CARL MARTIN 538512 MARTIN Ampster Tube Guitar Amp Instruction Manual
- June 14, 2024
- CARL MARTIN
Table of Contents
CARL MARTIN 538512 MARTIN Ampster Tube Guitar Amp
INTRODUCTION
Dear Customer Thank you for your purchase of a Carl Martin Ampster from East Sound Research. As a discerning guitarist, you know the road to great tone begins with great components, carefully selected parts, and craftsmanship. Please take the time to read this manual. We hope it will answer any questions that you may have.
The world of music has changed and the world of guitar playing has changed along with it. It is becoming normal to not see the full guitar rigs of the 70’s 80’s and 90’s, and just see guitar players with minimal systems to achieve their signature sounds. Introducing the Carl Martin Ampster…. from the company that has shone the single analog light down that deep digital tunnel. The Ampster is a single tube-driven amp/speaker simulator that can either supplement your amp or replace it. A fully analog unit with controls that are the same as your amplifier with the addition of a mute switch, a speaker selection switch and a voicing switch. What’s more important, the Ampster reacts to your playing in the same way your full-size amp does, giving you the same organic feel with zero latency! The Ampster is housed in a solid metal box with the standard EQ (Bass Middle Treble), pre and post-volume/gain controls (Master & Gain) plus a Presence Control. There is a Mute Switch for obvious reasons and a Cabinet Switch with an LED Indicator light ( Red for a 2×12 Open Backed Cab, and Green for a 4×12 Closed Back Cab). On the back of the pedal, you will find a Ground Lift and a Voicing Switch (a subtle low end cap controlled voicing adjustment). Input, Link (output to your amp) Balanced DI (XLR output to go to a mixing or recording console), a Send and Return for those specific effects that shouldn’t be in front of the amp, a Remote Input (Cabinet sim) for use with digital or analog effect controllers like the Carl Martin Octaswitch ‘The Strip’, and your standard 9v 1A power input. It couldn’t be simpler! Plug your guitar straight in, or plug your pedal board into the input jack, choose your output, and open your ears to a surprisingly big round clean sound. By adjusting the Gain, you can get a hint of that decidedly British Over-drive sound for which Carl Martin has become so well known, depending of course on the guitar and pickup config-guardian. Our test players have fallen in love, telling us the Ampster reacts just like their standard amps, organic and responsive to your playing style or attack. The Ampster sounds just like a full-size amp, but it fits on your pedalboard. Take a look at the videos…we are certain you will want to take the Ampster for a test drive!
INPUT
1/4” unbalanced mono jack. The input sensitivity of this input buffer amp is
compatible with all common pickup levels and impedances (input impedance is
approx. 1M ohms).
LINK
This output jack is a buffered unbalanced direct link from the ¼” input jack
to the onstage guitar amp with the same signal from the guitar.
DI Output
The 3-Pin male XLR jack BALANCED DIRECT OUT. Connect your XLR cable from here
to your mixing console, preamps or even DAW systems. The DI has a GROUND/LIFT
switch which allows you to lift the BALANCED DIRECT OUT XLR’s PIN 1 (GROUND)
from the Circuit and Chassis Ground. In many cases, this can remove annoying
ground loops that can occur from a “grounded” device that has its own
different ground reference when interfacing to consoles
INSERT
A serial FX LOOP is provided (FX SEND and FX RETURN jacks) for connecting
other pedals. The FX LOOP’s RETURN jack contains a “normal switch” that
interrupts the signal whenever a plug is inserted into the RETURN jack, and
automatically bypasses the FX LOOP when the plug is removed. Because of this,
the FX SEND jack may be used as another pre-EQ, pre-MASTER volume Output.
REMOTE
External remote option to select between the open cap and closed cab, the
remote switch is latching type.
Voicing
The voicing is a subtle low-trim in three steps to finetune the low-end.
POWER REQUIREMENTS
- Battery: The Ampster does not run on battery.
- Power consumption: max. 600mA.
- Power supply: 9 V DC (regulated), 1A minimum, 2.1 mm female plug, centre negative (-)
- ATTENTION: Please Use DC Power Supply Only! Failure to do so may damage the unit and void the warranty.
PLEASE NOTICE: PSU included.
SPECIFICATIONS
- Input…………….………….. 1M Ohm
- Output 1/4” unbalanced … 1 K Ohm
- Output DI Balanced ……… 600 Ohm
- S/N Ratio ……………………. 56dB
- Sendimpedanceloop ……….. 1 K Ohm
- Return impedance …… 100K Ohm
- Dimensions ……………. 145 (W) x 120 (D) x 70 (H)mm 5,7” (W) x 4,7” (D) x 2,75” (H)
- Weight ……………………. 0,80kg / 1,76lbs