Front Panel Features

Turning The Unit On

Remove the AC cable from the accessory pack and connect it from the amplifier to a standard wall outlet. Make sure that the both the Gain and Master Volume controls are set to the minimum position. Locate the power switch on the right side of the front panel and turn the amplifier on. The power switch should then illuminate in red. Upon powering up, if the Speaker On/Off switch is set to the “On” position, don’t be sur- prised if you hear a small pop. This is absolutely normal. (Eliminating this “power on transient” would require a component called a relay. SWR chose not to incorporate this type of component due to the fact that relays degrade signal quality and often fail, causing the unit to have no output and requiring a trip to a local service center. It can be eliminated by setting the Speaker On/Off switch to the “Off” position upon powering up, after which point you can set the switch to “On” for operation.)

Getting Sound Out Of The Workingman’s 8004

Make sure that the Speaker On/Off switch is set to the “On” position. Plug your instrument into the desired input jack (please refer to “Front Panel Features” for more detail). Turn your instrument’s volume up to at least 75% of maximum and slowly adjust up the Gain control to the halfway point. Now turn up the Master Volume control to an equal level or less (given that the amp can deliver such a large amount of power, it would be wise to adjust the Master Volume control up slowly). You should now hear the sound of your instrument amplified through the Workingman’s 8004 into your speaker cabinet(s).

XLR Mute Switch

This switch can be used to defeat the signal present at the Balanced (XLR) Output jack on the rear panel. When set to the up (“XLR”) position, the signal will be present as normal. When set to the down (“MUTE”) position, the signal will be defeated. This way you can choose to tune between songs during live perfor- mances without the house P.A. amplifying your harmonics, and you still have the option of hearing your sig- nal onstage in your rig depending on the setting of the Speaker On/Off switch (located on the right side of the front panel). The XLR Mute is also useful for preventing the “pop” sound that sometimes occurs when you plug or unplug your bass—especially if the front-of-house or studio engineer has forgotten to bring the faders down on the mixing board (which, as we all know, happens on occasion).

Input Jacks

Both input jacks accept a standard 1/4" phone plug and both inputs can be used at the same time. Since the two inputs are totally independent, no loss in volume or tone will occur by using two instruments simul- taneously. However, the main applicational use for the two separate input jacks is their difference in level, as the Passive/Active input has over twice the gain of the Active input. In other words, it’s not necessarily intended as a “submixer” for two instruments, but no harm will come from having two instruments plugged in at once. Please read below for more details.

Passive/Active Input Jack

This input jack is designed to accommodate both “passive” instruments and most “active” instruments. A passive instrument has no built-in preamp and does not use a battery, while an active bass utilizes a bat- tery-operated preamp for gain, tone controls, or both. The Passive/Active Input will work with all instruments having a maximum output of less than 1 volt RMS. Some active pickups such as EMG, Bartolini, etc., use batteries for operation and will work perfectly using this input. Instruments made by MTD, Sadowsky, Modulus, etc., have active electronics that are suited for use in the Passive/Active input.

Generally speaking, try this input first. If you hear a small amount of distortion and the Preamp Clip LED is not activated, try using the Active input jack. If the Active input does not correct any audible distortion, check the battery in your bass.

WORKINGMAN’S 8004 T/O/P • 5