tech21 Bass Power Wedge 60 User manual

TECH 21, THE COMPANY
Tech 21, Inc., was formed by a guitarist possessing the unusual combination
of a trained ear and electronics expertise. In 1989, B. Andrew Barta incorpo-
rated Tech 21 and made his invention commercially available to players and
studios around the world. His highly-acclaimed SansAmp™ pioneered
Tube Amplifier Emulation in professional applications for recording direct
and performing live, and created an entirely new category of signal process-
ing. While there have since been many entries into this niche, SansAmp
continues to maintain its reputation as the industry standard.
After developing a variety of SansAmp models, Tech 21 expanded its offer-
ings to include effect pedals; a compact, battery operable MIDI footcon-
troller, the MIDI Mouse; as well as “traditional” style amplifiers for guitar
and bass. Each product is thoughtfully and respectfully designed by
B. Andrew Barta himself with the player in mind. Our goal is to provide you
with flexible, versatile tools to cultivate, control, refine and redefine your
own individual sound. Tech 21 takes great pride in delivering consistent
professional quality sound, studio to studio, club to club, arena to arena.
1

BASS POWER WEDGE 60, AN OVERVIEW
Like most Tech 21 products, the Bass Power Wedge 60 is designed to be
multi-functional. For studio and live applications, it can be utilized as a pre-
amp amplifier system and as a personal monitoring system.
These rugged wedges are compatible with any direct recording device or
pre-amp, analog or digital, tube or solid state, in stomp box or rackmount
formats, from any manufacturer! (We are, of course, partial to SansAmp,
but, hey, that’s just us.)
The Bass Power Wedge 60 allows you to take all those great direct record-
ing sounds you’ve spent so much time creating out to a gig without having
to tweak all of your presets. Simply plug your SansAmp or pre-amp du jour
into a Bass Power Wedge 60, and run the XLR output to the house P.A. You
can amplify all your personal settings without getting any additional col-
oration. Just volume, no tone. You can even take this set-up into the studio
and take advantage of employing various miking techniques.
As a live stage monitor, you control what you need to hear. Three projection
angles (15º, 45º, 90º) provide ample flexibility for your positioning prefer-
ences. We’ve even included convenient, 3-band active EQ controls to com-
pensate for difficult rooms.
Ground independent inputs and output allow you to endlessly chain Bass
Power Wedge 60s together --even in stereo. There’s no limit to how many
you can have --for yourself, your drummer (who will most certainly appreci-
ate the individual level control), or whoever else would benefit from being
able to hear you.
2
IMPORTANT SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS
The Bass Power Wedge 60 is powered by potentially hazardous voltage. Therefore,
observe the following safety precautions:
WARNING: To avoid the risk of fire, electric shock or injury, do not expose this unit
to moisture. Do not remove the chassis from its cabinet, or remove metal covering
from chassis parts. Removing the chassis from its cabinet exposes extremely danger-
ous high voltages. There are no user-serviceable parts inside. Hazardous voltages
are present inside the chassis. Refer all servicing to qualified personnel.
CAUTION: Never modify the power cord. If original power cord becomes damaged,
frayed, or has exposed wires, replace immediately with same rating and gauge, or
higher. Replacements are commercially available or you can contact Tech 21 directly.
WARNING: Attempting to repair this unit is not recommended and may void its war-
ranty. NOTE: In the U.S. and Canada, servicing is performed at factory only. In other
countries, please refer repairs to the local Tech 21 authorized distributor.
ADDITIONAL PRECAUTIONS:
1. Do not allow liquids or objects to penetrate unit.
2. When in use, provide proper ventilation at top of unit.
3. During heavy use, chassis may get hot to the touch. Handle with care.
4. Protect unit from strong impact.
5. Do not locate near heat.
6. This unit must be earth grounded.
QUICK START INSTRUCTIONS
Here’s how you can get your Bass Power Wedge 60 up and running before you read
the entire manual. By not reading the manual, however, you’ll miss out on how to get
the most out of your new investment!
1. Plug your amp or pre-amp/processor output into the XLR input (preferably) or 1/4”
input of the Bass Power Wedge 60.
2. Be sure your amp or pre-amp/processor is already turned on. (See “Noteworthy
Notes” #1: Powering Up and Powering Down.)
3. Be sure the volume of the Bass Power Wedge 60 is turned down and then plug the
AC cord of the Bass Power Wedge 60 into a wall socket and turn it on.
4. Play your bass and you should hear sound through the Bass Power Wedge 60. If not,
check that all volume controls are turned up, recheck your connections, and be sure your
cable isn’t faulty. If there is still no sound, refer to factory or qualified technician.
3

THE INS AND OUTS
1/4” INPUT
Accepts 1/4” output of your pre-amp/processor or amplifier. This specialized input
features an isolation transformer to eliminate ground loops when using the Bass Power
Wedge 60 in conjunction with an amplifier. Be aware that this transformer loads down
passive pickups. If you would like to plug your instrument directly into the Bass Power
Wedge 60, either use an active guitar or any buffered type of effect pedal (Boss®,
Ibanez®, Tech 21, etc.) in bypass mode in order to drive the low input impedance of the
cabinet.
XLR IN
Balanced XLR input accepts XLR output of your pre-amp/processor or amplifier. This
specialized input is also linked to the isolation transformer to eliminate ground loops
when using the Bass Power Wedge 60 in conjunction with an amplifier or chaining with
additional Bass Power Wedge 60s.
NOTE: If you have a choice, we recommend utilizing the XLR output of your pre-
amp/processor or amp into the XLR input of the Bass Power Wedge 60. The only differ-
ence between the two inputs is that the XLR balanced lines provide increased hum rejec-
tion. Additionally, we advise against using both inputs at the same time.
XLR OUT
Balanced low impedance XLR parallel output is connected directly to the input, so
that the signal bypasses the tone controls. For live gigs, you can use this output
directly into the P.A. system so you won’t need to mic the Bass Power Wedge 60.
GROUND LIFT
Connects or disconnects the ground between the XLR output of the Bass Power
Wedge 60 and the mixer. We recommend starting with the ground lifted. If neces-
sary, connect the ground by pushing the button in.
4
TONE SECTION
The Bass Power Wedge 60 includes convenient, on-board, 3-band active EQ con-
trols, which cut and boost, rather than traditional passive controls which only cut.
This gives you greater control over a larger range of adjustability to compensate for
virtually any situation.
NOTE: These tone controls only affect the power amp and speaker, not the XLR out-
put. The signal going into the 1/4” input or XLR input passes straight through. So you
can tailor your stage sound to the room without affecting the sound out of the P.A.
Additionally, be aware that you need not set everything at max to obtain maximum
results. (See “Noteworthy Notes” #3: EQ.)
LOW, MID, HIGH
Boost or cut ±12dB from the center point (12 o’clock).
ODDS AND ENDS
LEVEL
Adjusts the volume level of the Bass Power Wedge 60. (Refer to “Noteworthy Notes”
#4: Volume.)
SPEAKER
Our 100-watt, 8 cast-frame, custom-designed 10” speaker gives you full range
response.
FUSE
Fuse holder is located inside A/C cord receptacle. You must remove the power
cord to change fuse. Replace with similar type & same value. Wedges from 100-
120V: use 3A. Wedges from 220-240V: use 1.6A.
5
®Registered trademarks of their respective companies.

NOTEWORTHY NOTES & CONSIDERATIONS
1) Powering Up and Powering Down. To avoid the typical loud pop and
potential harm to the Bass Power Wedge 60 speaker, power up in this order:
For mono applications:
1st: Amp or Pre-amp/processor
2nd: Bass Power Wedge 60
For stereo applications:
1st: Stereo processor
2nd: Amp or Pre-amp/processor
3rd: Bass Power Wedge 60
With PA System: Be sure to keep the PA volume fader down until all
connections are made and everything is turned on.
2) Hum. If nothing is plugged into the input of the Bass Power Wedge 60, you may
notice a slight hum caused by the open transformer. When you plug something into
the input, the circuit will be completed and the hum will disappear.
3) EQ. We recommend starting with all controls flat. Then use each sparingly as
needed for whatever room you’re in. Remember, you need not set everything at max
to obtain maximum results. It would be rare that turning all the tone controls up
would accomplish a favorable sound. In most instances, a slight cut of the Mid
control should be adequate.
4) Volume. When chaining the Bass Power Wedge 60 with an amp, be sure to set
the Level control to match (approx.) the output volume of the amp. If the Bass Power
Wedge 60 is set higher than the amp, it may cause undesirable distortion. Note: Rely
on your ears. The position of the level knobs of the amp and Bass Power Wedge 60
may not necessarily be the same.
5) Kick Back and Cables. As noted in the overview, there are three different
projection angles: 15º, 45º, and 90º to suit your positioning preferences. To avoid
accidental unplugging of your equipment, we recommend feeding your cables
through the spring-loaded handle.
6) Enjoy !
BASS POWER WEDGE 60 SPECIFICATIONS
General Description: Front-ported wedge cabinets constructed of plywood, covered
in heavy duty black carpeting, with chrome-plated steel grill and recessed, spring-
loaded handle.
Model Number: BPW60
Input Impedance: 10k
Nominal Input Level: -20dBm to +4dBm
Optimal Output Load: 8
Power Output: 60W
Maximum Power Consumption: 120W
AC Input Power (factory set): 100V, 117V, 220V, 230V, 240V
Cycles: 50/60 Hz
NOTE: Each unit is constructed for specific
voltages. AC power cannot be switched.
Speaker: Tech 21 Model #2110-B, Cast-frame, custom
designed 10” / 100W - 8
Dimensions: 17.75”w x 16.75”h x 15”d (maximum)
Weight: 35 lbs.
Replacement parts (i.e., knobs, grill panel, speaker, logo plate, handle, etc.) are avail-
able through your authorized dealer, distributor or directly from Tech 21, Inc.
Note: With on-going product development and improvements, specifications and/or
the cosmetic appearance of these units may change without prior notice.
6 7

POWER WEDGE 60 POWER WEDGE 60
POWER WEDGE 60 POWER WEDGE 60 POWER WEDGE 60
SANSAMP XLR
DIRECT OUT
XLR
OUT
XLR
IN
XLR
OUT
XLR
IN
Bass Power Wedge 60 Hook-Up Diagrams (MONO):
Bass Power Wedge 60 Hook-Up Diagrams (STEREO):
TO CHAIN OR TO P.A.
INPUT
XLR
IN
XLR
OUT
TO CHAIN OR TO P.A.
PRE-AMP/
PROCESSOR
XLR
OUT
XLR
OUT
TO CHAIN
OR TO P.A.
TO CHAIN
OR TO P.A.
INPUT
STEREO EFFECTS
PROCESSOR*
L R
INPUT
INPUT
*When available,
it is preferable
to use XLR jacks
POWER WEDGE 60 POWER WEDGE 60
XLR
OUT
XLR
OUT
XLR
IN
LANDMARK 600
INPUT
STEREO EFFECTS
PROCESSOR*
L R
INPUT
SANSAMP
XLR
DIRECT
OUT
XLR
OUT
INPUT
TO CHAIN
OR TO P.A.
XLR
OUT
INPUT
TO CHAIN
OR TO P.A.
Use XLR to 1/4"
cable or line matching
transformer, such as
Shure Model #A95UF,
or equivalent
*When available,
it is preferable
to use XLR jacks
POWER WEDGE 60 POWER WEDGE 60
LANDMARK 600
(or other amp with XLR direct out)
INPUT
PRE-AMP/
PROCESSOR
With SansAmp Bass Driver DI (and amp, if desired)
POWER WEDGE 60
SANSAMP XLR
DIRECT OUT
XLR
OUT
XLR
IN
INPUT
INPUT
OUTPUT
TO CHAIN
OR TO P.A.
BASS AMP
BASS AMP
(without XLR direct out)
INPUT
INPUT
XLR
OUT
TO CHAIN
OR TO P.A.
POWER WEDGE 60
EFFECTS LOOP
SEND
OR PRE-AMP
OUT