tech21 Character Plus Series User manual

POWER REQUIREMENTS
Utilizes included 9V DC, 100-240V universal auto-switching power
supply, 200mA, center negative. Tech 21 Model #DC9.
NOTE: See page 2 for instructions how to change the prong
assembly.
or replacements, contact your local dealer/distributor, or Tech 21.
Maximum power consumption: approx 55mA.
WARNINGS:
*There are no user-serviceable parts inside. Attempting to repair unit is
not recommended and may void warranty.
*Missing or altered serial numbers automatically void warranty. or
your own protection: be sure serial number labels on the unit’s back
plate and exterior box are intact, and return your warranty
registration card or register online.
Note: This equipment has been tested and found to com-
ply with the limits for a Class B digital device, pursuant to
part 15 of the CC Rules. These limits are designed to pro-
vide reasonable protection against harmful interference in a
residential installation. This equipment generates, uses and can radiate
radio frequency energy and, if not installed and used in accordance with
the instructions, may cause harmful interference to radio communica-
tions. However, there is no guarantee that interference will not occur
in a particular installation. If this equipment does cause harmful interfer-
ence to radio or television reception, which can be determined by
turning the equipment off and on, the user is encouraged to try to cor-
rect the interference by one or more of the following measures:
• Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna.
• Increase the separation between the equipment and receiver.
• Connect the equipment to an outlet on a circuit different from that
to which the receiver is connected.
• Consult the dealer or an experienced radio/TV technician for help.
WARRANTY:
ONE YEAR IMITED. PROOF OF PURCHASE REQUIRED.
Manufacturer warrants unit to be free from defects in materials and
workmanship for one (1) year from date of purchase to the original
purchaser and is not transferable. This warranty does not include dam-
age resulting from accident, misuse, abuse, alteration, or incorrect cur-
rent or voltage. If unit becomes defective within warranty period, Tech
21 will repair or replace it free of charge. After expiration, Tech 21 will
repair defective unit for a fee.
REPAIRS:
A REPAIRS for residents of U.S. and Canada: Call Tech 21 for
Return Authorization Number. Manufacturer will not accept
packages without prior authorization, pre-paid freight (UPS preferred)
and proper insurance.
FOR PERSONA ASSISTANCE & SERVICE:
Contact Tech 21 weekdays 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM, EST: 973-777-6996.
Hand-built in th U.S.A. using high-quality components
sourced domestically and around the globe.
T: 973-777-6996 • F: 973-777-9899
E: [e-mail] • W: tech21nyc.com
©2022 Tech 21 USA, Inc.

TECH 21, THE COMPANY
Tech 21 was formed by a guitarist possessing the unusual combination
of a trained ear and electronics expertise. In 1989, B. Andrew Barta
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 per-
forming live, and created an entirely new category of signal processing.
There have since been many entries into this niche, yet SansAmp contin-
ues to maintain its reputation as the industry standard.
Each product is thoughtfully and respectfully designed by B. Andrew
Barta himself with the player in mind. He continually strives to offer
player-friendly, truly useful, flexible, multi-functional, roadworthy, work-
horse products. In a world of planned obsolescence and constant up-
grades, many of our products have changed little, or not at all, and are
still in production today. We take great pride in delivering consistent
quality sound, studio to studio, club to club, arena to arena.
PRODUCT OVERVIEW
The original SansAmp Character Series was introduced in 2008. These
pedals commemorated a range of eras within specific amplifier person-
alities, of which there were 8 in total. By simply twisting a few knobs,
you could build the most sought-after tones and hot rod your own.
rom rare vintage classics to roaring modern icons, every variation was
delivered in their own distinctive voicings.
We wanted to broaden the range of tonal options and took that con-
cept a step further to include effects. Because there’s a certain chem-
istry between specific pairings that will forever be a part of history.
Think Ralph & Alice. red & Wilma. Lucy & Ricky. Abbott & Costello.
Bonnie & Clyde. They all made a lot of noise and they all had a lot of fun!
The Character Plus Series celebrates the unique chemistry between
specific historic amplifiers and specific historic effects, and cleverly
unites them together in single packages:
Screaming Blonde = ender-style + Tube Screamer-style
English Muffy = HiWatt-style + Big Muff-style
uzzy Brit = Marshall-style + uzz ace-style
Mop Top Liverpool = Vox-style + Rangemaster Booster-style
With an abundance of knob controls, the 2-channel Character Plus
Series pedals are easy to use and feature our proprietary, 100% analog
SansAmp technology. You can explore and tailor various eras within
each amp style simply by turning a knob. Each continuously-variable
Character control sweeps through an entire tonal range, spanning
decades of sounds. The Character, EQ controls and speaker simulation
are individually voiced to reflect the specific personality traits inherent
in each amp style.
Additionally, each of these multi-function pedals is like having a stompbox
within a stompbox. (BOGO anyone?) You can use the amp emulation on
its own or just the effect on its own.
The Character Plus Series pedals offer significant flexibility and value at a
nominal price. Whether you’re frugal or extravagant, you can focus on the
one that is your personal favorite or collect them all --and trade them
with your friends!
APPLICATIONS
AS A STOMPBOX with a guitar amp.
You can connect the Character Plus Series pedals in-line just as you would a
standard distortion pedal. If the pre-amp of your amplifier is imparting too much
of its own character on the pedal, plug into the low level input and set the pre-
amp as clean and neutral as possible. As most amps tend to be on the bright
side, you may need to start with High below 12 o’clock; adjust as necessary. You
can also plug into the effects loop return (if your amp has one). This will disable
the entire pre-amp of the amp for a truer representation of the sound. NOTE:
the master volume on your amp will be defeated, so be sure to have the volume
control down on the pedal.
AS A PRE-AMP driving a power amp. The 1/4” output of the
Character Plus pedal has enough juice to drive a standard power amplifier. Sim-
ply connect the 1/4” output to the power amp input and adjust the Level con-
trol accordingly. You will probably not use the bypass mode of the pedal in this setup.
AS A DIRECT RECORDING DEVICE into mixer or com-
puter. All of the tone shaping and cabinet emulation needed is already incor-
porated into the pedal, giving you the perfect sound “right out of the box.” The
Character Plus Series pedals automatically convert your guitar signal to Low Z
allowing you to plug into a variety of inputs that would normally load down your
guitar’s signal. These pedals can be plugged into mixers (live and studio), work-
station/recorders, and even directly into the sound card on a computer.
THE INS AND OUTS
1/4” INPUT: 1megOhm instrument level. or normal operation, sig-
nal level to Input should be close to that of a standard guitar (approxi-
mately 250mV).
1/4” UNIVERSA OUTPUT: Unbalanced Low Z output. This
output can be connected to High Z amplifiers (or effects) as well as Low
Z mixer and computer inputs. Output level is unity gain when pedal is in bypass
mode. It also drives long cables without loss of signal integrity, even in bypass.
BA ANCED X R OUTPUT: Balanced Low Z output.
NOTE: Both outputs can be used simultaneously. or exam-
ple, 1/4" Out to your amp and XLR Out to PA mixer.
UNIVERSA POWER SUPP Y
The Character Plus Series pedals are
shipped with a power supply set up
with a U.S. prong assembly. To change
the prong assembly to one of the in-
cluded European, UK or Australia/
New Zealand styles, be sure the
power supply is unplugged and follow
these instructions:
Press the PUSH switch to release the
prong assembly. Slide the assembly up
(about halfway) to align the side tabs of
the prong assembly with the slots of the power supply housing. Then pull
up to remove the assembly. Choose the new prong assembly, align the side
tabs with the slot of the housing, slide down until it clicks into position.
NOTE: You cannot slide the prong assembly all the way out or
all the way in.
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!! WARNING !! DO NOT run the speaker output of any
amp directly into the SansAmp input.
Severe damage to the amp and/or the SansAmp will result.

SCREAMING BLONDE GUIDE TO CONTROLS
(in order of signal flow)
Independent SansAmp Section:
DRIVE A and DRIVE B
Adjusts the overall amount of gain and overdrive, similar to when the
output section of a tube amp is being pushed. The first half of the rota-
tion will increase the volume as well as the overdrive.
CHAR A and CHAR B
Both Char A and Char B have the same range as each other. They
sweep through an entire range of tonal possibilities associated with
ender-style amplifiers. In addition to modifying the frequency re-
sponse, Character also influences the attack and drive characteristics.
Therefore, you may need to adjust your gain and tone settings after
tweaking the Character control.
Range of Settings:
• Below 12 o’clock are in the Black and Silver ace family. When clean,
there's a soft midrange with a nice top-end sparkle. Driven, the tone
moves to a warmer low-end breakup.
• Around 12 o’clock brings you into Blonde territory with more of
everything --more lows, more mids and more highs.
• Above 12 o’clock moves things into the Tweed era with a pro-
nounced midrange bark.
• Full up gives you lead boosted tones.
OW, MID, HIGH
On-board post-EQ section gives you full control, like having a studio
mixing board at your fingertips. Unlike passive tone controls that only
cut, these active controls cut and boost
±
12dB. Low is tuned to 125 Hz;
High frequency is 3.2 kHz. Mid is tuned to 1kHz.
VO A and VO B
Adjusts the volume of the SansAmp section.
Independent Scream Section:
OVERDRIVE
Adjusts the overall amount of drive. Highly interactive with the level of
your guitar. or instance, you can clean up the amount of distortion by
decreasing the guitar’s volume (except in very extreme settings) with-
out having to change the setting on the pedal.
TONE
Specialized voicing for adjusting the high-end and mid-range. At max, it’s
flat. As you reduce the setting, it will decrease the high-end without los-
ing mids or getting muddy.
EVE
Adjusts the level of the Scream section.
SPEAKER SIMULATION
Speaker simulation is an integral part of the SansAmp circuitry. It is de-
signed for a smooth, even response as would be achieved by a multiply-
miked cabinet, without the peaks, valleys, and notches associated with
single miking. The shape of the speaker curve will not adversely effect
or interfere with the frequency response of your own cabinet. The
speaker simulation works in tandem with the EQ controls to custom
tailor the overall sound.
Screaming Blonde: tuned to match standard 12” Jensen®-style
speakers.
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ENGLISH MUFFY GUIDE TO CONTROLS
(in order of signal flow)
Independent SansAmp Section:
DRIVE A and DRIVE B
Adjusts the overall amount of gain and overdrive, similar to when the
output section of a tube amp is being pushed. The first half of the rota-
tion will increase the volume as well as the overdrive.
CHAR A and CHAR B
Both Char A and Char B have the same range as each other. They
sweep through an entire range of tonal possibilities associated with
HiWatt-style amplifiers. In addition to modifying the frequency re-
sponse, Character also influences the attack and drive characteristics.
Therefore, you may need to adjust your gain and tone settings after
tweaking the Character control.
Range of Settings:
• Below 12 o’clock yield clean, classic Hi-Watt-style tones.
• Nearing 12 o’clock brings you into crunchier territory associated
with ‘70s Who-style tunes such as Who Are You, Baba O’Riley, andWe Won’t
Get Fooled Again.
• Above 12 o’clock accentuates upper mids for Gilmour/ loyd-style leads.
• Full up may cause your mate or your lead singer to flee the premises,
which could be desirable in certain circumstances.
OW, MID, HIGH
On-board post-EQ section gives you full control, like having a studio
mixing board at your fingertips. Unlike passive tone controls that only
cut, these active controls cut and boost.
Shifting MID is tuned to +12dB @ 400 Hz. to -12dB @ 750 Hz.
LOW and HIGH emulate ‘70s British console EQ:
LOW is tuned to +22dB boost or -12dB cut @ 120 Hz.
HIGH is tuned +30dB boost or -12dB cut @ 3.2 kHz.
VO A and VO B
Adjusts the volume of the SansAmp section.
Independent Muff Section:
SUSTAIN
Adjusts the overall amount of fuzz.
TONE
Based on the original ‘60s stompbox design, this very musical, special-
ized passive filter tilt is centered at 1kHz.
EVE
Adjusts the level of the Muff section.
SPEAKER SIMULATION
Speaker simulation is an integral part of the SansAmp circuitry. It is de-
signed for a smooth, even response as would be achieved by a multiply-
miked cabinet, without the peaks, valleys, and notches associated with
single miking. The shape of the speaker curve will not adversely effect
or interfere with the frequency response of your own cabinet. The
speaker simulation works in tandem with the EQ controls to custom
tailor the overall sound.
English Muffy: tuned to match ane®-style speakers.
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FUZZY BRIT GUIDE TO CONTROLS
(in order of signal flow)
Independent SansAmp Section:
DRIVE A and DRIVE B
Adjusts the overall amount of gain and overdrive, similar to when the
output section of a tube amp is being pushed. The first half of the rota-
tion will increase the volume as well as the overdrive.
CHAR A and CHAR B
Both Char A and Char B have the same range as each other. They
sweep through an entire range of tonal possibilities associated with
Marshall-style amplifiers. In addition to modifying the frequency re-
sponse, Character also influences the attack and drive characteristics.
Therefore, you may need to adjust your gain and tone settings after
tweaking the Character control.
Range of Settings:
• Below 12 o’clock bring you the Bluesbreaker/JTM45® era of British
blues-- warm, overdriven tone with the characteristic bulldog bite.
• Nearing 12 o’clock brings you into the Plexi range with a noticeable
throatiness in the mids.
• Above 12 o’clock gets you the classic presence boost of the ‘70s Metal-
face.
• Full up it goes to 11. That’s right, 11.
OW, MID, HIGH
On-board post-EQ section gives you full control, like having a studio
mixing board at your fingertips. Unlike passive tone controls that only
cut, these active controls cut and boost
±
12dB. Low is tuned to 125 Hz;
High frequency is 3.2 kHz. Mid is tuned to 1kHz.
VO A and VO B
Adjusts the volume of the SansAmp section.
Independent Fuzz Section:
FUZZ
Adjusts the overall amount of fuzz. Highly interactive with the level of
your guitar. or instance, you can clean up the amount of fuzz by de-
creasing the guitar’s volume (except in very extreme settings) without
having to change the setting on the pedal. Conversely, you can increase
the amount of fuzz by simply increasing the guitar’s volume.
TONE
Very musical, specialized low pass filter that shifts the high cut from
10kHz to 1kHz. It allows you to remove the high end without losing
mids or getting muddy.
EVE
Adjusts the level of the uzz section.
SPEAKER SIMULATION
Speaker simulation is an integral part of the SansAmp circuitry. It is de-
signed for a smooth, even response as would be achieved by a multiply-
miked cabinet, without the peaks, valleys, and notches associated with
single miking. The shape of the speaker curve will not adversely effect
or interfere with the frequency response of your own cabinet. The
speaker simulation works in tandem with the EQ controls to custom
tailor the overall sound.
Fuzzy Brit: tuned to match English Greenback-style speakers.
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MOP TOP LIVERPOOL GUIDE TO CONTROLS
(in order of signal flow)
Independent SansAmp Section:
DRIVE A and DRIVE B
Adjusts the overall amount of gain and overdrive, similar to when the
output section of a tube amp is being pushed. The first half of the rota-
tion will increase the volume as well as the overdrive.
CHAR A and CHAR B
Sweeps through an entire range of tonal possibilities associated with
Vox-style amplifiers. Char A’s territory covers cranked up tone stacks.
Char B stays in uncranked territory. Each Character also influences the
attack and drive characteristics. Therefore, you may need to adjust your
gain and tone settings after tweaking the Character controls.
CHAR A Range of Settings:
• Below 12 o’clock serves up the tone of a Top Boost with controls
set to 9:00, for a throatier clean sound and warm overdriven tones.
• Advancing towards 12 o’clock brings in classic British mids.
• Passing 12 o’clock increases clarity to crunchy and overdriven tones.
• Full up adds the upper mid crackle of pushed Alnico speakers.
CHAR B Range of Settings:
• Below 12 o’clock serves up the tone of a Top Boost with controls
set to 3:00, for full clean sound with lots of bass and highs.
• Advancing towards 12 o’clock brings in classic British mids.
• Passing 12 o’clock brings in the vocal quality of “Woman Tone.”
• Full up boosts the low mids for non-Top Boost AC30-style tone.
OW, MID, HIGH
On-board post-EQ section gives you full control, like having a studio
mixing board at your fingertips. Unlike passive tone controls that only
cut, these active controls cut and boost
±
12dB. Low is tuned to 125 Hz;
High frequency is 3.2kHz. Mid is tuned to 325 Hz.
MID SHIFT SWITCH
Shifts the frequency of Mid from 325 Hz to 250 Hz.
HIGH SHIFT SWITCH
Shifts the frequency of High from 3.2kHz to 4.5kHz.
VO A and VO B
Adjusts the volume of the SansAmp section.
Independent Boost Section:
BOOST
Uniquely offers 2 boosts in one knob: At 12 o’clock, it’s flat.
Up to 12dB Treble Boost when you turn clockwise for a brighter,
louder, edgier ‘60s and 70s vintage vibe.
Up to 12dB Mid-Range Boost turning counter-clockwise, which
tightens up distortion, rhythm and lead tones for more modern vibes.
SPEAKER SIMULATION
Speaker simulation is an integral part of the SansAmp circuitry. It is de-
signed for a smooth, even response as would be achieved by a multiply-
miked cabinet, without the peaks, valleys, and notches associated with
single miking. The shape of the speaker curve will not adversely effect
or interfere with the frequency response of your own cabinet. The
speaker simulation works in tandem with the EQ controls to custom
tailor the overall sound.
Mop Top iverpool: tuned to match English Alnico Bulldog-style
speakers.
10

NOTEWORTHY NOTES
1) Each SansAmp and effects sections are independent.
This means you can use the amp emulation on its own or just the effect
on its own. It’s like getting a stompbox within a stompbox! (This bears
repeating, in case you didn’t read the product overview.)
2) Tech 21 controls are unusually sensitive and tend to per-
form well beyond what would be considered “normal.” So you need
not necessarily set everything at max to get maximum results. or in-
stance, to brighten your sound, rather than automatically boosting
High all the way up, try cutting back on Low first.
3) To find the best settings for interacting with your other gear,
you may need to use radically different settings for each individual way
you use it. You need not be discouraged or suspect something is wrong
with the unit. If you have your sound, you’ve simply found the right bal-
ance to complement each individual piece of gear. We recommend you
start with the tone controls at 12 o’clock and cut or boost as needed.
4) Tech 21 pedals have exceptionally low noise levels.
However, they may amplify noise emanating from the input source.
Check for pickup interference by moving your guitar or turning the
volume off. Be aware single coil magnetic pickups are more likely to
generate noise. And be sure your cell phone is not near your gear!
5) Placement notes: Each pedal in the Character Plus Series can
be treated as any conventional amplifier or pre-amp when it comes to
setting up your signal chain:
Place the following effects BEFORE the CPS:
Booster, Compression, uzz, Phaser/Vibe, Overdrive, Wah.
Place the following effects AFTER the CPS:
Delay, EQ, langer, Phaser (yes, after is good, too), Pitch Shifter, Reverb.
6) Buffered bypass eliminates the shortcomings associated with
“true bypass” (pops and clicks, and high-end loss when multiple pedals
are connected together), as well as signal loss associated with other
types of switching circuits.
7) Custom actuators. All Tech 21 pedals feature smooth, custom,
silent-switching actuators.
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