Hughes & Kettner TubeMeister Deluxe 40 Mode D'emploi page 5

Red Box AE
Since its late 80s release, the original Red Box has been the industry
standard tool for capturing the sound of guitar amps without using
microphones. Red Box delivers unvarying sound quality at every gig or
recording session, putting an end to crosstalk with other instruments and
the hassles of experimenting with microphone placement.
The Red Box AE is the latest version of the
award-winning speaker simulator. The DSP-
powered Ambience Emulation delivers
a perfect mix of authentic 4x12 cabinet
ambience effects and an ultra-direct attack
of pure tube tone, capturing the signal
just after the power amp stage, and right
before the power soak. For the TubeMeister
Deluxe 40, we've added in some great new
Red Box features that will make life onstage and in the studio as easy as
it can get!
Make sure the Red Box is set to the right level: Line is always the best
choice due to the higher output level. If the mixing console's XLR input
can only handle microphone levels, set the Red Box to mic. If the mixing
console or soundcard/audio interface lacks XLR inputs, you will need
an XLR to 6.3mm (1/4") jack adapter, which should be readily available
in music stores. Please make sure the Red Box is set to line when it is
connected to 6.3mm (1/4") jack inputs.
You can use the Red Box Out and Speaker Out simultaneously. The Red
Box doesn't just work in silent mode – it works in any of the Power Soak's
modes too. If you want to use the Red Box Out and Speaker Out together
in a live situation, please make sure that all your channels and presets use
the same Power Soak setting to avoid unwanted changes in the Red Box
Out's level!
Controls
Vintage/Modern The "Modern" voicing gives you the bark and
honk of modern speakers, while "Vintage" yields
a warmer, woollier tone associated with old-
school cabs.
Small/Large "Small" captures the compressed sound of a small
cabinet housing; "Large" gives you the greater
girth and added bass of a sizable cabinet.
Line/Mic Switches from line level to microphone level.
Off/On Switches off the cabinet emulation. Make sure
this switch is set to "On" unless you want to use
external cabinet emulators!
Note: Why and when would you want switch off the Red Box AE's
incredibly authentic cabinet emulation? Well, in a recording situation,
you or the engineer may want to capture the pure speaker signal to use a
software-based cabinet and microphone emulation or impulse responses
of cabinets and rooms/ambiences. This allows you to experiment with a
variety of cabinet and ambience combinations and even lets you change
the microphone after the track is already recorded!
Tip: If you think the Red Box output sounds a little bit strange, please
check if the cabinet emulation is switched on. If it is switched off while
you want to use it direct to the mixing desk in a live situation, it will result
in an unfiltered tone that could be described as "nasty"
TSC
™
TSC
We have devoted an entire chapter to the Tube
Safety Control system. See section 4 to learn
more about it.
Power Soak
Use these buttons to adjust the TubeMeister
POWER SOAK
Deluxe 40's output power and set its basic
volume level. This feature lets you enjoy the
20 W 5 W 1 W
benefits of full-blown power amp saturation
at low volume so you can play at home
40 W
in your living room without alienating
the neighbors. The amp's silent recording
capability lets you capture genuine tube-driven tone via a mixing console
without having to drive speakers. Plus, if you want to rehearse in silence
at any time of the day or night, simply plug a set of headphones into the
mixer.
None of the buttons in this section light up when the amp is in 'normal'
operating mode (i.e. at 40 watts of output power). When you press the
20W button, Tube Safety Control disables two tubes to reduce the output
power by half, to 20 watts. When you press the 5W and 1W buttons,
some of the power is converted into heat to further reduce the output by
to 5 watts and 1 watt, respectively. In Speaker Off mode, all the power is
converted into heat and the amp is muted.
The Power Soak isn't just about managing volume; it's also about conjuring
the right tone and response. For modern sounds that demand fast, tightly
focused response with less power tube saturation, set the Power Soak
to full power and turn the Master knob down. If you want classic rock
sounds replete with spongier power tube saturation and creamier tone,
drop the Power Soak down to a lower setting and crank the Master knob
to give those power tubes a workout.
If you have connected a MIDI board, you can assign a separate power
amp mode to each channel. This lets you do things like conjure classic
rock tones by running the Crunch channel in a lower power mode with
the Master cranked to saturate those power amps. Then, you could
operate the Lead channel at full power and with a lower Master setting
to coax more modern sounds out of the amp. Note that if you choose to
mute the amp, you do not need to connect a speaker to the TubeMeister
Deluxe 40's Speaker Out. Designed to enable silent recording, this option
provides the full signal to the Red Box output. To protect the power amp,
the TubeMeister Deluxe 40 automatically engages this mute circuit as
soon as the plug is pulled from the Speaker Out port.
Heads Up: TSC shuts down one pair of tubes to cut the power from 40
to 20 watts (see section 4), which is why two TLC LEDs always light up
when the amp is in 20W, 5W, 1W and Speaker Off modes. TSC is simply
indicating that two tubes are off, and not that it has detected a fault.
TubeMeister 40 Deluxe – Manual 1.3b
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