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6. HIGH Knob Provides active boost or cut to high frequencies. The middle posi-
tion leaves high frequencies at. Tip: the frequencies controlled by the HIGH
Knob are slightly lower than a typical ‘treble’ control, allowing you to produce
searing highs without a lot of treble harshness. To emphasize even higher
‘treble’ frequencies, turn the HIGH knob below the middle position, and increase
the LEVEL knob to re-emphasize treble.
7. NORM/BURN Switch Switches between “Normal” and “Burn” Modes:
Normal Mode The famous vintage chainsaw distortion sound.
Burn Mode A custom, modernized distortion sound, utilizing higher voltage
rails and alternative clipping options. This results in a less compressed and
more open distortion sound with a more pronounced attack.
8. GATE Mini Knob Removes unwanted hum by adjusting the noise oor thresh-
old. The gate mutes the OUTPUT jack when the signal at the INPUT jack is below
the threshold setting of the GATE knob. As GATE is turned clockwise, a louder
guitar signal at the INPUT jack is required to unmute the OUTPUT jack. Set GATE
fully counter-clockwise to disable.
Setting the GATE knob: Start with GATE fully counterclockwise, DIST above noon,
and your guitar volume at max. You may want to hold the strings so they don’t
ring out. Slowly turn GATE clockwise until the Hell Melter mutes. Now turn GATE
a little further clockwise and then test it. If you have to play with too much force
to unmute the gate, then turn GATE a little counter-clockwise. If you want the
gate to act more quickly at the end of notes, then turn GATE further clockwise.
9. DRY LVL Mini Knob Adds clean, undistorted input signal to the output. As the
knob is turned clockwise, the amount of dry signal increases. At the minimum
position, no dry signal is mixed into the output. Tip: this is especially useful to
maintain note clarity when stacking the Hell Melter with a dirty amp or another
gain pedal.
10. EFFECT Footswitch and Red LED This footswitch engages or bypasses the
effect. The LED lights when the effect is active. The Hell Melter employs high
quality buffered bypass.
11. BOOST Footswitch and Yellow LED This footswitch engages Boost Mode, add-
ing extra gain at the input of the circuit, and adjustable volume boost.
12. BOOST LEVEL Internal Trimmer This trimmer controls the additional volume
added when Boost Mode is active. To access it, remove the 4 screws on the back
plate of the Hell Melter, and locate the trimmer next to the BOOST Footswitch.
Taking care not to touch the rest of the circuitry of the board, turn this trimmer
clockwise using a small at-head screwdriver to increase the volume boost. At
the minimum position, Boost Mode provides no volume boost.
13. INPUT Jack Audio input to the Hell Melter.
14. OUTPUT Jack Audio output from the Hell Melter.
15. 9V Power Jack Attach the output plug from the included power supply to the
9V power jack. The Hell Melter draws 140mA at 9VDC on a center-negative plug.
Do not exceed 12VDC on the power jack. The Hell Melter does not take batteries.