Traynor DarkHorse DH15H Instructions page 5

Controls
1. Input
This is a high sensitivity input intended for guitars. If you're planning on connecting a piece of
line-level gear, make sure you turn its output volume way down.
2. Gain
This control adjusts the gain of the amp's first tube stage. Along with the Tonestack switch, the
Gain control determines how much clipping you'll get at low volumes. You'll also notice the amp
sounds a little brighter when the Gain is set low; it's like a built in 'brightness' setting.
3. Bass and Treble
Use these controls to shape the overall tone of the amp. The mid point is a good starting position.
4. Tonestack Switch
The Tonestack switch is one of the features that really make the DarkHorse unique. It shifts
where in the circuit your tonestack sits. It's like getting three amps in one!
Brit –
Setting to Brit mode positions the tonestack after the second tube stage, just before
the phase splitter, which is similar to classic English rock amp designs. This mode also has
a boost in the mid frequencies making it great for lead tones and high gain chord bashing.
Pure –
A Pure setting – what's this you ask? This position bypasses the tonestack,
meaning you can spin those tone knobs all you want, but they won't do much! What you
get is the natural EQ of the amp and the hottest possible signal going to the power amp.
Crank the Gain and Master to 10 and listen to the output tubes saturate!
USA –
The USA mode positions the tonestack between the first and second tube stages,
just as you'd find it in classic American amps. Sounds great for clean tones, blues and country.
5. Master
The Master control sets the overall output volume of the DH15H. Use it to control your volume
but also use it in conjunction with the Gain knob to vary the amp's clipping characteristic. High
Gain + Low Master = Preamp Clipping. Low Gain + High Master = Power Amp Clipping.
6. Standby / Output Switch
Another feature unique to the DarkHorse DH15H is the ability to choose between two types
of output tubes for your amp. In the mid position, your amp will be in standby as indicated by
the amber pilot light. Switch to the down position to use the 12AU7 Triode tube stage. You'll
see the pilot light go green. Flip to the up position to get the 6V6 Pentode stage. The pilot light
turns red – that means it's loud!
7. Power Switch
You know what the Power switch does, but here's a tip: when you turn your amp off, set the
Output switch to 6V6 mode. This will discharge the capacitors in your amp's power supply
when you're not using it.
8. Speaker Cabinets
On the rear of the DH15H you'll find a 16-ohm output jack and a pair of 8-ohm output jacks.
This allows for a variety of cabinets to be connected to your amp.
Take note that the 8-ohm jacks are connected internally in parallel and want to see 8-ohms
total. If two 8-ohm cabinets were connected to the DH15H, the amp would actually see a
4-ohm load. While the DH15H is capable of driving this load, you'll actually get less output
power than if you were to connect a single 8-ohm cabinet. This is due to the impedance
mismatch with the output transformer.
Here are some examples of how to connect cabinets to your DarkHorse:
• Connect a single Traynor DHX12 (16-ohms) to the 16-ohm output jack.
• Connect a pair of Traynor DHX12 (16-ohms each, 8-ohms total when connected in
parallel) to the 8-ohm jacks – one cabinet per jack.
• Connect a Traynor YCX12 (8-ohms) to either 8-ohm jack and leave the other
8-ohm jack unused.
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