LR Baggs Acoustic Reference Amplifier - Manual (Page 13)

1) settinG tHe Gain WitH tHe vu meteRs
The knob labeled as “gain” next to the amplifier inputs is a control that combines three different functions. This knob gives you control
over the input gain of the 1/4” input (guitar cable), the input gain of the XlR input (microphone cable) and also sets the volume level of
the signal throughout the amplifier prior to the Master Volume.
The best way to set the gain is to plug in the instrument or microphone that you will be using in that particular channel. keep the channel
muted until you finalize the setting. Play or sing at the loudest level you will be playing (if you play quietly while setting the gain and then
play loud while you perform, you may encounter some clipping distortion).
While you are playing loudly, turn the gain control in the clockwise direction until the needle on the Vu meter is hitting its highest point
just about or slightly above the 0dB mark on the Vu meter. The gain is set at the ideal level when the needle is just barely going past the
0dB line at the highest peaks. When done appropriately, using the Vu meter is a very quick way to get the appropriate signal from each
of your instruments for optimum performance of the amplifier.
2) GettinG tHe most out of tHe spRinG ReveRB
The spring reverb on this amplifier should be very simple and easy to set and use at an optimal level. In most cases, it is as easy as it seems
it should be - just turn up the knob and you get reverb. In general, reverb is used as a slight effect on steel string guitars and more heavily
on nylon string guitars. you should set it to your own personal preference.
For optimal use and a deeper understanding of how the controls will work on this amplifier please read the following two notes:
*an important note regarding spring reverb and mechanical stimulus:
A difference between spring reverb and digital reverb is that spring reverb is a mechanical device that uses an actual suspended spring,
inside the amplifier, to mimic the reverberation inside of a room. When the reverb is turned on, the electrical signal from a guitar pickup
or microphone will cause the springs to vibrate, thus creating the reverb effect. However, because the reverb is created by vibration,
you can also induce this vibration by accident. If, while the reverb is on, you bang or kick the amplifier, you may hear a “clanging” sound
coming from the reverb springs. We recommend that you always turn the amplifier off when moving or repositioning it. It is also a good
idea to make sure that the amplifier is not in a location where it may fall over or be hit while it is on, especially if you are using the spring
reverb.
The Channel Mute function will not mute the reverb. only the Reverb control will turn this down or off.
**an important note regarding the reverb controls:
on many amplifiers, there is only one reverb knob to turn the same amount of reverb up on every channel. For more control, there can
be individual reverb level controls with a master reverb level knob. We wanted avoid the clutter of having one more odd knob on the
amp but still give the same individual level reverb controls on each channel. In order to do this, we had to allow for a certain amount of
“interaction” between the reverb level on Ch1 and the reverb level on Ch2.
This will be most noticeable when you have a certain reverb level set on one channel and then you turn up the reverb on the second
channel. Then, the reverb on the first channel will get slightly wetter. In most cases, this effect will be minimal. We felt that the usability
of the controls and the ease of not having to worry about other knobs is an asset that far outweighs the amount of interaction. However,
please take note of this when fine-tuning the amount of reverb you would like on the two channels.
T R I C k s , T I P s A n D H o W T o ’ s
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