 60 POWER ENGINE 60
TO CHAIN OR TO P.A.
TRADEMARK 30
CHAINING TRADEMARK 30 with POWER ENGINE 60(s)
TRADEMARK 30
INPUT
REMOTE VOLUME CONTROL HOOK-UP
SEND RETURN
OUTPUT
INPUT
With POWER AMP and SPEAKER CABINET
SEND
INPUT SPEAKER OUT
TRADEMARK 30
INPUT
POWER AMP
TO 2X12 OR 4X12
SPEAKER CABINET
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SAMPLE SETTINGS
MESA/BOOGIE® LEAD
METALLICA
JAZZ
SRV
VAN HALEN
STRAT® & LES PAUL®-CLEAN RHYTHM
AC/DC
CUSTOM SETTINGS
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CUSTOM SETTINGS
TRADEMARK 30 SPECIFICATIONS
Note: With on-going product development and improvements, specifications and/or
the cosmetic appearance of this unit may change without prior notice.
Model Number: TM30
Input Impedance: 1MOhm
Nominal Input Level: -10dBu*
Optimal Output Load: 4 Ohm minimum
Power Output: 30W
Effect Loop Input Impedance: 1MOhm
Maximum Effect Loop Input Level: approx. -6dBu*
Effect Loop Output Impedance: 1KOhm
Effect Loop Output Level: approx. -20dBu*
XLR Output Level: approx. -20dBu*
Maximum Power Consumption: 60W
AC Input Power: 100V, 117V, 230V, 240V
Cycles: 50/60 Hz
NOTE: Each unit is constructed for specific voltages. See authorized
dealer/distributor for voltage modification information.
Speaker: Model #2110-T, Tech 21 Special Design 10”
50 Watts - 4 Ohms
Dimensions: 14.5”l x 8”w x 13.25”h
Weight: 14 lbs.
*
Measured using a -10dB 400Hz test signal with all amp controls flat, no reverb.
Actual levels will vary with your settings.
Optional Accessories and Speaker Cabinets:
•Gig Bag:
To carry your Trademark 30 or for general use.
Black with silver logo, shoulder strap and handles, plus roomy front
compartment. 15”l x 10.5”w x 13.5”h.
•Power Engine 60s: 60-watt, multi-purpose powered extension cabinets
available in three formats: 1x12 and 2x12 loaded with 12” Celestion
®
Seventy80 speakers, and 4x10 loaded with custom-designed Eminence
speakers. Covered in black vinyl with wheat grill and white piping.
Replacement parts are available, i.e., knobs, grill panel, speaker, logo plate,
handle, vinyl cover, etc. For more information, please contact Tech 21.
®
Registered trademarks. Names of sample settings are intended for descriptive purposes
only and should not be construed as an endorsement or affiliation
with the companies or artists named.
®
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