Peavey The Century User's Manual
Contents
1. harmonically rich smooth overload capability Once having identified the various characteristics of tube amps we set out to develop solid state circuitry that would match the performance of tube type equipment Our SATURATION effect closely duplicates the gain compression effect of vacuum tubes The total tube sound is a result of the interplay between the voltage application preamp and the power amp speaker interface The SATURATION circuit operates in the preamp circuitry and exhibits successively more gain compression effect as the control is rotated clockwise It should be noted that the SATURATION effect must be balanced with proper settings of all three controls in the GAIN BLOCK for maximum effects The pre gain must be set high enough for adequate drive voltage to the SATURATION circuit while tho SATURATION control should be varied to achieve the desired sustain overload characteristic The post gain sets tho sensitivity of the power amp master volume and must be used in conjunction with the above controls for proper results It should be remembered that the SATURATION effect takes place in the preamp and that when the pre and post gain controls are set to drive the power amp to maximum output the SATURATION circuit will have correspondingly ittle effect on the total sound of the unit as the natural overload characteristics of the power amp come into play Experimentation and operating experience will be necessary to f2. E WITH PRE GAIN FULL CLOCKWISE PREAMP INPUT CHARACTERISTICS HIGH GAIN INPUT JACK Impedance High Z 220K ohms Nominal Input Level 26 dBV 50 mV RMS Minimum Input Level 46 dBV 5 mV RMS Maximum Input Level 6 dBV 2V RMS LOW GAIN INPUT JACK Impedance High Z 44K ohms Nominal Input Level 20 dBV 100 mV RMS Minimum Input Level 40 dBV 10 mV RMS Maximum Input Level 12 dBV 4V RMS POWER AMP INPUT Impedance High Z 47K Nominal Input Level 0 dBV 1V RMS SIGNAL TO NOISE RATIO 2 NOMNAL INPUT LEVEL 75 dB 20 Hz to 20 kHz unweighted EQUALIZATION 15 dB 80 Hz amp 8 kHz Shelving 15 dB PARAMID Peak Notch Mid is shiftable from 150 Hz to 1 500 Hz PREAMP OUTPUT Load Impedance 10K ohms or greater Nominal Output 0 dBV 1V RMS Maximum Output 14 dBV 5V RMS into 50K ohms Due to our offorte for constant improvement specification are subject to change without notice EXPOSURE TO EXTREMELY MIGH NOISE LEVELS MAY CAUSE A PERMANENT HEARING LOSS INDIV DONLS VARY CONSIDERABLY IN SUSCEPTIBILITY TO NOISE INDUCE HEARING LOSS BUT NEARLY EVERYONE WILL LOSE SOME HEARING IF EXPOSED TO SUFFICIENTLY INTENSE NOISE FOR A SUFFICIENT T SHEUS GOVERNMENTS OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINIS TRAFON Haa SPECIFIED TE FOLLOWING PERMISSIBLE NOISE LEVEL EXPOSURES sccorona ro gud evello ntheoperatinginstuctionsandonthe he unt A operative instructions shoul bo followed Tis produc
3. Operating Guide For GENERAL DESCRIPTION For many years working musicians have consistently expressed the need for a simple economical but effective utility amplifier Our new Century is such a utility amplifier featuring 100 watts RMS 4 ohms the latest active equalization circuitry and tremendous input dynamic range to enable its use with almost any instrument This unit is an ideal bass or keyboard amplifier and with the inclusion of our unique SATURATION effect is also a truly exceptional 100 watt guitar amplifier This Saturation effect produces tho warm ovorload and sustain characterists of vacuum tube amplifiers and is intended primarily for guitar however many interesting and novel effects can be accomplished with bass and keyboard instruments The Saturation effect is further enhanced by the ability of the Century to control this effect with an optional remote footswitch Our equalization circuit features active shelving type high and low equalizers and our unique PARAMID equalizer for the vital midrange frequencies Our Paramid circuit enables true boost or cut capability in the vital midrange as well as enabling shifting the center frequency over an extremely wide range This unique active parametric equalization circuit enables the Century to duplicate almost any tonality and when combined with the tremendous dynamic capabilities and Saturation features of the preamp the results are truly exceptional We have in
4. agic in flat EQ settings We have provided one of the most versatile and effective EQ circuits available with which you can experiment in order to find your sound PREAMP OUT JACK The preamp out jack K is the output of the preamp and is provided for patching out the preamp signal to external devices and or effects units POWER AMP IN JACK The power amp in jack L is of the switching type and in the normal nothing plugged in configuration the preamp output is internally connected to the power amp When a plug is inserted into this power amp in jack the internal patching connection is broken and the power amp s input is now the plug patch into the power amp input jack The purpose of the preamp out power amp in jacks is to allow auxiliary effects units to be patched in line between the preamp and the power amp FOOTSWITCH JACK The footswitch jack M allows remote control of the SATURATION function A standard tip sleeve phone jack equipped footswitch may be used to activate or cut off the SATURATION function REAR PANEL FUSE The fuse is located within the cap of the fuseholder 1 It is necessary that the fuse be replaced with the proper type and value if it should fail in order to avoid damage to the equipment and to prevent voiding the warranty If your unit repeatedly blows fuses it should be taken to a qualified service center for repair POWER SWITCH On domestic units the power switch 2 is of the three position type wit
5. cks each having different sensitivities and a unique arrangement allowing the gain of both jacks to be equalized when instruments are plugged into both jacks The high gain jack A is the input normally used and has considerably more sensitivity and input impedance than the low gain jack This low gain jack has been included to allow extension of the input dynamic range If the output signal from your instrument is overloading distorting the high gain input then the low gain input 6 dB should be used GAIN BLOCK The Century has been designed utilizing our new GAIN BLOCK signal processing front end The provision of three interacting controls allows complete and total control of the amp s gain structure dynamics harmonic content overload texture and output level Each of the three control functions must be understood and adequate experimentation time spent in order to fully utilize the potential of this unique and innovative new amp PRE GAIN Our pre gain control C is similar to conventional volume controls in that it is the first level setting device in the system Our input preamp circuitry utilizes variable negative feedback with the pre gain control as part of the active circuit Utilization of this type circuitry enables an optimum combination of input dynamic range inputimpedance and low noise operation for any particular gain setting Operation should present no problem since its action is conventional even though the associa
6. cluded an effects loop consisting of a transient protected preamp out power amp in system of jacks to enable utilization of the Century with external devices such as power amps effects devices etc A post gain master volume has also been included to further enhance this unique amplifier s capabilities The 100 watt power amp of the Century utilizes four rugged TO 3 power devices bolted to a massive aluminum heatsink Power is supplied from a large transformer utilizing a grain oriented silicon steel core feeding large silicon rectifiers in a tull bridge configuration The dual 5 500 microfarad filter capacitors supply well regulated d c and provide tremendous instantaneous dynamic power capability Overall the new Century is the utility amplifier It has the unique features gain overload dynamics equalization and ruggedized output to handle almost any musical instrument Its conservative 100 watt rating does not actually convey its true dynamic music power capabilities If your requirements are for a simple no frills professional amplifier in the 100 watt range we are confident that the Century will fill your needs WARNING TO PREVENT ELECTRICAL SHOCK OR FIRE HAZARD DO NOT EXPOSE THIS APPLIANCE TO RAIN OR MOISTURE READ ALL INSTRUCTIONS CAREFULLY AND RETAIN THIS GUIDE FOR FUTURE REFERENCE FRONT PANEL INPUTS The new Century has been provided with two input ja
7. e overall balance of high frequencies in the Century s response Its action is similar to that of the low frequency control except for its high frequency effect High end boost is obtained in clockwise positions while cut is obtained in countercolckwise positions Flat settings result from vertical 12 00 o clock settings NOTES ON EQUALIZATION There is no perfect EQ setting that will satisfy everyone Each instrument speaker system etc has its own response characteristics which must be considered in the final EQ settings The type of music being played and the levels being required are also quite important For example For playing hard rock guitar ithas been found that moderate low boost or sometimes cut combined with middle boost and moderate high boost produce the best results Most amps which have earned respect for rock guitar exhibit limited low end response a nice fat boosted midrange and a slightly boosted high end response Totally different settings are recommended for clean playing such as jazz country or gospel music In those instances moderate high and low boost are generally combined with varying degrees of midrange cut Bass applications often show that moderate bass boost combined with midrange cut and high boost produce the best results Keyboard applications can vary significantly but generally will be somewhat similar to the bass application Again there are no perfect settings and there is certainly no m
8. encies often determine much of the tonal color of any instrument This new PARAMID control enables total control of these frequencies and enables almost any tonality to be achieved with proper adjustment The PARAMID control determines whether the mids will be boosted or cut while working in conjunction with the frequency shift control which varies the frequency of the mid EQ circuitry Please keep in mind that the PARAMID and frequency shift controls work together and must be adjusted relative to each other as wall as the low and high EQ controls to obtain maximum offect FREQUENCY SHIFT CONTROL The center frequency of the PARAMID midrange EQ circuit may be shifted through a considerable range by use of a state variable filter This unique circuit enables the operating point of the PARAMID control to be placed precisely to allow duplication or creation of almost any midrange tonality Operation of the frequency shift control 1 causes thestate variable EQ filter circuitry to sweep across the midfrequency band enabling boost or cut at any point in the midrange Very few instrument amplifiers have incorporated this advanced type EQ circuitry because of its more complex design and higher construction costs We felt that the new Century should embody the latest advances in audio equalization as exemplified by this parametric middle circuitry and have included it for your satisfaction HIGH EQ CONTROL The high EQ control J determines th
9. h the center position being OFF This switch has two ON positions one of which is Used to ground the amplifier properly One of the ON positions will yield the lowest amount of residual hum or popping when the instrument is touched and this is the position that should be used On export models we utilize a simple on off switch that does not have multiple ON positions since the grounding earthing conditions in most countries are made positively through standard tamper proof plug in systems LINE CORD For your safety we have incorporated a three wire iine mains cable 3 with proper grounding facilities It is not advisable to remove the ground pin under any circumstances If it is necessary to use the amp in a two pin plug system without proper grounding facilities suitable grounding adaptors should be used Much less noise and greatly reduced shock hazard exist when the unit is operated with the proper grounded receptacles SPEAKER OUTPUTS The speaker output jacks 4 are of the standard 4 type Both the output jacks are wired in parallel and either or both may be used when connecting your speaker system The 200H module has been optimized for a 4 ohm load but has adequate performance to drive loads both above and below the recommended 4 ohm impedance Extreme care should be used when operating a unit below 4 ohms since lower load impedances tend to overload the power amplifier and may cause premature activation of the p
10. oost which may cause you to run out of power headroom or to overcut which may limit dynamic range As with most reasonably complex Systems some degree of understanding combined with operating experience must be gained in order to achieve the total potential designed into the system LOW EQ CONTROL The low EQ control G determines the low frequency content of the signal and is capable of a 30dB range yielding 15 dB of boost or 15 dB of cut Because of the boost Cut action of this control the vertical 12 00 o clock setting produces essentially a flat response Rotation clockwise produces increasing amounts of boost while counterclockwise rotation results in cut Because excessive low end boost can quickly cause headroom problems in the power amp care is advised when boosting lows Every 3 dB increase in boost requires double the power capacity With 15 dB of boost available it is apparent that headroom problems could easily occur at high boost settings and when playing at high levels This is especially important when playing bass through the Century PARAMID CONTROL The PARAMID contro is the element that determines whether the vital midrange of frequencies will be boosted or cut Its operation is similar to that of the low and high EQ controls in that it provides a flat response in the vertical 12 00 o clock position with increasing boost in the clockwise and cut in the counterclockwise positions The vital midrange frequ
11. ower amp s short circuit protection system and or thermal fault protection circuitry LINE MAINS CORD RETAINER We have provided two large molded line cord retainers 5 on the rear panel to allow storage of the mains cable for travel In operation the cable should be completely unwrapped to allow maximum heat dissipation from the rear panel heatsink TONE SETTINGS FOR THE CENTURY in EXTENDED RANGE _Front amp Rear Panels POWER AMPLIFIER SECTION 200H Module FREQUENCY RESPONSE 0 1 dB 30 Hz to 30 kHz 100W into 4 ohms RATED POWER amp LOAD 100W RMS into 4 ohms POWER CLIPPING 1 THD 1 kHz 120 VAC line Typically 80W RMS into 8 ohms 120W RMS into 4 ohms 2 ohm load not recommended TOTAL HARMONIC DISTORTION Less than 0 2 100 mW to 100W RMS 50 Hzto 10kHz 4 ohms Typically below 0 1 INTERMODULATION DISTORTION Less than 0 2 100 mW to 100W RMS 60 Hz amp 5 kHz 4 ohms Typically below 0 1 SLEW RATE Greater than 15V u Sec DAMPING FACTOR Greater than 50 1 kHz 4 ohms POWER REQUIREMENTS DOMESTIC 300W 120 VAC 50 60 Hz PREAMP SECTION THE FOLLOWING SPECS ARE MEASURED 1 kHz WITH THE CONTROLS PRESET AT THESE TYPICAL SETTINGS SATURATION 0 FREQUENCY 500 Hz LOW EQ 6 HIGH EQ O 9 6 POST GAIN 10 NOMINAL LEVELS ARE WITH PRE GAIN 12 00 MINIMUM LEVELS AR
12. t should not be used near water e a BAR swimming pool wet basement ec SOUND LEVEL dBA SLOW RESPONSE coos sroul always be nanclecaroWy 15 Tals un shoud bo cnacias by quals senice AS The power supo cora lug has been comagos es Int against a al or placed ina Bali enclosure ha wil pecs tne How of cooking air produci should ect be place rear a sourcegi reat eve radiator br another Rast amplior Yi rodecistobemonocianoqtibmontrack rar Support shouid pa provided The tnt nas boon dropped ore enclosure camaged ELECTRONICS CORP 711 A Street Meridian MS 39301 91980 Revised 3 88
13. ted circuitry is quite different from older totally passive circuits Please be aware that this control exhibits the professionally accepted logarithmic audio taper having approximately one tenth of the gain achievedatthe 12 00 o clock position with the balance being obtained as the control is rotated clockwise Many manufacturers utilize linear action controls that concentrate almost all of the gain in the first one third of the control rotation While this linear operation is initially impressive it should be noted that having all the gain up front in the first one third turn is misleading and significantly reduces the amount of control latitude available SATURATION The SATURATION control D is the control element for setting the operating point for our new and unique SATURATION circuitry Because the guitar amp is a very vital part of the sound of the electric guitar we have devoted many years toward achieving the proper sound and gain overload dynamics sought by guitarists Until now amps utilizing vaccum tubes valves have been considered by many players to be superior to most solid state units Today Peavey is the only major manufacturer of both tube type and solid state amps giving us a unique opportunity to study and analyze the various characteristics of each type Our extensive research revealed that tubes have the unique ability to gain compress at high levels and this effect produces a pleasing and
14. ully realize the unique benefits of this SATURATION effect The SATURATION effect may be remotely switched out of the circuit through use of the optional remote switch plugged into the footswitch jack E on the front panel POST GAIN The post gain control determines the input sensitivity of the power amp The action of this control is similar to that of a master volume control and can be used to control the overload dynamics of the preamp by decreasing the sensitivity of the power amp The post gain control allows maximum gain and SATURATION effects to be achieved in the preamp circuitry while maintaining relatively low power output levels necessary in studio or practice applications The operation of this control is conventional and no operational difficulty should be encountered EQUALIZATION The new Century amp features the latest active type equalization for unmatched tonal versatility and function This active type EQ actually yields a true boost and cut capability as well as enabling the vital midrange EQ point to be shifted over a wide range The high and low EQ circuits exhibit a shelving characteristic per professional practice while the semi parametric midrange circuitry has a peak notch response characteristic Because these are active controls instead of the conventional passive or losser types the overall control action is considerably more profound Since so much range is available care must be taken not to overb
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