Behringer ultrabass BX1200 SPEAKERS User manual

Version 1.4 April 2002
Users Manual
ENGLISH
ULTRABASS BX1200

2
ULTRABASS BX1200
This symbol, wherever it ppe rs, lerts
you to the presence of uninsul ted
d ngerous volt ge inside the enclosure
 volt ge th t m y be sufficient to
constitute risk of shock.
This symbol, wherever it ppe rs, lerts
you to import nt oper ting nd
m inten nce instructions in the
ccomp nying liter ture. Re d the
m nu l.
SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS
CAUTION: To reduce the risk of electric l shock, do not remove
the cover (or b ck). No user service ble p rts inside;
refer servicing to qu lified personnel.
WARNING: To reduce the risk of fire or electric l shock, do not
expose this ppli nce to r in or moisture.
DETAILED SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS:
All the s fety nd oper tion instructions should be re d before the ppli nce is oper ted.
Retain Instructions:
The s fety nd oper ting instructions should be ret ined for future reference.
Heed Warnings:
All w rnings on the ppli nce nd in the oper ting instructions should be dhered to.
Follo instructions:
All oper tion nd user instructions should be followed.
Water and Moisture:
The ppli nce should not be used ne r w ter (e.g. ne r b thtub, w shbowl, kitchen sink, l undry tub, in wet
b sement, or ne r swimming pool etc.).
Ventilation:
The ppli nce should be situ ted so th t its loc tion or position does not interfere with its proper ventil ton. For
ex mple, the ppli nce should not be situ ted on bed, sof rug, or simil r surf ce th t m y block the
ventil tion openings: or pl ced in built-in inst ll tion, such s bookc se or c binet th t m y impede the
flow of ir through the ventil tion openings.
Heat:
The ppli nce should be situ ted w y from he t sources such s r di tors, he t registers, stoves, or other
ppli nces (including mplifiers) th t produce he t.
Po er Source:
The ppli nce should be connected to power supply only of the type described in the oper ting instructions
or s m rked on the ppli nce.
Grounding or Polarization:
Prec utions should be t ken so th t the grounding or pol riz tion me ns of n ppli nce is not defe ted.
Po er-Cord Protection:
Power supply cords should be routed so th t they re not likely to be w lked on or pinched by items pl ced
upon or g inst them, p ying p rticul r ttention to cords nd plugs, convenience recept cles nd the point
where they exit from the ppli nce.
Cleaning:
The ppli nce should be cle ned only s recommended by the m nuf cturer.
Non-use Periods:
The power cord of the ppli nce should be unplugged from the outlet when left unused for long period of time.
Object and Liquid Entry:
C re should be t ken so th t objects do not f ll nd liquids re not spilled into the enclosure through openings.
Damage Requiring Service:
The ppli nce should be serviced by qu lified service personnel when:
- the power supply cord or the plug h s been d m ged; or
- objects h ve f llen, or liquid h s been spilled into the ppli nce; or
- the ppli nce h s been exposed to r in; or
- the ppli nce does not ppe r to oper te norm lly or exhibits m rked ch nge in perform nce; or
- the ppli nce h s been dropped, or the enclosure d m ged.
Servicing:
The user should not ttempt to service the ppli nce beyond th t which is described in the Oper ting Instructions.
All other servicing should be referred to qu lified service personnel.

3
ULTRABASS BX1200
FOREWORD
De r Customer,
Welcome to the te m of ULTRABASS users nd th nk you very much for expressing your confidence in
BEHRINGER products by purch sing the BEHRINGER BX1200.
It is one of my most ple s nt t sks to write this letter to you, bec use it is the culmin tion of m ny months of
h rd work delivered by our engineering te m to re ch very mbitious go l: to present you with n outst nding
B ss Workst tion th t gives you m ximum flexibility nd perform nce with its unique sound ch r cter nd
bro d r nge of functions. The t sk to design the new ULTRABASS cert inly me nt gre t de l of responsibility,
which we ssumed by focusing on you, the discerning user nd musici n. It lso me nt lot of work nd night
shifts to ccomplish this go l. But it w s fun, too. Developing product usu lly brings lot of people together,
nd wh t gre t feeling it is when everybody who p rticip ted in such project c n be proud of wh t weve
chieved.
It is our philosophy to sh re our joy with you, bec use you re the most import nt member of the BEHRINGER
te m. With your highly competent suggestions for new products youve gre tly contributed to sh ping our
comp ny nd m king it successful. In return, we gu r ntee you uncompromising qu lity (m nuf ctured under
ISO9000 certified m n gement system) s well s excellent technic l nd udio properties t n extremely
f vor ble price. All of this will en ble you to fully unfold your cre tivity without being h mpered by budget
constr ints.
We re often sked how we c n m ke it to produce such high-gr de devices t such unbeliev bly low prices.
The nswer is quite simple: its you, our customers! M ny s tisfied customers me ns l rge s les volumes
en bling us to get better conditions of purch se for components, etc. Isnt it only f ir to p ss this benefit b ck
to you? Bec use we know th t your success is our success, too!
I would like to th nk ll people whose help on Project ULTRABASS h s m de it ll possible. Everybody h s
m de very person l contributions, st rting from the designers of the unit (th nks to Axel nd J n who pushed
the DYNAMIZER pre mp technology) to the m ny st ff members in our comp ny nd fin lly to you, the user
of BEHRINGER products.
My friends, its been worth the trouble!
Th nk you very much,
Uli Behringer

4
ULTRABASS BX1200
BX1200
ULTRABASS
Ultra-flexible 120-Watt, 2-channel Bass Workstation with ULTRABASS processor an SHAPE filter
sPowerful 120-W tt (RMS) B ss Workst tion with b ss reflex c binet
sSpeci l custom-m de 12" luminum spe ker for tight, powerful sound
s2-ch nnel oper tion with dedic ted volume controls
sAddition l ULTRABASS sub-h rmonics processor for ultr -low frequencies
sRevolution ry SHAPE filter for extensive sound m nipul tion
sInnov tive DYNAMIZER technology provides ultim te punch
sMusic l opto-limiter for m ximum volume without distortion or pumping effects
sIndestructible, short-circuit proof power mp with two-speed f n
sActive 4-b nd EQ for comprehensive sound control
sB l nced direct output (XLR) for e sy connection to mixing console
sM ster volume control nd he dphones output
sConnector for extern l spe ker c binets
sDedic ted tuner output
sAmp in nd pre mp out connectors for hooking up other b ss mplifiers nd pre mps
sInsert loop for outbo rd or ped l effects
sT pe input for line-level sign ls (e.g. CD pl yer, drum m chine)
sT pe output for recording nd live pplic tions
sDu l footswitch for ch nnel selection nd sub-h rmonics processor included
sToroid l tr nsformer for m ximum power reserves
sExtremely rugged construction ensures long life even under the most dem nding conditions
sM nuf ctured under ISO9000 certified m n gement system

5
ULTRABASS BX1200
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. INTRODUCTION..................................................................................................................... 6
1.1 The design concept ......................................................................................................................... 6
1.1.1 The DYNAMIZER technology ................................................................................................ 6
1.2 Before you begin ............................................................................................................................. 7
1.3 Control elements ............................................................................................................................. 7
1.3.1 Front p nel ........................................................................................................................... 7
1.3.2 Re r p nel ............................................................................................................................ 8
2. WIRING EXAMPLES ...............................................................................................................9
2.1 St nd rd setup comprising footswitch, extern l drum computer, tuner nd he dphones .................. 9
2.2 Exp nded setup with extern l effects device, extern l spe ker nd mixing console ...................... 10
2.3 Setup for m ster/sl ve oper tion ................................................................................................... 10
2.3.1 The ULTRABASS BX1200 s m ster device ........................................................................ 10
2.3.2 The ULTRABASS BX1200 s sl ve device controlled by n extern l mp/pre mp ............... 10
3. THE SHAPE FUNCTION ...................................................................................................... 10
4. THE ULTRABASS FUNCTION ............................................................................................. 11
5. INSTALLATION ..................................................................................................................... 11
5.1 M ins volt ge ................................................................................................................................. 11
5.2 M ins connection ........................................................................................................................... 11
5.3 Audio connections ......................................................................................................................... 11
5.3.1 Loudspe ker connector ....................................................................................................... 12
6. SPECIFICATIONS ................................................................................................................. 13
7. WARRANT ........................................................................................................................... 14
WARNING!
+It should be pointed out, that extreme output volumes may damage your ears and/or your
headphones. Turn do n all LEVEL controls before you s itch on the unit. Al ays pay attention
to an appropriate volume.

6
ULTRABASS BX1200
1. INTRODUCTION
With the BX1200 you h ve cquired st te-of-the- rt 2-ch nnel B ss Workst tion th t sets new st nd rds in
b ss mp engineering. Right from the st rt, our go l h s been to design revolution ry mp th t st nds out
from the herd of ordin ry b ss mplifiers. And indeed, the BX1200 gives you plenty of function lity nd
bro d r nge of connection nd exp nsion options. In short: youll be f scin ted to find th t the BX1200 is
Workst tion with ch r cter.
BEHRINGER is n udio engineering comp ny th t h s been successfully developing products for studio nd
live pplic tions for m ny ye rs now. Our r nge of products includes microphones nd v riety of 19" devices
(compressors, enh ncers, noise-g tes, tube processors, he dphone mps, digit l effects devices, DI boxes,
etc.) s well s monitoring nd P.A. spe kers plus profession l live nd recording consoles. You will find ll of
our technic l know-how combined in your BX1200.
We lso set gre t store by flexibility, which h s become p rticul rly import nt f ctor in the music business
over the p st few ye rs. Modern b ss pl yers need to offer bro d r nge of sounds, but should still be ble to
pl y in different kinds of pplic tions t short notice: home recording, studio, live concerts. For this re son, it
h s lw ys been our prime concern to give you B ss Workst tion th t offers you complete set of useful
functions, but c n still be oper ted intuitively nd quickly.
Addition lly, the world of electric b ss pl ying h s ch nged: new b sses, with five or six strings, re being
l unched ll the time, there re effects devices nd the desire to cre te ones own unique soundwhich c n
only be chieved with innov tive mplifiers. The unique ULTRABASS BX1200 gives you pioneering sounds
coming from n extremely comp ct design.
As technology dv nces, youve got to keep tr ck of l test technologic l bre kthroughs to void f lling by the
w yside. Which is wh t we did, by continuously improving this B ss Workst tion nd including m ny of your
v lu ble suggestions.
Experience new-gener tion B ss Workst tion with f scin ting fe tures:
sAstounding sound diversity through filter nd sub-h rmonics processor.
sSt te-of-the- rt mplifier technology combined with built-in b ss c binet gives you precision in the treble
nd punch in the b ss r nge.
sThe high-gr de nd custom-built 12" luminum spe ker opens up new dimensions in terms of sound.
sThe rugged nd comp ct design m kes the ULTRABASS your f vorite mp for club gigs nd rehe rs ls.
sThe tr pezoid l c binet llows you to use the BX1200 s n ctive floor monitor for the b ss pl yer in your b nd.
sPlenty of power plus built-in DI outputeven on big st ges youll cut fine figure with your BX1200.
1.1 The design concept
We designed the BX1200 to fin lly st rt the world of b ss mp design moving. Your bsolutely low-noise nd
indestructible B ss Workst tion represents the current st te of the rt.
The robust c binet is m de of high-gr de nd non-polluting E1-MDF bo rds, which re grooved, multi-glued
nd free of form ldehydes. This is to m ke sure th t your BX1200 keeps on working even when the going gets
tough.
1.1.1 The DYNAMIZER technology
When it comes to mplifying the sign ls delivered by electric instruments, youve got to sep r te the whe t
from the ch ff. Unlike mixed or m stered sign ls, electric instruments usu lly deliver extremely high sign l
pe ks which, when r ised in g in, produce n sty distortion. How n mplifier responds to these sign l pe ks
c n therefore be seen s one of its most essenti l qu lity fe tures.
M ny m nuf cturers use limiters preceding the power st ge to limit dyn mic sign l pe ks. However, the
problem is the pre mp, which is why weve equipped the BX1200 with our unique DYNAMIZER pre mp circuit
th t gives you lively nd punchy sound with sign l pe kseven if the mp re ches its power limits. Extreme
sign l pe ks re limited effectively while the ver ge level nd hence the power of the over ll sign l is r ised.
The sound gets more vivid nd powerful in ch r cter, without ny unmusic l distortion. With its opto-limiter in
the power st ge it is virtu lly impossible to overdrive the ULTRABASS BX1200.
1. INTRODUCTION

7
ULTRABASS BX1200
1.2 Before you begin
Your BX1200 w s c refully p cked in the f ctory nd the p ck ging is designed to protect the unit from rough
h ndling. Nevertheless, we recommend th t you c refully ex mine the p ck ging nd its contents for ny
signs of physic l d m ge, which m y h ve occurred during tr nsit.
+If the unit is damaged, please do not return it to BEHRINGER, but notify your dealer and the
shipping company immediately, other ise claims for damage or replacement may not be
granted. Shipping claims must be made by the consignee.
Be sure th t there is enough sp ce round the unit for cooling nd ple se do not pl ce the ULTRABASS on
high temper ture devices such s r di tors etc. to void overhe ting.
+Before you connect your ULTRABASS to the mains, please make sure that your local voltage
matches the voltage required by the unit!
The m ins connection of the BX1200 is m de by using the enclosed m ins c ble nd st nd rd IEC recept cle.
It meets ll of the intern tion l s fety certific tion requirements.
+Please make sure that all units have a proper ground connection. For your o n safety, never
remove or disable the ground connector of the unit or of the AC po er cable.
You will find ddition l inform tion in ch pter 5 INSTALLATION.
1.3 Control elements
1.3.1 Front panel
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14
Fig. 1.1: Front panel control elements
1
These re the inputs for your electric b ss guit r. The ACTIVE j ck is for ctive b sses, the PASSIVE
j ck for p ssive instruments with low output levels.
2
The GAIN 1 control governs the volume of the first ch nnel. When this ch nnel is ctive, the LED bove
the GAIN 1 control lights up.
3
Press the CHANNEL button to select either of the two ULTRABASS ch nnels.
4
The GAIN 2 control sets the volume for the second ch nnel. When this ch nnel is ctive, the LED bove
the GAIN 2 control lights up.
5
With the SHAPE button ctiv ted, use the SHAPE control to modify the sound of the filter on
ch nnel 2.
+The SHAPE filter is available on channel 2 only and has no effect on channel 1.
6
The IN button ctiv tes the SHAPE filter: the LED bove the button lights up.
7
The ASS control in the EQ section llows you to boost or cut the b ss frequencies.
8
With the LOW MID control you c n boost/cut the low midr nge frequencies.
9
The HIGH MID control djusts the boost/cut of the upper midr nge frequencies.
10
The TRE LE control llows you to boost/cut the upper treble r nge on your BX1200.
1. INTRODUCTION

8
ULTRABASS BX1200
11
Use the sub-h rmonics processor (button pressed) to dd ultr -low b ss sign ls by turning the
ULTRA ASS control. The processing intensity is displ yed by the LED bove the control. Unlike the
SHAPE filter, the ULTRABASS circuit is effective on both ch nnels.
12
Press the IN button to switch on the sub-h rmonics processor: the LED bove the button lights up.
13
Use the MASTER control to set the over ll volume of your BX1200.
14
Press the POWER switch to switch on the BX1200.
1.3.2 Rear panel
Fig. 1.2: Rear panel connectors
15
FUSE HOLDER / VOLTAGE SELECTOR. Ple se m ke sure th t your loc l volt ge m tches the volt ge
indic ted on the unit, before you ttempt to connect nd oper te the BX1200. Blown fuses m y only be
repl ced by fuses of the s me type nd r ting. Some models llow for inserting the fuse holder in two
different positions, in order to switch over from 230 V to 115 V oper tion, nd vice vers . Ple se note th t
for 115 V oper tion outside Europe, you need to use fuse of higher r ting (see ch pter 5
INSTALLATION).
16
Use the enclosed power cord to connect the unit to the m ins.
17
SERIAL NUM ER. Ple se t ke the time to h ve the w rr nty c rd filled out completely by your speci lized
de ler, nd return it within 14 d ys fter the d te of purch se, so s to be entitled to benefit from our
extended w rr nty. Or use our online registr tion option v il ble on the World Wide Web under
www.behringer.com.
18
Use the b l nced DIRECT OUT XLR output to feed the udio sign l from your ULTRABASS to n
extern l mixing console. The DIRECT OUT sign l is post-EQ.
19
The TUNER OUT provides GAIN nd EQ-independent input sign l for connection to tuner.
20
Use the AMP IN to feed in the output sign l from n extern l b ss mplifier.
21
The PREAMP OUT llows you to drive n extern l b ss mplifier.
+The AMP IN and PREAMP OUT connectors can also be used to insert an external effects device
such as our BEHRINGER VIRTUALIZER PRO DSP2024P. Simply connect the PREAMP OUT to
the input, and the AMP IN to the output of the effects unit.
22
The 1/4" stereo j ck llows you to monitor the BX1200s udio sign l with p ir of he dphones. Connecting
the he dphones will mute the built-in spe ker.
23
Use the SPEAKER j ck to connect n extern l b ss c binet. If this c binet fe tures n udio output
you c n dd further c binets in series configur tion.
+External bass cabinets should have a sufficient po er rating and preferably an impedance of
4 ohms to avoid speaker damage.
24
The TAPE OUT (cinch) supplies the udio sign l of your ULTRABASS, for ex mple to send it to
recording m chine.
1. INTRODUCTION

9
ULTRABASS BX1200
25
The TAPE IN (cinch) llows you to connect n extern l sign l source such s drum computer or other
m chine providing udio pl yb cks.
26
Connect your foot ped l to the FOOTSWITCH j ck to select either of the two ch nnels on your BX1200
or to en ble/dis ble the sub-h rmonics processor.
2. WIRING EXAMPLES
2.1 Standard setup comprising footswitch, external drum computer, tuner and
headphones
The st nd rd setup is intended for sessions nd rehe rs ls. Inste d of drum computer you c n of course use
ny other source th t provides udio pl yb cks, e.g. c ssette recorder or CD pl yer.
Fig. 2.1: Standard setup
2. WIRING EXAMPLES

10
ULTRABASS BX1200
2.2 xpanded setup with external effects device, external speaker and mixing
console
For gigs or rehe rs ls with your b nd we recommend the wiring scheme shown here, which builds on the
st nd rd setup.
Fig. 2.2: Expanded setup
2.3 Setup for master/slave operation
2.3.1 The ULTRABASS BX1200 as master device
The PREAMP OUT j ck llows you to connect the BX1200 to n extern l power mp, using commerci l
instrument c ble equipped with mono phone plugs. Then, connect the PREAMP OUT j ck to the input j ck on
the extern l power mp.
2.3.2 The ULTRABASS BX1200 as slave device controlled by an external amp/preamp
To use the power mp of your ULTRABASS for n extern l mp or pre mp you need to connect the line output
of the extern l mplifier to the AMP IN j ck on your BX1200.
3. THE SHAPE FUNCTION
The SHAPE function on your BX1200 provides revolution ry type of filter th t you c n use to modify your b ss
sound in full det il. The filter llows you to sh pe your soundwhich is must for b ss pl yers tod y. Extreme
filter settings will give your b ss sound more power, for ex mple:
3. THE SHAPE FUNCTION