Using
the Slingshot™ remote:
 |
| Control
panel for Slingshot remote |
The real fun with the Cabbone comes when introducing
Slingshot remote switching to your system.
The Radial Slingshot circuit that lets you
assign the Cabbone as a slave to receive a
toggle change command from a footswitch or
even a MIDI controller. To use the Cabbone
as a slave, you must begin by positioning
the INTERNAL / EXTERNAL remote switch selector
in EXTERNAL mode. This disengages the Cabbone’s
footswitch and allows an outside footswitch
to control the Cabbone’s electronics
and relays.
Cabbone’s Slingshot can also send out
a program change command, for example to tell
your amp to change channels, at the same time
as a Cabbone speaker cabinet change. To make
Slingshot as universal as possible, it's REMOTE
OUTPUT ASSIGN switch features a choice of
latching (LATCH) or momentary pulse (PULSE)
switching type and positive or negative (TIP
or RING) switch polarity for ¼”
TRS setups. These settings will allow you
to adapt Slingshot to most popular amplifier
channel switching systems. Simply connect
a standard ¼” guitar cable from
the Cabbone’s Slingshot output to your
amp’s ¼” footswitch input
jack. If you don't know your amp's switching
parameters, you can just go through each of
the four possible switch settings while depressing
the footswitch and note when the amp channels
change.
Slingshot™
Remote System
The Radial Slingshot was developed
as a means to remotely control devices
from pedal boards without having
to resort to using complex MIDI
routers. The Slingshot combines
the basic functionality of a footswitch
while introducing the concept of
daisy-chaining several devices so
that multiple events can occur at
one time. Because of the universal
nature of the Slingshot, the system
can also be made to work with various
MIDI controllers and custom pedal
board systems.
|
For maximum versatility, connecting the Cabbone
with a pedalboard controller like the Radial
Loopbone, tremendous options begin to
open up. To get a sense of the possibilities,
click to view the Slingshot™
product sheet.
Note: Some amps employ TRS or 'Tip-Ring-Sleeve'
type connectors or other proprietary switching
systems to change channels and/or to perform
a secondary function like turning the reverb
on or off – please consult a qualified
technician for assistance should you have
to make an adaptor to access the channel change
function.
Understanding speaker loads:
This section is designed to provide
the user with an overview on how amplifiers
work with various speaker loads and options
that can be considered when using the Radial
Cabbone with your equipment. As every piece
of ger is different, we suggest that you consult
your equipment manufacturer’s operating
instructions before using the Cabbone. This
will ensure that your equipment will work
properly and without undue stress.
Before we look at how each amp would be set
up, we need to understand the options and
trade-offs that you will be faced with when
setting up your system.
Amplifiers and loads:
For an amplifier to work correctly, it must
have a proper load. This means that the power
being developed inside the amplifier must
be dissipated in the form of sound or, failing
this, heat. Too much heat can cause the power
transformer to fail. By always having a load
on the amplifier, one can avoid this problem.
Tube amps and transistor amps react differently
to speaker loads. Both tube and transistor
amplifier manufacturers will design their
amps for ‘optimum’ performance
based on typical impedances such 4, 8, or
16 Ohms. With transistor amps, lowering the
speaker impedance or reducing the load will
generally produce a louder output. For safety,
transistor amp manufacturers will usually
post a warning stating the minimum impedance
on the back of the amp or in the operator’s
manual. Make sure that you do not go below
this impedance to avoid causing damage to
your amp. Increasing the load will reduce
the amp’s output level. Tube amps are
generally set for optimum performance at a
‘specified impedance’. Lowering
the impedance or reducing the load will make
the tubes work harder which, according to
some guitarists, makes the amp sound better.
The downside will be a shorter tube life-span.
Increasing the load will reduce the stress
on the tubes, but also will generally make
the amp sound thinner.
| (*)
Note: As we have no control
over your setup with respect to the
amps, cables, speakers or switches that
you are using, it is your responsibility
to consult the amplifier manufacturer’s
technical specifications to ensure that
you do not expose the amp to speaker
loads that are incompatible. Please
consult your Tonebone dealer or a qualified
technician before using the Cabbone. |
Cabinet wiring and Ohm's law:
Depending on the desired impedance, speaker
cabinets with more than one speaker may
be wired many ways. These include parallel,
series or a combination of the two.
Ohm's law for parallel circuits is: (X =
speaker impedance)
1 + 1 + 1 etc… = 1/total impedance
X X X
When wiring a cabinet in parallel, the (+)
terminal from the amp is connected to the
(+) on the speakers in the box and (-) terminal
on the amp connects to (-) terminals on
the speakers. In parallel systems, each
speaker is connected directly to the amplifier.
Ohm's law of resistance in parallel networks
is simple and works like this: Example:
Let’s say we have a speaker cabinet
with two 8-Ohm speakers. 1/8 + 1/8 = 2/8
or 1/4 and the reciprocal value is 4-Ohms
when wired in parallel for a 4-Ohm load.
Ohms law for series circuits is: (x = speaker
impedance)
X + X + X etc… = Total impedance
When wiring a cabinet in series, the (+)
terminal from the amplifier is connected
to the 1st speaker, then the (-) from the
1st speaker is connected to the (+) terminal
on the 2nd speaker. The (-) terminal on
the second speaker is then connected back
to the amp’s (-) terminal. In series
wiring, the signal works like a train whereby
it must go through each speaker, one after
the other before the signal path returns
to the amplifier. In ‘series wired’
circuits the impedance of each speaker is
simply added up for the total impedance.
Example: Using the
same speaker cabinet with two 12”
speakers. The speakers have an impedance
of 8-Ohms. 8+8=16 resulting in a 16-Ohm
load.
If we were to apply similar math to a 4x12
cabinet, with each speaker rated at 8-Ohms,
we could configure the cabinet to have many
different values depending on how we wire
the speakers:
Parallel: 1/(1/8+1/8+1/8+1/8) = 1/(4/8)
or 2-Ohms
Series: 8+8+8+8 = 32-Ohms
Series parallel 1/(1/8+1/8) + 1/(1/8+1/8)
= 16-Ohms
A typical 4x12 system employs four 8-Ohm
speakers in a series-parallel combination
Using
matched versus unmatched loads:
Obviously, using a matched load
will give you the best overall system performance.
To make this easy, some amplifiers are equipped
with multiple taps on the output transformers
to allow you to select the correct load
for proper matching. Cabbone has two speaker
inputs for these types of amplifiers to
allow you to match the correct load for
each cabinet.
Sometimes achieving a perfect matched load
is impossible due to the amplifier and speakers
at hand. If you only have one amp output
on your amp, and only one impedance selector,
you will have to make a compromise. These
means making decisions based on best sound
versus more wear and tear. Here’s
how it works – if the output of your
amp is rated for 8-ohms and you put a 16-Ohm
load on it, the output will not be as loud
and this will reduce the amps drive. This
means that with a tube amplifier, the tubes
will not be driven as hard and will last
longer. The trade off is that your amp may
sound a bit thinner.
If on the other hand your amp is set for
8-Ohms and you use a 4-Ohm speaker, your
amp will work harder and be punchier. Of
course, this reduces the life of the tube,
which is a trade-off. Solid-state amps follow
pretty much the same rules except that they
play louder when the load is reduced. You
do have to be cautious that you do not expose
the head to a lower than recommended load
as this could damage the heads performance
and void your amplifier’s manufacturer
warranty. For best results, consult your
dealer and he can help you wire your cabinets
so that you get the best sound. To
‘play it safe’, we suggest setting
your amplifier’s impedance to match
the lowest speaker cabinet impedance in
your system. |
