M I D I P R O G R A M M A B L E T U B E G U I T A R P R E A M P USER'S MANUAL HUSH ® licensed by May be covered by one or more of the following: U.S. Patents #4538297, 4647876, 4696044, 4745309, 4881047, 4893099, 5124657, 5263091, 5268527, 5319713 and 5333201. Other patents pending. Foreign patents pending.
PRECAUTIONS NOTE: IT IS VERY IMPORTANT THAT YOU READ THIS SECTION TO PROVIDE YEARS OF TROUBLE FREE USE. THIS UNIT REQUIRES CAREFUL HANDLING. All warnings on this equipment and in the operating instructions should be adhered to and all operating instructions should be followed. Do not use this equipment near water. Care should be taken so that objects do not fall and liquids are not spilled into the unit through any openings.
Contents 1. Introduction .................................................................................................................................. 1 2. Front Panel ................................................................................................................................... 2 3. Rear Panel .................................................................................................................................... 4 4. Connections .........................................
1. Introduction Congratulations on your purchase of the Rocktron Piranha High Voltage Tube Preamp! The Piranha was designed to provide programmability with a user-friendly interface.
2. Front Panel (1) POWER switch (2) DISPLAY panels: The 2-character display on the left always displays the current preset number, while the 3character display on the right shows the current parameter value for the parameter being adjusted. (3) UP and DOWN buttons: The UP and DOWN buttons are used to scroll through Pirahna presets. These buttons are also used when setting the threshold level for the HUSH noise reduction.
Pressing the DISTORTION button (L.E.D. on) switches the Piranha to the Distortion mode. The Piranha provides two distortion modes - Classic Tube and Modern Tube. The DISTORTION button is used to swicth between each mode. When the DISTORTION button is lit (but not flashing) the Piranha is in the Classic Tube distortion mode. This mode provides tones ranging from smooth, slightly overdriven rhythm tones (at lower Gain control settings) to full tube high gain (at higher Gain control settings).
3. Rear Panel (1) INPUT jack: This standard unbalanced jack is used to provide input to the unit. For convenience, the Piranha provides both front and rear panel mounted input jacks. (2) LOOP SEND jack: This standard 1/4" mono jack provides a post-distortion output to the input of the first device in the effects chain. (3) LOOP MIX control: This control determines the amount that the effected (loop) signal is mixed with the dry (direct) signal.
(10) MIDI CHANNEL selection switch: This DIP switch is used to select the MIDI channel that the Piranha responds to. To select a specific MIDI channel, configure the switches based on the figure below. NOTE: When a new MIDI channel is selected, it is necessary to turn the unit off and back on for the new MIDI channel to be recognized.
4.
Using the Piranha directly into a mixing console: 7
5. Operation A. Selecting a preset To select a preset on the Piranha, use the UP and DOWN buttons to scroll through the successive presets - each preset selected is recalled automatically. 23 - - B. Creating a new preset Use the UP and DOWN buttons to select a preset to modify. (The preset will be recalled automatically.) 23 - - 12 - - - Use the front panel knobs to adjust the parameters until the desired sound is achieved.
Press the STORE button twice to save the changes made in the current preset location. (Note: Completing this step will copy over the preset stored in the current location.) 12 300 C. Storing a modified preset to a different preset location Repeat steps 1 and 2 described in "B. Creating a new preset". Press the STORE button once (the STORE button will blink faster). 55 450 Use the UP and DOWN buttons to select the preset location to store the new preset into.
D. To copy a preset to a new location Use the UP and DOWN buttons to select the preset to copy. 77 - - - Press the STORE button two times. 77 - - Use the UP and DOWN buttons to select the new preset location. 65 - - - * * * * To cancel any storing function, press the GLOBAL button twice. * * * * Press the STORE button once to store the preset in the selected location.
E. Setting the HUSH® Threshold HUSH is Hush Systems’ patented single-ended noise reduction system. The low level expander of the HUSH system operates like an electronic volume control. HUSH utilizes a voltage-controlled amplifier (VCA) circuit which can control the gain between the input and the output from unity to 30, 40 or even 50dB of gain reduction. When the input signal is above the user preset threshold point, the VCA circuit remains at unity gain.
F. Selecting a Power-up preset The Piranha allows you to select a specific preset which is always recalled when the unit is turned on. Use the UP and DOWN buttons to select the preset to be recalled each time the Piranha is turned on. 22 - - - Without making any parameter changes, press the STORE button three times to store the current preset as the Power-up preset.
G. Using the Piranha with a Rocktron All Access™ in REMOTE mode A Rocktron All Access™ can act as a dedicated remote control for the Piranha - allowing direct access to specific Piranha features from the footswitch at any time. Connect the MIDI OUT on the All Access to the rear panel MIDI IN/REMOTE connector on the Piranha. Setting up the Piranha for remote operation When the Piranha is turned off, set the rear panel MIDI Channel selection switch to MIDI channel "1" as shown below.
Setting up the All Access for remote operation Refer to the All Access™ user's manual for detailed information on editing the All Access™. Set the Operating Mode to "REMOTE". Set the Bank Size to "10". Reinitialize only the controller information for the instant access switches and pedals using a reinitialization code of "231". Set the Operating Mode to "REMOTE".
6. Special Functions Some Piranha functions are available which require special instructions to access. These functions include Factory Preset Reinitialization, Continuous Controller mode and MIDI Preset Dump/Load, and are discussed in this section. A. Factory Reinitialization The Factory Reinitialization function allows for all Piranha presets to be restored to their original condition as shipped from the factory.
B. MIDI Preset Dump The Piranha presets can be dumped to a sequencer via system exclusive messages. Connect a standard MIDI cable from the MIDI OUT of the transmitting Piranha to the MIDI IN on the receiving sequencer. Note: Do not allow connection from the MIDI OUT of the receiving sequencer back to the MIDI IN of the transmitting Piranha. Make sure the "SYSX RECORD" function is enabled on the sequencer, and start the sequencer recording.
C. MIDI Preset Load The Piranha presets can be loaded from a sequencer via system exclusive messages. Connect a standard MIDI cable from the MIDI IN of the receiving Piranha to the MIDI OUT on the transmitting sequencer. Note: Do not allow connection from the MIDI IN of the transmitting sequencer back to the MIDI OUT of the receiving Piranha. Send the real-time sysx track from the sequencer or data storage device. The STORE button on the Piranha will blink to indicate that the dump is in progress.
D. Continuous Controller Mode When set to operate in Continuous Controller mode, the Piranha's front panel controls can be used to control other MIDI products in real time. To use the Continuous Controller mode, set the parameter(s) on the receiving unit(s) to respond to the controller number for the given Piranha front panel knob (shown below).
SPECIFICATIONS Input Impedance Maximum Input Level Input Jack Maximum Output Level Output Impedance Output Jacks Direct Output Jacks 470KΩ +20dBu ¼" mono +20dBu less than 150Ω ¼"mono XLR MIDI IN 7-pin DIN MIDI OUT 5-pin DIN Power Consumption Dimensions 1.
