Hughes & Kettner TubeMeister 18 User manual

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Manual 1.3

41Connections and Control Features
The TubeMeister 18 features independent GAIN
and MASTER controls for the CLEAN and LEAD
channels. Think of GAIN and MASTER as the
yin and yang of sound-shaping rather than volume
controls. They let you voice the TubeMeister 18’s
two channels. To set the basic volume level for
the stage, rehearsal room, or living room, use the
POWER SOAK on the back of the amp.
The best way to discover the amp’s sonic possibilities
is to experiment: Set the POWER SOAK to five-
watt mode and all knobs to the 12 o’clock position.
Then adjust GAIN/MASTER settings at will to get
a taste of the very different flavors of preamp and
power tube distortion.
TubeMeister 18 Head Front Panel
TubeMeister 18 Combo Front Panel
TSC™
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TubeMeister 18 Head Rear Panel
TubeMeister 18 Combo Rear Panel

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To avoid very loud and unwelcome surprises, make
a habit of backing the VOLUME knob of the guitar
connected to the TubeMeister all the way down
before switching on the amp.
1.1 Front Panel
POWER/ON
Set this switch to ON to get the mains power
flowing. The amp lights up and the tubes will begin
to heat up.
PLAY/STANDBY
Give the tubes about 30 seconds to warm up; then
you can flip the STANDBY switch to PLAY. The
amp is now ready to operate. When taking a short
break from playing, please use the STANDBY switch
so the tubes remain at operating temperature. This
protects them and ensures they last longer.
INPUT
Connect your guitar to this input using a shielded
cord.
CHANNEL SELECT
This switch activates either the CLEAN or LEAD
channel. Its LED lights up blue when you select the
LEAD channel. Connecting a footswitch disables
the front panel button. You can then switch channels
via footswitch only, and the CHANNEL SELECT
light indicates which channel is active.
CLEAN Channel
The CLEAN channel delivers warm tube tone.
Its dynamic range is considerable, sweeping from
pristine clean to throaty crunch sounds. Remarkably
responsive to the various pickup types, it also reacts
to the slightest nudge of the guitar’s volume knob.
GAIN
The GAIN knob determines the CLEAN channel’s
input sensitivity. Depending on the output levels of
the pickups in your instrument, the channel will begin
to overdrive somewhere around the 12 o'clock setting.
This knob does not influence the LEAD channel.
MASTER
This knob adjusts the CLEAN channel’s volume
without affecting the LEAD channel’s volume.
LEAD Channel
The LEAD channel delivers harmonically rich tube
distortion and plenty of gain reserves to go from
edgy overdrive to soaring lead sounds. You can even
clean up its tone by backing off the guitar’s volume
knob. This gives you a huge spectrum of sounds
to play with simply by working the pickup selector
switch and adjusting the volume knob.
GAIN
This knob adjusts the amount of tube distortion.
To discover the amazing range of sounds that this
channel puts at your fingertips, we recommend
that you first set the GAIN knob to the 12 o’clock
position, and then experiment with the guitar’s
volume knob, pickup selector, and the amp’s
BOOST switch.
MASTER
This knob adjusts the LEAD channel’s volume.
Again, first set GAIN to the 12 o’clock position
and experiment. If you wish to conjure creamy
lead tones, turn the knob well up to dial in smooth
power amp saturation. If you’re aiming for an
edgier metal sound, say for heavy riffs, try backing
off the MASTER knob and turning up the GAIN
knob. Usually smooth power amp saturation is less
desirable for this type of metal tone.
NOTE: Be advised that you cannot mute the
TubeMeister 18 by turning the LEAD MASTER knob
all the way down (to the far left position). If you wish
to play at very soft levels, we recommend that you
attenuate the amp’s overall output by selecting either
the five- or one-watt mode (see POWER SOAK)
rather than backing the MASTER volume way down.
LEAD BOOST
This switch re-voices the LEAD channel to summon
modern high-gain sound that pairs plenty of punch
with endless sustain. Its LED lights up red when

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BOOST is active. Connecting a footswitch disables
the front panel button. You can then switch BOOST
via footswitch only, and the button merely serves to
indicate the function’s status.
BASS, MID, TREBLE
Although the two channels share these common
tone controls, their separate EQ filtering circuits are
voiced differently to achieve optimum results for
each channel.
1.2 Rear Panel
FX LOOP
This serial loop lets you patch in effects devices:
Connect the SEND jack to your effects processor's
input and the RETURN jack to the processor’s
output. The FX LOOP activates when you insert a
6.3 mm (1/4”) plug into the RETURN jack.
TIP
You can also use the SEND jack to tap the preamp
signal, for example, to patch it to another power
amp or a tuner. Conversely, you can use RETURN
to feed signals into the TubeMeister’s power amp.
In combination with the POWER SOAK and the
RED BOX Recording Out, this gives you a powerful
recording front end that offers very interesting re-
amping and sound-shaping options for just about
every conceivable signal.
REVERB (Combo only)
This knob adjusts the intensity of the onboard
digital spring reverb. We configured the reverb
circuit so that the effect is more pronounced with the
CLEAN channel than with the LEAD channel.
FOOTSWITCH
This standard stereo jack plug (tip = CHANNEL
SELECT; ring = LEAD BOOST) accepts a two-way
footswitch such as the Hughes & Kettner FS-2.
Button 1 switches between the CLEAN and LEAD
channels, and button 2 switches LEAD BOOST on
and off. It also accepts a one-way footswitch such as
the Hughes & Kettner FS-1 for switching channels.
TIP: This port gives you another hip remote-control
option: If you wish to control the TubeMeister 18
via MIDI, connect a MIDI switcher or looper to this
jack.
RED BOX
Invented by Hughes & Kettner, the RED BOX has
for years set the industry standard for analog guitar
DI boxes with built-in speaker emulation. It converts
the TubeMeister 18’s speaker out signal, which is
tapped post power amp and pre POWER SOAK,
into a balanced, frequency-compensated signal
that you can patch directly to a mixing console.
This signal it sounds very authentic, much like that
of a guitar amp, when rendered by a PA or studio
monitors,.
Use a microphone cord to patch this signal to a
mixing console. Make sure the mixing console’s XLR
input is set to line level. If the mixing console lacks
XLR inputs or if these cannot be set to line level, you
will need an XLR-to-6.3 mm-(1/4")-jack adapter
readily available in music stores. The channels’
MASTER settings directly affect the signal level, but
the selected POWER SOAK mode does not.
TSC
We devoted an entire chapter to the TUBE SAFETY
CONTROL. See section 3 to learn more about it.
POWER SOAK
Use this knob to adjust the TubeMeister 18’s output
power and set its basic volume level. This feature
lets you enjoy the benefits of full-blown power amp
saturation at low volume so you can play at home in
your living room without alienating the neighbors.
Its silent recording capability lets you capture
genuine tube-driven tone via a mixing console
without having to drive speakers. And if you want to
rehearse in silence any time day or night, simply plug
a set of headphones into the mixer.
The POWER SOAK is not just about managing
volume; it’s also about conjuring the right tone and
response. For modern sounds that demand fast,

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tightly focused response, set the POWER SOAK to
full power and turn the MASTER knob down. If
you want classic rock sounds replete with spongier
power tube saturation, drop the POWER SOAK
down to a lower setting and crank the MASTER
knob to give those power tubes a workout.
The POWER SOAK offers the following modes:
Normal operation - full power at 18 watts
Power reduction to 5 watts
Power reduction to 1 watt
Mute (Speaker off) = 0 watts
Note that if you choose to mute the amp, you do
not need to connect a speaker to the TubeMeister
18’s SPEAKER output. Designed to enable silent
recording, this option provides the full signal to the
RED BOX output.
SPEAKER
Connect a speaker cabinet designed for guitar amps
to this jack. Using a single speaker cord, you can
connect any cabinet or combination of cabinets
whose total impedance ranges between 8 Ω and
16 Ω. The formula below serves to calculate the
overall impedance (R) of two cabinets (R1, R2).
For cabinets wired in series: R = R1 + R2
Example: If you connect two 8 Ω cabinets, the overall
impedance is 16 Ω. However, very few modern
cabinets are wired in series. Parallel circuits like that of
the TubeMeister 112 cabinet are far more common.
For cabinets wired in parallel:
R = (R1 x R2 ) / (R1 + R2)
Here’s an example with to 16Ω cabs:
R = ( 16 x 16 ) / ( 16 + 16 )
R = 256 / 32
R = 8
HEADS UP: On the Combo version, this jack is
already occupied by the internal speaker. Of course,
you are free to connect another cabinet to the
SPEAKER jack if you wish. To do so, simply unplug
the built-in speaker.
MAINS IN
Connect the factory-included power cord (MAINS
LEAD) to this socket. Ensure the amp's voltage
rating matches your local AC voltage rating before
you plug the cord into the wall socket. The shaft
holding the mains fuses is located next to this
socket. When replacing blown fuses, make sure you
use specified replacement fuses only (see Technical
Specifications).
2Standard Setup/ Cable Connections
FX-Unit
RED BOX
DI Out Send
FS-2
Return
Channels/Boost
Rock on Stage Play at Home Record at Night

83Tube Safety Control (TSC)
TSC adjusts bias to improve the amp’s tonal and
technical stability and extend power tubes’ life. It
does this automatically and continuously, so there is
nothing for you to do.
Swapping tubes is more easily, quickly, and safely
done than with a conventional amp. This is a big
help not only in case of a defect, but also when you
want to compare different brands of replacement
tubes.
CAUTION: Replacing tubes is a job for qualified
professionals! TSC merely spares the technician the
biasing effort.
What do the LEDs indicate?
Each LED is assigned to the power tube occupying
that same position. Getting a read-out of tubes’
operating status and bias points is easy using any
standard guitar pick.
3.1 Automatic status indications
All LEDs light up and stay on.
All LEDs remain on for as long as the amp is in
standby mode. They will extinguish when you
flip the STANDBY switch to PLAY after about 30
seconds. If the LEDs remain illuminated, the most
likely cause is a blown anode fuse that needs to be
replaced by a technician. The anode fuse can trip if
a tube is already defective when the amp is switched
on, and TSC does not have enough time to measure
idle current and shut the faulty tube down.
None of the LEDs lights up.
The power tubes are operating normally.
One LED lights up continuously.
The tube assigned to this LED is producing under-
voltage. If the LED does not extinguish after a few
minutes, this tube must be replaced.
One LED flashes constantly.
The tube assigned to this flashing LED is generating
over-voltage. It has been shut down and must be
replaced by a technician. If the second LED lights
up continuously, this indicates it has also been shut
down for safety reasons, but there is no need to
replace it.
3.2 Manual Read-Out
TSC checks tubes’ bias points to let your determine
if pairs match. This is easily done by inserting a
pick into the appropriate slot while the amp is on
(rather than in STANDBY mode). The LEDs will
flash. How many times the LEDs flash matters, but
what matters more is the difference in flash counts.
TSC will ensure optimum sound if the difference is
no greater than four flash signals. If the difference
in flash counts is greater than four, the device will
continue operating safely so there is no real need
to install a matched set. However, a matched set of
tubes will improve the tone.

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TubeMeister 18 Head & Combo
Preamp tubes: 2 x 12AX7 / ECC83
Power tubes: 2 x EL84
Power output: 18 watts
Max. power consumption: 101 watts
Mains voltage tolerance range: +/-10%
Ambient operating temperature range: 0° to +35° C
Mains fuse, 100 volts: 250 V / T 1.25 A L
Mains fuse, 120 volts: 250 V / T 1 A L
Mains fuse, 220-230 volts: 250 V / T 630 mA L
Mains fuse, 240 volts: 250 V / T 630 mA L
Input jack: 6.3 mm (1/4), unbalanced, 1 MΩ
Send jack: 6.3 mm (1/4), unbalanced, 250 Ω, max. + 6 dBV
Return jack: 6.3 mm (1/4), unbalanced, 500 kΩ, -3 dBV
RED BOX Out: XLR, balanced, 1360 Ω, max +6 dBV
Speaker Out: 6.3 mm (1/4), 8 to 16 Ω
Footswitch: 6.3 mm (1/4), stereo, tip=Channel, ring=Boost
TubeMeister 18 Head
Dimensions: 356 x 156 x 150 mm
Weight: 5 kg
TubeMeister 18 Combo
Dimensions: 395 x 360 x 260 mm
Weight: 9.4 kg
Speaker: 10 Celestion Ten 30
TubeMeister 18 Twelve Combo
Dimensions: 482 x 413 x 288 mm
Weight: 15.4 kg
Speaker: 12 RockDriver Classic 60
4Technical Specifications