BOSSCO Acoustic Simulator AC-2 User manual

1
Owner's Manual
DCAC
AC & BATTERY
POWERED
FET

2
Thank you, and congratulations on your choice of BOSS AC-2 Acoustic Simulator.
Before using this unit, carefully read the sections entitled: “USING THE UNIT SAFELY”
and“IMPORTANTNOTES”(separatesheet).Thesesectionsprovideimportantinformation
concerningtheproperoperationoftheunit.Additionally,inordertofeelassuredthatyou
havegained agood graspof everyfeature providedby yournew unit,this manualshould
be read in its entirety. The manual should be saved and kept on hand as a convenient
reference.
Copyright © 1997 BOSS CORPORATION
Allrightsreserved.Nopartofthispublicationmaybereproducedin anyformwithoutthe
written permission of BOSS CORPORATION.

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FEATURES
• This is an effect unit that transforms an electric guitar sound into an acoustic sound.
• Any of the four different sounds can be selected by changing the position of the Mode
switch.
• You can output the acoustic sound and electric guitar sound separately.
• Using the “Body” and “Top” tone control knobs, you can simulate a broad variety of
acoustic guitar sounds.

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IMPORTANT NOTES
Inaddition totheitems listedunder “USINGTHEUNIT SAFELY”on page20, pleaseread
and observe the following:
• Before connecting this unit to other devices,
turn off the power to all units. This will help
preventmalfunctionsand/ordamagetospeak-
ers or other devices.
Placement
• Usingtheunitnearpower amplifiers(orother
equipmentcontaininglargepowertransform-
ers) may induce hum. To alleviate the prob-
lem, change the orientation of this unit; or
move it farther away from the source of inter-
ference.
• Do not expose the unit to direct sunlight,
placeitnear devicesthatradiate heat,leaveit
inside an enclosed vehicle, or otherwise sub-
jectittotemperatureextremes.Excessiveheat
can deform or discolor the unit.
Power Supply
• Donotusethisunitonthesamepowercircuit
with any device that will generate line noise
(such as an electric motor or variable lighting
system).
• The AC adaptor will begin to generate heat
after long hours of consecutive use. This is
normal, and is not a cause for concern.
• Batteries should always be installed or re-
placed before connecting any other devices.
Thisway,youcanpreventmalfunctionand/or
damage to speakers or other devices.
• Abatterywasinstalledintheunitbeforeitleft
the factory. The life of this battery may be
limited, however, since its primary purpose
was to enable testing.

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Maintenance
• For everyday cleaning wipe the unit with a
soft, dry cloth or one that has been slightly
dampened with water. To remove stubborn
dirt,useaclothimpregnatedwithamild,non-
abrasive detergent. Afterwards, be sure to
wipetheunitthoroughlywithasoft,drycloth.
• Never use benzene, thinners, alcohol or sol-
vents of any kind, to avoid the possibility of
discoloration and/or deformation.
Additional Precautions
• Use a reasonable amount of care when using
the unit's buttons, sliders, or other controls;
and when using its jacks and connectors.
Rough handling can lead to malfunctions.
• When connecting / disconnecting all cables,
grasp the connector itself—never pull on the
cable.Thiswayyouwillavoidcausingshorts,
or damage to the cable's internal elements.
• To avoid disturbing your neighbors, try to
keep the unit's volume at reasonable levels.
Youmayprefertouseheadphones, soyoudo
notneedtobeconcernedaboutthosearound
you (especially when it is late at night).
• When you need to transport the unit, package
it in the box (including padding) that it came
in,ifpossible.Otherwise,youwillneedtouse
equivalent packaging materials.

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PANEL DESCRIPTIONS 1. AC Adaptor Jack
Acceptsconnection ofan ACAdaptor (op-
tionally available BOSS PSA-Series). By
usinganACAdaptor,youcanplaywithout
being concerned about how much battery
power you have left.
* If there are batteries in the unit while an AC
adaptor is being used, normal operation will
continue should the line voltage be inter-
rupted (power blackout or power cord dis-
connection).
* Ifyouare going tousean ACadaptor,besure
to use the specified unit (BOSS PSA-Series).
Use of any other adaptor may result in dam-
age, malfunction or electric shock.
Also, if you are not going to be using it for an
extended period of time, disconnect the AC
adaptor from the AC outlet.
1
2
4
5
6
7
3

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2. CHECK Indicator
This indicator shows whether an effect is
ON/OFF, and also doubles as the Battery
Check indicator.
The indicator lights when an effect is ON.
Ifthisindicatorgoesdimornolongerlights
while an effect is ON, the battery is near
exhaustion and should be replaced imme-
diately.
3. E.G. OUT Jack
This is an output jack that should be con-
nected to an amplifier or a different effect
unit.Itcanbeeffectivelyusedtooutputthe
effectandthedirectsoundseparately.When
the effect is turned on, this jack is muted,
and it outputs the direct sound when the
effect is off. For a detailed explanation
about this jack, see “MAKING THE CON-
NECTIONS” on page 12.
4. OUTPUT Jack
Provides the output from the unit—should
beconnectedtoanamplifierorsomeother
effect unit.
Whenthereisonlyoneoutput,connectthe
amplifier or the effect unit to this jack, and
the effect or direct sound will be output
depending on whether the effect is on or
off.
When a cable is connected to the E.G.
Output jack, the Output jack will send an
effect sound in the effect mode (when the
effect is turned on) and it will be muted in
the direct mode (when the effect is turned
off).Foradetailedexplanation,see “MAK-
ING THE CONNECTIONS” on page 12.
5. Pedal Switch
This switch turns the effects ON/OFF.

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6. Thumbscrew
This thumbscrew is loosened to open the
pedal, allowing battery replacement. For
instructions on how to replace the battery,
please refer to “CHANGING THE BAT-
TERY (p.16).”
7. INPUT Jack
This jack accepts input signals (coming
from a guitar, some other musical instru-
ment, or another effects unit).
* The INPUT jack also serves as the power
switch.Poweristurnedonwheneveraplugis
insertedintotheINPUTjack,andisturnedoff
when the plug is disconnected. When not
using the unit, you should disconnect any
cord connected to the INPUT jack.
LEVEL Knob
BODY Knob
MODE Switch
TOP Knob

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LEVEL Knob
This knob adjusts the level of the effect
sounds.
BODY Knob
This adjusts the resonance of the sound
caused by the body, controlling the soft-
ness and fatness of an acoustic guitar.
TOP Knob
This adjusts the treble, controlling the at-
tack and harmonic contents.
MODE Switch
Thisselectsoneofthefourtypesofsounds.
* When you change the position of the Mode
switch, be sure that the Level knob is rotated
fully counterclockwise.
STANDARD
This is a normal acoustic guitar.
JUMBO
This is an acoustic guitar with a body
that is bigger than STANDARD. The
bass sound is powerful.
ENHANCE
This is an acoustic guitar that with a
more responsive attack, so the guitar
will retain more of its prominence in
almost any situation.
PIEZO
Thissimulatesthesoundyouwouldget
from a pickup installed on an electric-
acoustic guitar. During the attack, a
certain amount of compression will be
applied.

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OPERATING THE UNIT
1 When you have made
the necessary connec-
tions, set the knobs as
shown in the illustra-
tion.
2 Depressthepedalswitch
to turn the effect on.
(Make sure the CHECK
indicator lights.)
3 Select a sound with the
MODE switch.
* When you change the
position of the Mode
switch, be sure that the
Level knob is rotated
fully counterclockwise.
4 Adjust the harmonic
content with the TOP
knob.

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5 Adjustthefatnessofthe
sound with the BODY
knob.
6 Adjust the LEVEL knob
so that the level of the
sound obtained when
the effect is on is equal
tothatobtainedwhenit
is off.
7 If the higher frequency
rangesgetdistorted,ro-
tate the TOP knob
counterclockwise.

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MAKING THE CONNECTIONS
* Inserting a plug into the Input Jack will automati-
cally switch the unit on.
* Beforeconnectingordisconnectinganypatchcords,
besureallthevolumecontrolsinyoursystemareset
to minimum. This will help prevent any damage to
system components.
* To prevent malfunction and/or damage to speakers
orotherdevices, always turndown thevolume, and
turn off the power on all devices before making any
connections.
Connecting the AC-2 to a single amplifier
AC Adaptor
(PSA-Series; Optional)
Electric Guitar
Amplifier
OUT DC 9V / 200 mA
* Always make sure to have the volume level turned
down before switching on power. Even with the
volume all the way down, you may still hear some
sound when the power is switched on, but this is
normal, and does not indicate a malfunction.
* When operating on battery power only, the unit's
indicatorwillbecome dimwhen batterypowergets
too low. Replace the battery as soon as possible.

13
Setup for changing the destination of the direct and effect sounds
Connect the units as shown below, and you can change the destinations to which the
direct and effect sounds are output.
Electric Guitar
Amplifier 2
Amplifier 1

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When the effect is switched on
The Check indicator lights and amplifier 1 is muted, while the effect sound is output
through amplifier 2.
Electric Guitar
Amplifier 2
Amplifier 1
Effect sound
(Mute)
C
E
B
-
3
C
E
B
-
3
C
E
B - 3
C
E
B
-
3

15
When the effect is switched off
TheCheckindicatorremainsdarkandtheguitar’sdirectsoundisoutputthroughamplifier
1, while amplifier 2 is muted.
Electric Guitar
Amplifier 2
Amplifier 1
(Mute)
Direct sound
OUTPUT
C
E
B
-
3
C
E
B
-
3
C
E
B - 3
C
E
B
-
3

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CHANGING THE BATTERY
When the indicator goes dim or no longer
lightswhileaneffectison,itmeansthatthe
battery is nearly dead and must be re-
placed.
Replace the battery following the steps
below.
1 Loosenthethumbscrewatthefrontofthe
pedal,thenliftthepedalupwardstoopen
the unit.
* The thumbscrew can be left in the pedal
while changing the battery.
2 Remove the old battery from the battery
housing, and remove the snap cord con-
nected to it.
3 Connectthesnapcordtothenewbattery,
and place the battery inside the battery
housing.
* Be sure to carefully observe the battery's
polarity (+ versus -).
4 Slipthecoilspringontothespringbaseon
the back of the pedal, then close the
pedal.
* Carefully avoid getting the snap cord
caught in the coil spring.
5 Finally, insert the thumbscrew into the
guide bush hole and fasten it securely.
Thumbscrew
Pedal
Spring Base
Coil Spring
Guide
Bush
Hole
Battery
Housing
Battery Snap Cord
Battery Snap
9V Battery

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SETTING EXAMPLES
Single Coil Pickup
at the Front Position
Single Coil Pickup
at the Rear Position
Humbucking Pickup
at the Rear Position

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SPECIFICATIONS
AC-2: Acoustic Simulator
Nominal Input Level ........ -20 dBu
Input Impedance .............. 1 MΩ
Nominal Output Level ..... -20 dBu
Output Impedance ........... 1 kΩ
Residual Noise Level........ -80 dBu (IHF-A Weighted, Typ.)
(BODY Knob: Center, TOP Knob: Center)
Controls ........................... PedalSwitch,MODESwitch,BODYKnob,TOPKnob,LEVELKnob
Indicator .......................... CHECK Indicator (Serves also as battery check indicator)
Connectors ...................... INPUT Jack, E.G.OUT Jack, OUTPUT Jack,
AC Adaptor Jack (DC 9 V)
Power Supply................... DC9V:DryBattery(6F22/9V),ACAdaptor(PSASeries:Optional)
Current Draw................... 18 mA (DC 9 V)
* Expected battery life under continuous use:
Carbon: 14 hours
These figures will vary depending on the actual conditions of use.

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Dimensions...................... 73 (W) x 129 (D) x 59 (H) mm
2-7/8 (W) x 5-1/8 (D) x 2-3/8 (H) inches
Weight ............................. 440 g/ 1 lb (including battery)
Accessories ...................... Owner's Manual, Dry Battery; 6F22/ 9 V (Carbon),
Leaflet
(“USINGTHEUNITSAFELY,”“IMPORTANTNOTES,”and“Information”)
Options............................ AC Adaptor PSA-Series
* 0 dBu = 0.775 Vrms
* In the interest of product improvement, the specifications and/or appearance of this unit are
subject to change without prior notice.

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USING THE UNIT SAFELY
ALWAYS OBSERVE THE FOLLOWING
Used for instructions intended to alert
the user to the risk of injury or material
damage should the unit be used
improperly.
* Material damage refers to damage or
other adverse effects caused with
respect to the home and all its
furnishings, as well to domestic
animals or pets.
Used for instructions intended to alert
the user to the risk of death or severe
injury should the unit be used
improperly.
The ● symbol alerts the user to things that must be
carried out. The specific thing that must be done is
indicated by the design contained within the circle. In
the case of the symbol at left, it means that the power-
cord plug must be unplugged from the outlet.
WARNING
CAUTION
The symbol alerts the user to important instructions
or warnings.The specific meaning of the symbol is
determined by the design contained within the
triangle. In the case of the symbol at left, it is used for
general cautions, warnings, or alerts to danger.
The symbol alerts the user to items that must never
be carried out (are forbidden). The specific thing that
must not be done is indicated by the design contained
within the circle. In the case of the symbol at left, it
means that the unit must never be disassembled.