Peavey Session 500 User's Manual
Contents
1. amount of time you spend getting familier with this important contrai will be worth the effort and the payoff will be the ability to achieve the exact tonal textures you will Use for those Important studio bookings and concerts FREQUENCY SHIFT 10 The Session parametric type middle equalization enables an extremely wide range of EQ effet The Sess shift circuit that had a considerable range of operation but the new 500 has a shift circuit composed of a state variable filter makes possible the shifting of the midfrequency centers over several octaves This new EQ filter technology gives the player tonal freedom never before available in any amp The sweep capability of this circuit enables the exact midrange frequency to be set and the associated PARAMIO control then allows a truo boost or cut fo be achieved at that frequency setting Tho state variable filter changes its operating center frequency upward as the frequency shift control 10 isrotated clockwise The operation of this control is simple and should present no problems NOTE While there are no recommended settings for either the PARAMID or frequency shift controls one should remember that overboosting could cause problems with operating headroom Generally It has been found that some degree of midrange cut sounds better than boost with steel guitars electric piano and bass guitar For rock guitar the midrange is often boosted while thesetti2. included in the overall feedback circuit for maximum frequency response and linearity The reverb contral determines the amount of delayed reverb Signal mixed back into the output and its operation Is conventional In addition the reverb level can be adjusted through the use of a remote volume control The reverb may be activated or defeated through use of the remote switch VARIABLE ELECTRONIC CROSSOVER CONTROL 17 The crossover control serves to set the crossover frequency of the built in electronic crossover We have included a variable electronic crossover in order to make bi amplification possible Because the Session 500 has been designed for professionals who must perform for large concerts the bi amp Capability enables this unit when used with external power and speaker systems to become a truly awesome performer This capability combined with the Session s DDT compression gives us even more reason to believe that the Session is the world s most advanced instrument amp AMPING The purpose of di amping is to eliminate various kinds of distortion by maximizing the system s overall dynamic range This is done by utilizing separate power amps to independently amplity the low and the high frequencies In systems where the various components are known such as particular speakers in particular enclosures it has been common practice to preset the crossover point in order to achieve optimum balance In musical instrument amplifiers that ar
3. input circuitry the gain of both high and low gain jacks balance automatically when instruments are plugged into both jacks PEDAL INPUTS 3 4 One of the most frequent complaints of steel guitar players is that the tonality of their instrument changes with different positions of the pedal volume control The reason for this is that a simple pot or control as used in most pedal volume controls causes different impedance loadings on the instrument s output and also on the amp s input As the pedal control is varied through its range the various impedances interact with each other to produce the familiar tonal change As part of the Session R amp D effort we were determined to eliminate this tonal variation by enabling the instrument to be plugged directly into the amp thus matching the pickup with an extremely high input impedance which would not vary as did the pedal volume control The output from the input preamp was designed to present much higher signal levels and much lower impedance levels to the pedal volume control while feeding the pedal output back into an extremely high input impedance The result of this arrangement was to not only eliminate tonal change but also to place a substantial portion of the gain before the pedal volume thus resulting in greatly reduced noise By placing the input gain stage before the pedal the residual preamp noise hiss is attenuated at the same time as the guitar signal The old system of pedal vol
4. not have multiple ON positions since the grounding earthing conditions in most countries are made positively through standard tamper proof plug in systems LINE CORD 22 For your safety we have incorporated athree wire line mains cable with proper grounding facilities tisnot advisable to remove the ground pin under any circumstances If it is necessary to use the amp without proper grounding facilities suitable grounding adaptors Should be used Much less noise and greatly reduced shock hazard exist when the unitis operated with the proper grounded receptacles SPEAKER OUTPUTS 23 24 To provide impedance matching and to more carefully control the bandpass characteristics we have designed the Session to include an output transformer The direct jack 23 on the rear panel provides output direct from the power amp and is capable of handling a wide range of load impedances down to and including 2 ohms The transformer output jack 24 is designed for 4 to 6 ohm loads POWER AMP INPUT 25 This is a switching type jack thatis normally internally connected to the preamp output When a patch cable is inserted into this power amp input jack the cable then becomes the input for the power amp and may be plugged into one of the crossover outputs for bi amp operation or into an external effects unit for patching purposes ELECTRONIC CROSSOVER OUTPUTS 26 27 This high output 26 is the patching paint for connection to the power amp speaker e
5. simulates violins Fiddles butis capable of an extremely wide range of effects that make the Session an unmatched performer for regular electric guitar The string effect is actually a kind of distortion which can simulate the sound of violins yet has the added capability of generating the same gain distortion characteristic of hard rock This new and versatile feature adds yet another dimension to the performance capability of the Session and when combined with its other features makes the Session the most technically sophisticated and one of the best performing amps available anywhere NOTE SIMULTANEOUS USE OF VOLUME PEDAL AND STRING EFFECT REQUIRES USE OF SPECIAL VOLUME PEDAL IRCUITR The string effect system yields the most satisfactory performance with a constant signal from the instrument s pick up Similar to most other add on effects devices Inorderto maintain this constant input situation itis necessary to patch the instrument straight into the high 1 or low 2 gaininput of the Session 500 and then connect the volume pedal to the jacks labeled To Pedal 3 and From Pedal 4 Sustain and smoothness of the siring effect will be marginal if the special pedal inputs are not utilized Refer to the appropriate section of this manual for complete details of this patch STRING EFFECT LEVEL 6 This control determines the level of the siring effect when this function is activated by the switch on the edge co
6. the pre gain toward maximum settings while operating the post gain at lower settings It should be noted that distortion overload type effects can be achieved by the string effect with significantly more control and versatility than is possible by distorting the front end with the abovedescribad settings of the pre and post gain controls Distortion normally should be achieved by the string effect feature PHASE CIRCUITRY The new Session 500 has an advanced phase circuit designed using the latest semiconductor devices This advanced circuit features an extremely wide range of operation and actually allows some degree of regeneration or positive feedback to ocour thus greatly enhancing the phase effect The action of this feature is conventional and should present no operational problems NOTE The phase rate control is equipped with an on off switch which activates the phase circuitry If this switch is off full counterclockwise the phase effect cannot be activated by the remote switch PHASE COLOR CONTROL 14 The phase colorcontralis the element which determines the amountof internal feedback thal sets the level of the phasingeffect Very subtle changes may be heard in the counterclockwise position while extremely deep phasing effects with the accompanying characteristic swooshing sounds are obtained at the extreme clockwise setting Because of the unique action of this control some degree of regeneration is introducedinto the cir
7. 00 watts is used it shouldbe used for the high end The bi amp connections for both highs and lows are located on the rear panel CAUTION BE SURE THAT BI AMP HOOKUPS ARE MADE WITH SHIELDED CABLES DDT COMPRESSION LED 18 The Session is a compact and powerful amplifier that features a 300 watt RMS power amp with a full complement of equalization controls and a new type of dynamic compression The compression effect enables us to maximize the performance of the amp speaker Combination We have determined through much research that the compression circuitry should prevent the power amp speaker Combination from running out of headroom clipping and should be as simple to operate as possible to avoid undue complication for the User Our compression circuitry Is very effective Because of the dynamics and the percussive nature of plucked strings it is quite common to activate the compression as indicated by the limit LED light emitting diode at reasonably low cutput levels One should not be concerned that the limit LED indicates compression virtually constantly during a performance since this is what itwas designed to do ie to maximize the dynamics available from the amp within its power output capabilities We have not included other compression Controls since we have designed an exclusive Distortion Detection Technique patent pending which senses conditions that might cause overload and activates compression only when clipping is immi
8. EATSINK THE THERMAL PROTECTION CIRCUITRY COULD BE ACTIVATED CAUSING A TEMPORARY SHUTDOWN OF THE A C POWER SUPPLY UNTIL THE HEATSINK COOLS DOWN TO SAFE OPERATING CAUTION BECAUSE OF THE HEAVY CURRENT DEMAND OF THE SESSION 500 THIS UNIT SHOULD BE PLUGGED DIRECTLY INTO THE WALL RECEPTACLE OR AN EXTREMELY HEAVY DUTY EXTENSION CABLE AMP CAUTIONS EXPOSURE TO EXTREMELY HIGH NOISE LEVELS MAY CAUSE A PERMANENT HEARING LOSS INDIVIDUALS VARY CONSIDERABLY IN SUSCEPTIBILITY TO NOE INDUGED HEARING LOSS BUT NEAMLV EVERYONE WILL LOSE SOME HEARING IF EXPOSED TO SUFFICIENTLY INTENSE NOISE FOR A SUFFICIENT Tit THE US GOVERNMENT S OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION OSHA HAS SPECIFIED THE FOLLOWING PERMISSIBLE NOISE LeveL EXPOSURES DURATION PER DAY IN HOURS SOUND LEVEL dBA SLOW RESPONSE ACCORDING TO OSHA ANY EXPOSURE IN EXCESS OF THE ABOVE PERMISSIBLE LIMITS COULD RESULT IN SOME HEARING LOSS EAA PLUGS OR PROTECTORS IN THE EAA CANALS OR OVER THE EARS MUST BE WORN WHEN OPERATING THIS AMPLIFICATION SYSTEM IN ORDER TO PREVENT A PERMANENT HEARING LOSS IF EXPOSURE 1S IN EXCESS OF THE LIMITS AS SET FORTH ABOVE TO INSURE AGAINST POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS EXPOSURE TO MIGH SOUND PRESSURE LEVELS IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT ALL PERSONS EXPOSED TO EQUIPMENT CAPABLE OF PRODUCING HIGH SOUND PRESSURE LEVELS SUCH AS THIS AUPLIFICATION SYSTEM BE PROTECT EO BY WEARING PROTECTORS WHILE THIS UNIT 1S IN OPERATION CAUTION THIS AMPLIFIER HAS BEEN DESIGNED AND CONSTR
9. Operating Guide GENERAL DESCRIPTION Three years ago our design group initiated the Session S00 program Hundredsof ideas coming from professional musicians music dealers and field technicians as well as our own staff musicians and electronic mechanical engineering groups were discussed evaluated and distilled into a concise set of specifications which formed the basis for the new Session As the project progressed we were able to draw from our experience gained in allied areas such as sound reinforcement amplification and the design of new loudspeakers made from the ground up in our own specker transducer laboratories The basic emplifier speaker system was road tested for several months as a baro bones prototype and the input we got was that aven with the increased power and dynamic range available from the amplifier the emp could still be overloaded especially when heavy power chords and excessive pedal action were used During this same period of time another R amp D teem had been working on the special problems of compression related to sound reiniorcement power amps It was natural for the two A amp D teams to combine their stforts ang apply our newly developed Distortion Detection Technique compression circuitry patent pending toeven further improve ind enhance our musical instrument amplifiers The resulting power amp used in the Session features DDT compression that virtually liminates amplifier cl
10. UCTED TO PROVIDE ADEQUATE POWER RESERVE FOA PLAYING MODERN MUSIC WHICH MAY REQUIRE OCCASIONAL FEAR FOWER TO FANOLE OCCASIONAL PEAK POWER ADEQUATE POWER HEADROOM NAS OCEN DESIGNED INTO THS SYSTEM EXTENDED OPERATION AT ABSOLUTE MAXIMUM POWER LEVELS 1S NOT RECOMMENDED SINGE THIS COULD DAMAGE THE ASSOCIATED OUOSPEAKER SYSTEM UCASE SE AWANE THAT MAXIMUM POWER CAN aE CBTANED WTI VERY LOW SETTINGS OF THE GAIN GOR TROLS T THE INPUT SIGNAL IS VERY STR TREVAT oumur mamoromuen REESIEP EIU BET ounou pia FREQUENCY AESPONSEE sy us into 4 ore Saar gic ae 2 ohm tap POWER AMP INPU POWER AME MEUT che RATED POWER amp LOAD Taree mom Laul 6 dB Ww AMS ge fue ie 4 ohne ia a 10W RMS into 16 ohms 225W RMS into A ohms SIGNAL OUTPUT CHARACTERISTICS 260W RMS into 4 ohms EFFECTS SEND OUTPUT amp PEDAL TO OUTPUT TOTAL HARMONIC DISTORTION 2 OHM TAP Pee ay aC Ce Less than 0 1 200 mW to 200W RMS 50 Hz to 10 KHz Maximum Output 18 dBV 8V RMS into 60K ohms 4 chms Typically below 05 Maximum Output 16 JBM SV AMS into 600 ohms THE FOLLOWING PAEAMP SPECIFICATIONS ARE pond impedance 600 Chins amp greater MEAQURED WT ALL EALES Quo SnO Ehn Menmi Obit T8 dE BU Rys nio Sos orme CLOCKWISE FREQUENCY 1 KHZ CROSSOVER LOW OUTPUT PREAMP INPUT CHARACTERISTICS Nominal Gupar ScSV AVES JACK A INPUT Maximum Output 18 d V BV FMS into 50K ohms imomance High Z 290K ohms y pug Maximum Output 16 JBM BV RMS into 500 ohms fominal
11. associated console by the sub bass signals This very important feature should prove very helpful in eliminating the need for direct boxes and micing of musical instrument amplifiers The signal from the line output jack is low impedance 600 ohms unbalanced at a nominal signal level of 10 dBV 300 mV RMS BALANCED LINE OUT 28 This XLR output is transformer balanced and provides a line level frequency compensated signal off the internal line amplifier This signal is low impedance at the same level as the line out 28 and may be fed over considerable distances without signal degradation because of its low impedance balanced output capability PREAMP OUT 30 This output presents the total output signal from the preamp and may be used for a number of different patching functions The preamp out may be used to patch various effects devices in line between the preamp output 30 and the power amp s input 25 Itmay also be used whenever an uncompensated post EQ signal is needed for patching or other purposes PREAMP SEND 31 AND RETURN 32 To allow patching various external effects devices into the Session s circuitry before or pre to the EQ circuitry we have provided an additional pair of cut in jacks labeled preamp send and preamp return In operation a signal is patched from the preamp send jack 61 to the Input of the external effects unit while the output from this external unit is patched back into the prea
12. cts and reverb functions remotely Since both handsand teet are used when playing pedal steel we devised a clip on control box which is designed to clamp on the leg of the steel This convenient and practical arrangement even further enhances the flexibility of the 500s effects features Overall the Session 500 truly represents the state of the art inmusical instrument amplification Just as the Session 400 has been accepted by guitarists other than steel players we feel that the new Session 500 will be even more desirable to jazz andcauntry players and even rock guitarists desiring almost infinite sustain effects with tremendous tonal control power output capability and dynamic range We invite you to check and compare the Session 00 s features with any amplifier on the market today regardless of price and you will readily see that it is truly without peer ao pry a0 im be b O G O Session ou lam te aa SOO LPT TTT TT n LE fees a le FRONT PANEL INPUTS 1 2 The Session has two inputs one featuring high gain and the other having half as much gain The high gain jack 1 is the input normally used unless the signal from your instrument is overloading the input preamp If your input signal is overloading distorting the high gain jack then the low gain 6 dB jack 2 should be used Because of the unique switching design of the Session s
13. cuit in the extreme clockwise 10 positions you will note the mosteffect inthe last quarter turn PHASE RATE CONTROL 15 The rate control determines the speed of the built in phase oscillator You will note that the speed is variable from extremely slow to extremely rapid and covers a far greater range than conventional phase or tremolo oscillators and in fact effectively covers the operational range of both types Counterclockwise settings will produce an extremely slow speed with advancing speed as the rate contral is rotated clockwise Please note that the rate control features an integral switch which is cut off in the full counterclockwise position to allow the phase circuitry to cut completely out of the circuit from the front panel oftheamp without thefooiswitch Please note thatthe phase circuitry will not work nor can it be controlled by the remote switch if the circuit is cut off with the switch on therate control which takes precedence over the remote footswitch NOTE BECAUSE OF THE MODULATING ACTION OF THE PHASOR IT IS A GOOD IDEA TO KEEP THE PHASE CIRCUIT TURNED OFF WHEN NOT IN USE EITHERBY USE OF THE FOOTSWITCH ORWITH THE FRONT PANEL SWITCH ON THE RATE CONTROL TO AVOID MODULATING THE RESIDUAL NOISE FROM THE INPUT PREAMP I E TURN THE PHASOR OFF WHEN NOT IN USE REVERB CONTROL 16 The Session utilizes a unique reverb circuit featuring a current source drive wherein the Accutronics reverb unit is
14. e used with a wide variety of different speaker systems operated in different sized areas we felt it was necessary to incorporate a variable electronic crossover to facilitate matching different amp speaker combinations together into a compatible system Typically the internal amplifier is used as one channel of the bi amp while an external amplifier is used as the other As a general rule the most powerful of the two amps required should be used for the low frequency since this end of the spectrum generally cemands more power output than the high end of the spectrum i e if you have an external 400 watt power amplifier you should use the Seesion s internal 300 watt power amplifier as the high end of the system by utilizing asmall patch Cord and patching from the high out to the power amp in The low out should then be patched tothe input of the external 400 watt power amplifier with the speaker for the high end being patched into the out jacks of the internal power amplifier and the low frequency Speakers patched into the external amp s outputs The external amp should be gain matched using its level control to set a proper of highs and lows to compensate for different speaker efficiencies and power amp sensitivities The proper crossover point should then be determined by experimentation using various crossover frequency settings after the desired channel gain tion have been set in the preamp Obviously if an external power amplifier with less than 3
15. edadjustment in some cases to provide the exact response necessary Femember that the edge control was designed to be balanced against the regular EQ controls to further enhance the tonal blend EQUALIZATION The equalization of the Session 500 is very similar to that used in the Session 400 The particular tonal response of this amp has been very carefully tailored to suit the demanding professional and adequate contral margins are allowed to make possible almost any tonal shading or timbre While the Session 590s low and high EQ controls are essentially the seme as on the Session 400 we have updated anc redesigned the midrange EQ utilizing the latest state variable iter technology This parametrictype middle control yields a tremendous range of boost or cut as well as providing the ability to shift the operational frequency center point throughout the vital midrange We determined in our design program that itis sometimes desirable to allow some degree of interaction or overlap between the low mid and mid high range of frequencies The frequency shift control 10 has the ability to change the center frequency over an oxtromely wide range and when utilized in conjunction with the other EQ controls allows a virtual rainbow of tonal colors and shadings to be produced Experimentation will illustrate that the EQ circuitry of your new Session is unmatched by any musical instrument amplifier available today LOW EQ CONTROL 8 The lo
16. edom trom tonal change as the volume pedal is moved throughout its range For the first time the Session 500 s innovative circuitry removes the loading effects and resulting tonal changes caused by the volume pedal s interaction with the instrument s pickup Musicians onstage and in the stuaio are constantly faced with the problem ot micing their amplifiers or using what is popularly referred to as direct boxes to get the signals from their instruments into a form compatible with studio or sound reinforcement mixing consoles In recognition of the fact that the console should be fed a direct signal that corresponds as closely as possible to what s being heard through the speaker system Peavey has designed a transformer balanced line amplifier with roll oif characteristics virtually identical to those encountered in high powered musical instrument loudspeakers This unique circuit enables a balanced line level signal output to be obtained from the Session that closely matches what is being heard from the speaker to be fed to the mixing console without the use of auxiliary devices such as direct boxes micing the amp with the additional problems of extraneous noises feedback etc etc Furthercomments from the field indicated the desire for an advanced phasor system that would allow enhanced phasing effects with sufficient range to create and or simulate the many flange phasing effects being used in contemporary music Our circuitry util
17. his unique circuit configuration eliminates unnecessary noise and distortion while maintaining extremely high input impedance to avoid loading effects on musical instrument pickups The high degree of stability and relative freedom from intermodulation distortion inherent in this unique input circuitry provide clean signal voltage to the succeeding stages of the Session 500 STRING EFFECT The Session 400 was developed as an all purpose amplifier featuring high power and dynamic range adequate to handle almost any instrument Steel guitar has always been one of the most difficult instruments to properly amplify and most steel men felt the Session 400 was the best amp then available for that demanding application In working with the Sassion 400 various players gave Peavey engineers valuable suggestions as to how the 400 could be improved both in features and performance One repeated request was tor a built in circuit to allow simulation of a string section fiddles as was being done by several of the session men in Nashville We evaluated the various effects units being used for that purpose and obtained much insight into the needed response curves g structures and waveform requirements Our string effect is a unique circuit that features a built in expansion capability to enable sustain never before achieved in an instrument amp with a noise gate that reduces noise to a very low level during standby operation This string effect not only
18. input Level 3 m S Minimum input Level 46 9BU mV FMS LINE OUTPUT a BALANCED LINE OUTPUT Maximum Input Leval 8 ABV 25V RMS a impedance AS or great JACK B INPUT Maximum Ouiput 10 dEV 3V FMS Into 50x onms Impedance Hah Z 44K ohms eye Maximum Oulput 8 dBM 2V RMS into 600 ohms fominal Input revel m Minimum input Level 40 BV 10 mV RMS POWER REQUIREMENTS Domestic Maximum Input Level 14 dBV 5V RMS S00W 120 VAC SOE He PEDAL FROM INPUT Specifications are subject to change without notice Impedance High Z 470K ohms Nominal Input Level 12 JBN 260 mV RMS This input provides 6 dB of extra gain when a plug is inserted into tne jack 1980 PRINTED IN U S A PEAVEY ELECTRONICS CORPORATION soe TVA St Meridian MS 33301
19. ipping with the resulting harsh harmonics and speaker problems that are often encountered when the amplifier IS iriven into hard clipping and square waves are delivered to the speaker system The new Session tone controls retain many of the equalization characteristics of the old Session but now include a unique state ariable midrange equalizer that enables both boost and cut as wall as shifting of the conter point of the midrange equalizer This apability further enhances the tremendous tonality and dynamic range available from the Session 500 To further satisfy the needs of the touring professional we have designed a variable electronic crossover into the Session s signal srocessing circuitry to allow bi amping the system through auxiliary power amps speaker systems By including this state variable filter crossover we have enabled the Session 50010 be the heart of a bi amped system capable of performance heretofore unmatched in musical instrument amplification It has been recognized for many years that the traditional steel guitar volume pedal amplifier arrangement commonly used is definitely not the most ideal setup Analysis showed that certain relatively minor circuit revisions including some novel gain balancin circuitry could actually allow the volume pedal to be inserted into the amplifier itself thus tremendously increasing the overall performance of the system from the standpoint of dynamic range noise and fre
20. izes the latest in semiconductors and computer aided design techniques and enables a tremendous range of effects from slow almost imperceptible effects to deep swooshing effects so characteristic of studio phasing langing units The extreme range of the phase oscillator yields rates from extremely slow to rapid variations characteristic of tremolo or vibrato Another feature often desired by professional stee men is a distortion string effect with bullt in expander and noise gate to allow virtually infinite sustain witha very quietstandby operation This circuit can create harmonic effects similar to fidcles as well as previously Unavailable string sustain effects After considerable investigation into devices currently being used by studio musicians to achieve similar effects our R amp D team devised an entirely new type of circuitthat features electronic expansion combined with a noise gatethat yields full and mellow string type sounds that have almost unbelievable sustain The Session 400 featured a unique complementary reverb drivewhich has been retained but refined with new circuitry that allows the drive coil itself to be a part of the negative feedback loop of the drive amplifier This circuitry allows a tremendous sustain and dynamic range to be obtained from the Accutronics delay line Comparison with competing models will illustrate its marked superiority Stee players have repeatedly asked to have the capability to control theeffe
21. me of the other EQ controls but its function isto make available that often needed presence B KHz which is so often required in studio applications Similar caution applies to the presence control as it does to the high EQ contiol Overboosting the presence can cause less than optimum results when using the string effect or when playing hard rock distortion type material Experimentation is again the key to success in fully realizing the potential of this versatile feature POST GAIN CONTROL 13 This control determines the output level from the Session s preamp and its operation is similar to that of conventional master volume controls This control is used in conjunction with the pre gain control in order to maximize the signal to noise ratio for studio applications and for creating various overload dynamics The overall signal to noise ratio can be improved by turning the post gain control to settings somewhere in the center ofits rotation combined with appropriate settings of the pre gain control 5 it should benoted that while this mode of operation decreases residual amp noise it also decreases the dynamic range of the input preamp Operation in this manner is suggested for studio and moderate output level applications Concert applications usually require close to maximum settings of the post gain control Overload dynamics and distortion may be achieved by turning up
22. mp return jack 32 Be Sure to use good quality shlelded cables for this patching function REMOTE SWITCH SOCKET 33 The remote switch socket is the standard DIN type and serves as the amp connection for the supplied remote switch Please note that the DIN plug has an indentation that must be matched with the matching indentation in the switch receptacle on the front panel This keying action allows the switch to be connected only in the proper manner If the plug is forced or undue pressure is exerted onthe shell or pins damage could result to the remote switch plug or the chassis mounted socket As with any precision device reasonable care should be exercised NOTE H the clip on the remote switch is not suitable an optional conventional footswitch is available for nominal extra cost HEADPHONE JACK 34 To round out the Session s capabilities we have included headphone capability to enable tuning up or practicing where it would be inconvenient or impossible to utilize the amp in anormal manner This jack is of the stereo ring tip sleeve variety and has been wired for monaural operation Adequate level is available to drive headphones with impedances of 4 ohms and above CAUTION BE SURE TO LEAVE SUFFICIENT SPACE BEHIND THE SESSION 500 S HEATSINK TO ALLOW ADEQUATE AIR FLOW IF THE REAR OF THIS UNIT IS PLACED TIGHTLY AGAINST A WALL OR OTHER OBJECT THAT PREVENTS AIR CIRCULATION AROUND THE H
23. nclosure to be used for the upper range of the bi amped system The low output 27 is the patch paint for connection to the power amp speaker enclosure to be used for the low range of the bi amped system LINE OUT 28 Many attempts have been made over the years to patch the preamp circuitry of musical instrument amplifiers directly into recording or sound reinforcement mixing consoles Most of these attempts have been unsuccessful and have resulted in players and soundmen Raving to utilize forms of what 16 popularly referred to as a direct box which of course means further complication expense etc Most previous attempts at patching signals out of musical instrument amplifiers have ignored a very basic fac gonerally poor frequency Fesponse from Ihe musical instrument amplifier s speaker system Most amp manufacturers have compensated for the speaker s poor top end frequency boost to satisfy the player While this built in high frequency boost is indeed good for increasing the response trom the system it tends to cause excessive residual noise as well as strident or screechy tonality in the direct preamp output signal Our line Output has a built in compensation circuit thal very closely matches the roll off characteristic of aspeaker system in order to produce an output signal which corresponds very closely to what s being heard from the speaker system There is also a roll off of the extreme low frequencies to avoid overload of the
24. nent This technique effectively utilizes every precious watt available from the power amplifier PILOT LED 19 This light emitting diode LED indicates when the amp is switched on and actually drawing from the line mains connection It is totally solid state and not subject to burnouts as are older incandescent types z iii The Session 500 contains a very complete rear patch panel to allow interface with other audio equipment and effects devices All outputs and inputs are fully transient protected and should provide more than adequate signal levels to drive auxiliary devices FUSE 20 The fuse is located within the cap of the fuseholger and must be replaced with one ofthe proper type and value i it should fait Itis necessary that the proper type and value fuse be used in order to avoid damage to the equipment and to prevent voiding the warranty If your unit repeatedly blows fuses it should be taken to a qualified service center for repair POWER SWITCH 21 Qn domestic units the power switch is of the three position type with the center position being OFF This switch has two ON positions one of which is used to ground the amplifier properly One of the ON positions will yield the lowest amount of residual hum or popping when the instrument is touched and this is the position which should be used On export models we utilize a simple on off switch that does
25. nge of the low EQ is flat or with alight boost and the high EQ is adjusted for moderate boost When playing in the distortion mode or when using the string effect care should be used to avoid overboosting the highs which can cause an unpleasant harsh or strident response HIGH EQ CONTROL 11 This control is of the active peak notch type and provides true boost or cut in lower high frequency ranges 2 KHz As with the low and PARAMID controls the high EQ produces boost in the clockwise positions and cut in the counterclockwise settings while flat response is obtained in the vertical 12 00 o clock position The action of this control is conventional but pronounced Cara should be taken no to overboost the highs since this can contribute to unpleasantly harsh response as described above PRESENCE CONTROL 12 Inthe Session 400 program we discovered that quite often there was something missing even when effective fow mid and high equalization functions were provided Because of the particular nature of musical Instruments some sort of presence control quiteoften can acd an unbelisvable amount of body and richness to the sound Our presence controlisof the active shelving type and provides very high frequency boost in clockwise settings and very righ frequency out in counterclockwise settings while flat responses obtained in the vertical 12 00 o clock position This presence EQ is not as audibly effective as so
26. ntrol and or the remote footswitch The lovel increases as the control is rotated clockwise In operation the noise gate opens when the instrumant is played and the built in expansion provides a smooth string sound not duplicated by any other amplifier NOTE THE STRING EFFECT CAN BE REMOTELY ENGAGED OR DEFEATED BY USE OF THE LEG SWITCH OR THE OPTIONAL FOOTSWITCH IF AND ONLY IF THE STRING EFFECT CIRCUITRY IS ACTIVATED BY THE SWITCH ON THE EDGE CONTROL 7 LOCATED ON THE FRONT PANEL EDGE CONTROL 7 This control provides a particular blend of equalization and signal conditioning which serves to enable a wide range of effect variation Please note that a switch has been provided on this control that cuts off the string effect when in the full counterclockwise position When this switch is off thestring effect circuitry isnot operational and the effect cannot be activated by the remote switch When the switch is on the pre gain control 5 is bypassed and overall volume is now adjusted by the string effect level 6 Overall the edge contral is used to fine tune the string effect and you will find that the tonal texture and smoothness will depend upon the relative setting of the edge control Note At higher settings of the string effect level and or edge controls an extreme amount of gain is being developed and slightly increased noise levels are to be expected Because of the special nature of the string effect theamp s EQ setting might ne
27. ume resulted in a constant amount of amp noise since the volume pedal was before all amplification This innovative but simple system is extremely easy to use and requires only two extra patch cables 1 The instrument is patched direct to the Session s input 2 Patch trom the normal pedal input to the Session s pedal to jack 3 Patch a cable from the normal pedal out to the Session s pedal from jack NOTE ALL INPUT AND PEDAL PATCHING FUNCTIONS MUST BE PERFORMED USING SHIELDED CABLES While it may take some players a little longer to get used to this new system the tremendous increase in performance will be well worth the effort PRE GAIN 5 The input circuitry of the Session is designed using variable negative feedback in order to optimize the input dynamicrange input impedance and low noise operation This unique input circuitry utilizes specially selected low noise high slew rate semiconductors that have been precisely specified for this particularly demanding professional application The pre gain contral is the element that determines the amount of signal that is fed back within the input preamp thereby determining the amount of gain available in the input stage This system is vastly superior to older designs with fixed gain stages which utiliza the lovel control as a passive element by merely dividing down the output from the preamp circuitry By regulating the amount of amplification actually taking place t
28. w EQ control is of the active shelving type and provides low boost in clockwise settings and low cut in counterclockwise settings while flet response is obtained in the vertical 12 00 o clock position The action of this control is more or less conventional and no operational problems should be encountered You should avoid excessive low end boost since this greatly affects your amp s power reserve headroom The low EQ control is capable of more than 15 dB of boost and each 3 dB of boost doubles the amount of power necessary It should be apparent that even the Session s 300 watt power amp can be overloaded by excessive low end boost at high volume levels Again experimentation and oporating experience are the keys to achieving maximum performance from your Session PARAMID CONTROL 9 This control enables aboostor cutto be obtained in the vital midrange frequencies Added versatility is possible because of the ability to vary the operating center point throughout the midrange by use of the frequency shiftcontrol 10 The PARAMID control operates in a similar manner to the low and high EQ controls in that it has boost and cut capabilities Boost is obtained in clockwise settings out is obtained in counterclockwise settings and flat operation is obtained in the vertleal 12 000 clock position The vital midrange is the band of frequencies which has the most effect on the tonal coloring of the overall sound Whatever
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