Radial Engineering R800 7071 00 User manual

USER GUIDE
BASSBONE • V2
Radial Engineering Ltd.
1845 Kingsway Ave., Port Coquitlam, BC
V3C 1S9, Canada
Tel: [phone] • Fax: [phone]
email: [email protected]
www.radialeng.com

Table of Contents Page
Overview ................................................................................ 1
Features and Functions.......................................................... 2
Getting Started ....................................................................... 4
Making Connections............................................................... 5
Channel Controls.................................................................... 6
Using A Second Bass ............................................................. 7
Connecting Piezo Pickups...................................................... 7
Power Booster, Mute and Tuner............................................. 8
Using The Blend Control ........................................................ 9
Using E󰀨ect Pedals .............................................................. 10
Using The E󰀨ects Loop ........................................................ 11
Using The Direct Output....................................................... 12
Warranty .................................................................Back Cover
Thank you for choosing the Radial Bassbone V2 bass
command center. This analog pedal lets you connect one or
two basses, control their EQ, connect e󰀨ect pedals, a tuner,
stage amplier and output the signal to the PA or recording
system. The Bassbone has been developed to help you take
control of your live performance and open the door to creativity
in the studio.
Before you get started we kindly ask that you take a few
minutes to read the user guide. This explains many of the
functions, and how to get the most out of them. If after reading
you nd yourself asking questions, we suggest you visit the
Bassbone FAQ page on the Radial web site. This is where we
post questions from users and product updates. If you can not
nd an answer to your question we invite you to contact us at
[email protected] and we will do our very best to answer
you in short order.
Now get ready to take command of the stage!
RADIAL BASSBONE • V2
USER GUIDE

Bassbone V2 Preamp
Radial Engineering Ltd.
OVERVIEW
The Bassbone V2 is a powerful two channel instrument preamp that is
able to handle all types of bass instruments and pickups depending on
how it is congured. Some examples include:
1. Using with one bass: When one bass is connected, the Bassbone
automatically converts to a two channel preamp. You can toggle to
channel-B and use the powerful EQ to make a vintage passive bass
sound like a modern active.
INPUT-A
INPUT-B
A/B
SELECT
2. Using with two basses: Connecting a second instrument to the
INPUT-B jack turns the Bassbone into a two instrument preamp. You
can toggle between instruments by stomping on the footswitch.
INPUT-A
INPUT-B
A/B
SELECT
3. Switching between upright bass and electric bass: The Bassbone
is equipped with a special PZB booster circuit that allows a passive piezo
transducer to connect directly to INPUT-B. This lets you quickly transition
from an electric bass to a piezo equipped upright bass.
INPUT-A
INPUT-B
PIEZO A/B
SELECT
4. Mixing two pickups: Players that use acoustic/electric basses with
two pickup systems can employ the Bassbone's unique BLEND function.
This turns both channels on and lets you mix the sound of both pickups.
INPUT-A
INPUT-B
A/B
BLEND
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Bassbone V2 Preamp
Radial Engineering Ltd. 2
1. SELECT FOOTSWITCH: Selects
between channels when used with one
bass. Selects between instruments when
used with two basses. Features a large,
bright LED indicator for each channel.
2. LEVEL-A and LEVEL-B: Adjusts
instrument level for each channel.
3. 3-BAND EQ: The EQ on channel-B lets
you carve your tone to suit any playing
style or instrument. Low +/-12dB @ 75
Hz, Mid +/-10dB @ 470 Hz, High +/-16dB
@ 5.6 Khz.
4. LOOP WET/DRY: Rotary control lets
you mix the original ‘dry’ bass sound with
the ‘wet’ effects loop.
5. BOOST: Controls the amount of signal
boost from 0-12dB, variable.
6. BOOST FOOTSWITCH: Activates
power booster or the mute function. With
a large, easy to see LED indicator.
7. LOOP ASSIGN: Three position switch
used to assign the effects loop to one or
both channels.
FEATURES
8. HPF-2: High pass lter on channel-B
rolls-off excessive low frequency
resonance and cleans up signal. Choose
between 60Hz, 80Hz and off.
9. LOOP FOOTSWITCH: Turns the
effects loop on and off. Features a large,
bright LED indicator.
10. EQ-1: Three position switch selects
between at and two preset EQ contour
curves on channel-A.
11. INPUT-A: Primary ¼" instrument
input. The signal is also automatically
sent to channel-B when no instrument is
connected to the input-2 jack.
12. INPUT-B: ¼" instrument input jack for
a second bass.
13. PZB (INPUT-2): Recessed switch
turns on the piezo booster and increases
impedance to 10 meg-ohms and gain by
10dB. Push inward to activate or leave
outward for instruments with standard
active/passive pickups.
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Bassbone V2 Preamp
Radial Engineering Ltd. 3
14. BLEND: Recessed switch turns on
both channels for instruments with dual
electric/acoustic pickup systems. Push the
switch in to mix channels-1 and 2 or out for
normal use. When pushed in the channel
SELECT footswitch is deactivated.
15. BOOST/MUTE: Recessed switch
assigns the BOOST footswitch to either
the power booster or mute.
16. OUT: ¼" instrument output jack
connects to your bass amplier.
17. TUNER OUT: ¼" output for a tuner.
Always on for tuning on the y or used in
conjunction with the mute footswitch for
silent tuning.
18. SEND & RECV: Send and receive ¼"
jacks for the effects loop.
19. 180° (XLR): Recessed switch
reverses pins-2 and 3 at the balanced
XLR output to phase align sound with PA
or to reduce feedback.
20. BALANCED OUT: Direct XLR output
sends the ‘post-EQ’ Bassbone sound to
the PA or recording console.
21. LIFT: Recessed ground lift switch
disconnects pin-1 on the XLR output to
help eliminate hum and buzz caused by
ground loops.
22. 15VDC: Connection for the Radial
15VDC/400mA power supply (included).
23. CABLE CLAMP: Prevents accidental
power disconnection by locking down the
AC adapter cable.
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Bassbone V2 Preamp
Radial Engineering Ltd.
GETTING STARTED
Make sure the volume levels on your amp and audio system are turned
down before making connections. This will help avoid plug-in and turn-on
transients that can damage more sensitive components such as
tweeters.
Set the controls and switches as illustrated in the diagram below. This
represents a neutral starting position for the Bassbone from where
further adjustments will be made.
INPUT-B
INPUT-A
OUTPUT
B
A
BOOST LOOP BASS MID HIGH LEVEL-B LEVEL-A
DRY WET
Some of the Bassbone functions are controlled by 'set & forget' switches
on the side panels. These switches are recessed to prevent accidental
use and can be accessed with a small screwdriver when needed. Ensure
all ve of these switches are set to their outward positions to start with.
Use a small screwdriver to
access the set-n-forget
Using the cable clamp prevents
accidental power disconnection.
There is no power switch on the Bassbone. As soon as you connect the
15VDC power supply, it will turn on and either the channel-A or B LED
will illuminate. A handy cable clamp located next to the power jack can
be employed to prevent accidental power disconnection. Use a hex 1/16"
driver to loosen the cable clamp. Loop the cable through the clamp and
re-tighten.
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Bassbone V2 Preamp
Radial Engineering Ltd. 5
MAKING CONNECTIONS
As described earlier in this guide, a cool thing about the Bassbone is
that it can be congured in various ways, depending on your desired
setup. However, we suggest testing with one bass and your amplier
before adding additional instruments, e󰀨ects and electronics. This
way troubleshooting is kept to a minimum. If you start by connecting
everything at once it can be very hard to gure things out should you run
into a problem.
Both Bassbone channels employ standard ¼" instrument inputs that
accept active and passive pickups. Use standard coaxial instrument
cable to make your connections.
Start by connecting your bass to the channel-A input. Next, connect the
Bassbone's ¼" OUT jack to your amplier. If the channel-A LED is not
already illuminated, press the SELECT footswitch.
INPUT-B
INPUT-A
OUTPUT
B
A
BOOST LOOP BASS MID HIGH LEVEL-B LEVEL-A
DRY WET
Slowly turn the gain up on your amplier and test at a low volume to
ensure everything is working before turning up the volume to a comfort-
able listening level.
USING ONE BASS
With a single instrument connected to INPUT-A the Bassbone will
automatically operate as a two channel preamp. Depressing the SELECT
footswitch toggles between the Bassbone channels. This works because
INPUT-B is equipped with a special switching jack that, when unused,
routes the signal from the INPUT-A jack to channel-B when selected.
INPUT-A
INPUT-B
A/B
SELECT
When using a single instrument with the Bassbone, this feature allows
you to use channel-A for your traditional bass/amp sound, and then use
the powerful EQ controls on channel-B to create a completely di󰀨erent
bass tone with the same instrument.

Bassbone V2 Preamp
Radial Engineering Ltd.
CHANNEL-A
Think of channel-A as a ‘straight-through’ channel whereby you will use
the EQ on your amp to set up the tone of your primary bass. Channel-A
is equipped with a control for adjusting the instrument level and a three
position switch for selecting one of two EQ presets.
Start with the LEVEL-A control set to the 2 o’clock
position and use your instrument amplier to set the
overall volume and tone.
After you have dialed-in your traditional bass sound
on your amp, try the EQ-1 presets with your amp.
This switch can introduce one of two carefully crafted
preset EQ curves designed to bring a more modern
character to older vintage bass amps that may not
have the tonal range needed for a particular gig.
CHANNEL-B
Depress the SELECT footswitch to switch to channel-B. Think of
channel-B as the 'override' channel. This features a powerful passive-
interactive EQ that lets you override the tone settings on your amplier
to create an entirely di󰀨erent bass sound.
Start with the LEVEL-B control at the 2 o’clock position and adjust the
level to match channel-A. Use the three-band EQ to create a di󰀨erent
tonal response from channel-A. Stomp the SELECT footswitch to toggle
between channels and compare sounds.
INPUT-B
INPUT-A
OUTPUT
B
A
BOOST LOOP
BASS MID HIGH LEVEL-B
LEVEL-A
DRY WET
The three-band EQ can dramatically increase or decrease the amount of
gain depending on the settings. For instance, rolling o󰀨 low end with the
EQ will reduce the overall gain. Compensate by adjusting the LEVEL-B
gain until it matches channel-A. Once the EQ and level controls are
set, you can toggle between channels without adjusting your amplier's
volume or EQ settings.
Channel-B is also equipped with a 3-position high-
pass lter HPF-2 that is used to reduce excessive
low frequency resonance that can cause a bass to
sound muddy and indistinct. The HPF-2 lter can be
particularly advantageous for acoustic bass players
who experience resonant feedback when playing live.
The HPF-2 lter has a at setting (lter bypassed) and two settings that
gently roll o󰀨 bass. The middle setting rolls o󰀨 low frequencies below
60Hz and the bottom setting below 80Hz.
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INPUT-B
INPUT-A
OUTPUT
B
A
BOOST LOOP BASS MID HIGH LEVEL-B LEVEL-A
DRY WET
INPUT-B
INPUT-A
OUTPUT
B
A
BOOST LOOP BASS MID HIGH LEVEL-B
LEVEL-A
DRY WET
INPUT-B
INPUT-A
OUTPUT
B
A
BOOST LOOP BASS MID HIGH LEVEL-B LEVEL-A
DRY WET

Bassbone V2 Preamp
Radial Engineering Ltd. 7
USING A SECOND BASS
Many players employ two basses when they perform. These typically
include a traditional passive bass such as a Fender P-Bass®and a new
generation 5 or 6 string with active pickups. These basses produce very
di󰀨erent output levels and tonal ranges. This poses a problem when
switching from one instrument to the other, as the amplier settings must
be dramatically adjusted to suit each instrument.
The Radial Bassbone V2 solves this problem because each channel
features separate level and equalization controls. You can preset
channel-A for your active bass and use channel-B, with it's enhanced
EQ, to shape the sound of your passive bass.
Connecting a second bass to the channel-B input jack automatically
changes the Bassbone V2 into a two instrument preamp. With two
basses, use the SELECT footswitch to transition between instruments.
INPUT-A
INPUT-B
A/B
SELECT
Adjust the 3-band EQ settings to suit your second bass and use the
LEVEL-B control to match the volumes.
CONNECTING PIEZO PICKUPS
The trouble with most piezo pickup systems is that they are not very
faithful to the original tone when you plug them directly into a regular
instrument amplier or direct box. The sound is often thin and peaky. To
accommodate acoustic upright players that use piezo pickups we added
the Radial PZB™ piezo booster to channel-B. The PZB booster allows you
to connect a piezo transducer directly to the Bassbone.
The recessed PZB switch is located next to the channel-B input jack and
is used to turn the piezo booster on/o󰀨. Use a small screwdriver to access
the switch. When the PZB switch is
set to the outward position the piezo
booster is o󰀨 and channel-B accepts
standard electric bass signals from
active or passive magnetic pickups.
Pushing the PZB switch inward turns
the piezo booster on increasing the
input impedance to 10 meg-ohms
and boosting the gain by 10dB. The
higher impedance widens the piezo's
frequency response to bring out your
instruments natural tone.

Bassbone V2 Preamp
Radial Engineering Ltd.
USING THE POWER BOOSTER
The Bassbone is equipped with a
footswitch activated power booster
designed to add gain for soloing. It
can also be used to compensate for
e󰀨ect pedals that reduce the amount
of bass frequencies, such as pedals
made for guitar. The power booster
consists of a footswitch with LED
indicator and a boost level control.
Set the BOOST level fully counter-
clockwise for the minimum amount
of boost. Next, depress the BOOST
footswitch and increase the amount
of gain by slowly turning the BOOST
level control clockwise.
MUTE FUNCTION
Since some bass players do not require a power booster the BOOST
footswitch can be converted to a mute that turns o󰀨 the ¼" AMP and XLR
direct outputs. You can use the mute footswitch to put one bass in standby
mode while changing to another instrument, or tune in silence using the
¼" TUNER output.
The recessed BOOST/MUTE switch
located on the side next to the ¼"
output lets you choose between
the boost or mute functions. Push
the switch inward to convert the
footswitch from boost to a mute
function. The switch is recessed to
prevent accidental use and can be
accessed with a small screwdriver.
CONNECTING A TUNER
The Bassbone is equipped with a bu󰀨ered ¼" output for your tuner. This
output is always on for tuning on the y and may be used in conjunction
with the mute footswitch function for silent on-stage tuning.
INPUT-B
INPUT-A
OUTPUT
B
A
BOOST LOOP BASS MID HIGH LEVEL-B LEVEL-A
DRY WET
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INPUT-B
INPUT-A
OUTPUT
B
A
BOOST
LOOP BASS MID HIGH LEVEL-B LEVEL-A
DRY WET