AER Alpha Acoustic Guitar Amplifier (40 Watts, 1x8")

Product Description

Size doesn't matter. Shorty knows his way! Actually not the first system the Alpha defines the starting point of serious acoustic amplification at AER. Based on the success and the experience with the Compact 60 AER have developed a even smaller lightweight model that has no difficulties living up to the rigors of the road.

Reduced to the max, along with the AER typical quality standards - without renunciation of what is essential for superb performance - the Alpha is a full size member of the AER product family.

Open sounding and quick in response this amp masters different ranges and is thus not afraid of bigger instruments.

The AER Alpha acoustic guitar amplifier is open sounding and quick in response plus it masters different ranges. A professional, powerful and compact amplifier system for acoustic instruments that delivers a transparent and self-asserting sound performance. Two individual inputs on one channel allow parallel use of instrument and microphone even though the instrument is the main focus. Dynamic controlled 40 Watts and the 8 inch twin-cone speaker system give perfect performance at all sound pressure levels.

To transport your AER Alpha amplifier, a padded gig bag is included.

Effects
The AER Alpha has an integrated (internal) digital reverb effect on board. The return control determines the intensity of the effect (as far to the left as possible means no effect). Furthermore, a supplementary effect device can be connected (external effect). For this purpose, use the sockets send and return at the rear of Alpha to connect the external device (send to the input, return from the output of the external effect). The intensity will then be set by the controls of external effect device. A standard double foot switch can be connected to the footswitch socket on the rear of the amp with a stereo cable. This switch can be used to turn the internal and external effects on and off.

The size may be small but the Alpha delivers your sound for a superb performance. zZounds is an authorized dealer of AER The Acoustic People products.

Inputs
Input one:
- Combo socket: XLR + jack 1/4 inch (6.35 mm)
- Line mode:
-- High impedance, unbalanced input for instruments (pick-ups) and line-level sources Jack socket only
-- Sensitivity: 15 mV (-36 dBV, note 4)
-- Impedance: 1 Meg
-- Equivalent input noise, A-weighted: 2.5 uV (-112 dBV)

- Mic mode:
-- XLR (balanced), stereo jack (balanced), or mono jack (unbalanced) input
-- Sensitivity: 2 mV (-54 dBV, note 4)
-- Impedance (balanced mode): 1.2 k
-- Impedance (unbalanced mode): 3.4 k
-- Voice filter: -10 dB at 270 Hz (referred to 10 kHz)
-- Equivalent input noise, A-weighted: 2.3 uV (-113 dBV)
-- Phantom power: 24 V (XLR only)

Input two:
- High impedance, unbalanced input for instruments (pick-ups) and line-level sources
- Mono jack socket: 1/4 Inch (6.35 mm)
- Sensitivity: 13 mV (-38 dBV)
- Pad switch (attenuator): -10 dB
- Impedance: 2.2 Meg
- Equivalent input noise, A-weighted: 1.5 uV (-116 dBV)
- Phantom power: Optional (note 4)

Return:
- Return input for external parallel effect loop
- Mono jack, 1/4" (6.35 mm)
- Sensitivity: 170 mV (-15 dBV)
- Impedance: > 5 k
Clip Indicator Headroom: min. 8dB below clipping

Outputs (note 3)
Headphones:
- Headphones output. When plugged in, internal speaker is muted.
- Stereo jack, 1/4 inch (6.35 mm, L and R are connected)
- Max. output power: 2 x 65 mW / 1000 ohms
- Input sensitivity for 2 x 50 mW / 1000 ohms:
- 18 mV (-35 dBV) at input 1, line mode
- Impedance: 470 ohms
- Note: Suitable for headphones with stereo jack plug only. Does not work with mono plugs.

Line out:
- Preamplifier output after master volume
- Mono jack, 1/4 inch (6.35 mm)
- Output voltage: 1.2 V

DI-out:
- Unbalanced XLR output before master, after tone controls, without effects
- 1+3 = gnd
- 2 = signal output
- Output voltage: 560 mV

Send:
- Send output for parallel effect loop, before master, after tone controls
- Mono jack, 1/4 inch (6.35 mm)
- Output voltage: 560 mV

Footswitch connector
Footswitch
- On/off switches for internal and external effects
- tip = internal,ring = external and sleeve = common (ground)
- Effect is OFF when the footswitch is ON.

Tone controls
Color:
- -3 dB at 700 Hz
- (input 2 only) +10 dB at 8 kHz

Bass: +/- 8 dB at 100 Hz, shelf type

Middle: +/- 6 dB at 800 Hz

Treble: +/- 8 dB at 10 kHz, shelf type

Effects
Internal effect Digital Reverb

External effect Parallel effect loop (see send and return)

Power
Power amp:
- 40 W / 4 ohms, DMOS, monolithic I.C.
- Dynamic range, A-weighted: 92 dB (note 2).

Limiter threshold: 35 W

Analog signal processing: Dedicated equalizer, subsonic filter, adaptive peak limiter

Speaker system: 8 inch (200 mm) twin cone full-range speaker bass reflex enclosure

General
Cabinet: 12 mm (0.47 inch) finnish birch plywood

Finish: Waterbased acrylic, black spatter finish

Accessories: includes padded gig bag

Dimensions (HxWxD): 260 x 265 x 235mm (10.24 x 10.43 x 9.25 inches)

Weight: 6.2 kg (13.67 lbs)

Notes:

1. Input sensitivity
Input sensitivities refer to 35 watts into 4 ohms, full gain and master settings, neutral tone control settings, and 1 kHz sine-wave test signal.

2. Noise and dynamic range
Equivalent input noise voltage was obtained by measuring noise voltage at speaker output and dividing by the effective voltage gain of the amplifier. Full gain and master settings, neutral tone control settings, input shorted, measuring bandwidth 20 Hz - 20 kHz. Dynamic range of power amplifier: Range between output signal at limiter threshold and A-weighted
output noise with master volume in zero position.

3. Output levels
Output levels refer to 50 mV / 1 kHz sine-wave test signal at channel 1 input in line mode, full gain and master settings, and neutral tone control settings.

4. Options
1) Gain of input 1 (both line and mic) can be reduced by 3.5 dB by jumper setting
2) +15 volts phantom power at ring of input 2 jack can be activated by solder bridge. Caution: Modified input is not compatible with mono jack plugs anymore! Mono plugs will short-circuit the power supply which may damage the amp!

Dimensions and Weight in Packaging

Shipping Weight: 18 lbs

Shipping Dimensions: 14 x 13 x 13 in