Ashdown RETROGLIDE-800 - Manual (Page 2)

Thank you for purchasing your Ashdown Engineering Amplifier and welcome to the family!
We really think you’ve made the right choice and know that this amplifier will give you years
of great tone and service. It is a machine though and needs to be looked after, please read
through this user manual which will help you get the most out of your new Amp and keep it
running as long as some of our happiest and very famous customers.
Please register this product online so we can make sure we give you years of customer
support through our friendly in-house service centre.
Here is where you need to visit to register your product:
http://www.ashdownmusic.com/register
THANK YOU
REGISTER ONLINE
INPUTS - There are two instrument inputs
provided for PASSIVE/ACTIVE instruments.
The Passive input is high sensitivity and also
high impedance to suit the output from PASSIVE
basses. The Active input is low sensitivity and
lower impedance to suit the output from ACTIVE
basses.
INPUT CONTROL - The INPUT control sets the
signal level through the preamp. Please note that
the setting of this may have to be re-adjusted af-
ter modification of the EQ controls. Clip light and
Mute switch/light provided for visual monitoring.
GRAPHIC EQUALISER
The GRAPHIC EQUALISER section operates by
boosting or cutting the level of signal at various
frequency points throughout the frequency
range. With the sliders set on 0dB (in their
centre ‘click’ position ) no alteration is made to
the signal. Moving any one of the sliders up will
increase or ‘boost’ the signal at the frequency
marked below the slider. Moving the slider down
will decrease or ‘cut’ the signal at that frequency.
A carefully designed GRAPHIC EQUALISER
is a very flexible way of varying the sound of a
bass guitar and if properly used will provide an
extremely powerful method of tone shaping for
your instrument.
Because of the flexibility and massive BOOST
and CUT potential of this particular GRAPHIC
it is important to know how to get the best from it.
Firstly a few things not to do and the reasons
why:
1. Do not boost or cut all frequency bands as
this will have the same effect as increasing or
decreasing the overall volume level without
affecting the tonal characteristic of the sound.
2. Do not use excessive bottom (30 to 40Hz)
boost on the graphic unless your speakers
can handle it. Very few speaker systems are
capable of handling frequencies as low as 30
and 40Hz with any degree of efficiency. N.B.
Boosting at 30Hz for instance will not add to
the perceived amount of bottom end in the
sound, it will only make your speakers flap to
no useful effect. In fact boosting at 100Hz or
180Hz will have the apparent effect of adding
far more bottom end than boosting at 30, 40 or
even 60Hz.
3. Do not use excessive top (10 to 15kHz)
boost, this will add mostly hiss to the sound as
there is very little signal output at this
frequency from a bass.
The 30Hz slider has been provided to allow
precise tailoring at very low frequencies. This
slider should be used to CUT (not Boost) the
30Hz to a level that allows the speaker system
to work at its maximum efficiency.
OUTPUT LEVEL
The OUTPUT LEVEL control is used to set
the stage volume of the amplifier. Use this
control to adjust for increases or decreases in
your playing volume and not the INPUT GAIN
control, this should always be left set to the
optimum for your instrument.
Retroglide 800H - Front Panel Facilities