Mesa/Boogie CLEARLINK BUFFER/BALANCED LINE DRIVER Owner's Manual

SAFETY PRECAUTIONS:
• Read these instructions.
• Follow these instructions.
• Heed all notes and warnings.
• Do not use this device near water.
• Clean this device only with a dry cloth.
• Keep these instructions for future reference.
• Damage to this device by improperly connected and/
or grounded equipment is not covered under warranty.
• This device contains no user-serviceable parts and in-
cludes components which are susceptible to damage
CLEARLINK
™
by electrostatic discharge (ESD).
BUFFER / BALANCED LINE-DRIVER
• Be sure to use only a properly rated "wall-wart" power
adapter or universal pedalboard power supply, with
extra attention paid to the correct polarity, voltage and
current. Applying the wrong polarity, improper voltage
or insufficient current to this device may cause poor
and/or inconsistent tone, performance, and even dam-
age! Refer to the CONTROLS & CONNECTIONS and
Owner's Manual
SPECIFICATIONS sections for more information.
• Do not defeat an amplifier's safety ground - which is
provided by the 3-prong AC power-cord plug! Doing
so may not only be ILLEGAL, but it may also pose a
SHOCK or ELECTROCUTION HAZARD.
Congratulations on your choice of MESA/Boogie ® and wel- two constants in every guitar rig, the guitar and amplifier, with
®
come to the MESA Family! The same passion for excellence, a resolute load and source, via the STOWAWAY™ and the
commitment to quality and dedication to customer satisfaction CLEARLINK™, respectively. As a result, the only variations in
is present in each and every product we make in our one-and- sound and tone will be from the actual effect of the pedals on
only shop in Petaluma, California, U.S.A. Rest assured that the the pedalboard, and not from a guitar or amplifier related load-
very same people that hand-build the finest amplifiers in the ing or impedance mismatch issue.
world, also built your CLEARLINK™ BUFFER/BALANCED
LINE-DRIVER and you have access to the same resources for CONTROLS & CONNECTIONS
help that all our customers do. Call on us anytime and enjoy!
It's always a good idea to make any audio connections
CLEARLINK™ BUFFER/BALANCED LINE-DRIVER
with every piece of equipment in a guitar rig turned off,
or at least the amplifier volume(s) turned down, to avoid
The CLEARLINK™ BUFFER/BALANCED LINE-DRIVER loud bursts of sound from damaging speakers or other
targets the inability that many pedals, and even some buffers components.
have, which is to adequately drive a very long cable run to a
back-line amplifier. The CLEARLINK™ BUFFER/BALANCED LINE-DRIVER
should ideally be the last device connected to an amplifi-
The integrated line-driver circuit is capable of driving up to a er's input, unless of course the BALANCED output is being
330ft/100m balanced or shorter unbalanced cable run, via stan- used, and terminated with a CLEARLINK™ CONVERTER/
dard XLR microphone or shielded 1/4" TS instrument cables, ISO TRANSFORMER, which would then be the last device
respectively. A recessed and countersink protected side-panel connected to the amplifier's input. And for optimal results
pot allows intently adjusting the output signal level reaching the in the preservation of a guitar's tone, allowing it to reach
back-line amplifier, either directly (unbalanced) or balanced via an amplifier with steadfast consistency, a STOWAWAY™
a CLEARLINK™ CONVERTER/ISO TRANSFORMER. BUFFER should ideally be the first device the guitar is
plugged into.
Using the CLEARLINK™ BUFFER/BALANCED LINE-DRIV-
LED:
ER in tandem with a STOWAWAY™ INPUT BUFFER resolves When illuminated, this blue LED indicates the CLEAR-
the deep-rooted signal loss and inconsistent tone issues faced LINK™ BUFFER/BALANCED LINE-DRIVER is powered-up
by guitarists due to; capacitive loading, impedance loading and and ready to go!
mismatching, and changes to a pickup's resonant frequency/
peak, as a result of varying effect pedals and interconnecting
LEVEL:
cables. The two form an effects loop, which segregates the
circuit, from Unity to +12dB. The pot is recessed and sur-
guitar and amplifier from the variables on a pedalboard, easily
rounded by an enclosure countersink for protection, ensuring
handles many pedals, interconnecting cables, and effortlessly
any adjustments are made with intent, using either a guitar pick
drives a long cable run to the back-line amplifier, either bal-
or small flat-head screwdriver.
anced or unbalanced. They accomplish this by providing the
IN:
This 1/4" phono jack is the input and accepts the signal
from the output of the last pedal on a pedalboard.
OUT:
This 1/4" phono jack is the output and provides a
buffered low-impedance signal from the integrated line-
driver circuit. Connect this jack to the input of an amplifier
using a shielded 1/4" TS instrument cable.
Note: When using shielded 1/4" TS (tip & sleeve) instru-
ment cables, always aim for the best quality and shortest
length possible.
WARNING: Do not use, or connect cables to, both the 1/4"
OUT and XLR BALANCED jacks at the same time.
BALANCED:
This 3-pin male XLR jack is another output
and provides a buffered low-impedance signal from the
integrated line-driver circuit that is balanced, for greater
noise immunity and signal integrity. Connect this jack to
the input of a CLEARLINK™ CONVERTER/ISO TRANS-
FORMER using a standard XLR microphone cable up to
330ft/100m long.
9VDC IN: This standard female DC receptacle is the ex-
ternal power supply jack and accepts a 2.1mm x 5.5mm
male barrel connector from a standard 9Volt DC "wall-wart"
power adapter or universal pedalboard power supply, with
a NEGATIVE CENTER polarity plug. Refer to the SPECI-
FICATIONS section for additional information.
Adjusts the output level of the integrated line-driver 9VDC THRU:
This standard female DC receptacle ac-
cepts a 2.1mm x 5.5mm male barrel connector and is
meant to "pass" the power received at the 9VDC IN jack,
onto a STOWAWAY™ INPUT BUFFER.
Note: An external DC "wall-wart" power adapter is not included.
WARNING: To avoid immediate damage to this device
and voiding the warranty, do NOT connect an AC-Voltage,
or ANY other DC-Voltage power supply to this jack, other
than that specified above and in the SPECIFICATIONS
section!
FAQ & HELPFUL HINTS
Can I use the CLEARLINK™ BUFFER/BALANCED
LINE-DRIVER for my bass?
Yes you can!
I'm using a switched-mode power adapter/supply
(SMPS) and hear a high pitch "whine", why is that?
Some of these SMPS adapters are noisier than others, es-
pecially those that aren't from a reputable or brand-name
MI manufacturer. Another reason could be that you're try-
ing to run to many devices from a single adapter. Though
many of them have a high current output and tout being
able to power many devices, doing so can result in the
development and/or increase of noise, for some reason.
If this is happening, we recommend either trying another
adapter, or better yet - using a universal pedalboard power
supply with enough isolated outputs to power every device
on your pedalboard individually; better power = less noise
= more tone!
FAQ & HELPFUL HINTS continued ▶