Tech Talk - Gallien-Krueger MB 500 Owner's Manual

Tech Talk

Characteristics of the MB 500:
The MB 500 is a flexible, state-of-the-art amplifier
designed to deliver maximum performance while
remaining small, lightweight and simple to operate.
This is accomplished through a few, very important
features:
· Class D power supply and power amp.
· Four, Bass specific bands of active equalization
for precise tone control.
· Balanced direct output eliminates the need for a
direct box.
· Continuously variable fan cooling.
Equalization:
Standard tone controls and graphic equalizers give
you plenty of variation, but they don't provide what
the instrument really needs. The fact is, graphic
equalizers are intended for room equalization. The
equalization in Gallien-Krueger amplifiers reflects
40 years of continuous development and refinement.
The GK equalizer is unique to the industry, it's not
just a normal four band equalizer. Each section is a
special circuit optimized to perform a Bass specific
job in its range of operation.
These sections are wired in series, so they add to one
another creating a tremendously flexible equalizer
that sounds natural at any setting. Now it is possible
to obtain the sound you desire.
Contour:
The Contour is used to completely revoice the
amplifier. The Contour control tunes between two
different shaping circuits with greatly different
responses. With the control all the way up, the low
end is slightly boosted, the mids are dropped and the
high end is pushed up. This is only found in GK
amplifiers.
MB 500
"G.I.V.E." Technology:
As in all GK pre-amps, the MB Series pre-amp
incorporates what we call G.I.V.E (Gate Induced
Valve Effect) technology. We use field effect devices
with the gate biased in a way that emphasizes the
optimum harmonic content of the signal. Working in
concert with our unique Four Band Active Equalizer
and three stage Voicing Filter Section, G.I.V.E.
technology produces a consistently pleasing bass
tone.
Cool Running = Reliability:
.
To cool the amp when its being driven hard, we've
designed a temperature sensitive fan cooling system.
When the amp is under a light load, the fan is off or
running at a low speed, reducing fan noise. As the
amp works harder, the fan speed increases to keep
everything cool.
Smart Protection Circuitry:
The MB Series protection circuitry constantly
monitors for unsafe operating conditions such as
short circuits, miss wired speaker cables, blown
speakers, improper ventilation, and incorrect speaker
configurations. In addition, protection is provided
during power up/down. If the MB Series senses any
unsafe operating conditions, the output signal is
immediately muted and the power light changes
from blue to red. The amplifier will remain muted
until the fault is removed. If the protection circuit
activates while playing, turn the amplifier off and
check the amplifier speaker output connections. Be
sure that you are not exceeding the maximum
recommend load described in this manual. If the
problem persists, contact GK directly for technical
advice.
In Closing:
You should now have a thorough understanding of
how your new MB Series amplifier works and what
advantages it can offer you in getting "your" sound.
We thank you for reading the Owner's Manual and
wish you the best of times! Please send us your
comments via www.gallien-krueger.com or email us
at sales@gallien.com.
11