Behringer Ultraroc GX110 User manual

Version 1.1 June 2001
User’s Manual
ENGLISH
ULTRAROC® GX110

2
ULTRAROCGX110
This symbol, wherever it appears,
alerts you to the presence of
uninsulateddangerousvoltageinside
the enclosure – voltage that may be
sufficient to constitute a risk of shock.
This symbol, wherever it appears, alerts
you to important operating and
maintenance instructions in the
accompanying literature. Read the
manual.
SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS
CAUTION: To reduce the risk of electrical shock, donot remove
thecover(orback). No user serviceable parts inside;
refer servicing to qualified personnel.
WARNING: To reduce the risk of fire or electrical shock, do not
expose this appliance to rain or moisture.
DETAILED SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS:
All the safety and operation instructions should be read before the appliance is operated.
Retain Instructions:
The safety and operating instructions should be retained for future reference.
Heed Warnings:
All warnings on the appliance and in the operating instructions should be adhered to.
Follow instructions:
Alloperationand user instructions should be followed.
Water and Moisture:
The appliance should not be used near water (e.g. near a bathtub, washbowl, kitchen sink, laundry tub, in a
wet basement, or near a swimming pool etc.).
Ventilation:
The appliance should be situated so that its location or position does not interfere with its proper ventilaton.
For example, the appliance should not be situated on a bed, sofa rug, or similar surface that may block the
ventilation openings: or placed in a built-in installation, such as a bookcase or cabinet that may impede the
flowof air through the ventilation openings.
Heat:
The appliance should be situated away from heat sources such as radiators, heat registers, stoves, or other
appliances (including amplifiers) that produce heat.
Power Source:
Theapplianceshouldbeconnectedtoapowersupplyonlyofthetypedescribed in the operating instructions
or as marked on the appliance.
Grounding or Polarization:
Precautions should be taken so that the grounding or polarization means of an appliance is not defeated.
Power-Cord Protection:
Power supply cords should be routed so that they are not likely to be walked on or pinched by items placed
upon or against them, paying particular attention to cords and plugs, convenience receptacles and the point
where they exit from the appliance.
Cleaning:
The appliance should be cleaned only as recommended by the manufacturer.
Non-use Periods:
The power cord of the appliance should be unplugged from the outlet when left unused for a long period of
time.
Object and Liquid Entry:
Careshouldbe taken so thatobjectsdonotfall and liquids arenotspilledintothe enclosure through openings.
Damage Requiring Service:
The appliance should be serviced by qualified service personnel when:
- the power supply cord or the plug has been damaged; or
- Objects have fallen, or liquid has been spilled into the appliance; or
- the appliance has been exposed to rain; or
-theappliancedoesnot appear to operate normally or exhibits a marked change in performance; or
-theappliancehasbeendropped,orthe enclosure damaged.
Servicing:
Theusershouldnotattempttoservicetheappliancebeyondthatwhichis describedintheOperatingInstructions.
All other servicing should be referred to qualified service personnel.

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ULTRAROCGX110
FOREWORD
DearCustomer,
Welcome to the team of ULTRAROC users and thank you very much for expressing your confidence in
BEHRINGERproductsby purchasing theGX110.
It is one of my most pleasant tasks to write this letter to you, because it is the culmination of many months of
hard work delivered by our engineering team to reach a very ambitious goal: To present you with a really
excellentpractice/backstageampthat does not only produce an out-of-the-ordinarysoundbutalsofeaturesa
revolutionarydesignconcept.YourGX110combineshighestperformancewithawealthoffirst-classeffects.
The task to design the ULTRAROC certainly meant a great deal of responsibility, which we assumed by
focusing on you, the discerning user and musician. It also meant a lot of work and night shifts to accomplish
this goal. But it was fun, too. Developing a product usually brings a lot of people together, and what a great
feeling it is when everybody who participated in such a project can be proud of what we’ve achieved.
Itisour philosophy toshareourjoywith you, becauseyouarethemost important memberoftheBEHRINGER
family. With your highly competent suggestions for new products you’ve greatly contributed to shaping our
company and making it successful. In return, we guarantee you uncompromising quality as well as excellent
technical and audio properties at an extremely favorable price. All of this will enable you to fully unfold your
creativitywithoutbeinghamperedbybudgetconstraints.
Weareoften asked howwecanmake it possibletoproducesuch high-grade devicesatsuchunbelievablylow
prices. The answer is quite simple: it’s you, our customers! Many satisfied customers, mean large sales
volumes enabling us to get better conditions of purchase for components, etc. Isn’t it only fair to pass this
benefit back to you? Because we know that your success is our success too!
I would like to thank the following people, whose help on “Project ULTRAROC” has made it all possible:
sThe existing users of BEHRINGER equipment, whose comments and suggestions have made them the
mostimportantmembers of the BEHRINGER designteam,
sJan,whosepassionateworkhas made the ULTRAROC a revolutionary GuitarWorkstation,
sThorstenwhodesigned this marvelous manual,
sVolker for the fine mechanics,
sandall the others, who have made very personalcontributions.
My friends, it’s been worth the trouble!
Thank you very much,
UliBehringer

4
ULTRAROCGX110
/:
ULTRAROC®
Ultra-flexible 30-Watt Guitar Workstation wit digital multi-effects processor
sPowerful30-WattRMSGuitarWorkstationwithauthenticVIRTUBE®tubesimulation
sOriginal35-Wattvintage 10" JENSEN guitar speakermodelJCH10/35
sTwoindependentchannels with separate volumecontrolsandeffects
sCLEANchanneldeliverscleanandslightlydistortedtube-typesounds
sOVERDRIVEchanneloffersa broad range ofmoderncrunchtohigh-gain sounds
sClassical 3-band EQ with excellent sound characteristics
s24-bitstereomulti-effectsprocessorwith extremely high-resolution 24-bit AD/DA converters
s31 original VIRTUALIZER®and MODULIZER®presets with outstanding effects such as Reverb, Delay,
Phaser, Chorus, Flanger, Pitch Shifter, Speaker Simulation, Rotary Speaker, Magic Drive, Compressor,
Expander,Wah-Wah,Tube Emulator and various effectcombinations
s99easy-to-edituserpresets
sAdditional 8 Ohm speaker output (built-in speaker is muted automatically)
sAdjustableAUXinputforplaybackorotherline-level signals (e.g. CD player, drum computer)
sFrequency-correctedlineoutput for recording andliveapplications
sInsertfacilityforexternaleffectsdevices(stompboxes, wah-wah pedals, etc.)
sGX110comeswithfootswitchFS112forchannelselectionandeffectbypass
sCompleteMIDIimplementationforchannelandeffect selection as well as real time control
sMastervolumecontrol and frequency-correctedstereoheadphonesoutput
sFXMIXparametercanbe stored in each preset
sExtremelyruggedconstructionensureslonglifeevenunderthe most demanding conditions
sRobustpowersupplyensuresexcellenttransientresponse
sManufacturedunderISO9000 certified managementsystem

5
ULTRAROCGX110
CAUTION!
+It should be pointed out that extreme output volumes may damage your ears and/or your
headphones. Turn down all LEVEL controls before you switch on the unit. Always pay attention
to an appropriate volume level.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. INTRODUCTION.....................................................................................................................6
1.1 Thedesign concept......................................................................................................................... 7
1.1.1 VIRTUBEtechnology ............................................................................................................ 7
1.1.2 JENSENloudspeaker ........................................................................................................... 7
1.2 Beforeyoubegin ............................................................................................................................. 7
1.3 Controlelements............................................................................................................................. 8
1.3.1 Thefront panel ...................................................................................................................... 8
1.3.2 Therear panel ....................................................................................................................... 9
2. WIRING EXAMPLES .............................................................................................................11
2.1 Standardsetup consisting of guitar,footswitch and external effectsdevice.....................................11
2.2 ExpandedsetupwithMIDI foot controller,playbacksourceandmixingconsole .............................11
3. EFFECTS PROCESSOR......................................................................................................12
3.1 Descriptionof effects..................................................................................................................... 12
3.2 ControllingtheULTRAROC viaMIDI .............................................................................................. 15
4. HISTORICAL BACKGROUND by Neville Marten (Guitarist Magazine) .........................16
5. INSTALLATION .....................................................................................................................17
5.1 Mainsconnection.......................................................................................................................... 17
5.2 Audioconnections ........................................................................................................................ 17
5.2.1 Loudspeakerconnector....................................................................................................... 18
5.3 MIDIconnection ............................................................................................................................ 19
6. APPENDIX .............................................................................................................................20
6.1 Preset list ..................................................................................................................................... 20
6.2 MIDI-Implementation ..................................................................................................................... 21
7. SPECIFICATIONS .................................................................................................................22
8. WARRANTY ...........................................................................................................................23

6
ULTRAROCGX110
1. INTRODUCTION
Thankyouvery muchforexpressing your confidenceinBEHRINGER products bypurchasingthe ULTRAROC
GX110. With the ULTRAROC, you have acquired a modern Guitar Workstation that sets new standards in
practice amp engineering. When developing the GX110, our top objective was to reproduce the authentic
sound of classical guitar amps as perfectly as we could and combine it with latest DSP technology – while
focusingonanuserinterfacethatcanbeoperatedintuitively.
BEHRINGERisan audio engineering companythathasbeensuccessfully developing productsforstudioand
liveapplicationsfor manyyearsnow.Our range ofproductsincludes microphones andavarietyof 19" devices
(compressors, enhancers, gates, tube processors, headphone amps, digital effects devices, DI boxes, etc.)
as well as various monitoring and P.A. speakers plus professional live and recording consoles. The name of
BEHRINGERstandsforno-compromisequality,fully-featuredproducts and exemplary service – even years
after purchase – as well as sensationally low prices, which allow any ambitious music lovers to make their
musical dreams come true.
We also set great store by flexibility, which has become a particularly important factor in the music business
over the past few years. Modern guitarists need to offer a broad range of sounds, but should still be able to
play in different kinds of applications at short notice: home recording, studio, live concerts. For this reason, it
has always been our prime concern to give you a Guitar Workstation that offers you a complete set of
functions, but can still be operated intuitively and quickly – no matter what kind of style you play.
Unfortunately,conventionalguitarampsareoftennotfullydesignedanddeveloped.Moreover,manymanufacturers
oftraditional-styleguitarampsare somewhat afraid of using state-of-the-art technology. TheULTRAROC,on
theotherhand,is apioneeringguitarampthathasconsiderably morefunctionsthananyconventional2-channel
amp with a built-in spring reverb. Still, you can use the GX110 so that it mimics an excellently sounding
2-channelcomboamp with an–admittedly– good springreverb(exceptfor that“shatter”soundwhen the amp
getsknocked over).However,werecommendthatyoumake yourselffamiliarwith theULTRAROCin fulldetail,
so that you know what each of the many functions does and be able to fully exploit the numerous effects and
controloptions provided.
Astechnologyadvances,you’vegottokeeptrackof latest technological breakthroughs to avoid falling by the
wayside.We,too,have continuously improved this amp and includedmanyofyourvaluablesuggestions.We
have spared neither expense nor effort to test different types of circuitry and speakers until the results gave
uscompletesatisfaction.Afterall, we really want to give you fullydesignedanddevelopedproductsthatmeet
your expectations in every respect. The ULTRAROC shall be an useful tool for years to come, which is why
we’veequippedthe effects modules of ourGuitarWorkstationwithEPROMS that can beupdated.Inthisway,
wecankeepworkingonnewalgorithmsand considering your ideas and suggestions. The resulting software
updates will be made available for free on the Internet, so as to ensure that your amp will never be outdated.
We’vepackedourentire experience into this latest generation ofguitaramps.Manypeoplecontributedto this
project of intense development: studio musicians, collectors of vintage guitar amps, music and guitar lovers
alike. We even invited guitar amp tuning experts to help us develop an amplifier that gives you the best of all
worlds:
sSophisticatedanalogtechnologywitha“feelfactor” only analog technology can provide.
sTheperfectemulationof tube-specific nuances to makeupforthedrawbacksencountered in tube designs
(noise, hum, etc.)
sLatest DSP technology to give you a broad range of modern high-gain and vintage-type effect sounds.
sRuggedandsolidconstructionwhichevenwithstandsroughesthandling.
IIntuitive operation, so that you can focus your mind on what is most important to you: your music!
+This manual first describes the terminology used, so that you can fully understand the
ULTRAROC and its functions. Please read the manual carefully and keep it for future reference.
1. INTRODUCTION

7
ULTRAROCGX110
1.1 The design concept
The philosophy behind BEHRINGER products guarantees a no-compromise circuit design and employs the
best choice of components. The operational amplifiers used in the ULTRAROC are exceptional: they boast
extremelinearityand very lowdistortioncharacteristics.To complement thisdesign,thechoice of components
includeslow-toleranceresistorsandcapacitors,high-qualitypotentiometersandseveralotherstringentlyselected
elements.
TheULTRAROCuses SMD technology(SurfaceMountedDevice). These subminiaturecomponentsadapted
fromaerospacetechnologyallowforan extreme packing density to further improve the overall reliability.
The super-robust steel-plate enclosure of your ULTRAROC, with its generously dimensioned power supply,
ensuresthatyour GX110 will never failonthestage– even when thegoinggetstough.The enclosure is made
ofhigh-gradeandnon-pollutingMDFwood,whichconsists of multiple tongued layers.
1.1.1 VIRTUBEtechnology
Tube preamps usually have three to five triode stages in series producing various degrees of distortion,
dynamic compression and frequency response modification. In addition to the characteristic curve, along
which the signal is distorted, also the order of filters and distortion stages play a vital role. While clean and
slightly distorted sounds may be a pleasure to hear when the signal has lots of bass prior to the distortion
stage, this configuration would lead to a muddy, fuzz-like sound when hi-gain settings are used. For this
reason,tube amps have passive, and usually simple filtersswitched between the individual amplifier stages.
These filters determine which frequencies contribute to the distorted sound.
Afterthedistortionstages, too, filter circuits are usedtoprovideaperfectblend of output signal andgenerated
harmonics.OurVIRTUBEcircuitshavebeen optimized to mimic this sophisticated interaction with solid-state
components.EQand filters betweenthesinglestagesare the sameasthoseused in classical tubeamps.The
non-linear characteristic curves are simulated by means of specific diode types. The result is an amplifier
that gives you sounds with a very pronounced tube character.
1.1.2 JENSEN loudspeaker
SincePeterJensen produced the firstloudspeakersin1923JENSEN reshaped the communicationsindustry.
As the demand for new electric guitar and bass amplifiers increased, so did the need for JENSEN speakers
in the 50’s and 60’s. JENSEN represented the worldwide industry standard for speaker products and their
sound was in fact the sound of Rock ´n´ Roll. Still these vintage speakers are highly valued by top musicians
and collectors around the world. Famous american and british brands choose JENSENs for their top-of-the-
line products. There is no doubt about the tremendous impact the loudspeaker has on the sound of electric
guitar amplifiers. Consequently, JENSEN has put into production those legendary speakers again that
contributed so much to the history of modern music, using the most sophisticated and modern facilities
Europehastooffer.Youwillfindthemintop-of-of-the-line guitar amps.
1.2 Before you begin
YourBEHRINGERULTRAROCwascarefullypackedinthe factory and the packaging is designed to protect
theunitfromroughhandling. Nevertheless, we recommend that you carefully examine the packaging and its
contents for any signs of physical damage, which may have occurred during transit.
+If the unit is damaged, please do not return it to BEHRINGER, but notify your dealer and the
shippingcompany immediately,otherwise claimsfor damage orreplacement maynot begranted.
Shipping claims must be made by the consignee.
Besurethat thereisenoughspace aroundtheunitfor coolingandpleasedo notplacetheULTRAROC on high
temperature devices such as radiators etc. to avoid overheating.
+Before you connect your ULTRAROC to the mains, please make sure that your local voltage
matches the voltage required by the unit!
1. INTRODUCTION

8
ULTRAROCGX110
Themains connectionoftheGX110ismadeby usingtheenclosed mainscableand astandardIEC receptacle.
Itmeetsallof the international safety certification requirements.
+Please make sure that all units have a proper ground connection. For your own safety, never
remove or disable the ground conductor of the unit or of the AC power cable.
The MIDI connection (IN) is made over standardized DIN plug-in connectors. An optocoupler has been used
forisolateddatacommunications.
Youwillfind additional informationinchapter5“INSTALLATION”.
1.3 Control elements
Fig. 1.1: The front panel of the ULTRAROC
The BEHRINGER ULTRAROC GX110 features nine controls, two push-buttons and one 2-digit, 7-segment
LED display on its front panel. Additionally, there is one 1/4" jack for input.
1.3.1 The front panel
Fig. 1.2: The front panel control elements
1
INPUT is the ULTRAROC’s 1/4" jack input for your guitar. Use a commercial 1/4" jack mono cable (no
DIY, better ask your specialized dealer), with good mechanical and electrical shielding, so as to avoid
unpleasant surprises during rehearsals or concerts.
2
The CLEAN VOLUME control sets the volume for the clean channel.
3
The CHANNEL button allows you to toggle between the CLEAN and OVERDRIVE channels. When
OVERDRIVE is on, the corresponding LED lights up.
4
The GAIN control determines the degree of distortion in the OVERDRIVE channel.
5
TheVOLUMEcontrolsetsthevolumefor the OVERDRIVE channel.
+Use both VOLUME controls to optimize the volume ratio of the two channels, so that no volume
differences can be heard when switching from one channel to the other. This setting is also
effective on the level-dependent digital effects!
6
The BASS control in the EQ section allows you to boost or cut the bass frequencies.
1. INTRODUCTION

9
ULTRAROCGX110
7
With the MID control you can boost/cut the midrange frequencies.
8
TheTREBLE control governstheupperfrequencyrange.
+Please note that with all three EQ controls set fully to the left, there will be no signal sent to the
speaker, which is due to the classical and extremely efficient EQ circuit used in the ULTRAROC.
9
Use the EFFECT buttonto activate/deactivate the selected effect.
10
The FX MIX control determines the ratio of original vs. effect signal.
11
TheEFFECTScontrolallowsyoutoselectan effects preset from 1 through99.Theselectedpresetwill
beloadedapproximately1sec after releasing the control.
12
The DISPLAY reads either the program number of the selected preset or the value of the parameter
selected with the FX MIX control.
+When you start editing a preset, the decimal point in the 2-digit display starts flashing. Press
the EFFECT button for a while to overwrite the factory preset and save your own effect setting.
To restore the factory presets, simply keep the EFFECT button pressed while you switch on
yourULTRAROC.
13
TheMASTER controldeterminesthe overall andheadphonesvolume level ofyourULTRAROC.
sMIDI:You cancontrolyourULTRAROCviaMIDI.To selecttheMIDIreceivechannel ontheULTRAROC,
press and keep the EFFECT and CHANNEL buttons for about 1 sec. Then, use the EFFECTS control
toselectthe MIDIchannelofyour choice(1through16, “On”=Omni;“OF”=Off).Confirmyour selection
withtheEFFECTSbutton. “OF”means that all MIDIfunctionsareoff.Whileyou select the MIDI receive
channel,thedisplayflashes.The decimal point in the DISPLAY flashesassoonasMIDIdataare being
received.
+When the MIDI functions are inactive, one effect can be stored for each of the two channels on
yourULTRAROC, whichallows, forinstance, toselect aDELAY effectfor theOVERDRIVE channel
and assign a REVERB/CHORUS effect to the CLEAN channel. The corresponding program
numbers will be stored with the channels and can be recalled using the footswitch or the front
panel buttons. When MIDI is on, this assignment feature will be disabled, so that in this mode
both channels and effects can be selected separately.
1.3.2 The rear panel
Fig.1.3: The rear panel connectors
14
Use the POWER switch to put the ULTRAROC into operation.
1. INTRODUCTION

10
ULTRAROCGX110
15
FUSE HOLDER/VOLTAGE SELECTOR. Please make sure that the voltage indicated on the unit,
matchesyourlocalvoltage, before you attempt to connect andoperatetheULTRAROCGX110.Blown
fuses may only be replaced by fuses of the same type and rating. Some models allow for inserting the
fuse holder in two different positions, in order to switch over from 230 V to 115 V operation, and vice
versa. Please note that for 115 V operation outside Europe, you need to use a fuse of a higher rating
(seechapter 5“INSTALLATION”).
16
Use the enclosed power cord to connect the unit to the mains.
17
MIDIIN.ThisconnectorgivesyouMIDIremotecontroloveryourULTRAROC.Youcanchangeparameters
using controller information, switch over effect programs, change channels and bypass the effects
module by means of program change instructions.
18
SERIAL NUMBER. Please take the time to have the warranty card filled out completely by your
specializeddealer,andreturnitwithin14daysafterthedateofpurchase, so as to be entitled to benefit
fromourextendedwarranty.
19
Use the LOUDSPEAKER jack to connect a supplementary speaker to your ULTRAROC. Optimum
adaptation is ensured with 8 Ωspeakers. Inserting a plug into this jack will mute the built-in speaker.
20
The1/4"jackPHONESallowsyoutomonitor the ULTRAROC’saudiosignal with apairofcommercially
availableheadphones.Connectingtheheadphoneswill mute the built-in speaker.
+Since speakers can have quite an impact on the sound of a guitar amp, both the headphones
and LINE OUT signals are frequency-corrected (Speaker Emulation). Without this frequency
correction extreme treble frequencies would deteriorate the sound. You can still tap the
unprocessed signal directly after the pre-amp (INSERT SEND jack), without interrupting the
signal path in the amplifier (INSERT RETURN jack may not be used in this case). Starting with
a certain volume level, low-impedance headphones may begin to produce distortion. In such
a case, please reduce the volume by turning down the VOLUME controls.
21
The AUXTRIMcontrol determines the volume of AUX signals fed into the ULTRAROC via theAUXIN
jacks on the rear (e.g. drum computer, playback).
22
TheLINEOUTprovides theULTRAROC’saudiosignal, for example, to send ittoarecordingmachine.
This output is frequency-corrected (Speaker Emulation).
23
TheAUXINallowsyoutofeedin additional signals, for example, to play withadrumcomputerorsome
sort of playback. Additionally, you can use the AUX IN in combination with the INSERT SEND as a
paralleleffect path: connect the INSERT SEND to the input and the AUX IN to the output of the effects
device (INSERT RETURN jack should not be used in this case!). Thus, the signal path in the amplifier
willnotbeinterruptedandyoucan add the effect portion from the external device, using the AUX TRIM
control. Please note that the external effects device must be set to 100% wet for this purpose.
+When you connect the INSERT SEND to the AUX IN using a short patch cord, you can add the
direct signal to the effect signal via analog circuitry. Advantage: The direct signal will be
provided all the time, even while the DSP is loading a new effects program. However, it
should be noted that all FX mixes in the presets should be set to higher values, so as to make
the effect signal heard.
+Since the entire signal processing circuitry in the ULTRAROC is configured in mono, both the
LINE OUT and the headphones output provide the same signal on both (stereo) sides.
24
TheULTRAROCalso featuresaserialinsert path forexternaleffectssuch as acompressororwah-wah
pedal. This is the INSERT SEND jack you need to connect to the input of the effects device.
25
This is the INSERT RETURN jack that can be connected to the output of an external effects device.
+Please note that when using the serial effects path, the external effect should not be set to
100% wet (100% effect signal); otherwise, there will be no direct signal portion fed back to the
ULTRAROC.
26
Connect the enclosed footswitch via its stereo plug to the FOOTSWITCH jack. The footswitch allows
you to change channels or disable the effects module.
1. INTRODUCTION