Summary of the content on the page No. 1
USER’S GUIDE
TM
ONBOARD
BLENDER
WARNING!
WE STRONGLY RECOMMEND THAT YOU FAMILIARIZE YOURSELF WITH THE
PREAMP CONTROLS BEFORE YOU ATTEMPT TO PERFORM WITH THE ONBOARD
BLENDER. FAILURE TO DO SO COULD RESULT IN WAVES OF EAR-SPLITTING
FEEDBACK AT HIGH LEVELS. (see Quick Start on page 3.)
Summary of the content on the page No. 2
FISHMAN PREFIX™ ONBOARD BLENDER This fine instrument is equipped with a FISHMAN PREFIX™ ONBOARD BLENDER™. Please read these instructions carefully. If you have any questions or problems, please call our CUSTOMER SERVICE LINE at (978) 988-9665. The ONBOARD BLENDER™ is a guitar mounted preamp that combines the sounds from a supplied FISHMAN ACOUSTIC MATRIX™ under-saddle pickup and a preamp mounted miniature electret condenser microphone. The microphone, shock-mounted on the underside of the preamp
Summary of the content on the page No. 3
ACOUSTIC GUITAR SYSTEM QUICK START To successfully combine microphone and pickup signals, it is best to start by presetting the microphone EQ to control feedback, then mixing in the pickup. The PREFIX™ ONBOARD BLENDER™ features three ways to control feedback; a PHASE switch, NOTCH filter and semi-parametric CONTOUR controls. Follow these steps to achieve a strong, feedback-free microphone response. 1. Before plugging in, set all controls as follows: • NOTCH and VOLUME fully counter-clockwise • A
Summary of the content on the page No. 4
FISHMAN PREFIX™ ONBOARD BLENDER PREAMP FUNCTIONS BATTERY COMPARTMENT Pull the small tab at the top MICROPHONE TRIM of the ONBOARD BLENDER™ toward you. The body of the preamp will swing out, revealing the BAT- 9V BATTERY TERY COMPARTMENT. PREFIX™ SERIES PREAMP Insert a fresh 9V alkaline battery. GUITAR BODY MICROPHONE TRIM CONTROL A small circular potentiometer is located on the underside of the preamp just below the battery compartment. This control is used to calibrate the microphone gain in r
Summary of the content on the page No. 5
ACOUSTIC GUITAR SYSTEM NOTCH FILTER is effectively off in the full counter-clockwise position. VOLUME CONTROL The VOLUME control affects both microphone and pickup. Goes from very quiet to very LOUD. BASS CONTROL This is a boost/cut shelving tone control. This control affects the pickup signal only. The center detent yields a flat response. CONTOUR This is a wide-range semi-parametric filter. It may be used to shape the instrument's tone or to control feedback (see pages 6 and 7). The CONTOUR co
Summary of the content on the page No. 6
10 kHz 250 Hz + 12 dB - 12 dB + 12 dB - 12 dB + 12 dB - 12 dB 10 kHz 250 Hz + 12 dB - 12 dB + 12 dB - 12 dB + 12 dB - 12 dB FISHMAN PREFIX™ ONBOARD BLENDER SUGGESTED EQ SETTINGS ANTI-FEEDBACK 50 Hz 900 Hz QUIET LOUD Refer to page 3. PHASE BATTERY LOW MIC PICKUP BRILLIANCE If you are playing through an electric 50 Hz 900 Hz QUIET LOUD guitar amplifier or have dead strings on the instrument, you can brighten up your sound by setting the Contour FRE- QUENCY slider to 10 kHz and raising the CONTOUR
Summary of the content on the page No. 7
10 kHz 250 Hz + 12 dB - 12 dB + 12 dB - 12 dB + 12 dB - 12 dB 10 kHz 250 Hz + 12 dB - 12 dB + 12 dB - 12 dB + 12 dB - 12 dB ACOUSTIC GUITAR SYSTEM MID CUT You can scoop out harsh midrange by setting the FREQUENCY slider slightly above center with the CONTOUR Level cut to taste below the center detent. 50 Hz 900 Hz QUIET LOUD Often the desired mid-cut will fall into the same frequency range as potential microphone feedback. This is your lucky day! You can also cut midrange (pickup only) by boost
Summary of the content on the page No. 8
FISHMAN PREFIX™ ONBOARD BLENDER WHAT IS PHASE? Phase is the relationship between two signals or soundwaves originating from the same instrument. For our purposes, phase relationships are expressed as being either "in phase" or "out of phase". In phase tends to enhance, while out of phase tends to sup- press the natural characteristics and acoustic tendencies of an instrument. A simple way to determine the quality of phase (in or out) of two sounds is to com- pare phase switch settings at low vol
Summary of the content on the page No. 9
ACOUSTIC GUITAR SYSTEM WHY DO I NEED A PHASE SWITCH ? The phase switch is useful for two reasons: 1. Due to the interactive and changing nature of phase, acoustic amplification depends on maintaining optimum phase relationships between amplified instruments, sound systems and venues. 2. Since an industry standard for polarity has not been established for all sound equipment, the phase switch can compensate for any unintentional differences that might occur between instrument and sound system. AP
Summary of the content on the page No. 10
FISHMAN PREFIX™ ONBOARD BLENDER Continued from Page 9 Here's why: A typical guitar has a cavity resonance of about 100 Hz. This is the frequency that generally feeds back when a mic'ed guitar and speaker are in phase. 100 Hz has a wavelength of about 11 feet. Phase inverts 180° for every 1/2 a frequency's wavelength. In this case, 1/2 the wavelength is about 5 1/2 feet. If you set your PHASE switch to eliminate cavity resonance (out of phase) and then move 5 1/2 feet towards or away from the spe
Summary of the content on the page No. 11
ACOUSTIC GUITAR SYSTEM SPECIFICATIONS Nominal Input Level: -20 dBV Input Overload: (20 Hz - 20 kHz)-2 dBV Input Impedance: 20 M Ohms Output Impedance: Less than 3.5 k Ohms Nominal Output Level: -12 dBV THD: Less than .04 %, -20 dBV input Signal to Noise Ratio: 77 dB (A weighted referred to nominal -20 dBV input) Current Drain: Less than 4 mA Power Supply: 9V Alkaline battery (estimated 140 hours continuous use with low battery indicator at 6.5V) Notch Filter Range: 50Hz - 900 Hz (-15 dB) Ba
Summary of the content on the page No. 12
LIMITED WARRANTY INSTALLATION BY A QUALIFIED PROFESSIONAL REPAIRMAN IS STRONGLY RECOMMENDED. FISHMAN TRANSDUCERS WILL NOT BE RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY DAMAGES THAT MAY RESULT FROM IMPROPER INSTALLATION. The FISHMAN PREFIX™ ONBOARD BLENDER ACOUSTIC GUITAR SYSTEM is warranted to function for a period of One (1) Year from the date of purchase. If the unit fails to function properly within the warranty period, free repair and the option of replacement or refund in the event that FISHMAN is unable to make
