User manual FENDER 3018 POWER AMPLIFIER

[. . . ] The Acoustic MatrixTM transducer is a fully EMI shielded, multi-layer sandwich of co-polymer strips that run the length of the pickup. This design allows the pickup to sense the motion of the entire saddle length, providing superb string to string balance, as well as sensitivity to both the strings and the soundboard of the instrument. THE MICROPHONE The microphone, in conjunction with PHASE, NOTCH and CONTOUR controls (see page 6), will provide very high level sound reproduction before feedback. Conveniently shock-mounted to the back of the preamp case, the microphone is acoustically isolated inside the instrument, providing freedom of movement as well as minimal leakage from other instruments on stage. TM PROBlend ACOUSTIC GUITAR SYSTEM WARNING! WE STRONGLY RECOMMEND THAT YOU FAMILIARIZE YOURSELF WITH THE PREAMP CONTROLS BEFORE YOU ATTEMPT TO PERFORM WITH THE ONBOARD BLENDER. [. . . ] Flip the PHASE SWITCH back and forth until you find the position that subdues this range of feedback. Slowly increase the VOLUME again, until the microphone just starts to squeal. Slowly adjust the Contour FREQUENCY rotary control until the squealing feedback is eliminated. Raise the CONTOUR Level slider (if possible) to just below the threshold of feedback. The pickup signal will add significant attack and definition to your sound. FUNCTIONS Battery Compartment Pull the small tab at the top of the ProblendTM toward you. The body of the preamp will swing out, revealing the BATTERY COMPARTMENT. Install a fresh 9V alkaline battery. Microphone Trim Control A small circular potentiometer is located on the side of the preamp that faces the back of the guitar. Use this control to fine tune the microphone volume, in relation to the pickup volume. To adjust the microphone trim control, set the BLEND slider to the center position and, with a slotted jewelers screwdriver, turn the potentiometer until both the microphone and pickup levels are balanced to your taste. To conserve the battery, remove the instrument cable from the endpin jack when the unit is not being used. It is a good idea turn down your amp or mixer's input before you plug into this input. The Contour FREQUENCY slider determines the frequency band that is boosted or cut by the CONTOUR Level control. The frequency is variable between 250 Hz and 10 kHz. BRILLIANCE If you play through an electric guitar amplifier, or use dead strings on the instrument, you can brighten up your sound by setting the Contour FREQUENCY slider at 4:00 and raising the contour LEVEL to taste. If you plan to play at high stage volume levels, dial in more pickup than microphone with the Blend control to avoid feedback. Treble This is a boost/cut shelving tone control. In the center position the treble control does not affect the circuit. Blend balances the microphone and pickup signals. This control can be used as a feedback "escape hatch" if you ever need to instantly shut off the microphone during a performance. 5 6 P REFIX TM P RO B LEND F ISHMAN P REFIX TM S ERIES WHAT IS PHASE?Phase is the relationship between two signals or sound waves originating from the same instrument. MID CUT You can scoop out harsh midrange by setting the FREQUENCY slider AROUND 12:00 with the CONTOUR Level cut to taste below the center detent. Often the desired mid-cut will fall into the same frequency range as potential microphone feedback. You can also cut midrange (pickup only) by boosting the BASS and TREBLE sliders to realize an "implied" mid-cut at 800 Hz. For our purposes, phase relationships are expressed as being either "in phase" or "out of phase". In phase tends to enhance, while out of phase tends to suppress the natural characteristics and acoustic tendencies of an instrument. A simple way to determine the quality of phase (in or out) of two sounds is to compare phase switch settings at low volumes. [. . . ] When a mic'ed instrument and speaker are out of phase at low levels, the bass frequencies cancel out to some extent. The resulting sound is somewhat unnatural and unbalanced compared to in phase. · HIGH VOLUME LEVELS At high volume levels, when a mic'ed instrument and speaker are in phase, the sound pressure from the speaker will excite the instrument's sound chamber, creating a feedback loop at the instrument's lowest octave. This "cavity resonance" feedback can be dealt with by putting the mic'ed instrument and speaker out of phase or by adding equalization. [. . . ]