Mesa/Boogie FLUX-DRIVE User manual

Owner’s Manual
SAFETY PRECAUTIONS:
• Readtheseinstructions.
• Keeptheseinstructions.
• Heedallwarnings.
• Followallinstructions.
• Donotusethisapparatusnearwater.
• Cleanonlywithdrycloth.
• Be sure use only properly rated power adaptors or
universalpowersupplies(pedalboardpowersupplies)
withappropriateattentionpaidtopropervoltage,am-
perageandgroundschemes.Impropervoltage/amper-
agebeingprovidedtothepedalmaycausepoortone,
inconsistentperformance,damagetotheunit,orallof
the above. Proper voltage, amperage and grounding
specsaresuppliedattheendofthismanual.
• REPLACE THE BOTTOM LID after battery replace-
ment before the unit is used. Some electronic parts
inside are static sensitive and can be damaged from
evenasmallstaticchargefromcontactwithcarpetor
otherconductivesurfaces.DONOTSETAPOWERED
UNIT “CONTROLS UP” ON A METAL (or any) SUR-
FACEWITHTHEBOTTOMREMOVED!
CongratulationsonyourchoiceofMESA/Boogieandwel-
come to the MESA Family!The same passion for excel-
lence,commitmenttoqualityanddedication to customer
satisfactionispresentineachandeveryproductwemake
inourone-and-onlyshopinPetaluma,California,U.S.A.
Rest assured that the very same people that hand-build
thenestampliersin the worldbuiltyourpedal andyou
have access to the same resources for help that all our
customersdo.Callonusanytimeandenjoy!
FLUX-DRIVE™
The FLUX-DRIVE offers a gain range that is similar to
Mesa’sGRIDSLAMMER™-inthatit’sstillanoverdrive–
butit’sanOverdrivethatgoesfartherupthegain-scale.It
alsooffersthemorecompleteToneshaping networkwith
individualTREBLE and BASS controls.Thisarchitecture
makes the FLUX-DRIVE a more complete preamp that
has versatility beyond that of the more classic Overdrive
pedals.
Setting the FLUX-DRIVE’s GAIN control low, a region
of subtle soft-clip threshold sounds are revealed.  This
smoothlytransitionstoa more aggressive,harmonic-rich
middlezonethat’sgreatforClassicRockrhythmorCrunch.
AttheupperendoftheGAINcontrolrealsaturationbegins.
Theattackenvelopegetsrounderandmorecompressed
creating a thick, harmonically rich landscape to solo in.
Thisregioniswaitingtopropelyourguitartotheforefront
ofaheaviermixandfreeyouup…soyourleadworkcan
beinspiredandmemorable.
FEATURES & CONTROLS
IN:  This¼”phonojackistheInstrumentInputforthe
device.PlugtheOutputofyourguitarintothisjackwitha
shieldedcableofgoodquality.Thejackisaswitchingtype
jackandthecircuitisturnedon whenacableisinserted.
Whenthecircuitisactivatedbyinsertingacable,theinter-
nalbatteryisbeingusedtopowerit–sobesuretounplug
thecablefromtheINPUTwhenit’snotinuse.
NOTE: The internal battery is switched to an “ON” state
(drawing voltage) by a switching element in the INPUT jack.
To prolong battery life, disconnect the cable from the ¼”
INPUT jack whenever the unit is not in use.
NOTE: If you wish to leave the INPUT connected perma-
nently – as in a pedal board scenario – it is advisable to
power the unit with an external 9V power supply. When an
external (plug-in) AC 9-volt power supply is used to power
the unit, the DC jack on the pedal automatically disconnects
the battery to avoid battery wear and preserve its useful life.
If you are going to use external AC power either for long
periods or permanently in a pedal board set-up, remove the
internal battery to prevent (forgotten) battery corrosion.
OUT: This1/4”phonojackistheOUTPUTforthedevice.
ConnecttheOUTPUTtotheInputofyouramplier(orthe
INPUTofthenextdeviceinline)withashielded cableof
goodqualityandoftheshortestlengthpossible.
NOTE: A Word on Cables… Always use shielded instru-
ment cables of the best quality and shortest length possible
when connecting these types of devices. This will minimize
degradation of your sound, particularly high frequency
roll-off, due to the added capacitance in longer lengths of
cable. We recommend no more than 18-20 feet total (Input
and Output combined) between your instrument and the
termination at the INPUT of the amplifier. If you must use
longer cable lengths, you might consider the use of a Buffer
or Line Driver to keep the tonal integrity intact. While these
change the sound slightly, it will usually be preferable to top
end roll-off. And yes – those little 4” interconnects count
too, so count them in your cable length.
LEVEL: Thisisthemasteroutputlevelanditcontrolsthe
amountof signalprovidedtothehostamplier. Itcanbe
usedeithertobalancelevelstocompensateforhighGAIN
settings- so that no jumpinleveloccurs whenswitched
outofBYPASS. AnotherapplicationishigherLEVEL set-
tingstopurposefullysendahottersignaltothehost amp
and“slam”theinputstageforincreasedclip,driveorgain.
GAIN: Thiscontroldeterminestheamountofgain(over-
drive)inthesignalpath.
Setlow(8:00–10:30)itproducesarangeofsubtleover-
drive that’s soft and furry, yet featuring the classic mid-
punchassociated withthesetypesofcircuits.Thisrange
isgreat forpushed andclip-thresholdrhythmsoundsand
toaddaslightbumpforBluessolosounds.
The middle range (10:30 – 1:30) offers the most useful
regionofgainthatbeginstosaturatebutstillretainsady-
namicpunchthat keepsnotesexpressiveandtight.This
works well for both Rhythm and Solo work across many
stylesofmusic.
The high range of the GAIN control (1:30 – 5:30) is all
about smooth saturation.  This region is most suited for
single note soloing with its softer attack and more liquid
response.  It also has some applications for big crunch
chording,butisnotasharmonicallycomplexinthetopend
assomepedalsthatarededicatedtohighergainstyles.
BASS: Thiscontrolworksin tandemwiththeTREBLE
controltoadjustlowfrequencies. Set low(7:30–12:00)
thesoundwillbeskinny,tightandpercussive.Thehigher
range (12:00 – 5:30) introduces rich, full low end that
rounds out the sound and adds low-end thump. Heavier
pickattackwithhigherBASSsettingsmayproduceaslow-
er,lessarticulatefeelasyou“dragaround”theextralows.
TREBLE: This control adjusts the amount of high fre-
quenciespresentinthemixand–unlikedeviceswithjusta
TONEcontrol-allowsyoutonetunethehighfrequencies
separatelyfromthelowfrequencies.TheTREBLEcontrol
makesuphalfofamorecomprehensivetonecontrolcircuit
thatoffersgreaterexibilityovertheentirefrequencyspec-
trum.Setlow(7:30–12:00)thesoundwillbedarker,more
rounded and seemingly compressed. The upper range
oftheTREBLE (12:00 – 5:30) brings in the cut, bite and
moreopentop-endtocreatea sound that is bright, tight
andaggressive.
AC POWER:  Thisstandard femaleDC Receptacle on
thepedalistheExternalPowerSupplyJackanditaccepts
themaleplugfromastandard9-Volt“wall-wart”ACpower
supply.Wheninstallingyourunitintoapedalboardutilizing
auniversalpowersupply(multi-outputpedalboardpower

®
®
supplies), connect the external power source here. The
internalbatteryisautomaticallydisconnectedbyaswitch-
ingelementintheExternalDCReceptacleonthepedal.
However,ifyouknowyouwillnotbeusing batterypower
foranextendedperiod–forexample,ifyouaremounting
theunittoyourpedalboardpermanently-itiswisetore-
movethebatterytoavoidpossibledamagefromlong-term
batterycorrosion.
INTERNAL BATTERY: Thisunitcanoperateoneithera
9-Voltbatteryorastandard9-Volt“wall-wart”powersupply.
TheunitisshippedfromtheFactorywithalong-life9-Volt
Battery to facilitate easier trial demonstration in a music
storeenvironment.
NOTE: The internal battery is switched to an “ON” state
(drawing voltage) by a switching element in the INPUT jack.
Disconnect the cable from the ¼” INPUT jack whenever the
unit is not in use to prolong battery life.
BATTERY REPLACEMENT: Toaccessthe9-Voltbat-
teryforinspection,replacementorremoval;makesurethe
ExternalPowerjackisdisconnected,removethefourPhil-
lips-headscrewsfromthefourcornersofthebottomlid
andremoveit,notetheorientation/directionofthebattery
andterminals–andremoveit.Replaceifnecessary.
NOTE: Any type of 9-Volt battery will work in this device if
it is fully charged and functional. Carbon Zinc, Alkaline or
even Nickel Cadmium Rechargeable type batteries are all
acceptable replacements. Some pedal aficionados prefer
the “sweetness” they claim to hear from standard Carbon
Zinc type batteries, but you will have to decide what type
best serves your needs.
SPECIFICATIONS:
• Dimensions (W/D/H): 2.87” x 4.77” x 2.28” (73mm x
122mmx58mm)
• Weight: 0.802lbs (364g) with batter y, 0.702lbs (319g)
withoutbattery
• TrueBypassSwitching
• BatteryType:9VDC(one)
• PowerConsumption(CurrentDraw):9VDC/15mA
• AC Adapter (Optional): Power Jack 2.1mm x 5.5mm,
9VDCwithNegativeCenter (Regulated Recommend-
ed)
• InputImpedance:1MOhm(500kOhmminimum)
• OutputImpedance:10kOhm
SAMPLE SETTINGS: SAMPLE SETTINGS: USER SETTINGS:
MID-GAIN CRUNCH FLUX BUMP
SINGING SOLO SLAM IT