Lexicon Signature 284 User manual

User Guide
All Tube Class "A" Stereo Recording Amplifier and Direct Source

Lexicon Inc. • 3 Oak Park • Bedford MA 01730-1441 USA • Tel: [phone] • Fax [phone] • www.lexicon.com
Lexicon Part # 070-12856
Copyright 1998 Lexicon Inc., All Rights Reserved.
Unpacking and Inspection
After unpacking the Signature 284, save all packing materials in case you ever need to ship the unit. Thoroughly
inspect the unit and packing materials for signs of damage. Report any shipment damage to the carrier at once;
report equipment malfunction to your dealer.
Acknowledgement
The Signature 284 All Tube Class "A" Stereo Recording Amplifier and Direct Source was designed by John McIntyre, and is custom-
manufactured for Lexicon by Actodyne General Inc.

Introduction .....................................................................................1
Front Panel Controls........................................................................2
Power and Standby ................................................................................2
Guitar Input .............................................................................................2
Gain ..............................................................................................2
Getting the Feel of the Signature 284 ..............................................3
Tone Controls (Bass, Midrange, Treble and Presence) .........................3
Volume ..............................................................................................4
Getting the Tone You Want..............................................................5
Rear Panel Connections..................................................................6
Speaker Outputs.....................................................................................6
Slave Outputs .........................................................................................6
Recording Outputs..................................................................................6
Effects Loop............................................................................................7
Loop vs. Mixer Bus for Effects .........................................................7
Level Matching .................................................................................7
Stereo Loop Examples.....................................................................8
Dual Mono Effect..............................................................................9
Mono Loop Example ........................................................................9
Split Loop Examples ......................................................................10
Rear Panel Guitar Input........................................................................10
Applications ...................................................................................11
General Notes ......................................................................................11
Direct Recording ...................................................................................11
Recording with Directs and Microphones .............................................11
Low Volume Live Setup ........................................................................12
High Volume Live Direct .......................................................................12
High Volume Live Slave .......................................................................12
Example Settings..................................................................................13
Using the Signature 284 with non-Guitar Sources ...............................15
Power Amp for Tube Warmth.........................................................15
Harp ............................................................................................15
Keyboards ......................................................................................15
Vocals ............................................................................................16
Acoustic Guitar...............................................................................16
Digital Effects .................................................................................16
Re-Amping .....................................................................................16
Precautions and Maintenance ......................................................17
Specifications.................................................................................18
Contents

Limited Warranty
Lexicon Incorporated offers the following warranty on the Signature 284 Amplifier.
Duration of the Warranty
This warranty will remain in effect for one (1) year from the date of original purchase. Tubes provided with the
original unit are warranted to be free from defects for six (6) months from the date of original purchase.
Who May Enforce the Warranty
This warranty may be enforced by the original purchaser and subsequent owners during the warranty period,
so long as the original dated sales receipt or other proof of warranty coverage is presented when warranty
service is required.
What is Covered and What is Not Covered
Except as specified below, this warranty covers all defects in material and workmanship in this product. The
following are not covered by the warranty:
1. Damage resulting from:
A. Accident, misuse, abuse, or neglect.
B. Failure to follow instructions contained in your Owner's Manual.
C. Repair or attempted repair by anyone not authorized by Lexicon.
D. Failure to perform recommended periodic maintenance.
E. Causes other than product defects, including lack of skill, competence, or experience of user.
2. Damage occurring during any shipment of this product (claims must be presented to the carrier).
3. Damage to any unit which has been altered or on which the serial number has been defaced,
modified, or removed.
What We Will Pay For
We will pay all labor and material expenses for covered items. Payment of shipping charges is discussed in
the next section of this warranty.
How You Can Get Service
If your unit needs service, please write or telephone us and we will advise you where the unit should be taken
or sent. If you write us, include your name, complete address, daytime telephone number and description of
the problem(s). Please do not return your unit to the factory without our prior authorization.
If it is necessary to ship the product for service:
A. You must pay for any initial shipping charges, but if the necessary repairs are covered by the warranty,
we will pay the return shipping charges via a carrier of our choice to any destination within the United
States.
B. The unit should be packed securely, and we suggest that it be insured.
C. Do not include accessories such as power cords or manuals.
Whenever warranty service is required, a copy of the original dated sales receipt must be presented.
Limitation of Implied Warranties
Any implied warranties, including warranties of merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose, are
limited in duration to the length of this warranty.
Exclusion of Certain Damages
Lexicon's liability for any defective product is limited to repair or replacement of the product, at our option.
Lexicon shall not be liable for:
1. Damages based upon inconvenience, loss of use of the product, loss of time, interrupted operation,
commercial loss; or
2. Any other damages, whether incidental, consequential, or otherwise.
How State Law Relates to the Warranty
Some states do not allow limitation on how long an implied warranty lasts and/or do not allow the exclusion or
limitations of incidental or consequential damages, so the above limitations may not apply to you.
This warranty is not enforceable outside of North America. This warranty gives you specific legal rights, and
you may also have other rights which vary from state to state.

Signature 284 User Guide
1
Introduction
You know the moment — the one where the volume is cranked to the limit and
the guitar player looks as though his guitar might be playing him — as though
they're locked in some ritual combat in another zone entirely. Well, this trip
doesn't require illicit drugs, a rare coincidence of zodiac signs, or even the rush
ofanaudience—justyou,yourguitarandafullycrankedall-tubeamp.Ifyou've
been there, you know. If you've seen it but never felt it, hold onto whatever's
handy because the Signature 284 is your ticket to ride.
When a tube amp is turned way up, the amp’s power section is pushed beyond
the point where it's just making the preamp louder — the power tubes and
transformer begin to add their own characteristic distortion and dynamic
signatures to the sound.
This is where magic happens. The wide open amp becomes an expressive
extension ofthe guitar,respondingto your playing. Youcan control theamount
of distortion and sustain simply by varying touch, or by making subtle adjust-
ments to the guitar volume control. The bad news is that most tube amps are
incrediblyloudwhenthey'returneduptothispoint. Largeramps(over15Watts
or so) are so loud when you crank them up, that the loudness interferes with
recording — the guitar sounds great, but it’s bleeding into the drums, and the
vocal mics — and you can forget about playing that loud at home.
The good news isthat the Signature 284 wasdesigned tosolve this problem by
delivering thetouch andtone of a cranked up amp —without thebone crushing
volume. It uses a low wattage power section — so when you crank it up to the
point where the magic happens, the volume level is relatively low. The stereo
power amp in the Signature 284 uses two EL 84s in a Class A configuration. Its
output power is rated at 3 Watts (RMS) per side. (Don’t be put-off by this
seemingly small number.For recording orpracticing athome,this amp is plenty
loud—wemeasure>100dBSPLat1meterwhenusedwithourSB210cabinet.)
The lowpower design isthe key to producing great sound at moderate volume
levels—butittakesmorethanthattomakeagreatamp.Otherfeaturesinclude:
high gain preamp (three 12AX7s), beautifully voiced tone controls, tube-driven
stereo effects loop, balanced recording outputs, speaker simulators, and built-
in passive loads for silent recording.
While it is designed primarily for recording, the Signature 284 is a great stage
amp too. There are three ways to boost the volume: Mike the cabinet, use the
recording outputs as a direct feed to the PA, or use the slave outputs to drive a
larger power amp /guitar cabinet rig.
Alloftheseapplications,andmorearedescribedinthismanual.Pleasetakethe
time to look it over to make the most of your investment. We think that this is a
great amp — and we hope you will too.

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Power and Standby Aswithanytubeamp,you’llgetthelongestlifefromthetubesbyusingthePower
and Standby controls properly.
TheStandby switch shouldbein thestandbypositionbeforeturningtheampon
with the Power switch. After switching the Power on, allow the amp to warm up
for 30 seconds or so before switching Standby to On.
ToprotectspeakersandotheraudioequipmentconnectedtotheSignature284
(as well as your ears), switch the amp to Standby before inserting a guitar cord
into the input jack. Do not switch out of Standby until all connections between
the guitar and the amp (stomp boxes, etc.) have been made.
Switch to Standby whenever the amp will be idle for more than a few minutes
(between sets, or when listening back to the mix). If the amp is not going to be
usedforanextendedperiodoftime(morethanan hourorso),switchto Standby
and turn Power off.
GuitarInputjacksareprovided atboththefrontandrear.Selectoneofthesefor
yourguitarinput. (The rear panel inputis provided asa convenience for custom
installations — the input at the front panel overides any input at the rear panel.)
This is the preamp input sensitivity control. It controls the amount of preamp
overdriveor distortion. For guitars with passive pickups, thecleanest tones can
be found at settings from 1-4. As the knob is turned past 4, the amount of
overdrive on your loudest notes will gradually increase.
TheGainknobisalsoapush/pullswitch.Pushtheknobinfortonesrangingfrom
clean to vintage blues. Pull the knob out for tones that cover the range from
vintage blues to modern, high gain distortion.
Throughout this manual, the drawings that represent the Gain control will be
shaded to show the knob pulled OUT, unshaded to show it pushed IN.
Guitar Input
Gain
(Pull for Boost)
Front Panel Controls

Signature 284 User Guide
3
Front Panel Controls
Getting the Feel of the Signature 284
Like any classic tube amp, distortion is very dynamic in the Signature
284 — The amount of distortion is controlled by your playing style and
dynamics. To get a cleaner sound, play a little lighter instead of
changingtheampsettings. Togetmoresizzleintoanoteorphrase,dig
in as you pick it.
Ifyou’veneverhadtheexperienceofworkingwithasinglechanneltube
amp before, the following may help you to get the hang of it. The basic
idea is to use your guitar’s volume control along with changes in your
playing style to pull in any tone from clean to mean.
1. Switchtoyourloudestpickup andturn yourguitarvolumeup to10.
2. Set the Left and Right Volume controls to "7".
3. Play, and turn up the Gain control until you’ve got the amount of
distortionoroverdrivethatfitsyourmostaggressivestyle.(Pullout
the knob for High Gain if that's your thing.)
4. Now, turn your guitar volume down to about 7 and experiment with
varyingyourtouchtogetcleanchordsandlines.You’llfindthatyou
can cover the range of clean to bluesy overdrive just with touch.
5. Use the guitar volume control to “change channels.” Use 7 as a
clean/overdrive“rhythmchannel”and10asanoverdrive/distortion
“solo channel”.
Soon, you’ll find you can set and forget the amp — and just focus on
playing what you feel.
Tone Controls
(Bass, Midrange,
Treble and Presence)
The tone controls on the Signature 284 are very powerful — even small
adjustments can make big changes to the sound. There are no wrong settings.
Whatever sounds good is right!
Eachcontrolcoversadifferentbandoffrequencies. Bass,Midrange,andTreble
are independent — changes made to one will not effect the others. The effect
ofthe Presence setting isdependent upon the amount of Treble. If Treble isset
to 0, Presence settings will have no effect. Increasing the Treble setting will
increasetheamountofPresence.(Notethattheoppositeisnottrue—changes
to Presence have no effect on Treble.)
Here’s a quick way to hear what each control contributes to the overall tone:
1. Seteachofthetonecontrolsto0andplay.Youwillhearnosound.Now, turn
Bass up and play. You will hear only the frequencies affected by the Bass
control.
2. Turn Bass back to 0, turn up Midrange, and play. Now you hear only the
frequencies controlled by Midrange. As Midrange controls the “meat” of
guitar tones, this control has the most effect on the character of the sound.
3. Now, turn Midrange to 0, turn up Treble, and play to hear the frequencies
affected by the Treble control.
4. Turn Treble to 0, turn up Presence and play. You won’t hear anything,
because the Presence control is dependent on the Treble control. Turn
Treble back up, turn up Presence and play. Now you will hear the glassy top
end added by this control. Neutral settings for the tone controls
Bass, Midrange and Treble=5
Presence=0.

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The left and right volume controls are master input level controls for the Class
“A” stereo power amp. These controls determine loudness, but, more impor-
tantly,theycontrolthequalityofthepoweramp’scontributiontotheoveralltone.
Manyvintageampshavenomastervolumecontrol—theinputcontrolsetsboth
preamp sensitivity and the power amp level. Because of the fixed relationship
of the preamp and power amp levels in vintage amps, the input control has to
beturnedupprettyhightoreachthe“sweetzone”wherethepowerampcircuitry
begins to sing. Also, the amount of preamp/power amp distortion at the sweet
zonediffers inmany classicamps —giving each adistinct sonic signature. The
Signature 284’s independent gain and left and right volume controls make it
possible todial-in awide variety of classicandmodern amp tones froma single
guitar amplifier.
On a typical tube amp the sweet zone where this sonic magic happens doesn’t
comeintoplayuntiltheampiscrankedpast7orso. BecausetheSignature284
isdesignedwithanextendedsweetzone,you’llfindthatevenwithcleanpreamp
settings, the power amp begins to add it’s own character to the tone as the
Volume controls are turned up past 5.
Itis important torealize thattheVolume controlsof the Signature 284
should be used to dial in tone, not loudness.
The low power design is one of the main features that makes this a superb
recording amp and direct source. When connected to a recording or PA mixer,
loudness is determined at the console (fader settings, monitor send levels).
When connected to guitar cabinets, the loudness is, of course, determined by
the Left and Right Volume controls — but remember that, in the Signature 284,
thesearealsopowerfultonecontrols. Turninguptogetlouder,willalsochange
the sonic character of the amp's tone.
Whenconnectedto guitar cabinets, you’llfind that the Signature 284has plenty
of volume for home practice and recording overdubs. In fact, the essence of its
design is to deliver the great tone of an big amp cranked up, without the bone
crushingvolume.Thisalsomeansthat,byitself,theSignature284cannotcover
live drums or most club situations.
For more volume, you have several options:
• Mike the cabs connected to the Signature 284.
• Use the slave outs to drive a separate power amp/guitar cab rig.
• Use the recording to provide a direct feed to the PA.
Examples of each of these options are detailed in the Applications section of
this manual.
Volume
Front Panel Controls

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Getting the Tone You Want
The sonic signatures of many different guitar sounds are based on
power amp behavior as much as preamp gain and tone settings.
For modernhigh gain tones, useGain Boost (pull out the Gain knob) to
getlots of preampdistortion, but keepthe power ampscleanby setting
the knob no higher than 4 or so. This will deliver a smooth, tight
distortion with lots of definition.
Front Panel Controls
Forvintageblues tones,keepthe GaininNormalmode(pushedin),but
crank it up to 7 or so to push the power amps harder. You’ll notice that
the amount of “sag” (power amp compression) increases as you turn
theVolume controlsbeyond 5.When set upthis way, the Signature284
is most responsive to nuances of touch and style — the tone is totally
authentic, the voice is yours alone.
For tones that emphasize the Class “A” characteristics of the power
amps, keep the Gain in Normal mode (pushed in) and set it below 5.
Dial in some power amp distortion by setting the Volume controls
above5. Pushingthe power ampsthisway creates athroatyquality —
you’ll also notice that the tone controls are very responsive when the
amp is used this way.

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You can drive any combination of 8 ohm and 4 ohm guitar cabinets from these
connectors. Be sure that the ohm selector switch matches the rating for the
connectedcabinet. (Youcan, for example,connect an8 Ohm cabinet tothe left
and a 4 Ohm cabinet to the right.).
Although the Signature 284 uses a low power design, it has plenty of power to
drive any 1 or 2 speaker guitar cabinet rated at 4 or 8 Ohms. (4x12 half-stacks
that can be split for stereo also sound great.) As the type of cabinet has a big
effect on the overall sound, you can create many different tonal voices by
changing cabinets. When using stereo effects, you will probably want to use
matchedcabinets for the leftand right speakers, but be sureto experiment with
usingtwodifferentcabinetsatonce—aclosed-back10andaopen-back12can
sound great together.
.
The Signature 284 can be operated with either or both speakers disconnected.
Independent passive loads are connected automatically when no jack is
inserted into the speaker output.
Do NOT insert jacks into the rear panel speaker outputs
when using the amp without speakers.
The slave outputs carry post power amp signals attenuated to line level (+4dB,
unbalanced). Their primary purpose is to provide a means of getting more on-
stagevolumefor live useby driving a stereo slavepower amplifierconnected to
guitar cabinets. As theseoutputs are derived from the power amp outputs, they
carry the voice and tone of the whole amp — exactly as sent to the speakers.
Connect the inputs of any high quality power amp (solid state or tube) to these
outputs for a faithful (but louder) version of the Signature 284’s sound.
These outputs are postpoweramp signals attenuated down toline level (+4dB,
balanced) and run through a unique recording compensation circuit that
simulates the sound of two different speakers. The primary function of these
outputs is to provide a direct feed that is the sonic equivalent of a pair of well
miked speaker cabs to a PA system or a recording console. A separate switch,
provided for each recording output selects Smooth (think "4-12 cab”) or Bright
(think "2-10 cab”). A separate ground lift switch is provided for each recording
output.
Slave Outputs
Recording Outputs
Speaker Outputs
Disconnect speakers by
removing the speaker
cable from the amp, NOT
the speaker cabinet.
Rear Panel Connections

Signature 284 User Guide
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The Effects Loop is instrument level (-20dB instrument level) to allow use of
stomp boxes or studio gear in the loop.
Thesendsbothcarrythesamesignal(“y”cordfromthepreampout).Thereturns
are wired for stereo, mono, or parallel (split) operation:
STEREO For usewith a singlestereo effectsprocessor ortwo mono effects
processors (one on the left and the other on the right). Audio from
twoseparatejackscanberoutedindependentlytotheleftandright
power amps via the left and right returns.
MONO For use with a mono effects processor feeding both left and right
power amps. Audio from a single jack can be sent to both power
amps at the same time. (Use the LEFT return only.)
SPLIT For use with a mono effects processor inserted in the right power
amp and no effects in the left power amp.Audio from a single jack
canbesenttotherightwhiletheleftreceivesitssignaldirectlyfrom
the preamp. (Use the RIGHT return only.)
Inrecording situations where youare tracking witheffects,be sure tolistenwith
the effects in the loop. There’s a big sonic difference between inserting effects
like delay, chorus, flange, reverb etc. in the effects loop of a guitar amp and
adding them at the console. When inserted in the loop, the amp/speaker (or
speaker simulators) add warmth, compression and some harmonic enhance-
ment to the effects.
Whenusingeffectsintheloopofanyamp,itisveryimportanttomatchthelevels
properly. Alevelmismatchcanhaveanegativeeffectontheampsoveralltone.
As the Signature 284 is a stereo amp, you can match effects loop levels
accurately by ear. Here’s how:
Effects Loop
Loop vs. Mixer Bus
for Effects
Level Matching
Rear Panel Connections
Connect ONLY THE RIGHT SIDE
of the Effects Loop to set
and match levels. Once levels are set and matched,
connect the left side of the loop.
1. Turn both the input and output of the effect all the way down and bypass the
effect.
2. ConnecttherightsendoftheSignature284tothemono(orright)inputofthe
effect.

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Stereo Loop Examples
3. Connect the mono (or right) output of the effect to the right return of the
Signature 284.
4. Set the guitar, preamp and the Left Volume control of the Signature 284 for
your loudest playing.
5. Turn up the effect input control to optimum level.
6. SettheRightVolumecontroloftheSignature284tothesamepositionasthe
Left Volume. (No sound will be heard from the right side yet.)
7. Turn up the effect output control until the left level matches the right. (The
effects unit is now properly set.)
8. Connect the second channel of the effect to left side of the loop.
Rear Panel Connections
Inserting a Stereo In-Stereo Out processor
in the Signature 284 Effects Loop
Inserting a Mono In-Stereo Out processor
in the Signature 284 Effects Loop
Stereo Effects

Signature 284 User Guide
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Mono Loop Example
Rear Panel Connections
Inserting Two Mono Effects processors in parallel
in the Signature 284 Effects Loop Dual Mono Effects
Inserting a Mono Effect
in the Signature 284 Effects Loop
The Left channel has Effect 1
only; the Right channel has
Effect 2 only.
You must use the
Left Return.

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In a mono situation (live or laying down a mono track), try running the effects
throughonlytherightside(100%wet).Thisallowsyoutohavetwo guitarfeeds.
Theleftistotallydryguitar,therightis guitareffects.Ina livesituation,thisgives
you the flexibility of adjusting the dry/effect balance from the console. When
recording,it allowsyou to track with theeffect and adjustthe balance during the
mix.
Youcanalsothinkofthisasamonoparallelloop. Therightchannelisunaffected
guitar tone, the left channel is the effects level.
Split Loop Examples
Rear Panel
Guitar Input Your guitar can be connected to the Signature 284 via either the front or rear
panel input jacks. The rearpanel inputis provided as a convenience for custom
installations. Plugginginto thefront panel inputoverides anyinputconnectedat
the rear panel input.
Creating a Split Loop with a Mono Effect
inserted in the Signature 284 Effects Loop
You must use the
Right Return.
Rear Panel Connections

Signature 284 User Guide
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TheSignature284isdifferentfrommostampsinthatitisoptimizedforrecording
vs. on-stage performance. Its low output power amp makes it possible to
achieve great tone at low volume levels. Keep this in mind in situations where
you need lots of on stage volume and remember to set the controls to produce
thetoneyou want—nottheloudness. Onceyou’vedialedinthetone/distortion
that you want, use a mixer or slave amp to create the volume level you need.
When going direct, think of the left and right volume controls as addtional tone
controlsratherthanasvolumecontrols. Usethemtodialintheamountofpower
amp distortion you want in your sound. Set your levels at the channel fader(s)
of the console.
Inmostlivesituations,you’llneedtoreinforcetheloudnessofthe284.Theslave
amp and recording outputs are provided for that purpose. Use the recording
outputs to feed the mixing console. Reinforce the front-of-house and stage
monitormixes from theconsole (as youwould with amiked guitar cabinet). Use
the slave outs to feed a separate power amp and guitar cabs to get louder on-
stage volume. Remember that the slave outs are post power amp — so all of
the characteristics of the 284’s class A power stage are present in the signal.
You can get great results running into a solid state power amp/guitar cab rig.
General Notes
Direct recording
Recording with directs
and microphones
Applications

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Low volume live setup
High volume live direct
High volume live slave
Applications

Signature 284 User Guide
13
Example Settings
Applications
Here are some settings for you to try. Guitar and pickup types are shown if they
contribute significantly to the sound.
1 Clean
Stratocaster/Neck pickup
2 Clean Funk
Stratocaster/Bridge and Neck pickups
3 Clean Country
Stratocaster, Telecaster
4 Jazzy
Single-coil, Humbucker
5 60's Vox
Humbucker (Bridge)

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Applications
6 Texas Blues
Stratocaster/ Neck
7 80's Marshall
Humbucker (Bridge)
8 High Gain
Humbucker (Neck and Bridge)
9 Singing Lead
Stratocaster/Neck
10 One Size Fits All
Any pickup, any type music
(Use guitar volume control to go from Clean to High Gain)

Signature 284 User Guide
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Power Amp for Tube
Warmth
Using the
Signature 284 with
non-Guitar Sources
Applications
Althoughdesigned primarily forguitar, theSignature284 can bequite usefulfor
processing other sources. Its rack mount design, effects loop, multiple stereo
outputs and the ability to operate with no speakers connected make it quite a
versatile tube processor for stage or studio.
Oncethe Signature 284 is wired into your studio, you’ll findthat it can bepretty
useful as a stereo tube processor. Use it to add warmth, compression, and the
characteristicharmonicdistortionofClass“A”tubeamplification,toany source.
Run stereo sources into the effects returns and use the Left and Right Volume
controlstosetthetoneofthepoweramp. Unlessyou’repushingthepoweramps
into distortion, you can use the Slave outputs as well as the Recording outputs
for bringng audio back into the console. Each has its own characteristic sound
(The Recording outputs have a compensation circuit that simulates the signa-
turesofdifferentspeakers,whiletheSlaveoutputshavenocompensationcircuit
and therefore a flatter overall signal response.)
The small size and big tone of the Signature 284 make it a perfect harp amp. In
fact, the Signature 284 can be the center piece of the ultimate jamming rig. All
youneedareyourharps,ahigh-impedancemicrophoneandtheSignature284,
and you're ready to sit in.
When using the Signature 284 as a harp amp, you’ll find that it has more than
enoughgain foreven the raunchiesttone. To startout, keepthings prettyclean:
Gain pushed in and set to 3-4, Left and Right Volume at around 5.
To add more grit and compression, experiment with the effect of raising either
the Gain control (for more preamp distortion), or the Volume controls (for more
power amp distortion). Both types of sound lend themselves well to harp.
Forlive performance, speaker cabs are optional.The recordingoutputs provide
no-compromise direct feeds to the house PA and stage monitors.
In the studio, there’s never been an easier way to get “the sound” onto tracks.
As with guitar, you can go direct, mic cabinets, or use a combination of both. If
you track with reverb or other effects, take advantage of the stereo effect loop
to insert the reverb between the preamp and power amps.
Lead Synth
Need to add a searing edge to a lead synth track? One trick is to run the synth
through a guitar amp. Go easy on the distortion at first - just running the synth
throughtheSignature284setfor“clean”willproduceadramaticeffect.Ifyou’re
tracking with effects, insert them in the effects loop.
Stereo Keyboards
Manydigital keyboards can benefit from theaddition of sometube warmth. One
obviouscandiatefor“tubification”isanyorgansound,particularlyB-3withrotary
speaker. Run the stereo outputs of the synth into the effects returns of the
Signature 284, connect theRecording outputs to the mixer and set the Volume
controls to dial in an appropriate amount of “grind”.
Harp
Keyboards

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Applications
Looking for a moreradical effect than can be obtained witha tube mic preamp?
Dependingonhowdrasticyouwanttobe,runthevocalthrougheithertheGuitar
input (easy on the gain!) or the effects return.
Here again, the Signature 284 has something to offer as an alternative way to
process a source. There are several approaches — all yield different, but
musical, results. If the acoustic guitar is a mono source, be sure to experiment
using the guitar input, gain and tone controls as well as bypassing the preamp
altogetherandrunningdirectlyintothepowerampsviatheeffectsreturns. Ifthe
guitarisstereo,patchintotheeffectsreturns.Ineithercase,besuretocompare
different sounds obtainable from the Slave and Recording outputs.
You can usethe Signature 284to “warm up”the characteristically coldsound of
somedigital effectsprocessors. Connectthe stereooutputsof the processorto
the stereo effects returns of the Signature 284. Set the Volume controls to 5 or
less. Different results will be obtained from the Slave and Recording outputs -
be sure to compare.
Re-amping a guitar track means to take a previously recorded guitar track and
process it through a guitar amp. This is not often done, but sometimes it’s nice
(ornecessary)togobackandchangethesettingsontheampafterthetrackhas
been laid down. The best way to do this is to record a separate track of direct
(unamplified)guitaralongwiththeamplifiedtrack. Todothis,useagoodquality,
activedirectboxtosplittheguitarsignalbeforeitgetsto theamp.(Youmustuse
anactive direct box —as opposed toa passiveY-cord —so thatthe guitar amp
input “sees” the correct impedance.) It’s your choice as to whether to connect
the direct box before or after any stomp boxes that are used between the guitar
and the amp input.
Set the amp as you normally would, but when you hit RECORD, always record
thedirectguitaronaseparatetrack.Oncethetrackhasbeenrecorded,youhave
theoptionofreplacingoraugmentingtheamplifiedtrackwithadditionalversions
of the original performance run through different amplifier settings and effects.
Re-Amping
Vocals
Acoustic Guitar
Digital Effects