Albion ABH120C Guide

OPERATING MANUAL AND USER GUIDE
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ABH120C ABH180H & BLS1215 User m1 1 2011-4-21 17:32:07

ABH120C ABH180H & BLS1215 User m2 2 2011-4-21 17:32:07

Contents
Important Safety Instructions ...................................................................................... 1
Important Warnings ....................................................................................................... 2
Designer's Introduction................................................................................................. 3
2XWOLQH6SHFL¿FDWLRQ ..................................................................................................... 3
ABH120C Combo and ABH180H Head Features and Controls ................................. 4
BLS1215 BASS CABINET............................................................................................... 6
ABH120C ABH180H & BLS1215 User m3 3 2011-4-21 17:32:08

OPERATING MANUAL AND USER GUIDE
1
ABH120C ABH180H & BLS1215
Important Safety Instructions
1. Read these instructions – All the safety and operating
instructions should be read before this product is
operated.
2. Keep these instructions – The safety and operating
instructions should be retained for future reference.
3. Heed all warnings – All warnings on the appliance
and in the operating instructions should be adhered
to.
4. Follow all instructions – All operating and use
instructions should be followed.
5. Do not use this apparatus near water – The appliance
should not be used near water or moisture – for
example, in a wet basement or near a swimming pool
etc.
6. Clean only with dry cloth.
7. Do not block any ventilation openings. Install in
accordance with the instructions.
8. Do not install near any heat sourc es such as
radiators, heat registers, stoves, or other apparatus
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9. Do not defeat the safety purpose of the polarized or
grounding plug. A polarized plug has two blades with
one wider than the other. A grounding plug has two
blades and a third grounding prong. The wide blade
or the third prong is provided for your safety. If the
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electrician for replacement of the obsolete outlet.
10. Protect the power cord from being walked on or
pinched par ticularly at the plugs, convenience
receptacles, and at the point where they exit from the
apparatus.
11. Only use attachments/accessories specified by the
manufacturer.
12. Use only with the cart, stand, tripod, bracket or
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apparatus. When a cart or rack is used, use caution
when moving the cart/ apparatus combination to
avoid injury from tip-over.
13. Unplug the apparatus during lightning storms or when
unused for long periods of time.
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required when the apparatus has been damaged in
any way including: power supply cord or plug damage,
liquid spillages, objects falling into the unit, exposure
to rain/moisture or impact damage.
15. Please keep the unit in a well ventilated environment.
16. CAUTION: These servicing instructions are for use
by qualified service personnel only. To reduce the
risk of electric shock, do not perform any servicing
other than that contained in the operating instructions
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do not expose this apparatus to rain, moisture and
dripping or splashing of liquids. Containers filled
with liquids such as vases or drinks should never be
placed on top of or near the unit.
18. WARNING: The mains plug/appliance coupler is used
as disconnect device, the disconnect device shall
remain readily operable.
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the user to the presence of non-insulated "dangerous
voltage" within the product's enclosure that may be
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shock.
- Warning: To reduce the risk of electric shock, do
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personnel.
ABH120C ABH180H & BLS1215 User m1 1 2011-4-21 17:32:08

series
2ABH120C ABH180H & BLS1215
- The exclamation point within an equilateral triangle
is intended to aler t the user to the presence of
important operating and maintenance instructions in
the literature accompanying the appliance.
20. Protective earthing terminal. The apparatus
should be connected to a mains socket outlet with a
protective earthing connection.
21. Correct Disposal of this product. This marking
indicates that this product should not be disposed
with other household wastes throughout the EU. To
prevent possible harm to the environment or human
health from uncontrolled waste disposal, recycle
it responsibly to promote the sustainable reuse of
material resources. To return your used device,
please use the return and collection systems or
contact the retailer where the product was purchased.
They can take this product for environmentally safe
recycling.
22. WARNING: The terminals marked with the symbol of
“ ” may be of sufficient magnitude to constitute a
risk of electric shock. The external wiring connected
to the terminals requires installation by an instructed
person or the use of ready-made leads or cords
according to manufacturer’s instruction.
23. “Class 2 Wiring“ for all other TERMINALS provided
the audio output power exceeds 10W per channel
under normal operating conditions or the apparatus is
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by a SKILLED PERSON.
Important Warnings
ALWAYS read the manual of your new amplifier –
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their technology! There could be something important
that you need to know.
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mains power supply in your country.
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from your amplifier. It is there to prevent you from
receiving a fatal electric shock!
NEVER use your amplifier equipment in a high
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wet.
ALWAYS use correct and well maintained cables for
all inter-connections whether for power, speaker or
signal connections. If in any doubt, get them checked
or renew immediately.
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vents covered, even partially. Your amp loves being
fed nice cool air!
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amp to warm up before playing, 5 minutes is a
good length of time. Also allow your amp to have a
good cool down after playing and before moving it,
especially into the back of a car on a cold winter’s
night! Your valves will last longer if you give them a
little respect and TLC. Valves are pretty tough when
you think of what they are made from – but can be
very fragile if treated with physical abuse.
ALWAYS use a cable rated for loudspeaker connection
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system. DO NOT use a screened guitar cable for
speaker use.
NEVER use your amplifier without it connected to a
suitable matched loudspeaker system.
WARNING! Sometimes parts of the outside of your
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and will be within safe operational limits. These
limits are set by various countries safety approvals
committees, and we at Albion Musical Instruments
design, build, test, and have approved our products to
these international standards. I.e. CE, UL, CSA, CB,
ETL etc.
EMC INTERFERENCE. Even though all Albion
Musical Instruments products are designed and
tested to international electro-magnetic interference
standards, please note that cellular phones in close
proximity may cause some interference with your
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qualified in servicing musical instrument amplifier
products. If in doubt please contact your dealer.
ABH120C ABH180H & BLS1215 User m2 2 2011-4-21 17:32:08

OPERATING MANUAL AND USER GUIDE
3
ABH120C ABH180H & BLS1215
Designer's Introduction
The ABH120C and ABH180H bass combo and head are
part of the Albion ABH bass range. The design follows
on from their bigger brothers (ABH200C and ABH300H
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same heavy duty, very musical, BJT power amp topology.
As with all our bass products these amps are heavily
engineered for great sound at all times and conditions and
provide a very solid and tuneful bass tone that go beyond
their lower power ratings.
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playing needs.
Thank you
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The ABH120C combo and ABH180HKHDGDPSOL¿HUFLUFXLW
utilizes a combination of technologies to provide optimum
performance required for high class consistent playing
night after night. Both amplifiers use the same circuitry,
only differing in the power supply transformer values to
provide the required power output.
The main preamplifier and tone forming circuit section
uses 1 double triode low noise 7025/12AX7/ECC83 valves
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from a 380 volt HT power supply and DC heaters. The
output from the valve preamp circuit then passes through
the sweep-able semi-parametric Mid circuit, which is
separate from the preamp.
The power amplifier stage is an extremely rugged but
very musical bipolar transistor design that delivers the
wide range response required for the punch and wide
bandwidth required by today’s bass players. The power
stage is pretty much OVER-engineered to maintain
night after night of high level bass guitar playing without
compromise. As mentioned above, the power stage is
very musical, it has a very sweet tone and handles being
pushed into distortion (which is a very big test on any
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unpleasantness – it really delivers the goods with what we
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watt bass rigs.. As with the other power items the power
transformer is also larger than what other manufacturers
put in their comparative bass amps. Why? Because it
helps deliver the lowest notes without batting an eyelid! It
doesn’t run out of steam!! And also helps keep things very
cool (except for the preamp valves of course!
The ABH120C and ABH180HDPSOL¿HUVKDYHDQLPSUHVVLYH
array of controllable options that make for a very versatile
bass system, covering gain variations for both active and
passive guitars, plus some very neat tone contouring
options that are both simple to operate yet provide a wide
range of bass tones.
There is also a built-in “DI” system that allows the amp to
feed a recording and other sound system. This DI output
runs in balanced XLR mode but can be externally wired
to suit an unbalanced system. It has its own Level control
and can be switched to pre/post signal connection and
can be ground lifted to reduce any “hum” problems
The signal handling capabilities of ABH bass amps puts
you in control of the dynamics that you want - be it from
clean, warm Jazz, through to overloaded Rock bass
styles. Our bass amps and speaker systems are designed
to deliver and handle them all.
The ABH120C combo comes complete with one of our
own custom designed and built Albion 12” bass guitar
loudspeakers wired for 8ohm operation. This speaker
has been specially designed for this combo, enabling it to
deliver great low end from a small cabinet.
ABH120C ABH180H & BLS1215 User m3 3 2011-4-21 17:32:09

ABH120C Combo and ABH180H Head Features and Controls
INPUT – Mono !” Jack socket for instrument input. Use a
properly screened “guitar” cable for interconnection. There
are many different makes of guitar cable available, ranging
from fairly inexpensive to very expensive. Each have
different characteristics, and depending on your particular
guitar will give different results, so experimentation and
help from your dealer is the best advice we can give.
-10dB INPUT PAD – normally the input jack connects
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position, and is suitable for most purposes. However,
in the case of high output active guitars and preamps,
the signal level may be too high for the input stage to
handle without distorting. By pressing the -10dB PAD
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impedance to a more suitable value for active guitars
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INPUT GAIN – this control determines the amount of
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rest of the amplifier. It is pretty straightforward in use –
lower settings are clean – high mid settings are in the start
of distortion range – and high settings are in the overdrive
range.
OUTPUT VOLUME – this quite simply controls the
output of the preamp, giving you the required sound level
and balance that you require.
4
INSTRUMENT INPUT STAGE
EQ CONTOUR EXPANSION SWITCHES± WKH (4
system of the ABH bass system is very wide ranging
and very versatile in its own right, but the use of the four
expansion pushswitches opens up even more possibilities.
EQUALISATION STAGE
LOW BOOST – conversely the Low Boost switch
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frequencies in a very warm and musical way.
HIGH BOOST – as its name implies this switch boosts
the high frequencies adding great “presence” and “cut”
required for modern bass playing styles. It adds “snap”
without adding harshness.
BASS & TREBLE EQ ROTARY CONTROLS –
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mid position.
MIDDLE EQ & RANGE CONTROLS – as stated
earlier the Middle circuit is after the valve preamp, and
again is of the cut and boost variety. The Range control
continuously varies the Mid centre frequency between
200Hz, and 2kHz. Because it is independent of the Treble
and Bass circuits, even bigger variations in how the
middle frequencies react are possible.
DI OUTPUT LEVEL – This rotary control gives an
independent output level for the DI output.
DI FEED PRE/POST SWITCH – This push-switch
connects the DI circuit to either run in parallel with the
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amplifier output derived from the speaker connection
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GROUND LIFT SWITCH – This switch lifts the DI
socket ground connection from direct ground connection
to be higher impedance. This is used to eliminate any
mains ground hum that could be generated between the
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a mixing desk.
series
ABH120C ABH180H & BLS1215
Front Panel
ABH120C ABH180H & BLS1215 User m4 4 2011-4-21 17:32:09

LOUDSPEAKER OUTPUTS – ABH180H is fitted
with 2 combined Jack connectors wired in parallel. The
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connect to any speaker system whose total impedance is
less than 4 ohms!
The matching Albion bass loudspeaker cabinets (BLS
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allowing the use of up to 2 cabinets at any time. The
matching BLS1215 cabinet is a 4 ohm cabinet and
therefore full power can be provided with just one cabinet.
The BLS1215 is also designed to provide great bass tone
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very useful for playing on small stages where equipment
placement is critical.
The ABH120C 1 x 12” combo is fitted with one 8 ohm
loudspeakers to match the combo required 8 ohm
operation..
MAINS INPUT – the mains input receptacle allows for
the connection of the mains power cord, and also houses
the mains power fuse. To comply with International Safety
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is supplied to work with the mains supply in your country.
Please check the white rating label fitted to the back
panel. If in any doubt, please check with your supplier. It is
of utmost importance to use the correct earthed and rated
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In the case of the mains fuse blowing, this can be changed
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receptacle and with the aid of a small screwdriver the
small drawer in the receptacle can be withdrawn allowing
access to the mains power Fuse.
Rear Panel (ABH180H shown)
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120 watts RMS output into 8 ohm impedance loudspeaker
load.
180 watts RMS output into 4 ohm impedance loudspeaker
load.
1 off 7025/12AX7/ECC83 double triode small signal valve
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Passive cooled BJT power output stage
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250V rated 20mm glass fuse
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rated 20mm glass fuse
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rated 20mm glass fuse
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250V rated 20mm glass fuse
WARNING! DO NOT USE WITHOUT CONNECTING
THE EARTH (GROUND) WIRE.
MAINS POWER SWITCH – this is self explanatory
in that it turns the mains power supply coming into the
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requires time to “warm up” when initially turned on, there
will be a short time lag before the amplifier is ready for
use after switching on.
A WORD OF ADVICE about fuses – if a fuse blows it is
usually for a very good reason, it could be anything from a
voltage spike on the mains power, to a serious malfunction
of your amplifier. Fuses are there for your protection –
treat them with respect, and never replace with the wrong
value!
WARNING! USE THE CORRECT REPLACEMENT
VALUE ONLY!
OPERATING MANUAL AND USER GUIDE
5
ABH120C ABH180H & BLS1215
ABH120C ABH180H & BLS1215 User m5 5 2011-4-21 17:32:12

series
6ABH120C ABH180H & BLS1215
CAUTION!
There are no user serviceable parts mounted
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This means that for your own safety and the
correct performance of your amplifier, do not
open the chassis unless you really do know what
you are doing!
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120 watts RMS output into 8 ohm impedance 12”
loudspeaker load.
1 off 7025/12AX7/ECC83 double triode small signal valves
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Passive cooled BJT power output stage
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250V rated 20mm glass fuse
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rated 20mm glass fuse
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250V rated 20mm glass fuse
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250V rated 20mm glass fuse
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Warning! Where fuses specified are rated at
250V please be aware that this is the rating of
fuse value and NOT the rating of your particular
DPSOL¿HU
Warning! Where fuses specified are rated at
250V please be aware that this is the rating of
fuse value and NOT the rating of your particular
DPSOL¿HU
BLS1215 BASS CABINET
This cabinet is e sp ec ially designed to matc h the
dimensions of the ABH180H bass guitar amplifier, and
as such presents a minimum footprint for both ease of
carrying and also taking up a minimum of stage area,
especially useful on small crowded club stages. It features
one 12” and one 15” Albion custom designed and built
bass guitar loudspeakers wired in parallel for 4 ohm
operation.
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Weight = 37.6Kg
Power Rating = 300 watts RMS @ 4 ohms impedance
ABH120C ABH180H & BLS1215 User m6 6 2011-4-21 17:32:12

ABH120C ABH180H & BLS1215 User m7 7 2011-4-21 17:32:12

ABH120C ABH180H & BLS1215 User m8 8 2011-4-21 17:32:12

IAG House, Sovereign Court, Ermine Business Park, Huntingdon, Cambs, PE29 6XU, England
www.albionamps.com
The information in this brochure is subject to change without notice.
All rights reserved © 2010 Albion. Albion is a member of the IAG Group.
ABH120C ABH180H & BLS1215 User m9 9 2011-4-21 17:32:14