Positive Grid BIAS DISTORTION User manual

BIAS
DISTORTION
Product Manual

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INTRODUCTION
First and foremost, thank you for purchasing BIAS Distortion, the
world’s first tone-matching distortion pedal! BIAS Distortion not
only delivers a wide variety of your favorite distortion effects, it
also allows you to accurately match the sound of any distortion
pedal you want and store it right into this powerful device.
For you hardware enthusiasts out there, our BIAS Pedal software
provides a virtual workshop for you to build your own distortion
pedals at the component level. From the topology of the clipping
stage to the power module, all the components you find in an
analog distortion pedal are available for you to customize.
Before you plug in your guitar and start jamming, please take the
time to review this owner's manual and go over some of the
basics about the pedal.
CONTENTS
BIAS Distortion
Introduction 1
Getting started 5
Overview 9
Function and operation 11
Within the box
Connect to a power source
Signal Connection
Connect with BIAS Pedal app
Engage & Bypass
Save Preset
Assign Footswitch
Boost
Expression Pedal
MIDI
Factory Reset
Control Panel
Footswitch Panel
Rear Panel

3 4
BIAS Pedal
Introduction 19
How to get BIAS Pedal 20
BIAS Pedal user interface 25
Preset menu 29
Save Presets 30
How to Match a Pedal 39
Noise Gate 41
Amp Room 42
Signal path 31
ToneCloud 43
Settings 45
Connect with BIAS Distortion 47
51
56
Redeem & Activate My Software
Buy BIAS Pedal on Apple App Store
Desktop Version
Mobile Version
How to preview presets on ToneCloud
Download presets from ToneCloud
Desktop version
Mobile version
Custom Panel
Clipping Stage
Tone Stage
Power Module
EQ (Equalizer)
Pedal Match
Remote Mode
Device Preset Menu
Store presets to BIAS Distortion
Device Setting Menu
Firmware Upgrade
Others
Warranty
End User License Agreement

5 6
GETTING STARTED
Connect to a power source
A 9V DC power adapter or USB (via a
Micro USB cable) can power BIAS
Distortion. You’ll find both power
connectors on the rear panel.
To power the unit with a 9V DC adapter,
insert its power plug and connect the
power adapter to an electrical outlet.
To power the unit via USB, insert the
Micro USB cable into the pedal and
connect the other end of the cable to a
USB port on your laptop or desktop
computer.
During the booting stage, all LEDs on
the control panel will flash red and blue,
indicating that the pedal is booting up.
Red & Blue Lights
Red & Blue LightsRed Lights
Signal Connection
BIAS Distortion is both a distortion pedal
and preamp pedal.
As a distortion pedal, BIAS Distortion is
able to increase the sustain, saturation
and distortion that a real amplifier is not
able to provide. Alternatively, it can just
be used to boost the signal for an
amplifier.
Simply put the pedal in the signal chain
before a guitar or bass amplifier.
As a preamp pedal, BIAS Distortion is
able to work like a preamp from any
other guitar or bass amplifier.
The control panel provides 6 tone-shap-
ing knobs (please refer to the Control
Panel section of this manual) including
gain, master volume and an equalizer.
You can patch the output signal from
BIAS Distortion into any power amplifier.
*Note: BIAS Distortion provides either True Bypass or
Buffer Bypass (please refer to the Bypass mode section
of this manual) for you to choose from. If you have a
lengthy cable and a long signal path but still want to
preserve high frequencies, Buffer Bypass will be suitable
for your needs. On the other hand, if you want to tone
down the harsh top end in your sound, True Bypass
might fit your needs better.
Within the box
Please carefully review each item in the box :
・BIAS Distortion ・9V DC power adapter ・Micro USB cable
・Quick Start Guide ・Redeem card for BIAS Pedal Distortion Pack ・Optional rubber footers

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Alternatively, you can connect to the
RETURN input of any guitar or bass
amplifier that has an effect loop, which
allows the signal to bypass the preamp
section of the amplifier and directly go
into the power amp.
Either way, BIAS Distortion is now
functioning as a preamp pedal. You are
not only in possession of a powerful
distortion pedal, but also a preamp
pedal with various tonalities.
Connect with BIAS Pedal app
BIAS Distortion comes with the BIAS
Pedal - Distortion Pack license (for
desktop software). You can redeem the
software code on our store page (see
the Redeem & Activate My Software
section). In addition to BIAS Pedal
desktop software, there’s also a mobile
version of BIAS Pedal for iPad available
(sold separately).
To connect with the BIAS Pedal (desktop) software, simply connect BIAS Distortion to your computer
using the supplied Micro USB cable and launch the BIAS Pedal software.
BIAS Distortion will automatically connect with the BIAS Pedal software and initiate Remote Mode
(see the Remote Mode section of this manual).
*Note: If BIAS Pedal mobile is unable to detect your BIAS Distortion pedal, please check that the wireless function is turned on and
reconnect again. Also try bringing your mobile device closer to the pedal.
To connect with BIAS Pedal mobile software, turn on
the Wireless function on BIAS Distortion by engaging
the Wireless button on the rear panel. The LED will
start to blink, indicating that the pedal is now in
pairing mode and ready for connection.
Then launch BIAS Pedal mobile, go to Settings =>
Connect. BIAS Pedal mobile will begin searching for
an active BIAS Distortion pedal nearby and connect
with the pedal automatically.

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OVERVIEW
Control Panel
・Preset knob
Controls the currently engaged preset. Once a
parameter changes, the LED will start to blink,
indicating that a change has been made to the
current preset. Long-press the Preset knob again
to save your edits to the preset. BIAS Distortion
comes with 20 presets -10 presets for each bank.
Press the knob to switch between the 1st bank
(red) and 2nd bank (blue).
・GAIN
Controls the amount of distortion in the clipping
stage
(see the Clipping Stage section of this manual).
・BLEND
Controls the wet/dry ratio of the output stage
(secondary distortion) module.
(see the Output Stage section of this manual).
・LEVEL
Controls the overall output volume.
・LOW
Controls the low frequencies’ volume.
・MID
Controls the midrange frequencies’ volume.
・HIGH
Controls the high frequencies’ volume.
・BOOST
Controls the volume of the additional
booster function on the BIAS Distortion
pedal (see the Boost section of this
manual).
・Boost type
Select from three different boost types (see
the Boost section).
Footswitch Panel
Rear Panel
・Input
¼” TS Hi-Z input
・EXP.
¼” TRS jack for an Expression pedal (see the
Expression Pedal section of this manual).
・Output
¼” TS output
・USB
Micro USB, for supplying power to the pedal and
integrating it with BIAS Pedal (desktop) software.
・MIDI In/Thru
Supports standard MIDI with 5-pin MIDI jack (see the MIDI section of this manual).
・Wireless button/Blinking LED
There are 2 different LED states:
>LED blinks rapidly - Wireless is in pairing mode and ready to connect with BIAS Pedal mobile.
>LED stays static - Connecting with BIAS Pedal mobile.
・9V DC Power Jack
Supports 9V DC power supply with negative tips. The minimum current draw is 270mA.
BIAS Distortion comes with footswitches
labeled A, B and C, and a BOOST footswitch.
The A, B and C footswitches allow you to
alternately engage and bypass presets for the
BIAS Distortion pedal (see the Footswitch
Mapping section of this manual).
The BOOST footswitch can engage the additional booster circuit BEFORE or AFTER the distortion
effect for the BIAS Distortion pedal.

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FUNCTION AND OPERATION
1. Engage & Bypass
When you first plug the power in, the pedal will be in Bypass Mode, meaning that the input
signal will be passed through the pedal without any modification from the presets.
There are two different bypass types for BIAS Distortion:
A. Buffer Bypass (System default) - The signal will go through the buffer circuit and generate a
lower-impedance output signal. This allows the output signal to go through a much longer
cable without compromising high frequencies. In addition, Buffer Bypass can prevent the
common ‘pop’ noise when engaging/disengaging a preset.
B. True Bypass - This creates a short circuit between the input and output to keep the
bypassed signal untouched as a high-impedance output signal. If you are using a cable
longer than 18.5 feet, you might get volume loss in the high frequencies using this
bypass mode.
To engage a preset, press one of the A/B/C footswitches to turn on the effect. Press the same
footswitch again to switch back to bypass mode, or press another footswitch to switch to
another preset.
2. Save Preset
Once a preset is recalled, you can tweak any of the knobs on the control panel to modify its
sound and the Preset LED will start to blink, indicating that the parameter’s value has
changed.
3. Assign Footswitch
Each footswitch can turn on or off one of the 20 presets in
the pedal.
1. hold the preset knob
2. LED stop blinking
1. hold the preset knob
2. LED stop blinking
1. switch to other presets
2. LED start to blink
Preset ON 1. tweak of the knob
2. LED start to blink
To save the parameter changes, hold the Preset knob until
its LED stops blinking.
To dismiss the changes, switch to another preset or
switch back to Bypass Mode.
To assign a different preset to a footswitch, just tweak the
Preset knob to switch to another preset and the footswitch
LED will start to blink. Hold the Preset knob until the LED
stops blinking, and the footswitch-preset mapping will
update.

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4. Boost
BIAS Distortion comes with an additional booster that allows you to boost the gain or volume
depending on your needs. You can choose from three different boost types with the toggle
switch on the control panel. Different boost types provide different tonality.
・Treble Boost - Boosts the volume in the highs
・Clean Boost - Boosts the volume over the entire frequency range
・Fat Boost - Boosts the volume in the low-midrange band
Boost Position:
Long-press the Boost footswitch to switch between Pre and Post positioning of the boost effect.
・Pre (Red) - The boost effect is placed BEFORE the distortion effect. Pushing the volume will
mainly increase the gain and saturation.
・Post (Blue) - The boost effect is placed AFTER the distortion effect. Pushing the volume will
mainly increase the overall volume of the signal.
5. Expression Pedal
BIAS Distortion supports expression pedals, allowing you to continuous control parameters
live on stage. BIAS Distortion can work with standard TRS expression pedals for continuous
control by adjusting the knobs on your BIAS Distortion.
・Calibration
1. Plug in an expression pedal with a cable
fitted with a TRS plug.
2. Engage the preset you want to control with
the expression pedal.
3. Hold down the Wireless button on the pedal’s
rear panel to engage Calibration mode; LED
Awill start to blink. Set the expression pedal
to the minimum position and turn the knobs to
the desired value. Press footswitch A to save.
Footswitch B will automatically start to blink
as you finish calibrating footswitch A.
4. Turn the expression pedal to the maximum
position and turn the knobs to the maximum
value. Press footswitch B to save and leave
calibration mode.
5. Hold down the Wireless button to leave
calibration mode directly.
・Control
Once you’re done calibrating, simply depress
the expression pedal and the parameters will
change linearly between the minimum and
maximum values.
Value when exp. pedal in minimum position
Value when exp. pedal in minimum position

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6. MIDI
BIAS Distortion supports standard MIDI commands.
・MIDI IN - This connector receives MIDI commands from an external MIDI device. Plug the
MIDI Out from the external MIDI device to MIDI IN on BIAS Distortion.
・MIDI THRU - You can connect MIDI THRU to another MIDI device. BIAS Distortion will pass
a MIDI command it receives at its MIDI IN connector to its MIDI THRU port to send the
command on to another MIDI device.
・MIDI Channel
The default MIDI Channel is 1. With the BIAS Pedal app, you can select a MIDI channel from
1-16 or select Omni (sending/receiving MIDI on all channels).
・Program Change
Program Change allows you to switch
presets with an external MIDI device.
PC# Preset
PC# 0 Preset 1
PC# 1 Preset 2
PC# 2 Preset 3
PC# 3 Preset 4
PC# 4 Preset 5
PC# 5 Preset 6
PC# 6 Preset 7
PC# 7 Preset 8
PC# 8 Preset 9
PC# 9 Preset 10
PC# 10 Preset 11
PC# 11 Preset 12
PC# 12 Preset 13
PC# 13 Preset 14
PC# 14 Preset 15
PC# 15 Preset 16
PC# 16 Preset 17
PC# 17 Preset 18
PC# 18 Preset 19
PC# 19 Preset 20
・Control Change
Control Change allows you to control specific
parameters with an external MIDI device.
CC# Control Value
CC# 20 LOW 0-127
0-127
0-127
0-127
0-127
0-127
0-127
0-127
0-2
0=up, 127=Down
0=up, 127=Down
0=up, 127=Down
0=up, 127=Down
0=up, 127=Down
0-127
CC# 21 MID
CC# 22 HIGH
CC# 10 MASTER (LEVEL)
CC# 11 GAIN
CC# 12 BLEND
CC# 13 TONE
CC# 50 Boost knob
CC# 51 BOOST type
CC# 80 A Footswitch
CC# 81 B Footswitch
CC# 82 C Footswitch
CC# 83 Boost Footswitch
CC# 93 Boost Long Press
CC# 100 Expression Pedal

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7. Factory Reset
Factory reset allows you to reset your pedal back to its factory-default state. By holding down
the Wireless button and plugging the power in, the pedal will engage Reset Mode. While in
Reset Mode, the LED lights will keep blinking. You can long-press the Wireless button again to
reset the device, or press it briefly to leave Reset Mode. The pedal will then reboot to complete
the reset process. You can also reset the pedal using the BIAS Pedal app.
Items that will be reset:
・Device name
・MIDI settings
・Presets
・Bypass types
・Footswitch mappings
BIAS PEDAL (SOFTWARE)

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INTRODUCTION
BIAS Pedal is a multi-platform application for stompbox design
and modeling. The software lets you design your own distortion
effect pedal by customizing every single component, including
topology, power source, filter and the outer design of the pedal.
You can also share your pedal with Positive Grid’s global
ToneCloud community and download amazing pedals straight
from ToneCloud.
BIAS Pedal also comes with BIAS Distortion support, allowing you
to use BIAS Pedal as an interface to customize BIAS Distortion.
HOW TO GET BIAS PEDAL?
Redeem & Activate My Software
BIAS Distortion comes with BIAS Pedal - Distortion Pack ( desktop software).
Go to our website https://store.positivegrid.com/redeem
and enter the redeem code printed on the redeem card.
Once your code has been redeemed,
go back to the store page to
download the installer and
install BIAS Pedal - Distortion Pack.

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System requirements for BIAS Pedal
desktop version:
After the installation, you can find
BIAS Pedal in your DAW or Applica-
tions folder.
To activate your license, just log into
your ToneCloud account in BIAS
Pedal through the Settings menu. All
features found in the Distortion Pack
will be unlocked once you log in.
System Requirement
Windows Windows 7 or later
Mac OS X 10.9 or later
Support DAW Requirements
Ableton Live 8.0 or above
Avid Pro Tools 10 or above
Apple Logic Pro 9.0 or above
Apple GarageBand 6.0.5, 10.0 or abov
Cakewalk Sonar X2 or above
Cockos Reaper 3.4 or above
Steinberg Cubase 5.0 or above
Steinberg Nuendo 4.3 or above
PreSonus Studio One Producer/Professional 2 or above

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Buy BIAS Pedal on Apple’s App Store
BIAS Pedal also comes with a mobile
version for iPad. Search for BIAS
Pedal on the App Store and down-
load the trial version for free. You get
the full-featured version of BIAS
Pedal by unlocking the trial version,
which procedure is explained next.
To unlock all the features of BIAS
Pedal - Distortion Pack and obtain a
permanent license for the app, go to
Positive Grid’s in-app store by
clicking on the shopping-cart icon in
the interface’s upper-right corner and
follow the prompts to purchase it.

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1. ToneCloud - Enters the ToneCloud page.
2. Effects page - Switches among installed software packs. Available software packs include
Distortion Pack, Delay Pack and Modulation Pack.
3. Preset menu -Shows the current preset. Click to open the preset menu.
4. Save button -See the Save Preset section of this manual for more information.
5. Setting Menu -See the Settings section of this manual for more information.
6. Signal Path -See the Signal Path section of this manual for more information.
7. Input volume -Controls the input volume. To prevent feedback, the input volume will be
muted at startup when using a built-in microphone and speaker as the chosen audio
input/output device.
8. Tempo -Shows the current BPM (beats-per-minute) value. You can set the BPM by entering
the desired value or by using the built-in tap tempo feature. The BPM range goes from 40 to
400.
9. Quick Snap -Provides 8 slots to save and instantly recall different parameter setups for
instant comparison of different settings.
10. Noise Gate -See the Noise Gate section of this manual for more information.
11. Amp Room -See the Amp Room section of this manual for more information.
12. Output volume -Controls the output volume.
13. Design button -Customize the look of your pedal. See the Custom Panel section of this
manual for more information.
BIAS PEDAL USER INTERFACE
Desktop Version
1
7 8 9 10 11 12
6
23 4 5
13

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Mobile Version 1. ToneCloud - Enters the ToneCloud page.
2. Effects page - Switches among installed software packs. Available software packs include
Distortion Pack, Delay Pack and Modulation Pack.
3. Preset menu -Shows the current preset. Press to open the preset menu.
4. Save button -See the Save Preset section of this manual for more information.
5. In app purchase -Buy full-featured version of BIAS Pedal.
6. Setting Menu -See the Settings section of this manual for more information.
7. Tooltip -Helpful tips explaining each button and knob.
8. Signal Path -See the Signal Path section of this manual for more information.
9. Input volume -Controls the input volume. To prevent feedback, the input volume will be
muted at startup when using a built-in microphone and speaker as the chosen audio
input/output device.
10. Tempo -Shows the current BPM value. You can set the BPM by entering the desired value
or by using the built-in tap tempo feature. The BPM range goes from 40 to 400.
11. Quick Snap -Provides 8 slots to save and instantly recall different parameter setups for
instant comparison of different settings.
12. Noise Gate -See the Noise Gate section of this manual for more information.
13. Amp Room -See the Amp Room section of this manual for more information.
14. Output volume -Controls the output volume.
15. Design button -Customize the look of your pedal. See the Custom Panel section of this
manual for more information.
16. Open in BIAS FX -Import current pedal to BIAS FX. Needs BIAS FX mobile.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
9 10 11 12 13 14
8
15
16

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1. CATEGORY - Shows all the available preset categories. Each category can store several
presets. You can add new categories or delete them. Make sure you don’t delete the entire
category if you want to keep the presets that are inside.
2. EDIT (Category) -Renames, reorders or deletes categories. Click Done when you’re finished
editing.
3. PRESETS -Shows all the pedals in the selected category. Click each pedal to load its
sound. Click twice to check its signal path and to change the parameters for this preset.
4. EDIT (Preset) -Renames, reorders or deletes presets. You can drag presets to other
categories. Click Done when you’re finished editing.
・Overwrite - Save the changes made to the parameters for the current preset.
・Save as new -Save current parameters as a new preset and select a category to store it to.
・Share to ToneCloud -Share your preset to ToneCloud.
・Delete Pedal -Delete current pedal.
The save button will light up after any parameter changes, indicating that the changes have not
been saved yet.
PRESET MENU SAVE PRESETS
BIAS Pedal lets you store every pedal you build and recall them anytime, anywhere.
On the top menu bar, click the save button next to the preset name to see the save options.
1 2 3 4

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SIGNAL PATH
The signal path shows you how the signal is being processed. Each module in the signal path
provides different functionalities and a different control interface. This section will show you how
to work with these modules and how to get the tone you want.
Custom Panel
The Custom Panel shows how the pedal looks. You can custom-design the look of your pedal by
editing the options listed immediately below.
1. PHOTO
Load a photo from your iPad or computer
to use as the background image for the
pedal. You can alo adjust the image size
and its position on the pedal.
2. RENAME
Name or rename your pedal at any time.
3. BOX
Select the type of box. Different boxes
come with different knob placements and
numbers.
4. COLOR
Select the background color.
5. KNOB
Select the knob design.
Clipping Stage
The Clipping stage is the first distortion stage in the signal path. This stage allows you to design
the gain structure of BIAS Distortion.
1. Pre Lowcut
Adjusts the bandwidth of the low-frequency
range. The higher you set the LOW CUT
FREQ slider, the less extended the bass
response will be in the clipping stage. In
other words, this adjusts the tone at the front
of the clipping stage (before distortion).
2. Pre Highcut
Adjusts the bandwidth of the high-frequency
band. The lower you set the HIGH CUT
FREQ slider, the less extended the high
response will be in the clipping stage.
3. Gain
The GAIN KNOB sets the amount of
clipping-stage input gain and thus controls
the clipping stage’s distortion overall.
4. Distortion
The distortion knob is an extra control that
adjusts the amount of distortion in the
selected topology.

33 34
5. BIAS
Lowering the BIAS ADJUST control will
provide a cleaner tone (containing less
harmonics), while higher settings will provide
a warmer tone (with more harmonics).
6. Topology
Tap to choose among 5 transistors and their
different types of distortion. You can also mix
clipping and output stages with different
topologies to experiment with different tones.
7. Post Lowcut
Adjusts the bandwidth of the lower-frequen-
cy range. The higher you set the LOW CUT
FREQ slider , the less extended the bass
response will be in the clipping stage. This
adjusts the tone at the back of the clipping
stage (after distortion).
8. Post Highcut
Adjusts the bandwidth of the high-frequency
band after the clipping stage. The lower you
set the HIGH CUT FREQ slider, the less
extended the high-frequency response will
be after the clipping stage.
Tone Stage
The Tone stage is a secondary distortion stage and a tone-shaping stage.
1. Pre Lowcut
Adjusts the bandwidth of the low-frequen-
cy band. The higher you set the LOW CUT
FREQ slider , the less extended the bass
response will be in the clipping stage. In
other words, this adjusts the tone at the
front of the output stage.
2. Pre Highcut
Adjusts the bandwidth of the high-frequen-
cy band. The lower you set the HIGH CUT
FREQ slider, the less extended the high
response will be in the clipping stage.
3. Distortion
The distortion knob is an extra control that
adjusts the amount of distortion for the
selected topology.
4. Topology
Tap to choose among 5 transistors for
different types of distortion. You can also
mix clipping and output stages with
different topologies to experiment with
different tones.

35 36
5. Post EQ (Low, Mid, High)
These controls respectively boost or
attenuate the bass, midrange and high
frequencies after the output stages.
6. Tone
This controls the high and low frequencies
with different distortion stages. You can
switch between Resonate and Tilt mode
using the switch to the left of the this knob.
7. Resonate
In Resonate Mode, higher values will boost
more high frequencies and preserve
the most low frequencies.
8. Tilt
In Tilt Mode, higher values will reduce low
frequencies and boost high frequencies. A
lower value will increase the bass and
reduce the highs.
9. Output
Adjusts the output gain for the clipping
stage.
10. Mix
Adjusts the signal balance between
clipping and output stages.
Power Module
The Power Module controls the output stage of the effect. You can switch among different power
supply options, selecting from 6V to 18V batteries.
1. Attack
Determines how quickly compression is
applied.
2. Release
Determines how quickly compression
ceases and the signal level recovers.
3. COMP
Adjusts the overall compression amount
sent to the selected battery module.
4. Output
Adjusts the output gain after compression.
5. Battery
Sets the input level (threshold) above
which compression begins. It is affected
by the level of the COMP control.
6V: -45dB~-30dB
9V: -35dB~-20dB
12V: -25dB~-10dB
18V: -15dB~0dB

37 38
EQ (Equalizer)
EQ allows you to adjust the balance of frequencies in the signal. You can turn down the volume
at a certain frequency to make it sound more polished. BIAS Pedal provides 3 EQ module types
for you to choose from.
Studio EQ
・Preset - Loads factory and user EQ setups.
Save and name your user Studio EQ setups
here.
・Gain - Adjusts the boost or attenuation for bass,
mid, and high filters.
・Frequency - Sets the frequency for each filter.
・LEVEL - Adjusts the output level of the EQ
module.
・MIX - Adjusts the Dry/Wet ratio for the EQ.
Graphic EQ
・Preset - Loads factory and user EQ setups.
Save and name your user Graphic EQ setups
here.
・Filter - Filter 1 is a low-cut filter. Filter 8 is a
high-cut filter. Filters 2 through 7 are peaking
(bell-curve) filters.
・Numbers - Tap a numbered button to turn its
filter on.
・LEVEL - Adjusts the output level of the EQ
module.
・MIX - Adjusts the Dry/Wet ratio for the EQ.
Parametric EQ
・Preset - Loads factory and user EQ setups.
Save and name your user Parametric EQ
setups here.
・Slider - Drag the slider to adjust the boost or
attenuation amount for different frequencies.
・LEVEL - Adjusts the output level for the EQ
module.
・MIX - Adjusts the Dry/Wet ratio for the EQ.
Pedal Match
With the power of our Tone Match Technology, you can capture the sound of any distortion pedal
or pre-recorded track and create a matched model (see the How to Match a Pedal section
immediately below).