Aural Enhancer; Treble Control; Midrange Level And Frequency Controls; Bass Control - SWR Mo' Bass Owner's Manual

Aural Enhancer

SWR's Aural Enhancer Circuit was developed by SWR Founder Steve Rabe to bring out the fundamental low notes of the bass
guitar, reduce certain frequencies that help mask the fundamentals, and enhance the high end transients. The resulting fre-
quency response should be similar to that used for recording the bass in the studio. This effect becomes more radical as
the control is turned to maximum. The result is a more "transparent" sound, and is especially noticeable when performing the
slap or thumb style technique on the bass guitar. Generally speaking, the Aural Enhancer can be described as a tone
shaping control, as it is a passive R/C network that alters the frequency response throughout the bass spectrum. This pre-
shaping is "blended" into the original signal via the Aural Enhancer Control. Exact frequencies affected are dependent on the
characteristics of the instrument used, though we have found that most users tend to set it at '6' on the dial for optimum effect.

Treble Control

The Treble Control is a shelving-type tone control that cuts or boosts high frequencies up to 10 dB in either direction.
Starting from mid-position ("flat"), turning the Treble Control counter-clockwise cuts the highs, while turning the control
clockwise boosts the highs. The shelving point for this control is about 2 KHz.

Midrange Level and Frequency Controls

These two controls work together to allow you the flexibility of choosing a particular midrange frequency to boost or cut.
The Midrange Level Control cuts or boosts (by up to 10 dB) the frequency set by the Midrange Frequency Control. Starting
at mid-position ("flat"), turning the Midrange Level Control counter-clockwise cuts the desired frequency. Turning the
Midrange Level Control clockwise boosts the desired frequency. When the Midrange Level Control is set at mid-position,
turning the frequency control will have no effect on the sound.
In order to find the midrange frequency you wish to boost or cut, try the following:
1. Adjust the Midrange Level Control to either the full boost or cut position.
2. Rotate the Midrange Frequency Control until the desired frequency you wish to cut or boost is found.
3. Adjust the Midrange Level Control to the desired amount of boost or cut.
Some hints from the pros: If you need to "cut through" the band a little more, try boosting 200 to 400 Hz. If you like a more
transparent sound, try cutting 800 Hz. The Midrange Level and Frequency Controls are especially useful in controlling
fretless basses and their inherent qualities.

Bass Control

The Bass Control is a shelving-type tone control that cuts or boosts the low frequencies up to 10 dB in either direction.
Starting from mid-position (flat), turning the control counter-clockwise cuts the bass response, while turning the control clock-
wise boosts the bass response. Shelving point for this control is about 80 Hz.
A final note on the Preamp Controls: Select each control to your taste, but remember that the more heavy EQ you have on
the front end, the more EQ you will have going into the Mo' Bass effects - sometimes a good thing, sometimes not. As
always, your own musical preferences will come into play.
Preamp Tube
Though not a "control" function of the preamp, you should be aware that the preamp in your SWR Mo' Bass is a tube pre-
amp. The tube is a specially selected 12AX7 and should not require replacement for one to three years, depending on
usage. The tube is also used for another key function in the unit, specifically...
Overdrive
Yes, the Mo' Bass Overdrive is a Tube Overdrive. Just because there's no 50-pound tube power amp in the Mo' Bass
doesn't mean you can't get the sounds of tube-driven distortion! It works off of the very same specially selected 12AX7
preamp tube mentioned above. We've taken extra care to ensure that, unlike most bass distortion units, there is no
significant damage to the fundamental note - specifically in the low end.
Overdrive "Drive" Control
This control determines how heavily the tube overdrive circuit will distort the signal. With the control set at minimum '0',
there will be only the tiniest amount of "dirt" present in the signal path. The higher the knob is set, the dirtier the signal will
get. Fully counter-clockwise ('0') is minimum, while fully clockwise is maximum. Note that the way you attack your strings
will have an effect on the amount of drive as well. Try playing both harder and softer with this control set at '3', and you'll see
what we mean when we say that the controls are "dynamically sensitive."
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