Mesa/Boogie Big Block 750 owner manual Front Panel Controls

FRONT PANEL CONTROLS:

INPUT: This jack is the instrument INPUT which feeds the first tube in the all-tube preamp of the BIG BLOCK. It is set up with enough headroom to handle both passive and active style instruments. For active instruments you may find yourself running the GAIN control somewhere between 10:00 and 2:00 for optimum headroom. If you do hear a soft clip creeping in at higher settings, don’t worry, this is the beauty of a tube front end. You may feel

free to drive the preamp for a more furry character when hyper clean is just too clean.

S I M U L S T A T E TM B A S S A M P L I F I E R

OVERDRIVE

INPUT TUNER

NOTE: When driving the preamp with higher settings of the GAIN control it is wise to reduce the BASS control and any low frequencies dialed up on the ACTIVE MID control. This will protect accidental damage to speakers and help avoid tubbiness or lack of tightness in the low end.

MUTE

TUNER: This jack provides a convenient Front Panel output for connection of a TUNER. It is wired in parallel with the Rear Panel TUNER output. There is an optimum padded signal present at all times on both Front and Rear jacks. There is a MUTE function and LED indication, which is only controllable from the Footswitch. There is no mute function avail-

able when the Footswitch is disconnected.

S I M U L S T A T E TM B A S S A M P L I F I E R

TUBE DRIVEN-MOSFET POWER

EFFECTS

	OVERDRIVE	OUTPUT	RETURN	SEND
			FOOT
INPUT	TUNER	VEL		TUNER
			SWITCH
	MUTE
		A , CALIFORNIA

OVERDRIVE: This control determines the amount of all-tube OVERDRIVE that can be blended with the regular “clean” preamp signal. This circuit creates a whole new realm of sounds that range from a soft-clip purr, to fully saturated grind. The OVERDRIVE has been tailored specifically for bass applications and does not disturb the blend dialed up on the tone controls.

S I M U L S T A T E TM B A S S A M P L I F I E R

OVERDRIVE

INPUT TUNER

MUTE

The OVERDRIVE circuit is activated via the included Footswitch and the combination of the Front Panel OVERDRIVE control (which determines the amount) and the O.D.MASTER (which gives you control over the volume of the OVERDRIVE), means that this feature creates a channel switching option that can be used for a wide range of choices.

In the lower region of the OVERDRIVE control, you will find that a subtle boost can create footswitchable soloing options where the added gain is merely thickening, rather than saturat- ing the signal. Because this circuit has its own MASTER control, stepping out can be easy and controllable. You won’t have to rely on band dynamics or house sound engineers to give you a little volume bump when you need it.

Setting the OVERDIVE control above 12:00 reveals the higher gain potential of this circuit. Here a wide range of more obviously overdriven sounds appear that can be used to mimic an analog synth or provide the grinding aggression for a integral part in a heavy song. This range showcases how amazingly tight the overdrive tracks and makes this mode an essential part of the BIG BLOCK’S sonic power and magic.

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