LIGHTWAVE ATLANTIS usEr mAnuAl
Contents
1. 2 LightWave Optical Pickup System 2 The Voice of the String 2 Natural Acoustic Guitar Sounds 3 2 QUICKSTART 2 00 cc waaa 4 3 SETUP csi wkeecestweneieie teed ene eee 6 3 1 Truss Rod Adjustment 6 3 2 Saddle Adjustment 000055 T 3 3 Optics Alignment 22 eee 7 4 POWERANDCONTROLG 10 4 1 Controls and Jacks 11 4 2 Power and Charging 0 00 12 4 3 Battery Pack Advisory 13 4 4 Instrument Maintenance 15 5 HexFX EDITION 2 2 2222 15 6 APPENDIX 22070 xpaaaa aa aa eae 17 7 TIPS AND TROUBLESHOOTING 18 8 WARRANTY 22222222 21 1 DESIGN CONCEPTS LightWave Optical Pickup System Atlantis is the first guitar ever offered with LightWave s exclusive pickup technology the LightWave Optical Pick up System that uses infrared light technology to sense string vibration for a rich natural amplified acoustic guitar sound without the feedback of mics or the harshness of piezos Unlike piezo pickups that sense the vibration of the bridge rather than the strings which produces that strident quacky sound the Atlantis LightWave Optical Pickup liter ally sees the string delivering a smooth natural acoustic sound rich in harmonic content Piezos also have very poor attack characteristics while the LightWave Optical Pickup has extre2. The playing time on a fully charged battery is about 16 hours The instrument can be played while it is charging Even a brief charge will extend the playing time noticeably The battery pack should last for hundreds of charge cycles but then may need to be replaced This is a custom pack designed specifically for the LightWave Optical Pickup System and includes internal protection to prevent thermal or electrical overload Use only authorized LightWave battery packs when areplacementis necessary Attempting to use a different battery pack may compromise safety and will void the warranty coverage 4 4 Instrument Maintenance After you have finished playing thoroughly wipe the entire instrument including the strings with a clean soft cloth Avoid exposing the instrument to any chemical or sub stance that might mar the finish Avoid prolonged expo sure to direct sunlight or sources of excessive tempera ture or humidity Large changes in average temperature and humidity may call for an adjustment to the neck s truss rod to compensate 5 HexFX EDITION LightWave guitars equipped with the HexFX option have a 13 pin DIN output jack and the deck controls to enable playing through and controlling MIDI converters hex DSP processing devices and string fanout boxes The Light Wave output signals and deck controls on these instru ments are fully compatible with the Gk standards for ex isting MIDI ready guitars e 13 Pin
3. 11 12 charge is used acting as a fuel gauge When this LED goes out you are playing on reserve and should plug in the charger as soon as possible With the charger plugged in the guitar may continue to be played nor mally and will achieve a full charge even while playing Bridge with Transducer Cover 4 2 Power and Charging The Atlantis electronics are powered by an internal re chargeable12 volt NiMH Battery Pack Please read this entire Battery Pack Advisory below This battery pack is specifically designed for the Atlantis with internal pro tection and cannot be substituted Spare or replacement battery packs may be obtained directly from LightWave Systems Contact information below The Atlantis will play for approximately 16 hours on a full charge As the battery pack reaches the lower end of its charge capacity the Status LED will dim and when it goes out completely you have reached the reserve and should plug in the charger as soon as possible Recharging a fully drained battery pack takes about 1 5 hours After plugging in the charger the charge LED on the back of the guitar should light red and when the battery pack is fully charged that same LED should turn green If the charge LED does not come on then the battery pack is not being charged After the charge LED has turned green the battery pack is fully charged and will stay in trickle charge mode until you unplug the charger
4. It is normal for the battery pack itself and other areas in side the electronics cavity to get warm during the charging cycle Overheating hot to the touch should not occur but the LightWave battery system is protected against this and would safely shut down the battery supply if some fault occurs 4 3 Battery Pack Advisory The Atlantis is delivered with the NiMH battery pack al ready installed and will likely have only a partial charge when you receive it The guitar may be immediately played if the Status LED lights when the output cable is plugged in but the full battery pack capacity will likely not be realized 13 14 All NiMH batteries require several cycles of complete charge discharge to restore full capacity after a lengthy storage To be assured of a full capacity pack and optimal playing time follow these steps 1 Plug in the Battery Charger to charge the battery com pletely This will take 1 5 hours or less 2 Unplug the Charger 3 Plug a guitar cable into the 1 4 Output Jack and leave the instrument turned on for at least 16 hours to dis charge the battery pack completely e Repeat the above steps 1 through 3 several times This will re condition the battery pack to be able to deliver its full capacity e This conditioning should be done a couple of times a year or when the instrument playing time seems to be diminishing or if the instrument has been unused for a long duration
5. Output Jack This is the standard connection for plugging in a 13 pin cable not supplied made by other manufacturers The LightWave s individual string signals and the single output present at the 1 4 output jack are routed through the connector pins in standard pinout configuration 15 16 HexFX Volume This control knob function may differ depending on the device connected at the far end of the cable typically it affects the loudness of the MIDI converted or hex DSP signals only Master Volume The loudness of the instrument s sin gle output present at the 1 4 output jack which is also routed through the 13 pin cable is still controlled by the Master Volume knob The signal at the 1 4 jack is present simultaneously with the one routed through the 13 pin cable and can be used at the same time or not If it is not used a 1 4 cable or dummy plug must still be inserted to power up the LightWave Optical Pickup System Blend Switch This three position toggle switch deter mines the sound that is output by the device connected at the far end of the 13 pin cable In the center position both the instrument output and the output of that device will be heard In the up position only the instrument output will be heard In the down position only the out put of the connected device will be heard 1 S2 Switch This three position switch with spring return to center action functions as the Up Do
6. encounter that you cannot resolve or that are not listed here please contact your authorized LightWave Systems retailer where you pur chased your Atlantis or contact LightWave Systems di rectly See contact information in this manual 8 WARRANTY If you purchased your Atlantis guitar in the USA your LightWave Atlantis and Optical Pickup Electronics are covered by the LightWave Systems Limited Warranty Please refer to the Warranty Registration Information and terms sheet included with this manual for detailed infor mation regarding the warranty To allow us to better serve your needs please fill out the Warranty Registration Infor mation and send it to LightWave Systems For warranty coverage outside the USA please consult the LightWave Systems dealer or distributor where you purchased your guitar Specifications subject to change without notice Copyright 2008 21 Q LIGHT WAVE SYSTEMS LightWave Systems Inc P O Box 691 Santa Barbara CA 93102 Tel 805 684 3216 Fax 805 684 6696 www lightwave systems com Atlantis User Manual V1 Copyright 2008
7. Jack 4 1 Controls and Jacks Volume Control Makes the overall signal louder or softer Full rotation clockwise results in an output level comparable to most existing active pickup guitars Turn ing down the control does not alter the sound quality just the level The taper of the volume control is custom designed to accommodate making small adjustments near full volume easier Pull up Tone Switch Pulling up on the Volume Control knob affects the overall bass treble balance to provide a choice of richer tone with more bass or a leaner tone This switched tone choice is independent of the position of the Volume Control Output Jack Plugging in a standard 1 4 cable pow ers the LightWave Optical Pickup System This turns the pickup system on for normal playing for optical setup or for use of the 13 pin HexFX output The cable should be unplugged when the instrument is not in use to avoid unnecessary battery drain Charger Jack Insert the LightWave wall charger into this 2 5mm jack to recharge the internal battery pack or to play using AC power The rapid charge system will fully recharge a drained battery pack in about 1 5 hours even while playing Playing time on a fully charged bat tery is about 16 hours Also see Battery Pack Advisory 4 3 below Status LED The red LED located on the bridge should illuminate when a 1 4 plug is inserted into the output jack The LED brightness dims as the battery pack
8. LIGHTWAVE ATLANTIS ELECTROACOUSTIC GUITAR Featuring the Optical Pickup System USER MANUAL O LIGHTWAVE LIGHTWAVE ATLANTIS ELECTROACOUSTIC GUITAR FOREWORD Thank you and congratulations for your purchase of a LightWave Atlantis We would also like to welcome you as a member of the growing number of LightWave enthusiasts Your Atlantis couples decades of master luthiery and in strument design with the cutting edge of modern pickup technology the LightWave Optical Pickup System LightWave s exclusive patented infrared pickup technolo gy Featuring extraordinary playability and exquisite tone your Atlantis is a fine musical instrument that will provide many years of enjoyment and musical performance En gineered for the rigors of the road the demands of the modern recording studio and long comfortable hours of playing your Atlantis is designed to become a direct ex tension of your creativity Please follow these simple guidelines for usage and care and you will enjoy your Atlantis for years to come We are always interested in your thoughts about your LightWave guitar and about your music We encourage you to contact us with your comments and suggestions on how we can continue to serve you in the future Please visit our website at www lightwave systems com for product update information and other news about LightWave Systems and our growing line of products TABLE OF CONTENTS 1 DESIGN CONCEPTS
9. ected device will not operate correctly No damage will result in the wrong position but the connected device will not perform properly 17 18 If the individual string outputs are fanned e g to distrib ute them to different destinations these switches must be in the ON position to hear the normal LightWave pick up sound No damage will result in the wrong position but the string outputs through the 13 pin connector will be severely attenuated and lack bass response Note that the bridge control for Volume will have no effect on the individual string outputs through the 13 pin con nector The bridge volume control only affects the single combined signal at the 1 4 output jack and on its as signed pin in the 13 pin connector 7 TIPS AND TROUBLESHOOTING 7 1 Tips Atlantis is a guitar with an active pickup system so the output can be plugged into a wide range of device loads without affecting tonal response The minimum recom mended load is 10K Ohm typical of a mixing board Line input The Atlantis is not designed to be directly connected into a low impedance microphone input a D I box should be used for that purpose Connection to a passive D I box will neither dull the treble as happens with passive magnetic pickup guitars nor thin the bass response as with passive piezo pickup guitars The Atlantis output will not properly drive headphones directly The LightWave optical pickup system is a very
10. ise adds relief to the fingerboard Headstock 3 2 Action Adjustment Atlantis comes from the factory with the action set at an average height that is typical and comfortable for most players Lowering or raising the action height requires careful shaping of the saddle It is not recommended that you perform this work unless you are completely familiar with this kind of procedure Please consult a reputable guitar tech Re adjusting the saddle height or changing string gaug es will require realigning the optics see section 3 3 Op tics Alignment Merely exchanging a fresh set of identi cal strings the same gauge and brand usually will not require realigning the optics 3 3 Optics Alignment The following setup procedure is performed in order to align the centerline of the optics with the center of the Power Motherboard Management Board Battery Charge Indicator L E D Red Charging Green Charged Rechargeable Battery Pak Electronics in Rear Cavity cover removed strings This will provide maximum output as well as accommodate string bending and related playing tech niques This operation can be done by ear or electroni cally In either case remove the bridge cover turn on the guitar and adjust the position of the optics by turning the 9 64 hex adjustment screw on the two ends of the pickup baseplate It is a three step process First adjust the highest string then the lowe
11. me sensitivity and wide dynamic range capable of detecting all of the subtle nuance and articula tion of the player s style The Voice of the String What you will hear is extraordinary the sound of the strings the sound of the instrument and most impor tantly the sound of your playing You will notice a whole new sensitivity in the interaction between your fingers the strings and the instrument that will create a new palette of subtle nuances and unique tonalities Playing big open chords close intervals complex voicings and harmonics on your Atlantis will be a revelation You will hear an open ness transparency and dimensionality unlike anything you have previously experienced Natural Acoustic Guitar Sounds Since the output of the LightWave Optical Pickup is pure and transparent you will be hearing the natural sound of the guitar as opposed to the inherent sonic anomalies of conventional pickups Atlantis controls are simple One volume knob with a pull up tone switch is all that is needed The LightWave Opti cal Pickup does the rest delivering true acoustic sound at any volume level At last acoustic guitar players can effortlessly compete with drums bass and electric guitars and fit comfortably into any live mix For demos and studio recording there is no better pickup technology than the LightWave Optical Pickup Noise free and natural sounding simply plug in for the ultimate acoustic guitar tracks
12. neutral and high fidelity transducer of the guitar s acoustic sound For your initial experiences with the Atlantis we can recom mend less extreme tone control EQ settings than you may be used to In fact if the guitar is being played through a PA system or an amp rig with an inherently wide and smooth response you may want to try leaving the EQ flat The Atlantis is sensitive to bright light entering the pickup from the direction of the neck Try to avoid pointing the headstock of the guitar directly at bright light sources The LightWave optical pickup system is very revealing of the choice of strings If you have preferences here be sure to try several as small sonic changes due to the strings will be heard clearly through the 1 4 output jack Experiment 7 2 Troubleshooting Problem When the guitar cable is plugged in the Power LED does not light and no sound is heard Solution 1 Be sure the cable is a TS Tip Sleeve cable and not a TRS Tip Ring Sleeve cable Solution 2 Plug in the battery pack charger and try again Check the back of the guitar for the Charge Status LED to have lit red Problem The sound is very weak or disappearing Cause Battery pack near being fully drained Solution Check the Status LED in the bridge to see if it is out or very dim If so the battery pack needs recharging 19 20 You can continue to play with the charger unit plugged in and the batter
13. st and then go back and re trim the highest string This can be done by ear or using the visual indication of the centering LED on the Motherboard in the electronics cavity Adjusting by ear with the instrument plugged into an amplifier raise and lower the pickup baseplate listening for the sweet spot where the sound output is loudest Do this three times alternating between the high string and low string ends of the baseplate in the order above string 1 then string 6 then string 1 again Adjusting electronically select the string to be cali brated by turning the miniature rotary selector switch on the Motherboard use a 2mm flat screwdriver If your guitar has the HexFX option the rotary switch will be hid den under the HexFX daughterboard Lift straight up on the daughterboard to temporarily move it out of the way The switch positions are numbered to correspond with the strings with position 1 being the highest string When the correct string is selected the red green LED on the Moth erboard indicates the position of the optics LED green indicates that the optics are below the string and must be raised counterclockwise turn of the adjustment screw LED red indicates that the optics are above the string and must be lowered clockwise turn of the adjustment screw At the optimum adjustment point the LED will go out indicating that the optics are centered Adjust slowly so as not to turn the adju
14. stment screw too far in either direction which will result in moving out of the adjust ment range Do this three times in the order mentioned above string 1 then string 6 then string 1 again After the strings have been set up turn the rotary switch back to its zero position so the alignment LED will not light dur ing normal play String Setup Selector Rotary Switch 0 and 1 6 String Level Trimpots SL1 through SL6 Optics Setup L E D Red Out Green Volume Tone Control Knob High String Adjustment Screw Transducer Assembly Low String Adjustment Screw Bridge with Transducer Cover Removed 10 3 4 Individual String Volume Adjustment After proper optics setup the output of each string can be adjusted for overall string to string balance using the corresponding trimpots on the Motherboard These are the six miniature trimpots in a row across the center of the Motherboard labeled SL1 through SL6 SL1 des ignates the highest pitch string Full output is at the end of clockwise rotation of the trimpot and is recommended for optimum performance To adjust Plug the guitar into an amplifier to be able to listen while playing Start with all six string trimpots at the full up position and balance the string levels by turning down the louder strings until the string outputs sound equally loud The trimpot adjustment range is 10 dB 4 CONTROLS AND POWER 2 5mm Charger
15. suggested that you begin with all of your exter nal EQ controls in a neutral flat position This will allow you to hear the actual sound of the instrument prior to making any tonal adjustments The Atlantis is compat ible with all typical guitar preamp amplifier and signal processing gear The Atlantis electronics are powered by a recharge able12 volt NiMH Battery Pack Please read section 4 3 the Battery Pack Advisory The battery pack must have at least a partial charge to begin playing This bat tery pack is specifically designed for the Atlantis and cannot be substituted Spare or replacement battery packs may be obtained from your Authorized LightWave Dealer or directly from LightWave Systems 3 SETUP 3 1 Neck Adjustment Atlantis is equipped with a truss rod for neck relief adjust ments Always perform this adjustment before proceeding to set up the playing action and the LightWave Pickup System It is not recommended that you adjust the truss rod if you do not have prior experience adjusting truss rods on other instruments Improper adjustment of the truss rod can make the instrument difficult to play or cause the strings to buzz Improper adjustment or overtightening can even break the truss rod If you are unfamiliar with truss rods and instrument setup please consult a repu table guitar tech Tightening the truss rod adjuster clock wise will flatten the fingerboard and loosening the truss rod counterclockw
16. with no need for noise reduction or excessive equalization Constructed of premium tonewoods with a chambered body and soundhole the excellent natural acoustic res onance of Atlantis makes it ideal for unamplified casual playing or serious practicing and composition Simple elegant groundbreaking Designed for all guitar players regardless of musical style Atlantis is the next generation go to guitar and the guitar industry s most significant breakthrough in many years 2 QUICK START Plug In and Play The red Status LED on the bridge acts as a power on indicator and as a fuel gauge for the battery charge Plug in a standard 1 4 guitar cable to the 1 4 Output Jack of Atlantis This will turn on the circuit and activate the Status LED When the LED is brightly lit it indicates that there is a sufficient charge to play the instrument In the event that the battery pack has not been charged sufficiently prior to playing the instrument can be played while plugged into the charger unit without sonic pen alty The battery pack will continue to charge while you are playing If you are plugging into an amplifier use the Active input if there is a choice between Passive and Active When plugging into a recording or mixing console use the console s 1 4 Line Input jack or split off the instrument output from your monitor amp rig with a D I box The Atlantis has natural acoustic sound characteristics so it is
17. wn pushbuttons seen on GkK style devices and its func tions may differ depending on the device connected at the far end LightWave guitars omit the hex power on LED seen on some other GK style hex pickups since the LightWave 13 pin output does not rely on getting power from the de vice connected at the far end Rather the LightWave 13 pin output is powered by the same internal battery pack that runs the rest of the pickup system This Light Wave design enables for example simple individual string fanout without needing to connect to an active 13 pin device at the far end 6 APPENDIX 6 1 HexFX Daughterboard DIP Switch Settings On the underside of the HexFX Daughterboard there is a six position DIP switch The six slide switches on the unit are labeled 1 through 6 their ON position is toward the center of the HexFX Daughterboard This switch comes set correctly from the factory for MIDI converters and hex DSP devices and normally does not require any chang es However if the settings are accidentally changed or if the 13 pin output is to be used without a MIDI or DSP device the functions are as follows Slide switches 1 thru 6 individual string outputs condi tioned for MIDI converter or hex DSP OFF or uncondi tioned for simple fanout ON If the instrument is played through a MIDI converter or hex DSP device these switches must be in the OFF positions or else the con n
18. y pack will still charge Problem One or more strings sound softer than the others Cause Optics out of alignment or string trimpots need adjusting Solution 1 Did you just adjust the action or change string gauges If so the optical setup may have to be re done Check the condition of the optical setup see 3 3 Optics Alignment If it is out of alignment perform the optical setup procedure Solution 2 If not check the sound of the guitar while it is unplugged and notice whether a suspect string also has low output acoustically If it does change that string or compensate by adjusting the individual string loudness trimpots See Motherboard illustration section 3 4 Problem Battery pack charge is consumed quickly Cause Battery pack capacity reduced because of disuse for an extended period and needs refreshing Solution Fully charge and discharge the battery pack several times to restore its capacity See 4 2 Battery Pack Advisory Problem Battery pack will not charge or hold a charge Cause 1 Poor connection between battery pack and oth er internal circuitry Solution 1 Make sure the charger unit is plugged firmly into the charger jack and that the battery pack is plugged into the Power Management Board Cause 2 Battery pack life is exhausted Should last for several hundred charge cycles Solution 2 Replace battery pack with a new one avail able from LightWave Systems For other problems you may
Download Pdf Manuals
Related Search