iSP Technologies BETA BASS DSP User manual

INTRODUCTION
Congratulations on your purchase of the BETA BASS DSP™. The BETA BASS DSP™ was
designed to provide the ultimate sonic performance possible in a BASS GUITAR DSP based
processor; all controlled on the floor, with simplicity of use and programmability. The BETA BASS
DSP™ is based on state of the art Digital and Analog circuit design and technology and features ISP
Technologies proprietary algorithms for all BETA BASS DSP™ functions. The BETA BASS DSP™
also features the patented Decimator noise reduction system for the highest level of noise reduction
and transparency available. Also included on board is a SONG mode allowing the guitarist to
arrange presets into 124 songs with 3 preset patches per SONG. Please read this manual carefully
for a through explanation of the BETA BASS DSP™ and its functions.
IMPORTANT SAFTEY INSTRUCTIONS
Please read the following very carefully before operating this unit
Read ALL instructions carefully before using this unit. Keep these instructions for future reference. Heed all
warnings and follow all instructions.
Do not use this unit near water, in the rain, or where there is moisture. If this warning is ignored a serious
electrical shock or death may occur.
Do not attempt to service this unit. No user serviceable parts inside. Refer servicing to qualified, ISP
approved personnel. Servicing is required when the unit is damaged in any way, such as power adaptor is
damaged, liquid has been spilled into the unit, the unit has been exposed to rain or moisture, does not
operate normally, or has been dropped.
Care should be taken to avoid spilling any foreign objects or liquid into this unit. Avoid exposure of this
equipment to dripping or splashing and ensure that no objects filled with liquid, such as vases, are placed on
the equipment.
Only use accessories or attachments that are specified by the manufacturer.
Failure to follow these instructions may void the warranty.
NO USER SERVICABLE PARTS INSIDE. REFER SERVICING TO
QUALIFIED ISP TECHNOLOGIES SERVICE PERSONNEL.
The lightning bolt triangle is used to alert the user to the risk of electric shock.
The exclamation point triangle is used to alert the user to important operating or
maintenance instructions.
POWER REQUIREMENTS
This unit requires the connection of the external AC Power Adaptor to a 120 volt AC
outlet. Do not attempt to connect this unit to any power source other than the one
supplied with the BETA BASS DSP. The BETA BASS DSP will typically draw on
the order of 1.5 amps of current from the AC power adaptor when in use.

FIGURE 1
BETA DSP v1 Instruction Manual
Quick Start
Refer to Figure 1 for the hardware drawing which shows the locations of the
switches, knobs, and jacks when reading the following, or even better, just look
at your unit.
1. Connect the bass to the IN jack, connect the STAGE OUT jack(s) to a
power amp such as the iSP Stealth which is connected to a speaker
cabinet, OR connect the DIRECT OUT jacks to the input of a mixer, OR
connect the PHONES jack to headphones or earbuds (or connect all
three). If you have a mono system, you can set the output(s) to mono in
the global parameters. The STAGE OUT jacks can be connected to a
conventional bass amplifier, but this will not yield optimum results, since
most bass amps will further shape the sound. You can connect an audio
source such as your phone to the AUX IN jack, then play along with tracks
while listening via the PHONES OUT or DIRECT OUTs.

2. Connect the supplied 9V AC power adaptor to wall power, then to the
POWER input on the BETA DSP. The unit will power up and recall Preset 1.
Pressing the RECALL 1 switch will display the Preset 1 title.
3. With the Preset title displayed, adjust the INPUT LEVEL control on the back
panel so that the LEVEL 0 led (red) just flashes when you play hard, then
back off the INPUT LEVEL control slightly so that the 0 led does not light.
Short, infrequent flashes of the red 0 led are generally not audible, so don’t
worry about them. Adjust the STAGE OUT LEVEL or PHONES LEVEL
controls to taste. The DIRECT OUT levels can be controlled by the global
DIRECT TRIM parameter which affects all presets, and by the OUTPUT
LEVEL parameter within each preset, which affects all outputs, but is the level
specific to each preset. Note that the LEVEL leds only display the raw input
level when the preset or song titles are displayed (FUNCTION turned fully
counterclockwise). If any other parameters are displayed, the LEVEL leds will
display the maximum of the 4 output DAC (Digital to Analog Converter) levels.
4. Play!
5. Presets can be selected by pressing the PRESET down or up switches, then
the RECALL switch. Holding the PRESET down or up switches will result in
progressively faster scrolling through the preset titles. The +1 switch will
immediately increment one preset, and the LAST switch will immediately
recall the last previously recalled preset If the preset title is displayed (if
FUNCTION is set fully counterclockwise), the VALUE knob can be turned to
scroll through the preset titles. Pressing the RECALL switch will then recall
the selected preset.
6. Pressing the 2nd switch allows access to the STORE, SONG Mode,
mappable MOD and DELAY on/off switches, as well the TAP switch to set the
modulation rates and DELAY time. The precedence for the TAP function is
as follows: TAP will be mapped to either the delay time or the modulation
rate of the effect that is mapped to the MOD switch by the MOD SWITCH:
function. If only the MOD effect is on, TAP will be mapped to that effect. If
only the Delay is on, TAP will be mapped to Delay Time. If both are on, right
after the 2nd switch is pressed, TAP will map to the delay. However, if the
MOD switch is pressed first to turn on the MOD effect, TAP will be mapped to
the MOD effect, even if Delay is ON. For example, say you are in a Preset
that has both PHASER and DELAY turned on, and MOD SWITCH: PHASER
is set. If you want to use TAP to set the Phaser Rate, press 2nd, then press
MOD twice to turn PHASER off, then back on. Now TAP will be mapped to
set the PHASER Rate. Note that even though the MOD switch can only
be mapped to one effect at a time, all effects can be used
simultaneously in any preset! However the CRS/PSHIFT is a single
effect, so only one of those modes may be used at the same time.
7. Pressing and holding the TUNER switch will activate the tuner. Hitting any
other switch will then deactivate the tuner.
8. The FUNCTION knob selects the function such as Preamp, EQ, etc. The
PARAM knob selects the parameter within the function, and the VALUE knob
adjusts the value.
9. Changing a value will light the red STORE led. To store the new value for
later recall, press the 2nd switch, followed by the STORE switch. Note that the
BETA DSP ships with the Preset 101-200 LOCK set to ON, so storing to

those presets will display a FAIL message. Storing to presets 201-224 is
always allowed. See the section on the Global Parameters for more
information on how to turn off the Locks.
10. To copy a preset to a different location, first recall the preset. Then scroll to
the desired new location by using the PRESET down or up switches, or the
VALUE knob (if FUNCTION is set fully counterclockwise). Note that the
preset titles will flash, meaning the preset is not fully recalled. Then press 2nd,
STORE to store the last recalled preset into the new location. The original
contents of this location will be overwritten, so be carefull. Since the unit
ships with 100 unique presets written in locations 1 to 100, then repeated
again in locations 101 to 200, we recommend that you leave one of the two
banks locked to prevent inadvertantly writing over the original presets, at least
until you really need the storage space for your own presets.
11. Read the rest of the manual, it contains much valuable information to get the
most from your BETA DSP

DETAILED OPERATION:
Refer to the figure above for the hardware drawings which show the locations of
the switches, knobs, and jacks when reading the following. Refer to Figure 2 for
the signal flow diagram which shows the flow of the signal through the unit from
the input to the outputs. The following text explains the operation of the unit
organized by the software functions and parameters, but it also incorporates
explainations of the hardware functions where they are interrelated to the
software. Also, many important operational details are contained in the Quick
Start section, so reading and understanding that section is essential.
PRESET MODE:
This is the default mode when the unit is first turned on. It allows direct recall of
presets by name, adjustment and programming of presets, mapping of switches
and the expression pedal, MIDI Dump and Load, and setting of Global
parameters. The other mode of the unit is SONG MODE, which will be described
later.
Functions and Parameters:
Note that the titles of the functions do not always appear on the display, but most
of them are contained within the first parameter of that function. The following list
of functions are accessed in order by turning the FUNCTION knob clockwise.
The parameters are then accessed by turning the PARAM knob. The values
displayed are changed by turning the VALUE knob.
A) Mixer Function
1. OUTPUT LEVEL (OFF to +10 dB): Controls the output level
feeding all outputs from the unit. This is to allow the presets to be
set to nominally equal levels given different gains, compression,
EQ, and effects. It also allows adjustment to prevent clipping of the
4 channel output DAC. When the Function is turned to display this
or any parameter other than the titles, the LEVEL leds will display
the maximum output level of the 4 DAC channels. The OUTPUT
LEVEL can then be adjusted to prevent clipping of the DAC by
keeping the red 0 dB led from lighting.
2. DIRECT PAN (0 to 100): Pans the direct signal (the signal before
the stereo effects) from Left (0) to Right (100). The primary use for
this is to have the direct sent to one channel and the delay sent to
the other.

B) PREAMP Function
1. DISTORT MIX (0 to 100): Varies the relative amounts of clean and
distorted signal. 0 means full clean signal, 100 means full distortion
signal.
2. GAIN (1 to 60 dB): Dials up the gain before the clipper stage.
Additionally, there is gain available in the Pre EQ (labeled DIST
BASS, DIST MID, DIST TREBLE).
3. HIGH PASS (20 to 240 Hz): Varies the corner frequency (-3 dB
point) of a high pass filter the precedes the clipper. This allows the
low frequency component of your signal to stay clean.
4. SAG (0 to 100): Emulates the sag of the supply voltage rails in a
tube amp. Higher values result in more sag. This means that as
you play harder, the rails sag down resulting in more clipping of the
signal. Play softer and the rails move higher, resulting in a cleaner
sound. This is most effective with moderate levels of GAIN.
5. OUTPUT LEVEL (OFF to +10 dB): This is the same parameter as
in the mixer function. It is just repeated here for convenience
because as preamp parameters are changed, it is typical that the
output level will need to be readjusted.
6. COMPRESSOR (OFF or ON): Turns on the compressor, which is
positioned before the clipper stage. Compression is useful for
making clean or low gain settings sound louder, as it reduces the
level of loud passages and increases the level of soft passages.
The downside is the more compression used via lowering the
threshold, the more noise is added to the signal.
7. COMP THRESH (-30 to 0): The lower the setting, the more the
compression.
8. DIST BASS (-15 dB to +15 dB): The level of the pre-distort bass
EQ. Note that this only controls the tone of the distorted
component of the signal, not the clean. So if DISTORT MIX is set
to 0, these DIST eq controls have no effect. For higher gains,
these pre-eq sections do not so much affect the tone of the output,
but rather affect the character of the distortion.
9. DIST BASS (20 Hz to 240 Hz): The ‘turnover’ or upper frequency
at which the amount of pre distort bass boost or cut begins to lose
effect. Frequencies above this point will still be boosted or cut, just
not as much, and as frequency in the signal increases, the amount
will diminish to 0. This is a ‘shelf eq’ type section that remains
nominally flat at low frequencies.
10. DIST MID (-15 dB to +15 dB): The level of pre-clip midrange EQ.
( See the graph on the next page for a better understanding of the
operation of a parametric equalizer ... )
11. DIST MID (31 Hz to 6000 Hz): The center frequency of the
midrange boost or cut

12. DIST MID (0.1 to 2.5 OCT): The approximate width in octaves of
the midrange boost or cut. Beyond this width, the curve will slowly
transition back to 0 if the bass and treble are set flat.
13. DIST TREBLE (-15 dB to +15 dB): The level of pre-clip treble EQ.
14. DIST TREBLE (2000 Hz to 12.0kHz): The lower frequency at
which the amount of pre treble boost or cut begins to lose effect.
Frequencies below this point will still be boosted or cut, just not as
much, and as the frequency in the signal decreases, the amount
will diminish to 0. This is a ‘shelf eq’ type section that remains
nominally flat at high frequencies.
C) MASTER EQ Function
1. MASTER EQ (OFF or ON): Turns off or on the 5-band parametric
eq section that follows the clipper. See the graph below for an
explanation of how a parametric equalizer works.
The graph below shows an EQ response curve with a center frequency
of 100Hz and also at 1KHz. The MID “LEVEL” on the BETA BASS
DSP will adjust the amount of Boost or Cut applied to the signal. The
MID FREQUENCY, “FREQ” adjusts the center frequency as shown
below allowing you to select the center point or peak frequency you are
boosting or cutting. The MID BANDWIDTH “BW” is the bandwidth of
the frequencies being boosted or cut and is selected as OCTAVES.
An OCTAVE setting of .1 will be a narrow band of frequencies that are
affected by the boost or cut approximately .1 octaves at 3bd down from
the peak frequency. An OCTAVE setting of 2.5 will be a much broader
portion of the spectrum that is affected by the boost or cut
approximately 2.5 octaves at 3db down from the peak frequency. This
type of equalization allows much more precise adjustment of tone
shaping than typical Bass, Mid, Treble controls

Note that this eq section effect both the clean and distorted
components. The fully parametric nature of these sections with
adjustable frequencies and bandwidths give you the power to
create nearly any tone you want.
2. BASS (-15 to +15 dB): The level of boost of the bass EQ.
3. BASS (40 Hz to 240 Hz): The ‘turnover’ or upper frequency at
which the amount of bass boost begins to lose effect. Frequencies
above this point will still be boosted, just not as much, and as
frequency in the signal increases, the amount will diminish to 0.
This is a shelf type section.
4. MID1 LEVEL (-15 dB to +15 dB): The level of cut or boost at the
center frequency in the first midrange section.
5. MID1 FREQ (31 Hz to 6000 Hz): The center frequency of the first
midrange section.
6. MID1 BW (0.1 OCT to 2.5 OCT): The approximate width in octaves
of the midrange boost or cut. Beyond this width, the curve will
slowly transition back to 0 if the bass and treble are set flat.
7. MID2 LEVEL (-15 to +15): The level of cut or boost at the center
frequency of the second midrange section.
8. MID2 FREQ (31 Hz to 6000 Hz): The center frequency of the
second midrange section.
9. MID2 BW (0.1 OCT to 2.5 OCT): The approximate width in octaves
of the midrange boost or cut.
10. MID3 LEVEL (-15 to +15dB): same as MID2 LEVEL.
11. MID3 FREQ (31 Hz to 6000 Hz): same as MID2 FREQ.
12. MID3 BW (0.1 OCT to 2.5 OCT): same as MID2 BW.
13. TREBLE (-15 to +15 dB)
14. TREBLE FREQ (2000 Hz to 12.0kHz): The lower frequency at
which the amount of treble boost or cut begins to lose effect.
Frequencies below this point will still be boosted or cut, just not as
much, and as the frequency in the signal decreases the amount will
diminish to 0. This is a ‘shelf eq’ type section that remains
nominally flat at high frequencies.
D) DECIMATOR Function
1. DECIMATOR (OFF or ON): Turning the VALUE knob turns off or
on the DECIMATOR noise reduction.
2. THRESHOLD (-90 dB to –20 dB): The approximate signal level at
which the DECIMATOR will begin downward expansion of the input
signal, effectively turning off the noise. Higher threshold values are
needed to deal with higher levels of noise. Since the detector for
the DECIMATOR is at the very input of the digital signal processing
chain, this threshold does not usually have to be re-adjusted
because of changes in the preamp settings, but using very high

values of gain may make the residual noise more apparent, so you
will want to set this to a higher value on those presets.
E) INTELLIGENT SPEAKER(TM) Function
1. INTELLIGENT SPKR(TM) (OFF or ON): This turns on the speaker
filter function. It achieves virtually identical sound to a microphone
on a speaker cabinet, since it convolves the signal with actual
samples of a microphone on a speaker cabinet! This function
always affects the signal output on the Direct and Headphone
outputs, but will also affect the Stage Outputs if the Global
parameter ‘STAGE SPKR SIM’ is set to ON. This parameter is
useful if you want to use the Stage Outputs to drive a full-range
speaker such as a vocal wedge or even in-ear monitors, and use
the STAGE OUT LEVEL control to vary the level independently
from the DIRECT OUT signal, which typically feeds the front of
house system in a live situation, or mixer/DAW inputs in a recording
situation.
2. Type (4x10 Modern, 2x12 Modern, 1x15 Aluminum, 4x10 59 B-
man, 1x15+4x10 Stack, 8x10 Classic, or Lowpass Filter): Of
these, only the Lowpass Filter is not based on measurement of an
actual speaker, but is simply a fourth order lowpass filter
approximation to a speaker.
3. REACTANCE (-3 to +9): Bass boost or cut level. This simulates
the bump in the bass that can occur with a tube amp interacting
with the LF impedance bump (the reactance) in a speaker. If
anything it allows you to adjust the bass further to your liking.
4. MIC POSITION (-6 to +6): This simulates moving the microphone
from the edge of the cone to the center of the cone by appling a
high frequency shelf eq.
F) EXCITER Function.
1. EXCITER (OFF or ON): Turns it off or on. The exciter can also be
turned on or off by pressing the switch sequence 2nd, then MOD, if the
MOD SWITCH: function is set to EXCITER.
2. EXCITER MIX (0 to 100): Controls the amount of the effect.
3. EXCITER EQ (0 to 100): Varies the center frequency of the effect.
G) WAH Function.
1. WAH (OFF or ON): Turns the WAH on or off and selects if it is
placed pre or post distortion. There a 4 ways the WAH can be
turned on or off. One is by accessing this parameter and turning
the VALUE knob. The second is by pressing the 2nd switch (if it is
not already on), then pressing the MOD switch, if the MOD
SWITCH: function has been set to WAH. The third is to connect an

expression pedal with a switch to the EXP. SWITCH jack on the
rear panel with a mono (2 conductor) ¼” cable and press down on
the expression pedal, just like on a separate wah-wah pedal. For
this to work, the EXP SWITCH parameter within the EXP PDL
function must be set to WAH. The last way in which the WAH
function is turned on is by recalling a Preset with this WAH
parameter set to ON.
2. AUTO (OFF or ON): When OFF, it acts like a traditional wah with
manual control of the center frequency. When switched ON, it
enables the envelope follower (EF) to use the signal level to control
the center frequency.
3. EF DIRECTION (UP or DOWN): Setting UP means the center
frequency will sweep upward in frequency as the level you play at
increases. DOWN will move the center frequency in the opposite
direction.
4. EF GAIN (1 dB to 40 dB): Controls the envelope follower gain,
which increases the amount of frequency sweep. Typically set in
the 25 to 35 dB region.
5. WAH LEVEL (0 to +10): Controls the level near the center
frequency of the wah. Since the wah filters off frequencies away
from the center frequency, the audible level will typically go down
when the wah is switched in. This allows you to boost the level
back. Clean presets will require more boost, while higher gain
presets will require less because the increased harmonic content of
the distorted signal will tend to fall within the passband of the wah
filter.
6. WAH FREQ (250 Hz to 2000 Hz): The wah center frequency. A
wah-wah pedal is just a peaking filter with user variable center
frequency inserted in the signal path. This frequency can be
adjusted by turning the VALUE knob, but the usual method is to
connect an expression pedal which has a linear potentiometer (pot)
to the EXP. PEDAL jack on the rear panel with a ¼” stereo cable (3
conductor with ring-tip-sleeve or RTS plugs). The EXP PDL1 or
EXP PDL2 parameters must be set to WAH FREQ, and the
corresponding EXP MIN and EXP MAX parameters can be set the
the minimum and maximum frequency values you want to sweep
over. In this way you can limit the range to equal that of a classic
wah pedal if you wish. But the MIN and MAX values you set will
only be reached if the pot in your expression pedal sweeps from 0
ohms to the full maximum resistance of the pot within the pedal,
which often is not the case. So the actual MIN and MAX values
you reach may cover a slightly reduced range. See also the
EXPRESSION PEDAL Function.

H) TREMOLO Function
A tremolo works by simple amplitude (volume) modulation of the signal. It
has a MONO output.
1. TREMOLO (OFF or ON): Turns it off or on. The tremolo can also
be turned on or off by pressing the switch sequence 2nd, then
MOD, if the MOD SWITCH: function is set to TREMOLO.
2. TREM DEPTH (0 to 100): Controls the depth, which is the amount
of amplitude modulation.
3. TREM RATE (1 to 127): Higher numbers give faster rates. The
rate can also be controlled by pressing 2nd, then pressing twice
(tapping) on the TAP switch, if the MOD SWITCH: function is set to
TREMOLO and the tremolo is on and delay is off, or the MOD
switch is the last one used to turn on the effect.
I) PHASER Function
A phaser works by running the signal through an all-pass filter to shift it’s
phase as a function of frequency, then mixing this signal back into the
original signal, creating a series of notches in the frequency response,
also known as a comb filter. The amount of phase shift is modulated up
and down, resulting in the notches shifting up and down in frequency
depending on the rate setting. It has a mono output.
1. PHASER (OFF or ON): Guess. The phaser can also be turned on
or off by pressing the 2nd switch, followed by the MOD switch, if the
MOD SWITCH: function is set to PHASER.
2. RESONANCE (OFF to –2): Controls the amount of feedback within
the phaser. This affects the shape of the notches or ‘teeth’ of the
comb filter, and also the time-domain decay of the response.
3. PHASER DEPTH (0 to 100): Controls the mix between the original
signal and the phase shifted signal, which varies the depth of the
notches in the comb filter, and hence the amount of the effect.
4. PHASER RATE (1 to 127): Higher numbers give faster rates. The
rate can also be controlled by pressing 2nd, then pressing twice
(tapping) on the TAP switch, if the MOD SWITCH: function is set to
PHASER and the phaser is on and delay is off, or the MOD switch
is the last one used to turn on the effect.
5. PHASER STAGES (4, 6, 8 or 10): The number of stages in the all-
pass filter, which gives more phase shift, which then results in more
notches in the comb filter. A certain widely used ‘classic’ phaser
pedal has 4 stages.
J) CRS/PSHIFT Function
The CRS MODE parameter is used to switch between the two modes.
The Pitch Shift parameters are accessed by turning the FUNCTION knob

one click clockwise, then using the PARAM knob to select the parameter
to adjust.
A chorus works by running the signal through a short delay of about 20
ms, and mixing the delayed signal with the original. The delay time is
modulated according to the rate and depth, creating a small amount of
pitch bend in the delayed signal. The BETA DSP has 4 voices, each
separately delayed, modulated, and panned left or right, providing a lush
stereo output. Parameters 3-12 below only apply to the CRS function.
1. CRS/PSHIFT (OFF or ON): Controlled via VALUE knob or the
MOD switch. For footswitch control, the MOD SWITCH: function
must be set to CHORUS.
2. CRS MODE (CRS or PSHIFT): switches between the modes.
3. CHORUS MIX (0 to 100): Controls the relative mix between the
original signal and all 4 delayed voices.
4. CRS DEPTH 1 (0 to 100): Varies the amount of change in the
delay time, which varies the amount of pitch bend in Voice 1.
5. CRS RATE 1 (1 to 127): Varies the rate at which the pitch is
being modulated. The rate can also be controlled by pressing 2nd,
then pressing twice (tapping) on the TAP switch, if the MOD
SWITCH: function is set to CHORUS and the chorus is on and
delay is off, or the MOD switch is the last one used.
6. CRS LEVEL 1 (OFF to 0 dB): Controls the level of voice 1 that is
mixed in the stereo output.
7. CRS PAN 1 (0 to 100): Pans voice 1. 0 is fully Left, 100 is fully
Right, and 50 is centered.
8. CRS DEPTH 2 (0 to 100): Same as for voice 1.
9. CRS RATE 2/1 (0.1 to 1.5): Sets the ratio between the rate of
voice 2 and the rate of voice 1. It is done this way so that if the
rate of voice 1 is varied by either the VALUE knob, the TAP
function, or the EXP. PEDAL function, the rate of all 4 voices will
track each other. Typically these ratios are set to a value other
than 1.0, so that each voice will modulate at a different rate
resulting in a more random and ‘lush’ sounding effect.
10.CRS LEVEL 2 (OFF to 0 dB): Same as for voice 1.
11. CRS PAN 2 (0 to 100): Same as for voice 1.
12. The explaination for voices 3 and 4 are the same as for voice 2.
A pitch shifter works by storing the signal in a short delay, then reading it
out at a faster (shift up) or slower rate (shift down). For a shift up, this means
that portions of the signal must be repeated. For a shift down, portions of the
signal are thrown away. For either case, the output signal will be spliced
together from portions of the input. The BETA DSP has an intelligent algorithm

to find 'best match' splice points to minimize their audibility.
1. PITCH (-1200 to +1200 CENTS): Varies the amount of pitch shift in 20
cent increments. -1200 cents is one octave down, +1200 cents is one
octave up, and each 100 cents is one semitone. This parameter can
mapped to the expression pedal for real-time foot controlled pitch
bending, as in the "WHAM ME" preset.
2. DETUNE (-25 to +25 CENTS): Varies the amount of pitch shift in 1
cent increments to achieve a slight detune effect. The total pitch shift
will be the addition of the PITCH and DETUNE values, but typically
PITCH will be set to 0 if DETUNE is being used.
3. PSHIFT MIX (0 to 100): Controls the relative mix between the original
signal and the pitch shifted voice.
4. PSHIFT PAN (0 to 100): Pans the pitch shifted voice. 0 is fully Left,
100 is fully Right, and 50 is centered.
5. DIRECT PAN (0 to 100): Pans the direct voice. This is a repeat of the
same parameter from the Mixer Function. It is repeated here for
convenience.
K) FLANGE Function
The flanger works in a very similar fashion to the chorus, except the
variable delay time is much shorter, resulting in the predominate effect
being a modulated comb filter, not a pitch bend. It is therefore similar
sounding to the phaser, but since it uses time delay the resulting phase
shift is linear with frequency, whereas the all-pass filters used in the
phaser are not. The result is that the notch frequencies in the flanger
have a different spacing, and there are many more of them. There are
also two voices in the flanger. These are panned hard left for voice 1 and
hard right for voice 2, removing the need for Level and Pan parameters.
Using Phase and Flange at the same time may be worth a try.
1. FLANGE (OFF or ON): Controlled via VALUE knob or the MOD
switch. For footswitch control, the MOD SWITCH: function must be
set to FLANGER.
2. FLA REGEN (OFF to –2 dB): Controls the amount of feedback
within the flanger. This affects the shape of the notches or ‘teeth’ of
the comb filter, and also the time-domain decay of the response,
resulting in a more dramatic effect. But as in real life, you can get
tired of too much ‘drama’.
3. FLA DEPTH 1 (0 to 100): Varies the amount of change in the delay
time, which varies the amount of change in frequency of the
notches in Voice 1.
4. FLA RATE 1 (1 to 127): Varies the rate at which the notch
frequencies are being modulated. The rate can also be controlled
by pressing 2nd, then pressing twice (tapping) on the TAP switch, if

the MOD SWITCH: function is set to FLANGER and the flanger is
on and delay is off, or the MOD switch is the last one used to turn
on the effect.
5. FLA DEPTH 2 (0 to 100): As described for voice 1.
6. FLA RATE 2/1 (0.1 to 1.5): Sets the ratio between the rate of voice
2 and the rate of voice 1. It is done this way so that if the rate of
voice 1 is varied by either the VALUE knob, the TAP function, or
the EXP. PEDAL function, both rates will track each other.
L) DELAY Function
1. DELAY (OFF or ON): Turns the delay OFF or ON. Controlled by
the VALUE knob or the DELAY switch. Turning the Delay OFF
mutes both the input and output of the delay, so the delayed output
stops immediately.
2. DLY TYPE (SINGLE or PING-PONG): SINGLE is a mono delay
that can be panned. PING-PONG is two separate delays that
regenerate their outputs into each other, and are panned to the
opposite channels.
3. DELAY LEVEL (OFF to 0 dB): Controls the level of the delayed
signal.
4. REGEN LEVEL (OFF to 0 dB): Controls the level of successive
repeats of the delay, and therefore the number of repeats that can
be heard. If set to –10 dB, each echo will be 10 dB lower than the
one before it.
5. DELAY TIME (SINGLE: 10 ms to 1300 ms, PING-PONG: 10 ms to
640 ms): 1300 ms = 1.30 seconds. The delay time can also be set
by pressing the 2nd switch, then pressing twice (tapping) on the
TAP switch. The time interval between taps will set the delay time.
You can tap twice again to change the setting. If the interval
between taps exceeds the maximum delay time, the delay time will
be set to the maximum. If you only tap once, after a few seconds
the time will be set to the maximum for the delay type selected.
Press STORE if you want to save the new delay time. Press 2nd
again to exit the tap function.
6. DELAY PAN (0 to 100): Pans the delay output. 0 is fully Left, 100
is fully Right, and 50 is centered. For PING-PONG, a setting of 0
will put the first echo in the left channel and the second echo
(depending on the REGEN LEVEL setting) in the right channel. A
PAN value of 100 will reverse this. A PAN value of 50 will put both
delays in both channels, which kind of defeats the purpose of the
Ping-Pong. Of course the DIRECT PAN in the Mixer Function can
be used to pan the direct signal to the opposite channel from the
first echo, if wanted.

M) REVERB Function
1. REVERB (OFF or ON): Turns the reverb OFF or ON. Controlled
by the VALUE knob only. Turning the Reverb OFF mutes only the
input to the reverb, so the reverberated output ‘spills over’, even if
set to OFF in the next preset.
2. REVERB LEVEL (OFF to 0 dB): Sets the level.
3. REVERB DECAY (0 to 99): Sets the relative decay time of the
reverb.
4. REVERB HFDAMP (0 to 99): Set at 0, the highs will decay at the
same rate as the lower frequencies. At larger settings, the highs
will decay more rapidly than the lows, so the room will sound
‘darker’. A setting of around 20 will sound more natural, since real
rooms always absorb high frequencies faster than lows.
N) MOD SWITCH: Function
12.MOD SWITCH: (CHORUS, FLANGER, PHASER, TREMOLO, WAH, or
EXCITER): Determines the action of the MOD switch and led and also the
TAP switch. The MOD switch will turn off or on the selected effect if 2nd is
activated. The led will show the effect is on by blinking at the set modulation
rate. TAP will be mapped to either the delay time or the modulation rate of
the effect that is mapped to the MOD switch by the MOD SWITCH: function.
If only the MOD effect is on, TAP will be mapped to that effect. If only the
Delay is on, TAP will be mapped to Delay Time. If both are on, right after the
2nd switch is pressed, TAP will map to the delay. However, if the MOD
switch is pressed first to turn on the MOD effect, TAP will be mapped to the
MOD effect, even if Delay is ON. For example, say you are in a Preset that
has both FLANGER and DELAY turned on, and MOD SWITCH: FLANGER is
set. If you want to use TAP to set the Flanger Rate, press 2nd, then press
MOD twice to turn FLANGER off, then back on. Now TAP will be mapped to
set the FLANGER Rate. If the Flanger was initially off, press 2nd, then MOD
once to turn on the Flanger, then TAP can be used to set the Flanger Rate.
O) EXPRESSION PEDAL Function
1. EXP PDL1 (OFF, WAH FREQ, GAIN, DIRECT PAN, TREBLE,
TREBLE FREQ, TREM RATE, PHASER RATE, PHASER DEPTH,
CRS RATE 1, CHORUS MIX, FLA RATE 1, PITCH, EF DIR):
Allows you to map the EXP PEDAL input to the selected parameter.
Select OFF if you don’t want the expression pedal to be able to
change any parameters.
2. EXP MIN1 (various): Allows you to set the minimum range of the
expression pedal sweep. The units that appear with this parameter
will change to match the units of the parameter selected above in 1.

3. EXP MAX1 (various): Allows you to set the maximum range of the
expression pedal sweep. The units that appear with this parameter
will change to match the units of the parameter selected above in 1.
4. EXP PDL2 (OFF, WAH FREQ, GAIN, DIRECT PAN, TREBLE,
TREBLE FREQ, TREM RATE, PHASER RATE, PHASER DEPTH,
CRS RATE 1, CHORUS MIX, FLA RATE 1, PITCH, EF DIR):
Allows you to map the EXP PEDAL input to the selected parameter.
This parameter exists to allow you to map the expression pedal to
two parameters from the list, for even greater creative control.
Select OFF if you do not want to use.
5. EXP MIN 2 (various): Allows you to set the maximum range of the
expression pedal sweep. The units that appear with this parameter
will change to match the units of the parameter selected above in 4.
6. EXP MAX2 (various): Allows you to set the maximum range of the
expression pedal sweep. The units that appear with this parameter
will change to match the units of the parameter selected above in 4.
7. EXP SWITCH (OFF, WAH): Selects the ON/OFF function which is
controlled by the EXP SWITCH jack.
It is recommended to use a pedal with a linear taper pot, the resistance of
which is not critical, since the circuit is just reading the ratio of two voltages.
The ideal pedal for this is the Mission Engineering model EP1-KP. It has
two jacks, one is TRS (3 conductors) labeled OUT 1 for the potentiometer
(pot). Connect this jack via ¼” TRS cable to the EXP PEDAL jack on the
back of the BETA DSP. The second jack on the EP1-KP is labeled OUT 2.
Connect this jack via ¼” TS (2 conductor, standard jumper cable) to the EXP
SWITCH jack on the back of the BETA DSP, and the switch in the toe of the
pedal can be used to turn on the WAH. Other pedals can be used, but for a
standard volume pedal you will need a ‘Y’ cord which has a single ¼” TRS
(tip-ring-sleeve) jack at 1 end and two ¼” mono jacks at the other end,
assuming your volume pedal has separate IN and OUT jacks (sometimes
labeled INST and AMP). The ring of the EXP PEDAL jack supplies 3.3 volts
DC to the IN jack on the pedal, and the tip of the EXP PEDAL jack reads the
wiper voltage on the OUT or AMP jack of the pedal. If you connect them
backwards you won’t damage anything, but the parameter change will be very
abrupt in the bottom part of the pedal travel. Connecting them the other way
will result in most of the parameter change occuring at the top of the pedal
travel, if an audio taper pot is used. For most parameters, especially the
WAH frequency, you really want a pedal with a linear taper pot!
P) Title Edit Function
This displays the preset title. The PARAM knob selects the character
position to be edited, which moves the cursor under the character
selected. There are 16 character positions. The VALUE knob then

selects the particular letter, number, or symbol. When you are finished
editing the title, don’t forget to press 2nd, then STORE to save it.
Q) Dump/Load Function
1. DUMP PRESET (ALL, 1 to 224): Selects the preset to be dumped
as a midi sysex message to the MIDI OUT jack. A single preset
can be dumped, or all presets. If ALL is selected, the GLOBAL
data, followed by all 224 presets, followed by all 124 songs will be
dumped. To initiate the dump, press 2nd, followed by STORE. A
“DUMPING …” message will be displayed, followed by “DUMP
COMPLETE” when finished. For single presets, this will occur so
fast that only the “DUMP COMPLETE” message will be visible.
2. READY TO LOAD (ALL, 1 to 224): Selects the preset destination.
For example, preset 101 from a unit can be loaded into preset 21 of
another unit. If ALL is selected, the GLOBAL data, followed by all
224 presets, followed by all 124 songs will be loaded. No further
switch presses are needed on the receiving unit, rather it will just
wait for the data stream to start, and will then display “RECEIVING
MIDI” once data is detected, followed by “LOAD COMPLETE” when
finished. If there are errors detected in the data stream, the
message “DATA ERROR –NO LOAD“ will be displayed instead. If
this occurs, exit the Dump/Load function on each unit, check the
cable connection, then re-enter this function and try again.
There are two scenarios for use of the Dump/Load Function. The
first is the direct transfer of preset data from one BETA DSP to a
second BETA DSP. The second scenario is Dump/Load to a MIDI
recording device, which is usually a PC or MAC. For this you will
need a MIDI interface box, such as an iConnectivity iConnect
MIDI2, which interfaces MIDI to a PC via USB port. You will also
need software to record the sysex data and save it to disc, or load a
disc file and send to to MIDI. One recommendation ISP has is to
use the MIDI-OX program, which can be readily found via a web
search and download. The files so obtained can be attached to
emails.
Note that turning the Function knob to the DUMP or LOAD position
will disable MIDI program change capability. Turning the Function
knob away from this position will re-enable program changes, if
they are enabled in the global MIDI PC Rcv parameter. When
loading, the MIDI line should not carry any MIDI messages other
than the ISP Sysex format preset data, or an error will occur. There
is no MIDI Channel associated with Dump and Load messages, so
the setting of the MIDI Channel in the Global parameters does not
affect Dumps or Loads.

R) Global Function
This function is the last one reached via the FUNCTION knob when in
Preset Mode. Even though it appears within every preset, there is only
one set of these parameters, and they affect all presets equally. To store
changes to these parameters, you must press 2nd, then STORE within this
function, before changing back to any other function. You should get in
the habit of checking the DECIM OFFSET and output eq’s to reset them
every time you play in a different room or with different speakers. For the
touring musician, the FOH speakers may change in every different room
you go to. If time permits, you may want ot take the BETA DSP out into
the house, connect it, and adjust the DIRECT OUT EQ settings to your
own preference (or have your tech adjust them from the stage) at the start
of sound check. Just remember changes must be stored, or they will be
lost upon power down.
1. G:TUNER REF (-25 to +25 cent): Changes the reference
frequency of the tuner by the indicated amount. This would
normally be set to zero, but you may want to change it if you
constantly need to tune to a piano that is a little flat or sharp. This
value is also shown on the far right side of the display when the
Tuner function is accessed.
2. G:DECIM OFFSET (-20 to +20 dB): This number is added to the
Decimator THRESHOLD parameter in each preset, thus affecting
the threshold in all presets equally. It is useful for situations where
you are playing with a different guitar or in a different environment,
where you need a temporary change in the decimator threshold,
without having to change decimator settings within individual
presets
3. G: STAGE OUT (STEREO or MONO): When set to MONO, the left
and right STAGE OUTs will be summed and divided by 2. This is
useful when you only have a single speaker cabinet on stage.
4. G:STAGE SPKR SIM (OFF or ON): Typically this would be set to
OFF for using a traditional bass guitar cabinet on stage. But if you
want to use a full range cabinet such as a vocal wedge, or even in-
ear monitors, yet still control their volume via the STAGE OUT
LEVEL on the front of the unit, setting this to ON will route the
INTELLIGENT SPEAKER processed output to the STAGE OUT
jacks.
5. G: DIRECT OUT (STEREO or MONO): When set to MONO, the
left and right DIRECT OUTs will be summed and divided by 2. This
is useful when you only want a mono feed to the front of house.
Note that this will also affect the phones output, since they share
the same pair of DAC channels.
6. G: DIRECT TRIM (-12 to 0 dB): This attenuates the DIRECT OUTs
to prevent input clipping on some mixers.

7. G: DIRECT EQ (OFF or ON): This turns on a stereo 3-band EQ
section on the DIRECT OUTs. Remember, this EQ curve will then
be present on all presets, and is usefull for making basic
corrections to speakers and rooms.
8. G: DIR BASS (-15 to +15 dB): Consult the MASTER EQ function
for a detailed explaination of these 7 eq parameters.
9. G: DIR BASS (20 to 135 Hz):
10.G: DIR MID (-15 to +15 dB):
11.G: DIR MID (31 to 6000 Hz):
12.G: DIR MID (0.1 to 2.5 OCT):
13.G: DIR TREBLE (-15 to +15 dB):
14.G: DIR TREBLE (2000 to 12.0k Hz):
15.G: STAGE EQ (OFF or ON): This turns on a stereo 3-band EQ
section on the STAGE OUTs. Remember, this EQ curve will then
be present on all presets, and is usefull for making basic
corrections to speakers and rooms.
16.G: STAGE BASS (-15 to +15 dB): Consult the POST EQ function
for a detailed explaination of these 7 eq parameters.
17.G: STAGE BASS (20 to 135 Hz):
18.G: STAGE MID (-15 to +15 dB):
19.G: STAGE MID (31 to 6000 Hz):
20.G: STAGE MID (0.1 to 2.5 OCT):
21.G: STAGE TREB (-15 to +15 dB):
22.G: STAGE TREB (2000 to 12.0k Hz):
23.G: VOLUME PEDAL (OFF or ON): This would normally be set to
ON, so that when you plug in an expression pedal to the VOL
PEDAL jack, the pedal will become active. However, if the circuitry
involved in reading the expression pedal were to fail, the volume
could be stuck to maximum attenuation, and since Volume is a
hidden parameter that can’t be adjusted, this parameter allows you
to turn OFF the VOLUME PEDAL, which sets the volume to full on,
allowing the unit to still be usable. It is recommended to use a
volume pedal with an audio taper pot, the resistance of which is not
critical, since the circuit is just reading the ratio of two voltages.
You will need a ‘Y’ cord which has a single ¼” TRS (tip-ring-sleeve)
jack at 1 end and two ¼” mono jacks at the other end, assuming
your volume pedal has separate IN and OUT jacks (sometimes
labeled INST and AMP). The ring of the VOL PEDAL jack supplies
3.3 volts DC to the IN jack on the pedal, and the tip of the VOL
PEDAL jack reads the wiper voltage on the OUT or AMP jack of the
pedal. If you connect them backwards you won’t damage anything,
but the volume change will be very abrupt from full off to full on in
the bottom part of the pedal travel. You should mark the ends of
the Y cord so that you know in the future which end connects to the
IN or INST jack on the pedal.