Hartke VX3500 Owner's Manual

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Contents

Hartke VX3500 Owner's Manual Manual pdf 11 page image

9Setting Up and Using The VX3500PRE AMP543210678910543210678910A BTUBE SOLID STATECONTOUR03515-18351015+180351015-18351015+18LOW PASS HIGH PASSCOMPRESSION5432106789∞EFFECTSENDRETURN BALANCE0SEND RETURNModel 3500 EffectSend/Return jacksand Balance controlINOUT+15+12+9+6+3+2-2-3-6-9-12-15+150-158KHz5KHz3KHz2KHz1KHz500Hz250Hz125Hz64Hz30Hz8KHz5KHz3KHz2KHz1KHz500Hz250Hz125Hz64Hz30HzGRAPHIC EQUALIZER7. Experiment with altering the balance of the two Pre-Amp knobs, listening tothe effect each has on the overall sound. Depending upon the specific instru-ment you are using and your personal taste, you may prefer the sound of oneover the other, or you may prefer a particular blend of the two. Note that, whenboth are used at equal settings, the amplifier will be twice as loud as when onlyone is used. In step #4 on the previous page, we recommended that you beginwith both knobs at their midway “5” setting, but the two Pre-Amp knobs can infact be set to any blend you like. However, you will usually want to avoid settingboth to their maximum “10” position since this setting will almost always result inundesirable distortion.8. When you have settled on a Pre-Amp balance, the next step is to adjust thetwo Contour (bass and treble equalizer) controls to taste. For more information,see the “About Equalization” section on page 13 of this manual. When you geta great setting that complements your instrument and playing style, it’s a goodidea to write it down for future use.9. Next, experiment with the Model 2000/3500 graphic equalizer. Begin by set-ting each of the ten sliders to their flat “0” center detented position. Then pressin the In/Out switch (to its “In” position) so that the graphic equalizer is activated.Finally, move each slider in turn as you play your bass. For more information,see the “About Equalization” section on page 13 of this manual. Again, whenyou get a graphic equalization setting that complements your instrument andplaying style, it’s a good idea to write it down for future use.10. Now try out the Model 2000/3500 compression circuitry. Activate it byturning the Compression knob clockwise from its “Off” position (you’ll hear aclick when it is activated). As you turn the knob clockwise, the input signal fromyour bass becomes more and more severely compressed—you’ll hear peak sig-nals (such as string slaps and pulls) begin to sound increasingly “squashed,” rel-ative to the lower-level signals produced by standard playing. The result will bea decreased dynamic range but an overall leveling of signal throughout the fullpitch range of your instrument. For more information, see the “AboutCompression” section on page 15. In the Model 3500, the Compression LEDwill light steadily green when no compression is being applied, will go out when-ever small amounts of compression are being applied and will flash or lightsteadily red when limiting (severe compression) is being applied.11. If you’re using an external signal processor, turn your Hartke amplifier offmomentarily and then connect a standard audio cable between the Effect Sendjack and your effects processor input and another standard audio cable betweenthe Effect Return jack and your effects processor output (if required, multipleeffects processors can be daisy-chained together, output to input). If you areusing a Hartke 3500, start with the effect Balance knob at its center detented “0”position, so that you hear equal amounts of both the send and return signal.*Then turn the amp back on and play your bass while adjusting the controls ofyour outboard effects processor(s). For best results, set both the input and out-put gain of all connected effects processor(s) to 0 dB (unity gain), so that thereis no increase or decrease in level whether the effects are switched in or out.If you have followed all the steps above and are still experiencing difficulties, callSamson Technical Support (516-932-1062) between 9 AM and 5 PM EST.* For more information on the use of the Hartke 3500 effect Balance control,see page 10 in this manual.