User manual FISHMAN BP-100

[. . . ] The area of the bridge where the elements will be mounted must be flattened with a sanding block or a flat file. Otherwise, the performance of the pickup will be adversely affected. Most problems with the pickup's performance can be remedied by flattening the bridge face. Use a 120-150 grit sanding block or a file to flatten the area that will make direct contact with the elements. [. . . ] · Once the optimum position is determined, the elements should not be disturbed or removed from the instrument. · The mounting clips must be tight. They should be retightened after installation to compensate for compression of the felt. 4 Owners Manual PLUGGING IN Due to the nature of passive pickups, the type of cable you use and the input you plug into will affect the quality of your sound. INSTRUMENT CABLE Cable lengths over 10 feet (before preamp) will cause audible high frequency loss. Use a high quality, low capacitance shielded cable. This will insure minimal tone coloration and hum. Using fully shielded metal plugs will also help eliminate hum. KINDS OF AUDIO INPUTS Because of the lack of standardization for high impedance audio inputs, special attention should be paid to what you are plugging into: The BP-100 will sound best when plugged directly into an input with a 10 M impedance. At 10 M , the full frequency response of the bass is reproduced. The BP-100 can also be plugged into inputs as low as 1 10 M with adequate results. At 1 M , the lowest bass frequencies will be slightly rolled off. PREAMPS We strongly recommend using a 10 M, impedance matching, buffered preamp in conjunction with the pickup. Realize the full frequency response potential of the pickup. Permit long cable runs (after the preamp) without signal deterioration. Allow precise volume and tone shaping with dedicated EQ. Insure compatibility with virtually any instrument level audio input available. 5 BP-100 Acoustic Bass Pickup Pickup Fishman Transducers manufactures a complete line of compatible preamps, all with 10 Meg Ohm inputs: MODEL BII - Outboard Acoustic Instrument Preamp PRO-EQ II - 4 Band Acoustic Instrument Preamp PRO-EQ PLATINUM - Outboard Acoustic Instrument Preamp / EQ / D. I. - Fully Parametric Two Band Preamp / D. I. ACOUSTIC / BASS BLENDER - 2 Channel Pickup / Mic Preamp POCKET BLENDER - 2 Channel Pickup/Mic Preamp BASS AMPLIFIERS Most bass amplifiers (at least 1 M input impedance) will yield useable results. Beware of bass amps with pre-voiced electric bass EQ. These amps will usually sound boomy in the bass and brittle in the top end, even with all controls set "flat". Pre-voiced EQ can be defeated by plugging directly into the power amp, (with a buffering preamp) via an effects return jack. SPEAKERS Sealed speaker enclosures provide the most punch and uncolored reproduction. Most modern ported enclosures tend to overly interact with the instrument and cause low end emphasis that masks the acoustic quality of the instrument. DIRECT BOXES You can plug the BP-100 into an "active" direct box (1-10 M input) with very good results. Using a passive direct box will sound weak and thin. P A / RECORDING CONSOLES Professional PA and recording consoles have a much lower input impedance than what is acceptable for the BP-100. For usable results, you will need an impedance matching preamp. Plugging a passive piezo pickup into a mixer without an impedance matching preamp will sound harsh and thin. 6 Owners Manual TROUBLESHOOTING SYMPTOM CAUSE SOLUTION Check the flatness of the bridge face with the edge of a steel ruler or a single edge razor blade. [. . . ] FISHMAN retains the right to make such determination on the basis of factory inspection. Products returned to FISHMAN for repair or replacement must be shipped in accordance with the Return Policy, as follows. This warranty remains valid only if repairs are performed by FISHMAN. This warranty gives you specific legal rights and you may also have other rights which may vary from state to state. Return Policy To return products to FISHMAN TRANSDUCERS, you must follow these steps. . . [. . . ]