O
N
TONE=
INSTRUCTION MANUAL
for s elect in g
Hu gh es
The Hughes
&
Kettner BATT has been developed in
conjunction with bass manufacturer ESH and German
bassist Peter Sonntag. It has been fine-tuned to meet
the requirements of demanding bass players. The
BATT is a compact “Bass Sound Machine” which
enables you to obtain great tube tone with the utmost
of ease. The tone controls are very effective and
precise, and the boost functions offer instanteanous
access to several fundamentally different kinds of
sound. A full complement of connecting jacks make
the BATT ideal in a broad range of applications from
rehearsal to studio to stage.
CONTROLS AND CONNECTION JACKS
INPUT: The BATT has two input jacks, on the front and one at the back The
input sensitivity of both are equal, and either can accommodate active or passive
basses. The front panel input has priority, i.e. Instrument Input 2 on the back is
automatically disconnected when the front panel jack is in use.
GAIN: The gain potentiometer controls the input level and thereby the sound
characteristics of the preamp tubes. At low gain settings the BATT imbues the bass
with warmth and fullness, and at medium levels delivers a fairly raw rock punch.
From center settings onward, depending on the output level of the instrument
itself, the preamp tubes add more and more harmonic distortion, thus intensifying
the sound of the bass with characteristic tube overdrive.
MASTER: The MASTER control affects the overall output level of the signal at
the LINE OUT and INSTRUMENT OUT jacks (assuming the TUBE/BYPASS
switch in the back of the unit is in TUBE position), but does not affect the PA
OUT, the
OUT, which remains a constant line-level signal, nor the SPEAKER
volume of which is controlled soley by the GAIN.
sweep the
TONE: The control labeled TONE is a “one-knob tweaker” which can
entire frequency range from powerful “cellar-bass” to the most transparent highs.
Left of center (range from 30 Hz to 150 Hz), the low end will be boosted by a
preset amount between + 4 dB to
+
18 dB. In the center position both the bass
and the treble receive a slight boost. Roight of center (range from 3 KHz to 15
KHz) the high end receives an ever- increasing amount of boost ranging from + 4
dB to + 22 dB, with a simultaneous reduction in bass.
BOOST SWITCHES: The three black pushbutton-switches for Bass, Mid, and
Treble, are specially contoured to offer a dramatic amount of tonal control
instantaneously.
BASS: Boosts the frequency range from 80 to 400 Hz by approximately + 6 dB,
bringing out fundamentals more strongly and adding a clearly audible “punch” in the
low bass region.
MID: Boosts the range between 500 Hz and 2 KHz by approximately
+
2
dB adding
clarity to the attack of each note, and providing the necessary penetration in band
situations.
TREBLE: Boosts the entire frequency range between 1 KHz and 20 KHz by
approximately + 8 d B This emphasizes the harmonics inherent in the instrument,
adding bite and sparkle overall. The TREBLE boost in combination with the TONE
control is capable of producing some extraordinarily bright sounds.
LINE P R E POST POWER AMP With this switch, to the right of the three boost
/
switches, you can select whether the signal appearing at the LINE OUT jack is tapped
immediately after the preamp tube, or whether it goes through the power amp tube as
well Your choice will have a considerable effect on the overall sound. By fine tuning
the GALN and MASTER controls while using alternate settings of this switch, you can
uncover further sound variations, from clear, to gritty, to growlly, to all-out overdrive.
TUBE AMP
/
BYPASS SWITCH: This switch on the back of the unit will
normally be set to TUBE. The LED next to the INPUT on the front panel will
confirm this by being illuminated in tube mode and dim in bypass mode. In normal
operation the signal runs through the tube section and appears at the LINE OUT,
SPEAKER OUT, PA OUT, and INSTRUMENT OUT jacks. In bypass mode, the PA
OUT jack is inoperative, thus allowing you in a live situation to tune up or swap
instruments easily without being heard by the audience through the house system. The
TUBE/ BYPASS function can also be switched using a conventional on-off footswitch.
O N
AMP FOR ALL SEASONS:
The Bass Advanced Tube Technology Amp
/
Preamp possesses a versatile array of
jacks making the BATT at home in every conceivable situation, be it stage, studio,
or practice. You can connect it to any speaker cabinet directly and use it as a
practice amp head. You can connect it directly to a mixing console or multitrack
recorder and use it as a studio quality bass preamp. You can connect it to a power
amp and bass cabinet, using it as a live preamp. Or you can add it to an existing
bass rig. (The BATT with its Advanced Tube Technology will breathe life into any
sterile amp!)
S P EAKER OUT:
the SPEAKER OUT jack on the rear
panel of the unit is specially designed for
direct connection to any desired speaker
cabinet. The built-in 5 watt valve power
amp (EL 84) is more than adequate for
home practice or accompaniment. Like
the signals for the other outputs, the
SPEARER OUT can be switched to PRE
or POST power amp: it delivers the same
level whichever option is selected
PA OUT:
for connecting to the stage box during
live gigs where a PA system is being used.
The PA OUT signal delivers a constant
LINE LEVEL SIGNAL and is therefore
unaffected by the MASTER pot setting.
However, gain, tone control and boost
functions are still operative. When the
TUBE BYPASS switch is in BYPASS
/
position, the PA OUT jack receives no
signal, thus making it convenient to tune,
or change basses.
BATT a s a
LINE OUT:
used to feed the power amplifier when
the BATT is acting as a preamplifier in a
complete rig. The output from the BATT
is connected to the input of the power
amplifier, and the output of the power
amp is connected to the speaker cabinet.
The LINE OUT signal can also be used
as an alternative to the INSTRUMENT
OUT jack when connecting the BATT to
an external preamp, although it is impor-
tant to ensure correct level matching.
INSTRUMENT OUT:
The INSTRUMENT OUT is designed as
a signal path for connecting the BATT to
an external amp or preamp, or for
connecting two BATT preamps together.
In TUBE position, the GAIN MASTER
/
section and the tone controls can be used
to control the signal. In BYPASS, the
signal is preamplified but unaffected by
the tone control setting.
IN THE STUDIO:
To feed a signal directly from the BATT
to a line input on the mixing console or
tape recorder, you have a choice of three
outputs: the PA OUT (in which case the
signal level is independent of the
MASTER volume setting), the LINE
OUT, and the INSTRUMENT OUT. No
space or volume problems, no miking
hassles, just full-bodied sound is available
in an instant.
RACK MOUNTING
used as a stand-alone preamp or as an extension to an existing system. Hughes
Kettner offer special single and twin adaptors to faciliate 19” rack mounting.
/
BASS MASTER STAGEBOARD: The BATT can be
&
A
Sound Machines STAGEBOARD is optionally available for easy on-stage
switching of two units (Unit1 Unit 2
/
/
Bypass ).
THE STAGE/LIVE SET-UP
FOOTSWITCH:
A jack for connecting
the BATT
STAGEBOARD, designed to faciliate
on-stage switching between different
sounds such as two different BATTs.
The INSTRUMENT OUT socket of the
first unit is connected to the INPUT of
the second. The second unit‘s LINE
OUT jack is then used to control the
amplifier/speaker combination for the
stage sound. The PA OUT signal of each
unit can be connected to a separate
channel on the mixing console, and the
STAGEBOARD connected to both can
switch between the two.
PLEASE NOTE: VALVES NEED TO REACH THEIR CORRECT OPERATING
TEMPARATURE FOR THIS REASON, THE BATT NEEDS A FEW MOMENTS TO
WARM UP AFTER SWITCHING ON BEFORE IT IS READY FOR USE.
VALVES GENERATE HEAT,MAKESURETHATTHE AIRVENTSARE
NOT BLOCKED.
HOT VALVES ARE SENSITIVE TO SHOCKS. ALLOW THE UNIT TO COOL OFF
BRIEFLY BEFORE MOVING IT. AVOID J OLTING THE BAIT DURING
OPERATION.
TECHNICAL DATA: POWER RATING: APPROX 25 WATTS
INPUT SENSMTY: 300 mV/
-
10 dB
FUSE VALUE: 315 mV
/
SLO-BLO.
BATT SUGGESTED CONFIGURATION
The sounds suggested here can only be rough indication, as they will vary
considerably depending on the instrument used and your playing technique. Once
you have set-up a basic sound which you like, the boost functions and the pre/post
power amp switch provide instant access to different sounds.
1. “STRAIGHT ROCK”:
For raw valve sounds, turn gain little over half way. MID BOOST is activated,
LINE PRE/POST switched to POST power amp.
@T R E B L E
2. “SLAP ATTACK”:
.
Set GAIN between 4 and 5, emphasize the bass region with the tone control
,
activate BASS and TREBLE BOOST and set the switch to POST POWER AMP.
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