Ever wish you could take just one bass to a session that could go from round, vintage warmth to modern, active pickup punch? What if you could take that jazz gig and not have to squeeze an acoustic bass in your trunk or on the subway?
With Variax Bass 700, you can show up to any live gig or studio date with the confidence your tone will always be perfect for any tune. Best of all, that's just the beginning of what you can do with a Variax Bass 700.
Features:
Practical, instantly familiar controls
Contoured Alder body
Maple neck with Rosewood fingerboard
21 medium profile frets
34 in. scale length
10 in. fingerboard radius
Standard 1/4 in. guitar cable output jack
Digital I/O RJ45 jack for future updates and additional sounds
Included XPS-DI direct box and power supply features:
1/4 in. standard guitar cable output for connection to any bass rig
XLR balanced output for sending signal to a recording console or house PA
Powers the Variax Bass using included TRS cable
Powered by XPS-DI or on-board batteries (6 x AA or 1 x 9-volt)
Custom-fitted heavy-duty gig bag
Available in Black or Sunburst
Master Volume -- Green/Red Select
Even a control as simple as volume offers you more on Variax Bass. When you press the Volume knob down, the light near the Model Select knob changes color from green (first model) to red (second variation).
Model Select
Its primary function is in choosing the active instrument model. Rotate the knob to choose from the 12 positions, and that handy indicator light will be lighting up the knob so you'll even be able to see what you're doing on a dark stage. Each position actually contains 2 models, just push the Volume knob to select between them.
Blend -- Pickup Position -- Mic Position
Most of the basses Line 6 modeled have 2 pickups. Instead of providing individual volume controls for each pickup, they've taken the more modern approach of a master Volume and Blend. Rotate the Blend fully clockwise for just the bridge pickup, and fully counterclockwise for just the neck pickup. At the center detent, you get equal amounts of both pickups. Everything in-between is a blend of the 2.
Several of the modeled basses have only a single pickup. Ordinarily this doesn't give you much pickup variation, but the Variax Bass is no ordinary instrument. At the center detent, you can hear the pickup in the 'stock? position. Rotate the control clockwise to move the pickup closer to the bridge, and counterclockwise to move the pickup closer to the neck. Welcome to the future, my friend.
For the acoustic instruments, the Blend control lets you change the position of the modeled microphone. Rotate the control clockwise to bring the mic closer, counterclockwise to pull the mic out for more ambience.
Tone
The Variax Bass Tone control is split into 2 separate knobs. The smaller knob on top controls Treble and the large one on the bottom controls Bass. For models based on passive basses, the center detent on the Treble represents 10 on the modeled instrument. Rotating counterclockwise gives you the same results as turning down the passive control. If you rotate clockwise from the detent, you get a treble boost of the modeled instrument. Since passive basses don't typically have a Bass control, putting this control at center detent makes no modification to the modeled instrument sound. For those of you who prefer enhanced to natural, rotating clockwise boosts bass frequencies, and rotating counterclockwise cuts them. For models based on active basses, the behavior of the tone controls are based on those of the modeled instrument.
Saving the Perfect Setup
To really take advantage of the sonic capabilities of the Variax Bass when performing, you'll want each instrument model to be set up for your specific needs and preferences. Use the Customize function of Variax Bass's model knob to get all 24 models sounding just the way you want. Once you've tweaked these settings to perfection, just press the Model Select knob down and hold for a few seconds until the indicator light shines solid green or red. That's it. Now every time you call up that model, it's set up just the way you like it.
Direct to House PA and Stage Rig with the XPS-DI
Variax Bass 700 comes with the XPS-DI unit. This professional direct box gives the Variax Bass a balanced XLR and standard 1/4-inch output. No additional DI box is required! Now you can get a clean, balanced signal straight to the house PA and to an amp rig on stage without carrying around any extra gear. But that's not all. The XPS-DI can even power the Variax bass.
What is the XPS-DI
The XPS-DI is a professional direct box that gives the Variax Bass a balanced XLR and 1/4-inch output. Use a standard XLR/mic cable to connect the XPS-DI's XLR output to feed any balanced input. No additional DI box is required! You even get Level and Ground Lift switches on the front panel of the XPS-DI to match the output level to the kind of device you're driving.
The XPS-DI can also power the Variax Bass. Use the included TRS (Tip-Ring-Sleeve/Stereo) cable to connect the Variax Bass to the Input jack of the XPS-DI. Use a standard mono guitar or bass cable to connect the 1/4 in. output of the XPS-DI to any standard bass amp rig.
There are many occasions when you'll want to skip the amp and send your signal straight to a mixer. No problem: Use a standard XLR/mic cable to connect the XPS-DI's XLR output to feed any balanced input. No additional DI box is required. Use the Level switch on the front panel of the XPS-DI to match the output level to the kind of device you're driving.
