Saber Bass User Manual
Contents
1. 1 Long Natural Sustain sera ies i l kiz Al pine e pi e m 1 Extremely Low N SE car ara eb e eyi b ri nl 1 AN MM ee AT 2 Tone MAD eee ee ge rm aa kle e e m e asec 2 QUICK STARI sese kesesi mideme ine eu bakis 3 SETUP ER a EE Ee PEP YEM SEMAYA FENA 4 3 1NeckandActionAdjustmenits 4 3 2 Saddle Adjustment cece cece cnet tease eee rnrn 4 OO Me Lei Ce EE 5 3 4OpticsAlignment 5 POWER AND GONTROLS aaaea 7 4 1 Control eal 219 4 2 ee T 4 2 batlery A Lee Ee e EE 8 43instrumentMaintenance 9 MAGHYBRIDED TI ON 9 HEXFXED T ON 10 APPEND CES 12 7 1 MotherboardDIPSwitchSettings 12 7 2 HexFX Daughterboard DIP Switch Settings 12 TROUBLESHOOTING 13 WARRANTY 14 1 DESIGN CONCEPTS LightWave Optical Pickup System At the core of your Saber Bass is the LightWave Optical Pickup System a revolutionary new pickup system that uses infrared light technology to faithfully reproduce the true sound of the string Unlike conventional pickups that interact with string vibration the LightWave Pickup System sees the vibration of the string without affecting the string motion in any way As2. and as a fuel gauge for the battery charge When the LED is well lit it indicates that there is a sufficient charge to play the instrument As the battery reaches the lower end of its charge capacity the Status LED will dim and when it goes out completely you have reached the reserve charge which lasts about another two hours of play time In the event that the instrument has not been charged sufficiently prior to playing or has run down before the end of a session the instrument can be played directly from the charger unit with no sonic or noise penalty The 1 4 Output Jack also functions as an on off switch so begin by connecting the instrument to an amplifier using a conventional guitar cable If the amplifier features a choice of Active or Passive inputs use the Active input The Saber Bass has unique sonic characteristics so it is suggested that you begin with all of the instrument controls in the flat center detent position You can then experiment with the many combinations possible and the interaction between you the player the instrument and your amplifier rig The Saber Bass is compatible with all typical bass preamp amplifier and signal processing gear 3 SETUP 3 1 Neck and Action Adjustments Your bass is eguipped with a truss rod for neck adjustmenis Always perform this adjustment before proceeding to set up the playing action and the LightWave Pickup System If you are unfamiliar with truss rods and
3. 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 changes However if the settings are accidentally changed or if the bass is to be used without a MIDI or DSP device the functions are as follows 13 Slide switches 1 thru 6 individual string outputs conditioned for MIDI converter or hex DSP OFF or unconditioned 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 the connected device will not perform correctly No damage will result in the wrong position but the connected device will not perform properly If the individual string outputs are fanned e g to distribute them to different destinations these switches must be in the ON position to hear the normal LightWave pickup 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 none of the deck controls for volume or tone will have any affect on the individual string outputs through the 13 pin connector The deck controls only affect the single combined signal at the 1 4 output jack and through the dedicated pin in the 13 pin connector 8 TROUBLESHOOTI
4. LIGHTWAVE SABER BASS OPTICAL PICKUP SYSTEM LIGHT WAVE VETEME LIGHTWAVE SABER BASS OPTICAL PICKUP SYSTEM FOREWORD Thank you and congratulations for your purchase of a LightWave Saber Bass We would also like to welcome you as a member of the LightWave team Your Saber Bass couples decades of master luthiery and instrument design with the cutting edge of modern pickup technology the LightWave Optical Pickup System LightWaves exclusive patented infrared pickup technology Featuring extraordinary playability and exguisite tone your Saber Bass is a superb musical instrument that will provide many years of enjoyment and musical performance Engineered for the rigors of the road the demands of the modern recording studio and long comfortable hours of playing your Saber Bass is designed to become a direct extension of your creativity Please follow these simple guidelines for setup and care and you will enjoy your Saber Bass for years to come We are always interested in your thoughts about your LightWave Bass 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 DESIGN CONGERIS cece 1 LightWave Optical Pickup Gvstem 1 TheVoiceofthesStringg
5. MIDI converted or hex DSP signals only The loudness of the instrument s single 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 be inserted to power up the LightWave Optical Pickup System Blend Switch This three position toggle switch determines 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 the device will be heard In the up position only the instrument output will be heard In the down position only the output of the connected device will be heard S1 S2 Switch This three position switch with spring return to center action functions as the Up Down pushbuttons seen on other devices and its functions may differ depending on the device connected at the far end LightWave basses omit the 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 device 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 LightWave design enables for example simple indivi
6. NG 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 charger unit and try again Check the back of the bass for the Charge Status LED to have lit red Problem The sound is very weak and thin Cause Insufficient battery voltage Solution Check the status of the Power LED to see if it is out or very dim If so the battery pack needs recharging You can continue to play with the charger unit plugged in and the battery pack will still charge Problem The Mids Sweep control does not seem to do anything Solution Be sure that the Mids Boost Cut control is not in its center detent position which represents no boost or cut regardless of the position of the Sweep control 14 Problem One or more strings sound softer than the others Cause Optics out of alignment Solution Did you just adjust the action or change string gauge If so the optical setup may have to be re done Check the condition of the optical setup see 3 4 Optics Alignment If one or more of the strings is off alignment re do the optical setup for all the strings If not check the sound of the bass while it is unplugged and notice whether a suspect string also has low output acoustically If it does change that string or compensate by
7. a result the natural sound of the string is transmitted in the most transparent and linear fashion possible What you hear is an absolutely faithful reproduction of the string vibration The Voice of the String What you will hear is extraordinary the sound of the strings the sound of the instrument and most importantly 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 multi string chords close intervals complex voicings and harmonics on your Saber Bass will be a revelation You will hear an openness transparency and dimensionality unlike anything you have previously experienced Long Natural Sustain Since the LightWave Optical Pickup System does not interact with the string and because it is capable of much greater sensitivity the strings will sustain much longer In fact the strings will sustain for the full duration of their vibration fading in a pure linear fashion into silence without an abrupt ending or distorted artifacts The decay rate is totally natural like the pedal sustain of a Grand Piano Extremely Low Noise Unlike magnetic pickups which induce extraneous noise to the sound the LightWave Optical Pickup has virtually no self noise As a result you can play at any volume without annoying background hum or buzz This is an absolute break
8. adjusting the string loudness trimpots See Motherboard Diagram Problem Battery pack charge consumed quickly Cause Battery pack capacity reduced because of disuse for an extended period 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 charger Solution 1 Make sure the charger unit is plugged firmly into the charger jack and the battery pack is plugged into the Power Management Board Cause 2 Battery pack life exceeded Solution 2 Replace battery pack with a new one For other problems you may encounter that you cannot resolve or that are not listed here please contact your Authorized LightWave Systems Retailer where you purchased your Saber Bass or contact LightWave Systems directly 9 WARRANTY For basses purchased in the USA your LightWave US Custom Saber Bass and Optical Pickup Electronics are covered by the LightWave Systems Limited Warranty Please refer to the Warranty Registration Information included with your bass for detailed information regarding this warranty To allow us to better serve your needs please fill out the Warranty Registration Information and send it to us without delay For warranties outsid the USA please refer to the LightWave Systems supplier where you purchased your base Specifications subject to change w
9. ates that the optics are below the string and must be raised clockwise turn of the adjustment screw LED red indicates that the optics are above the string and must be lowered counterclockwise turn of the adjustment screw At the optimum adjustment point the LED will extinguish indicating that the optics are centered Take care not to turn the adjustment screw too far in either direction and do not force it After all of the strings have been calibrated turn the rotary switch back to the zero position After proper optics setup the output of each string can be adjusted for overall balance using the corresponding trimpots on the Motherboard These are the six miniature trimpots in a row at the center of the Motherboard labeled SL1 through SL6 SL1 designates the highest pitch string Full output is at the end of the clockwise rotation of the trimpot and is recommended for optimum performance Start with all strings at the full up position and balance the outputs by attenuating or turning down the louder strings until outputs are equal The trimpot adjustment range is 10db The trimpots for any unused string channels have no effect on signal level and should be turned fully down counterclockwise 4 POWER AND CONTROLS Master Volume Bass Boost Cut Mids Boost Cut Mids Freguency rm Cool Switch Towards Neck Warm Towards Bridge Cool iceTone evel Standard Optical iceTone Edit
10. dual string fanout without needing to connect to an active 13 pin device at the far end 12 7 APPEND CES 7 1 Motherboard DIP Switch Settings On the Motherboard next to the rotary switch used for the optics setup there is a four position DIP switch labeled SW2 If your bass has the HexFX option this will be hidden under the HexFX daughterboard The four slide switches on the unit are labeled 1 through 4 their ON position is toward the center of the Motherboard This switch comes set correctly from the factory and normally does not require any changes However if the settings are accidentally changed note the functions are as follows Basses with optical and iceTone pickups Standard models SW2 1 iceTone normal OFF or full range ON SW2 2 iceTone gain high OFF or low ON SW2 3 Tone Controls Daughterboard in OFF or out ON SW2 4 not used future option Basses with optical and magnetic pickups Mag Hybrid Edition SW2 1 Mag Pickup high passed OFF or normal ON SW2 2 Mag Pickup gain high OFF or low ON SW2 3 Tone Controls Daughterboard in OFF or out ON SW2 4 not used future option Basses with HexFX option SW2 has no effect on the individual string 13 pin outputs or controls but it still affects the single combined signal as above 7 2 HexFX Daughterboard DIP Switch Settings On the underside of the HexFX Daughterboard there is a six position DIP switch The six slide
11. ing the string back to pitch and check intonation Repeat as needed to achieve desired intonation accuracy 3 4 Optics Alignment String Setup Selector Rotary Switch Optical Level Trimpots SL1 through SL6 Optics Setup LED Red Green Motherboard Closeup Showing Setup Detail The following setup procedure is performed in order to align the centerline of the optics with the long axis of the string This will provide maximum output as well as accommodate string bending and related playing techniques This operation can be done by ear or electronically In either case turn on the bass and adjust the position of the optics by turning the 5 64 hex adjustment screw on top of each monolith By ear with the instrument plugged into an amplifier and or headphones raise and lower the optics listening for the sweet spot where the sound output is loudest Electronically select the string to be calibrated by turning the miniature rotary selector switch on the Motherboard use a 2mm flat screwdriver If your bass has the HexFX option the rotary switch will be hidden 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 frequency string When the string is selected the red green LED on the Motherboard indicates the position of the optics LED green indic
12. instrument setup please consult a reputable guitar tech 3 2 Saddle Adjustment Monolith Mounting for Adjusting V one of two 3mn gi Hex Adj ustr Rz Se String Saddle Height Adjustme Monolith Mounting Screw for Adjusting Intonation _ one of two 3mm hex i Closeup Showing Monolith Detail Each string has a saddle height adjustment screw located in the string saddle in the monolithic bridge assembly Turning the screw clockwise raises the saddle turning counterclockwise lowers it Use a 050 hex driver for adjustment The action can be adjusted while the strings are under tension Adjusting the saddle height or changing string gauges typically requires realigning the optics see 3 4 Optics Alignment Exchanging a fresh set of identical strings the same gauge and brand should not require realigning the optics 3 3 ntonation Intonation will likely be with the highest pitch string being closest to the nominal scale length and each string diameter larger being slightly more set back towards the tail end of the instrument Strings that are articulated or have exposed cores will intonate closer to the actual scale length To adjust the intonation e Remove tension from the selected string e With the 3mm hex driver loosen the two monolith mounting screws e Reposition the monolith in the new desired intonation location e Re tighten the monolith mounting screws to the deck of the instrument e Br
13. ion 4 1 Control Elements e Master Volume Makes the overall signal optics plus ice Tone louder or softer Full rotation clockwise results in an output level comparable to most existing active basses e Bass Boost and Cut 12dB with knee at 300 Hz Shelving Type e Mids Boost and Cut 12dB at frequency selected by the mids sweep control Q varies see below e Mids Center Frequency Sweep 200 Hz counterclockwise to 1 kHz clockwise Provides a varying Q that is narrow in the low frequencies and increasingly broad in the higher frequencies for a more useful effect range e iceTone The iceTone control blends in the high frequency enhancement built into each individual string saddle iceTone cannot be selected separately but is added to the optical signal Blending in some iceTone will deliver more percussive presence and crisp high end Full rotation counterclockwise is off Warm Cool Switch This miniature toggle switch provides a switched in EQ that applies an upward tilted frequency response curve to produce a leaner cooler balance with less bass and more upper mids The two positions of the switch are similar to selecting the neck or bridge pickups of a conventional bass guitar with two magnetic pickups The Warm Cool Switch does not appear on LightWave basses with the Mag Hybrid option Output Jack Plugging in a standard 1 4 cable powers the LightWave Optical Pickup System This turns the pickup sy
14. ithout notice LightWave Systems Inc 6387 A Rose Lane Carpinteria California 93013 USA Tel 805 684 3216 Fax 805 684 6696 www lightwave systems com User Manual Version 1 Copyright 2005
15. ls the blend between the magnetic and optical pickup outputs The knob has a center detent which represents equal output between the two pickups rotating to either end will result in only the magnetic or only the optical pickup system sound being heard In addition the Warm Cool toggle switch of standard Saber Basses has been omitted and replaced with a bypass toggle to allow direct passive output of the magnetic pickup The other controls operate as on standard Saber Basses The Master Volume and Tone Controls affect both the optical and magnetic pickups 6 HexFX EDITION e HexFX Edition Showing Only Added Controls LightWave basses 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 LightWave output signals and deck controls on these instruments are fully compatible with the GK standards for existing MIDl ready guitars and basses 11 13 Pin Output Jack This is the standard connection for plugging ina 13 pin cable not supplied made by other manufacturers The LightWave individual string signals and the single output present at the 1 4 output jack are routed through the connector pins in standard configuration 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
16. stem 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 conserve power and to avoid unnecessary battery drain Charger Jack Insert the LightWave wall charger into this 1 8 jack to recharge the internal NiMH battery pack or to play using AC power The rapid charge system will fully recharge the battery pack in about an hour even while playing Playtime on a fully charged battery is about 15 hours See Battery Pack Advisory 4 2 below Status LED The red LED located on the low string monolith illuminates when a 1 4 plug is inserted into the output jack The LED brightness dims as the battery pack charge is used acting as a fuel gauge When the LED goes out you are playing on reserve and should plug in the charger within an hour or two 4 2 Battery Pack Advisory The LightWave System uses a NiMH battery pack The battery pack will have a partial charge when you receive it All NiMH batteries require several cycles of complete charge discharge to restore full capacity after storage To be assured of a full capacity charge and optimal playing time follow these steps Plug in the Battery Charger to charge the battery completely approximately 1 hour or less Unplug the Charger Plug a cable into the 1 4 Output Jack and leave the instrument on for at least 16 hours to discharge the battery pack completely e Repeat se
17. through for modern recording noise free extraordinarily transparent sound Even with your amp at high volume you will experience amazing dynamic range and sensitivity iceTone This control allows the blending of the tailored piezo transducers built into each individual string saddle icelone is a patented LightWave Systems piezo design that was specifically developed to avoid the clack and harshness typical of piezos while integrating seamlessly with the LightWave Optical Pickup The result is a smooth natural sounding high frequency enhancement ranging from crisp high end to percussive presence icelone cannot be selected separately but is added to the optical signal as the control knob is turned up Tone Shaping If you wish to use EQ to shape your sound you can use any amount desired to create subtle or dramatic tonal variations without tonal artifacts Since the output of the LightWave Optical Pickup is pure and transparent you will be augmenting the sound of the string alone as opposed to the inherent response curves and background noise found in conventional pickups 2 GUICK START The Saber Bass electronics are powered by a rechargeable NiMH Battery Pack see section 4 2 Battery Pack Advisory The battery pack must have at least a partial charge to begin playing The Saber Bass will play for approximately 15 hours on a full charge The red Status LED on the top of the low string monolith acts aS a power on indicator
18. veral times This will condition the battery to reach full capacity e This conditioning should be done a couple of times a year or when the instrument play time seems to be diminishing or if the instrument has been unused for a long duration The playing time on a full capacity fully charged battery is about 15 hours The instrument can be played while it is charging Even a brief charge will extend battery playing time The battery pack should last for hundreds of charge cycles and may need to be periodically replaced This is a custom pack designed for the LightWave Optical Pickup System and includes protection devices to prevent thermal or electrical overload Use only authorized LightWave battery packs when a replacement is necessary 4 3 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 substance that might mar the finish Avoid prolonged exposure to direct sunlight or sources of excessive temperature or humidity 5 MAG HYBRID EDITION OH ER r Volume Bass Boost Cut ds Boost Cut assive Bypass guency nce Mag Hybrid Edition 10 LightWave basses with the Magnetic Hybrid option have a conventional magnetic pickup in addition to the LightWave Optical Pickup System The iceTone piezo transducers have been omitted so that the fifth deck control knob contro
Download Pdf Manuals
Related Search