Hartke KILO 1000WATT Owner's Manual

Also see for KILO: Owner's manual

Contents

Hartke KILO 1000WATT Owner's Manual Manual pdf 18 page image

18The Hartke Kilo Bass Amplifier gives you enormous control over shaping the soundof your bass, using a process called equalization. To understand how this works, it’simportant to know that every naturally occurring sound consists of a broad range ofpitches (frequencies) combined together in a unique way. This blend is what givesevery sound its distinctive tonal color.The first section of the Kilo’s EQ controls is a three-band tube tonestack equalizer. The tone stack EQ is a fixed bandwidth EQ, with nofrequency control. It is a little different than normal boost and cuthi-fi bass and treble controls as there is no theoretical “flat” setting. When the threeknobs (labeled BASS, MID, and TREBLE) are at their center (12 o’clock) position, theresponse is set to a preset equalization curve that has been tailored for the bass guitar.The BASS and MID controls are somewhat interactive, so as you raise and lower theMID knob, the center frequency of the BASS control will shift. The TREBLE control isarranged to be independent from the BASS and MID controls, so that you can raise thehigh frequencies without affecting the low end. You should experiment with the EQknobs and your particular bass to dial up the best sound.In addition to the three EQ controls, the Kilo also includes BRITEand DEEP switches. The BRITE switch adds an overall boost to thehigh-end frequency response. This button works in conjunctionwith the GAIN knob (similar to the Loudness button on a stereo).As you raise the GAIN, the overall boost is diminished. When the GAIN is set to “10”(turned fully clockwise), the BRITE switch has no effect on the audio. The DEEP switchshifts the position of the low frequency and mid scoop to enhance the low end (“boo-ty”) of the bass guitar. The SHAPE switch and knob apply an adjustable notch (scoop)filter to the specified frequency area, so that you can customize the effect of the EQcurve that best complements your particular bass instrument. Moving the SHAPE con-trol clockwise causes the notch filter to be applied to higher frequencies, while movingthe knob counterclockwise causes it to be applied to lower frequencies.The ten-band constant-q graphic equalizer provides tensliders, each corresponding to a single narrow frequencyband. This allows you to “draw” the desired tonal responsefrom your system. When a slider is in its center (detent)position (“0”), it is having no effect. When it is movedabove center (towards “+12”), the particular frequencyarea is being boosted. When it is moved below center (towards “-12”), the frequencyarea is being attenuated. Normally, you will adjust the three-band EQ controls before“fine-tuning” your EQ with the graphic equalizer.In many instances, the best way to deal with equalization is to think in terms of whichfrequency areas you need to attenuate, as opposed to which ones you need to boost.Be aware that boosting a frequency area also have the effect of boosting the overallsignal; specifically, too much low frequency EQ boost can actually cause overloaddistortion, or even harm a connected speaker. In general, if you’re going to apply a fairamount of low frequency EQ boost, it’s a good idea to keep compression on, if only toprotect your speakers from potential damage.About Equalization