Phil Jones Bass D-400 User manual

D-400
OWNER’S MANUAL
BEDIENUNGSANLEITUNG

Thank you for purchasing the D-400 bass amp. A great deal of dedication and
passion went into designing and building this no-compromise, high performance
compact amplifier. It was conceived to be a dedicated amplifier for the
“connoisseur” bassist. Reading and following this manual will enable you to get
the best performance from the amp and ensure its longevity.
READ THIS FIRST
Before using the D-400 please read ALL the instructions.
On receipt of product, check for any signs of physical damage arising from
shipping. If any damage is visible, contact your retailer.
Keep all original packing.
Do not use this amplifier in a way that would compromise its ventilation system.
When operating, never cover the heat sink on rear panel.
Do not locate this amplifier near any heat source.
This amplifier must be connected only to a power source specified in this
manual.
For safety do not leave the amplifier plugged into a power source for long
periods of time when not in use.
Do not let liquid or any foreign objects fall into any openings on the amplifier.
Never use this amplifier if it has:
1. Suffered any physical damage.
2. Been subjected to any liquids, rain or moisture.
3. Damaged cables connected to it.
If any of the above occurs, the amplifier should be examined by qualified
service personnel.
Always operate this amplifier with the correctly rated fuse.
Never use this amplifier without proper grounding.
The mains plug is used as disconnect device, the disconnect device shall
remain readily operable.
 Protective earthing terminal. The amplifier should be connected to a mains
socket outlet with a protective earthing connection.
 Correct Disposal of this product. This marking indicates that this product
should not be disposed with other household wastes throughout the EU. To
prevent possible harm to the environment or human health from uncontrolled
waste disposal, recycle it responsibly to promote the sustainable reuse of
material resources.
Minimum distances should be over 15cm around the amplifier for sufficient
ventilation. The ventilation should not be impeded by covering the ventilation
openings with items such as newspapers, table-cloths, curtains, etc.
No naked flame sources, such as lighted candles, should be placed on the
amplifier.
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FRONT PANEL AND BACK PANEL OVERVIEW
FRONT
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BACK
FRONT AND BACK PANEL DESCRIPTION
1. PASSIVE BASS INSTRUMENT INPUT JACK
This is a standard 1/4 inch mono jack socket.
For the best possible sound we recommend you use the PJB BI-12 instrument
cable as it has very low self-capacitance and absolute shielding resulting in
greater transparency of sound and less noise.
2. INPUT /MUTE SWICTH
Top Position: Mute On
Middle Position: Low sensitivity for mainly active basses. For basses with
onboard electronics. Input matched for low signal to noise ratio and optimum
transfer of electrical signal from modern high-end basses.
Bottom position: High sensitivity for passive basses that do not have active
electronics, suitable for older 'vintage' basses. This setting is precisely
matched to high impedance pickups, enabling them to faithfully reproduce
the true frequency and dynamic range of the instrument.
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3. LED Clip/Mute Indicator
Green is Mute, Red is overloaded input.
4. Input Level Adjustment
This is a fine-tuning adjustment (+/-10dB) to get the precise match between
your instrument and the D-400. When the RED LED is continuously lighting up,
reduce the level on the input level control.
5. LOW BASS EQ CONTROL
This will adjust the fundamental tones of E and A strings on 4 string basses and
B, E & A on 5 string basses.
6. BASS EQ CONTROL.
This will adjust the fundamental tones of D and G-strings on 4 &5 string basses.
7. MID RANGE EQ CONTROL
8. LOW TEBLE EQ CONTROL
9. HIGH TREBLE (PRESCENCE) EQ CONTROL
10. LIMITER IN/OUT SWITCH
Sends signal through limiter or bypass.
11. COMPRESSOR INDICATOR
This blue L.E.D (Light Emitting Diode) will light up when the signal is being
compressed.
This will vary on how hard the instrument is played and how the threshold is
adjusted.
12. COMPRESSOR THRESHOLD LEVEL CONTROL
This will vary the level and the limiter threshold. The compression ratio is 3dB to
1. Adjust this to suit your playing style and output power of your instrument. The
blue LED will light up when the signal is being compressed. This will vary on how
hard the instrument is played and how the threshold is adjusted.
13. LED POWER ON INDICATOR
Auto standby function:
When connected to AC power, turn on the power, the power LED will light up in
red, that shows the amplifier is in standby mode.
Under standby mode, when the input socket has a signal more than 20mV, the
power LED will turn green, that shows the amplifier is working.
In working mode, if the input signal was smaller than 20mV, the amplifier will
turn into standby mode, and power LED will turn red.
Note: when turning off the amplifier at standby mode, the power LED will stay
red for about 30 seconds or more. This is normal because the amplifier was
discharging.
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14. MASTER VOUME CONTROL
This is the master volume control. It controls how much power you send to the
speakers as well as the line out socket on the back of the amp. When setting up
your tone or plugging in your instrument, you should keep this control at a low
level. Instruments are all different when it comes to how much output is from the
pickups. It is likewise for players depending on how hard or soft you play. Note
this control is a true “Audio Taper ” control so that the level position may be set
higher compared to amps that use a “Linear Taper” control. An “Audio Taper “
control has far more precision in controlling your output and uses the full rotation
to control the level. A Linear control on the other hand uses the first few degrees
of turn to give the impression that the amplifier has more volume than what it
actually does.
15. BALANCED LINE OUT
This is an ultra-low impedance (200Ω) balanced line out for use with recording or
PA mixing consoles. This output is not controlled by the volume control. Changing
the level on your instrument, or input level will however, vary the DI output.
16. BALANCED LINE PRE/POST EQ
This switches the EQ in or out on balanced line. You may choose the tone you have
on your amp to go into the PA or for recording or you can use external EQ on
mixing console the signal is sent to.
17. BALANCED LINE OUT GROUND LIFT SWITCH
Sometimes, AC Hum is induced into a sound system due to the reason that PA and
bass amp are connected to different ground potential (known as ground loop).
This switch disconnects the amps grounding to PA or recording system to
eliminate this hum.
18. FX SEND SOCKET
Connect the FX send to auxiliary FX unit input.
19. FX RETURN SOCKET
Connect the FX Return to auxiliary FX unit output.
20. PRE AMP LINE OUT
This output can be used to drive a powered cabinet.
21. HEADPHONE SOCKET (STEREO PHONES)
We recommend the PJB H850 headphones as they were designed for bass and
high fidelity music reproduction. They are a perfect match to the D-400.
When a headphone is connected to the jack, the speaker output will be
disconnected and the sound from you speakers will be muted.
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22. LOUDSPEAKER OUTPUT
The D-400 amplifier will work on any load from 16Ω down to 4Ω, which is the safe
maximum load for this amplifier. We recommend that you use the PJB SS-4 high-
current, low-resistance cables. Using inferior, higher resistance cables will greatly
impair the performance of your system.
23. AC INPUT SOCKET
24. POWER ON/OFF SWITCH
This switches the main power on and off in the amplifier. When you turn on the
power, it will have about 2 seconds delay to protect the speaker.
Do not leave the amplifier plugged into a power source for a long period of time
when not in use.
OPERATION & POSITIONING
TURN THE VOLUME DOWN or switch the MUTE on the D-400 before plugging in
your instrument.
Connect the speaker or speakers to the D-400. For best results with this amplifier,
you should use PJB loudspeaker cabinets and PJB cables.
ALWAYS USE A HIGH QUALITY GROUNDED AC POWER CABLE. NEVER USE THIS
AMPLIFIER WITH THE GROUND CONNECTION REMOVED. We recommend you use
PJB cables for speaker connections. They have virtually no loss, so there is
maximum transfer of power from amplifier to speaker.
Setting Up the Limiter
Although a limiter is not essential to bass amplification, it can be a useful tool in
smoothing out the character of your instrument or playing style. The D-400
limiter has a preset compression ratio of 3 to 1. For each additional increase of 3
dB above the set threshold, the increased level is actually 1 dB. So the dynamic
range of your instrument is reduced.
First set up the limiter by having the compression control (8) set fully clockwise.
Now switch on the limiter (12). Start playing and turn control (8) counter-
clockwise. You will see the blue light starts to come on which is the indication that
the limiter is now working. Set this control to suit your taste.
Connect to your power source. Make sure the specified voltage is correct for your
country, Connect to a grounded outlet in accordance with the input power
voltage and frequency specified just below the power inlet.
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Power and Impedance Matching
Solid state amplifiers are known as constant voltage devices. This means the
amplifier will maintain a certain voltage to the load, just like an AC wall socket will
put out the same AC voltage whether it connects to one or many light bulbs.
Power increases as more load is added on the amplifier. In other words, the
current will double if 2 x 8 ohm speakers are connected instead of one. The D-400
works from any high impedance down to 4 ohms. The total speaker impedance
can be 16, 12, 8, 6 or 4 ohms or between these. What matters is that the current
does not exceed its 4 ohm load. The lower the impedance, the greater the current
and since the voltage stays pretty much the same, the power is increased. In
reality there is always a small voltage drop in amplifier speaker output as the
speaker load is increased. The lower the speaker impedance, the greater the load
is on the amplifier.
Watts and Loudness
To the human ear an increase in loudness is not linear. For example 300 watts is
not 3 times louder than 100 watts from the same speaker. In fact it is just
noticeably louder. We need ten times the wattage for us to recognize a doubling in
volume. So 1000 watts will sound twice as loud to us as 100 watts.
Loudspeakers also vary in efficiency with frequency. Most loudspeakers are
louder in the mid range than in the bass or extreme high frequencies, which is one
reason we need EQ in am amplifier. An EQ control is a frequency selective volume
control: It boosts or cuts level at a specific frequency. So excessive boosting of
frequencies, especially on bass frequencies where almost 90% of the amplifier
power is used can rob a bass system of headroom.
Speaker Positioning and EQ
Nearly all bass speakers are Omni-directional at all the fundamental bass tones from
about 200Hz (the fundamental of a G string on 12th Fret) down to the lowest
frequency a speaker can reproduce. The open E is 41.2Hz and open B string is 31Hz.
Mid range and high frequencies tend to be directional. This is why many players angle
their cabinets to ear level so they can hear the definition better.
Because bass frequencies radiate all around the cabinet, the bass will sound weaker
when the cabinet is placed on a large stage with no boundaries. By placing the
speakers close to a wall or even to a corner, the bass frequencies will appear to be
much stronger and it may not need to have much boost on EQ to allow the amp to have
more headroom.
By careful positioning of your bass speakers, you may be able to get a fuller low
frequency without the use of boosting too much EQ. This will give not only give your
amp more headroom, but also put less stress on your speakers.
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Speaker Selection
D-400 can work with speaker load of 4 to 16 Ohms. A 4 ohm cabinet will make full
use of the amplifier's power.
PJB makes a few models of bass cabinets that will match the D-400. Please refer to
their specs to choose one that suits you.
Speaker cables: If possible, try to use PJB SS-4 high performance cable which has
Speakon connecters and are the correct length needed for speaker connection.
The PJB EAR-BOX personal bass monitor will greatly enhance your playing
experience in all situations. This is a tiny 2 x3 inch speaker box that fits on a
microphone stand. It you play fretless bass, this may be an essential piece of kit
for you. The PJB EAR-BOX connects to speaker outputs of amplifier and does not
change the speaker impedance load.
TRANSPORTING AND STORING THE D-400
When transporting or storing the D-400, it is recommended that you always
use the gig bag provided.
When Storing:
Keep in a dry location, preferably at room temperature in the gig bag.
Do not store in temperatures below -20 Degrees C or above 40 Degrees C.
Do not allow it to get wet. If this occurs, never turn it on in this condition.
Do not leave the D-400 permanently connected to a power source.
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SPECIFICATIONS
Amplifier
PJB 350 watt, D class amplifier with digital switch mode power supply.
Frequency Response
Passive and Active input: 30Hz -20KHz
Maximum Output Power
300 watts RMS into 4 ohms
Signal to Noise Ratio
≥85dB(A) (EQ off, Volume on Full.)
Impedance
Passive Input: >4MΩ/22pF
Active Input: >100KΩ/22pF
Line Input: >75KΩ
Pre Amp Line Out: < 2KΩ
Bal. Out: <1KΩ
Levels
Passive Input: 10mV-1V
Active Input: 20mV-3V
Pre Amp Out: 1.2V
FX send: 1.2V
Bal. Line Out: Typical 500mV
Compressor / Limiter
Gain: 0dB
Compression Ratio: 3dB: 1dB
EQ CENTER FREQUENCIES
70Hz, 160Hz, 630Hz, 2.5KHz, 12KHz at +/- 18dB
Included with D-400: Padded Gig Bag and Power cable.
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SERVICE/WARRANTY INFORMATION
The D-400 carries a 2-year limited warranty on parts and labor.
Products must be purchased from an authorized PJB dealer.
Buyer must complete and return the enclosed warranty card within 15 days of
purchase, or register online by www.pjbworld.com
This warranty covers defect in materials or workmanship that occurs in normal
use. Within warranty period PJB or its local distributor will repair or replace the
defect unit free of labor and parts charge. It is the buyer’s responsibility to use
the unit strictly according to instructions written in the owner’s manual.
This warranty is not transferable; it is provided to original owner only.
Damage/defects caused by the following conditions are not covered by this
warranty:
Improper handling, neglect or failure to operate the unit in compliance with
the instructions given in user manual;
Connection or operation in any way that does not comply with the technical or
safely regulations applicable in the country where the product is used;
Repairs or modifications by anyone other than authorized PJB service agent;
Damages/defects caused by force majeure or any other condition that is
beyond the control of PJB.
IMPORTANT:
In all warranty issues your first line of communication should be to the retailer
you purchased from, even if you have purchased product from an online source.
When a local distributor is available, customer who prefers to purchase across
country online maybe required to pay shipping charges to retailer in order to
obtain service.
Warranty policies differ in countries outside of USA. Please check with local
distributors for warranty information in your region. Register first with your local
distributor if available will give you better and quicker service when needed.
Further questions, please contact your local distributors, or PJB by email
[e-mail].
PHIL JONES BASS
American Acoustic Development LLC
8509 Mid County Industrial Dr St Louis,
MO 63114 USA
Tel: [phone] (855-BASS-510)
www.pjbworld.com
[e-mail]
For servicing outside USA please contact our distributor in your country.
Information can be found on our website.
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American Acoustic Development LLC
8509 Mid County Industrial Dr, St Louis,
MO 63114 USA
WWW.PJBWORLD.COM
Printed in China