mxr M80 BASS d.i.+ User manual

Congratulations on the purchase of your new M-80 MXR Bass D.I.+
stomp box! While other effects have come and gone, MXR’s keep
getting the job done … with bulletproof construction, quiet, reli-
able switching and tasteful, musically inspired tone shaping.
DESCRIPTION
• An incredibly flexible Bass D.I.+ Clean and Distortion effects.
• Run direct to the PA or straight to the mixing board for pure tone.
• A smart “noise gate” and optimized EQ help you find the sweet spot in
the mix!
POWER
The MXR M-80 Bass D.I.+requires a single 9 volt alkaline battery, Phantom
Power from mixing board (through microphone cable) or Dunlop ECB03
Adapter (ECB03E for Europe), a 9-volt DC regulated AC adapter. Plug polarity
is positive on the barrel and negative in the center.
M-80 bass d.i.+

CONTROLS
Left Footswitch toggles Effects on/bypass (red LED=on).
Right Footswitch toggles Distortion channel in/out (red LED at top of
unit indicates Distortion channel active).
Bass-Mid-Treble EQ Knobs are active when Effect is on.
Clean Volume and Color controls are active only in Clean Channel
mode (Effect Footswitch on and Distortion off).
The Color Switch activates a preset EQ optimized for bass (switch
depressed down).
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DIRECTIONS
To set up the Bass D.I.+, plug your instrument into the Input jack and your
amplifier into the Output jack. To use the Bass D.I. function, plug a bal-
anced line (microphone cable) into the Direct Output jack, and connect the
other end to your mixing board or PA input. (A Parallel Output is also pro-
vided to connect a tuner.) With the Effect Footswitch set to Off (red LED not
lit), only the Bass D.I. function is active, as the box is in Bypass mode.
The Phantom Power Switch allows use of a phantom power input from
the microphone line, if your mixing board is so equipped. Pressing the
switch down activates Phantom Power, while releasing the switch up acti-
vates the Ground Lift function, to remove noisy ground loops from the cir-
cuit. This switch is active in all modes.
The Bass D.I.+ gives you two channels of tone enhancement: the Clean
Channel for simple EQ adjustments, and the Distortion Channel for crunchy
and tasty grunge. To activate the Clean Channel, switch the Effect
Footswitch on (red LED on), while making sure the Distortion LED at the top
of the box is still off. In this mode, the Bass-Mid-Treble tone controls are
active, along with the Clean Volume and Color controls in the upper left. To
adjust the Clean Volume, set a reference point by matching the Effect On
volume with the Effect Off volume. Toggle the Effect Footswitch on and off,
while adjusting the Clean Volume knob until the levels match. You can then
The Distortion Channel Mode (Effect and Distortion Footswitches on)
provides controls for Gain to set distortion level, Blend to mix distorted/
clean signal, and Volume.
The Gate Switch and Trigger Knob work interactively to provide an
adjustable noise gate. With Gate active (switch depressed down), the
Trigger Knob sets the noise floor threshold, or sensitivity, to cut hum
and hiss from the distortion signal.
G
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adjust louder and softer as needed. Set the Bass-Mid-Treble controls to
their straight up positions to start, then adjust as needed. The Color Switch
has two positions, on (depressed down) and off (released up). When turned
on, the Color Switch activates a preset EQ curve that immediately puts your
bass tone in the “sweet spot” of the mix.
To activate the Distortion Channel, leave the Effect Footswitch on and
switch the Distortion Footswitch so that the Distortion LED is lit at the top
of the box. In the Distortion Channel, the Bass-Mid-Treble controls remain
active, but the Color Switch defaults to “on” regardless of switch position.
You now have control of the Distortion Channel functions, including
Volume, Blend, Trigger, Gain and the Gate switch. Set all the knobs to their
straight up positions to start. Use Gain to set the amount of distortion,
Blend to set the mix between the clean signal and the distortion effect, and
Volume for overall output.
The other two controls, Trigger and Gate, work interactively to give you
an adjustable noise gate with SmartGate™ technology. It can kill hum and
hiss from the distortion signal, while sustaining desired signals without pre-
mature, audible cutoff. The Trigger knob is only active when the Gate switch
is on (depressed down). The yellow LED will flicker on and off as the Gate
function reacts to the notes being played. Use the Trigger knob to set the
noise floor threshold (or sensitivity), balancing between maximum sustain
and minimum noise.
DUNLOP MANUFACTURING, INC. P.O. BOX 846 BENICIA, CA 94510 U.S.A.
TEL: [phone] FAX: [phone] WWW.JIMDUNLOP.COM
92503001773

SAMPLE SETTINGS
To help you get started using your M-80 MXR Bass D.I.+stomp box, we’ve
provided a roadmap of knobs and switch settings used by top artists*.
You’re set to play with any of these settings or find your favorite and exper-
iment from there.
REX BROWN / PANTERRA
TWIGGY RAMIREZ / MARILYN MANSON
ROBERT TRUJILLO / OZZY OSBOURNE
IN-LINE SETTINGS
ROBERT TRUJILLO / OZZY OSBOURNE
TOBIAS CLASSIC 5
*noise gate, color, and phantom/ground buttons are all depressed down

Use these diagrams below to document your favorite settings.