RedSeven Amplification Duality 100

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Overview

Function Description
Usage Features
Maintenance Features

The RedSeven Duality 100 is a three-channel, all-tube guitar amplifier designed for modern playing styles, offering a versatile range of tones from rich cleans to high-gain leads. It features a 100-watt output and full MIDI implementation for enhanced control and preset management.

Function Description:

The Duality 100 is built around three distinct channels, each meticulously crafted to deliver specific sonic characteristics. The amplifier's core philosophy emphasizes musicality, dynamic response, and tube-based distortion, avoiding diode clipping for a more organic and responsive feel.

CH1 (Clean Channel): This channel offers a sparkling and rich clean sound, drawing inspiration from classic '50s Fender and late '60s Marshall Plexi amplifiers. It's designed to remain clean with lower gain settings and can achieve a subtle crunch with aggressive pickups or higher gain. The tone stack is highly effective, allowing for a wide variety of clean tones. It includes a "Bright" switch with two settings: B1 provides a classic high-shelf boost around 4KHz, while B2 is more pronounced, starting around 1KHz and boosting some mid-range frequencies for added flexibility.
CH2 (Vintage Channel): This channel is intended for players seeking classic rock and hard rock tones. The gain ranges from crunchy Marshall-esque sounds, reminiscent of early AC/DC, to '80s hard rock territory, like Van Halen. It avoids excessive gain saturation in the low end, maintaining clarity and punch. Even with the gain dimed, the volume control allows for good clean sounds. Engaging the "LEAD" mode provides a significant gain boost, pushing the amplifier into late '80s hard rock territory. The EQ controls (Bass, Middle, Treble) are shared with the Modern channel and are highly effective, offering unique shaping capabilities. The special mid control is particularly sensitive, allowing for significant tonal variations, from scooped to boosted mids.
CH3 (Modern Channel): Building upon the Vintage channel, the Modern channel offers even more gain and a slightly fuller bass response. It's designed to be tighter, gainier, and more compressed and saturated than the Vintage channel. This channel provides ample gain for soloing even without the "LEAD" mode engaged. When "LEAD" mode is activated, the amplifier delivers a substantial amount of gain, suitable for hard rock and classic metal tones. Despite sharing EQ controls with the Vintage channel, these are two completely separate channels, allowing for distinct tonal flavors with varying levels of gain and compression.

Usage Features:

The Duality 100 is designed for intuitive operation, both on its front panel and through its comprehensive MIDI capabilities.

Front Panel Controls:
- STANDBY / ON Switch: Controls the amplifier's power state, allowing for standby or operative mode.
- LED Indicators: Red LED indicates incoming power supply. Green LEDs illuminate for the Clean channel, Blue for the Vintage channel, and Red for the Modern channel.
- Pots: Dedicated Volume, Bass, Middle, Treble, and Gain controls for the Clean channel. Shared Bass, Middle, and Treble controls for Vintage and Modern channels, with separate Gain and Volume controls for each.
- Switches: Each channel features a "Bright" switch with three positions (Bright 1 / Normal / Bright 2) for tonal shaping.
- Pushbuttons: "CLEAN," "VINTAGE," and "MODERN" buttons activate their respective channels. The "LEAD" button engages a gain boost for both Vintage and Modern channels. The "LOOP" button activates the serial effects loop for all three channels.
Rear Panel Controls:
- SEND & RETURN: Connects the pre-amp and power amp for external effects, operating at a pedal-friendly signal level.
- MASTER 1/2: Dual master volume controls for flexible stage volume management.
- PRESENCE: A global control that affects all channels, adding brightness and cut.
- LINE OUT: Provides a line-level output signal with an adjustable level, taken from the output jacks. Important: A cabinet must always be connected when using the Line Out to prevent damage to the amplifier.
- OUTPUT: Speaker output jacks, requiring careful impedance matching with connected cabinets.
- MIDI IN & MIDI THRU: Sockets for MIDI communication, allowing the amplifier to receive MIDI signals and pass them through.
- FOOTSWITCH: Input jack for the dedicated Duality D100F footswitch.
- STORE SWITCH: A tactile switch used for saving sound combinations into the amplifier's digital memory.
- HT FUSE (1A slo blow) & MAIN FUSE (2.5A slo blow): High current and input voltage fuses, respectively. Only replace with the same type.
- IEC SOCKET: For connecting the power cable.
- POWER ON / POWER OFF SWITCH: Turns the amplifier on or off.
MIDI Implementation: The Duality 100 features full MIDI implementation (CC and PC) for remote control and preset management.
- MIDI CC (Continuous Controller): All key functions are recallable via MIDI CC messages, including Clean channel (CC #100), Vintage Channel (CC #101), Modern Channel (CC#102), Lead Boost (CC#103), Loop effects (CC#104), and Master 1 / Master 2 (CC#105). Custom CC numbers can be set at the time of order.
- Saving Presets: The amplifier allows users to save combinations of channel, loop, master volume, and lead boost settings as presets. This is done by selecting the desired settings, pressing and holding the "STORE" button on the rear panel for three seconds, and then sending a Program Change (PC) message from a MIDI device. The store LED will blink to confirm the save. Presets are stored internally, allowing for recall with any MIDI pedalboard or interface. The saving process can be exited by pressing the "STORE" switch for three seconds until the LED turns off.
Effects Loop: The Duality 100 incorporates a buffered 100% serial effects loop, positioned between the preamp output and power amp input, just before the master volume. It operates at instrument level. When engaged, 100% of the signal passes through the external effect. When bypassed, the signal goes directly from the preamp to the power amp. Channel volume acts as a "send control" (determining the signal sent to the effect input), and master volume acts as a "return control" (determining the signal returning from the effect). The loop can be activated/bypassed via the front tactile switch, the footswitch, or MIDI PC/CC. If clipping occurs, it's recommended to lower the preamp signal (channel volume) and increase the incoming signal to the return jack (master volume or effect output).
D100F Footswitch: The dedicated D100F footswitch provides remote control over the amplifier's functions. It allows switching between CLEAN, VINTAGE, and MODERN channels, and engaging/disengaging the LEAD boost. The "LOOP/M2" footswitch has three modes: toggling the LOOP FX, selecting between MASTER 1 and MASTER 2, or simultaneously toggling LOOP FX and selecting master volumes. The mode of the "LOOP/M2" footswitch is configurable by entering a "mapping mode" (pressing CLEAN and LOOP FX/M2 together for three seconds) and then selecting the desired operation with one of the first three footswitches. The setting is saved automatically.

Maintenance Features:

The Duality 100 is designed with specific maintenance considerations, particularly regarding its tube complement.

Tube Layout: The amplifier uses EL34B type tubes in the power amp section (V7, V8, V9, V10) and 12AX7B tubes in the preamp section (V1-V6).
- Preamp Tubes:
  - V1: Suggested TAD ECC83WA (first and second stage for clean channel).
  - V2: Suggested TAD ECC82WA (third stage for clean channel).
  - V3: Suggested TAD 7025 (first stage vintage mode and first stage modern mode).
  - V4: Suggested TAD ECC82WA (second stage for vintage/modern mode and lead boost).
  - V5: Suggested TAD 7025 (tonestack).
  - V6: Suggested TAD 7025 (phase inverter).
- Power Amp Tubes: The power tubes are EL34B type and cannot be interchanged with other types (e.g., 6L6s, KT88s). When replacing power amp tubes, the bias must be checked and adjusted by an expert. Attempting to swap P.A. tubes without bias adjustment can lead to tube failure or serious damage. Users are advised to contact RedSeven Amplification for assistance with tube replacement and bias adjustment.
Power Supply: The Duality 100 is shipped with a hardwired primary voltage (240V, 230V, or 115V), chosen at the time of order. Users must ensure the amplifier's voltage matches their country's wall voltage before connecting the power cord.
Troubleshooting: The manual provides basic troubleshooting steps for common issues:
- No Power: Check power cord connection and MAIN fuse.
- Power On (Red LED) but No Sound: Check speaker cable connection, input signal, and HT fuse.
- No Sound (All Working): Ensure channel volume and master volume are turned up.
- Unable to Save Preset: Review the preset saving procedure, check MIDI cable connections (MIDI OUT from sending device to Duality MIDI IN).
- Unable to Recall Preset: Verify MIDI board/interface is set to MIDI channel 1 and check MIDI cable connections.
Safety Warning: The amplifier operates with potentially lethal voltage. All inspections and repairs must be performed by expert personnel. Users are warned against opening the amplifier or making any modifications, as this will void the warranty and RedSeven Amplification will not be responsible for any damages.
Warranty: RedSeven Amplification offers a standard two-year warranty on all components, excluding wear parts like tubes, pots, and capacitors. Removing the amplifier from its cabinet or modifying its original state will void the warranty.