local service center.) Also, the preamp tube will take approximately 10 seconds to warm up before
producing signal. This too is normal.
GETTING SOUND OUT OF THE MINI-MO' PREAMP
NOTE: NOTE: Remember to ensure that your power amp volume is still set to "zero," or the minimum
setting before starting this process.
Plug your instrument into the desired input jack (please refer to "Mini-Mo’ Preamp––Front Panel
Features" for more detail). Turn your instrument's volume up to at least 75% of maximum and slowly
adjust the Preamp Volume control. Keep playing and turning the Preamp Volume control up until you
see the red LED illuminate, indicating preamp clipping. (With passive basses, you may be able to run
the control as high as '8' or '9' before any clipping occurs.) Then back off on the Preamp Volume about
two numbers on the dial.
Set the Master Volume controls––both left and right, regardless of stereo/mono operation of your power
amp––both to "10", the maximum. This is to ensure that the maximum amount of level is driving your
power amplifier. Now, slowly turn up the volume control(s) on your power amplifier. You should now hear
the sound of your instrument amplified through the Mini-Mo' Preamp into your power amplifier, and
subsequently through the speaker cabinets (as well as the stereo headphones jack). If you find that your
power amp is seeing too hot a signal, back off on the Master Volume controls, not the Preamp Volume.
For more detailed information, please read the entire manual carefully, as the Mini-Mo' Preamp is an
extremely dynamically sensitive unit, and the concept of "gain structure" is very important and will be
discussed in great detail.
MINI-MO' PREAMP - FRONT PANEL FEATURES
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 simultaneously. However, the main applicational use for the two separate input jacks is their
difference in level, as the Passive/Active input has five times more gain than 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-although in some instances, phasing problems can be
caused by the characteristics of the instruments being used.
A WORD ABOUT GAIN STAGES
One of the most important concepts to keep in mind when using the Mini-Mo' Preamp is what we mean
by "gain stages." Think of dominoes––when they're lined up in a row, the first one to fall will affect
everything behind it. That's how a signal path works, and everything added along the way contributes to
the overall "gain." If the very beginning of the signal path is loaded up with too much gain, everything
behind might not behave the way you might like.
Some people like to use certain effects––especially foot pedals––in front of their amplifier. In the case of
the Mini-Mo' Preamp, it's important that any pedal have an output close to unity gain in relation to its
input. In other words, any pedal that might add a lot of gain to the signal may be better off in the
effects loop than in front of the amplifier.
A signal path will have several "gain stages" in the internal circuitry of the preamp and power amp alone,
even before you start adding effects. Just remember that every time you change something in the signal
path, most likely a level will change. That altered level will then feed the next part of the chain with
more or less input signal, which in turn will multiply every time the level increases or decreases due to
an effect being engaged. And so on, and so on, and so on...
MINI-MO’ OWNER’S MANUAL• 6