electro-harmonix BASS9 Bass Machine User Guide

electro-harmonix BASS9 Bass Machine

Congratulations on purchasing the Electro-Harmonix BASS9 Bass Machine. Sporting a new algorithm maximized for transposing one to two octaves down with superior dynamics and tracking, the BASS9 does for bass instruments what the B9 does for organs, the KEY9 does for electric pianos and the SYNTH9 does for analog synthesizers: now anyone with an electric guitar can make great sounding bass! No special pickups are needed, just your favorite guitar, a BASS9 and maybe a bass amp.

WARNING: Your BASS9 comes equipped with an Electro-Harmonix 9.6DC-200BI power supply (same as used by Boss® & Ibanez®: 9.6 Volts DC 200mA). The BASS9 requires 100mA at 9VDC with a center negative plug. Using the wrong adapter or a plug with the wrong polarity may damage your BASS9 and void the warranty.

GETTING STARTED

For best results with the BASS9—and true bass realism—a guitar amp will work fine at lower volumes but if you want to get real loud—for example when playing a gig—we recommend plugging into a bass amp and, for that fingered bass sound, play your guitar with fingers rather than a pick.

Connect the supplied power adapter to the 9V power jack. Plug your instrument into the INPUT jack. Connect your amp to the EFFECT OUTPUT jack. Set the DRY knob to minimum (fully counterclockwise) and set the other top row knobs to 12 o’clock. Select a preset (“PRECISION” is a good starting point) and step on the footswitch to turn on the LED. Play your instrument and adjust controls to your liking. For further inspiration, check out the BASS9’s SUGGESTED FACTORY SETTINGS insert. Make copies of the included BASS9 USER SETTINGS page to keep track of your favorite sounds and settings.

CONTROLS AND I/O JACKS

DRY VOL KNOB
The DRY VOL knob controls the volume of the untreated instrument signal present at the EFFECT OUTPUT jack. The DRY knob does not control the volume of the DRY OUTPUT jack.

EFFECT VOL KNOB
The EFFECT VOL knob controls the overall volume of the selected patch at the EFFECT OUTPUT jack.

CTRL 1 & CTRL 2 KNOBS
See the preset descriptions on the following pages for details.

MODE KNOB
Turn the white knob to select a bass patch.

INPUT JACK
Plug your instrument or the output of another effects pedal into this ¼” jack. See Tips 1 & 3 on the following page for more on connecting your BASS9.

DRY OUTPUT JACK
The DRY OUTPUT jack outputs the signal present at the INPUT jack through a buffer circuit. In either EFFECT or BYPASS mode, the dry signal is always present at the DRY OUTPUT jack.

EFFECT OUTPUT JACK
The EFFECT OUTPUT jack outputs the mix set by the DRY and EFFECT volume controls. In BYPASS mode, EFFECT OUTPUT outputs the buffered bypass signal.

BYPASS FOOTSWITCH & STATUS LED
Press the BYPASS footswitch to toggle the EFFECT OUTPUT jack between buffered BYPASS and EFFECT mode. The status LED lights when you are in EFFECT mode.

PRESET DESCRIPTIONS

1. PRECISION – An emulation of the popular bass guitar standard. CTRL 1 controls the sub-octave, mixing between 1 octave down (counter-clockwise position) and 2 octaves down (clockwise position). CTRL 2 adjusts your tone which is modeled after the original instrument’s tone control.

2. LONGHORN – Inspired by the Danelectro® 6-string basses from the ‘50s, this patch is great for copping baritone style tones. CTRL 1 adjusts the pitch in half steps from -1 octave (CCW) to unity (CW). CTRL 2 controls a vintage tremolo effect which increases in depth and rate as the knob is turned up. Unique ring modulation effects are generated when the knob is turned past 2 o’clock. Also use the Longhorn preset to detune your guitar for metal!

3. FRETLESS – Emulation of both electric and upright fretless basses. CTRL 1 controls the buzzy growl sound of a fretless instrument. CTRL 2 adds a classic Jaco-style chorus effect which intensifies as the knob is turned up. Pro Tip: light palm mutes with your right hand produce a more realistic upright sound.

4. SYNTH – A big sounding bass synthesizer modeled after the classic Taurus® synthesizer. Use CTRL 1 to adjust the synth’s note range—in four sections of the knob—split between octaves and fifths. CTRL 2 adjusts the synthesizer’s envelope filter range. Higher settings of CTRL2 makes for a brighter and wider filter sweeps.

5. VIRTUAL – A unique patch that allows you to adjust your bass’s body density and neck length. CTRL 1 adjusts body density; higher settings produce longer, piano-like sustain. CTRL 2 adjusts neck length, where the length increases as the knob is turned clockwise.

6. BOWED – A classic bowed bass sound with adjustable attack. CTRL 1 controls sub-octave mixing between 1 octave down (CCW) and 2 octaves down (CW).
   CTRL 2 adjusts the bow’s attack speed, as you turn up the knob, the attack speed slows. The attack effect is fully polyphonic.

7. SPLIT BASS – This patch provides a sub-octave effect on all notes below F#3—the F# found at the fourth fret of the D-sting on a standard guitar. It does not pitch shift notes above G3. This allows a guitar player to play bass lines with the lower two strings of a guitar and chords or melody with the highest three strings. CTRL 1 adjusts bass tone by adding upper harmonics as the knob is turned clockwise. CTRL 2 provides an envelope filter/auto-wah effect on all notes you play. As you turn CTRL2 up, the wah effect intensifies. Pro Tip: turn up the DRY knob to hear your guitar signal.

8. 3:03 – A polyphonic emulation of one of the most sought-after vintage bass synthesizers. CTRL 1 adjusts the filter’s envelope sweep depth or total range while CTRL 2 sets the envelope speed. Pro Tip: use the guitar’s volume knob as a sensitivity control for envelope triggering.

9. FLIP-FLOP – Inspired by the Electro-Harmonix Octave Multiplexer, this patch provides a ‘70s style logic driven sub-octave generator, except the BASS9 tracks without glitches! CTRL 1 handles sub-octave, mixing between 1 octave down (CCW) and 2 octaves down (CW). CTRL 2 adjusts the frequency of a synth-like low-pass filter.

NOTES AND SPECIFICATIONS

• Buffered bypass
• Input impedance: 1MΩ
• Output impedance (for both output jacks): 500Ω
• Current draw: 100mA

TIPS ON GETTING OPTIMUM PERFORMANCE FROM THE BASS9

1. The BASS9 is generally best used as the first pedal in an effects chain. Place distortion, modulation, delay, and reverb effects after the BASS9. The unit will not perform well if placed in the effects loop of a guitar amp.
2. Much of the BASS9’s tone is dependent on your guitar’s original tone. Try experimenting with different pickup positions and tone settings to add more versatility to your bass sounds. Different picking styles such as finger and thumb picking, picks, hammer-on, etc. will have a major impact on the bass tone produced by the BASS9.
3. Avoid placing a distortion or overdrive in front of the BASS9, which could muddy up the input signal and cause the tracking to be unstable. If you want to add overdrive or distortion, place it after the BASS9.

All third party trademarks referenced by EHX remain the property of their respective owners. Any references to such trademarks herein is simply to identify the corresponding third party goods and is nominative fair use under the trademark law.

WARRANTY INFORMATION

Please register online at http://www.ehx.com/product-registration or complete and return the enclosed warranty card within 10 days of purchase. Electro- Harmonix will repair or replace, at its discretion, a product that fails to operate due to defects in materials or workmanship for a period of one year from date of purchase. This applies only to original purchasers who have bought their product from an authorized Electro Harmonix retailer. Repaired or replaced units will then be warranted for the unexpired portion of the original warranty term.

If you should need to return your unit for service within the warranty period, please contact the appropriate office listed below. Customers outside the regions listed below, please contact EHX Customer Service for information on warranty repairs at info@ehx.com or +1- 718-937-8300. USA and Canadian customers: please obtain a Return Authorization Numbe r (RA#) from EHX Customer Service before returning your product. Include ̶ with your returned unit ̶ a written description of the problem as well as your name, address, telephone number, e-mail address, RA#, and a copy of your receipt clearly showing the purchase date.

FCC COMPLIANCE

Note: This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B digital device, pursuant to part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference in a residential installation. This equipment generates, uses and can radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed and used in accordance with the instructions, may cause harmful interference to radio communications. However, there is no guarantee that interference will not occur in a particular installation. If this equipment does cause harmful interference to radio or television reception, which can be determined by turning the equipment off and on, the user is encouraged to try to correct the interference by one or more of the following measures:

• Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna.
• Increase the separation between the equipment and receiver.
• Connect the equipment into an outlet on a circuit different from that to which the receiver is connected.
• Consult the dealer or an experienced radio/TV technician for help.

Modifications not expressly approved by the manufacturer could void the user’s authority to operate the equipment under FCC rules.

The CE logo indicates that this product has been tested and shown to conform with all applicable European Conformity directives.

BASS9 SUGGESTED FACTORY SETTINGS

BASS9 USER SETTING

United States & Canada
EHX CUSTOMER SERVICE
ELECTRO-HARMONIX
c/o NEW SENSOR CORP.
55-01 2ND STREET
LONG ISLAND CITY, NY 11101
Tel: 718-937-8300
Email: info@ehx.com

Europe
JOHN WILLIAMS
ELECTRO-HARMONIX UK
13 CWMDONKIN TERRACE
SWANSEA SA2 0RQ
UNITED KINGDOM
Tel: +44 179 247 3258
Email: electroharmonixuk@virginmedia.com

To hear demos on all EHX pedals visit us on the web at www.ehx.com
Email us at info@ehx.com

References

• 📧info@ehx.com
• Electro-Harmonix
• Support - Electro-Harmonix

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