Line 6 Spider Valve Mkii 212 Owners Manual Advanced Guide

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2014-07-19

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Advanced Guide

Spider Valve MkII

Electrophonic Limited Edition

An in-depth guide to the features and functionality of the

Spider Valve MkII 112, 212 and HD100

Please Note:

Line 6®, POD® and Spider Valve™ are trademarks of

Line 6, Inc. All other product names, trademarks and

artists’ names are the property of their respective

owners, which are in no way associated or afﬁliated

with Line 6. Product names, images, and artists’

names are used solely to identify the products whose

tones and sounds were studied during Line 6’s sound

model development for this product. The use of these

products, trademarks, images, and artists’ names does

not imply any cooperation or endorsement.

Table of Contents

Overview ................................................................................. 1•1

Features............................................................................................................1•1

Front Panel Controls ...................................................................................... 1•2

Rear Panel I/O ................................................................................................ 1•5

Presets .................................................................................... 2•1

Preset Select; Manual Mode .......................................................................... 2•1

Saving ............................................................................................................. 2•2

Editing ..................................................................................... 3•1

Edit Mode ....................................................................................................... 3•1

Gate; Boost; Vol; Loop; MIDI ........................................................................ 3•3

Setup .............................................................................................................. 3•4

Smart FX ................................................................................ 4•1

SmartFX Customization ................................................................................. 4•3

Pitch Glide Tips ............................................................................................. 4•4

Smart Harmony Tips ...................................................................................... 4•5

Looper Control Mode............................................................ 5•1

Auditioning & Editing Presets ....................................................................... 5•1

Looper Tips ..................................................................................................... 5•2

Foot Control ........................................................................... 6•1

Foot Control Options .................................................................................... 6•1

Appendix A: MIDI .................................................................. A•1

Appendix B: Amp Models .....................................................B•1

Appendix C: Maintenance .................................................... C•1

Overview

1•1

Overview

Welcome to the Spider Valve MkII Advanced Guide. This guide contains in-depth details

about your amp’s features and functionality that were not covered in the Pilot’s Guide.

Your Spider Valve MkII is the second generation of a concept that combines Line 6’s most

advanced amp modeling with a Bogner all-tube power amp design. Reinhold Bogner and

Line 6 have taken the Spider Valve MkII family to the next level, giving you total FX

control with deep editing, several new Smart FX and the most ﬂexible I/O to date.

Here’s an overview of some of the new features built into your Spider Valve MkII:

Features

• 16 Amp models with Line 6’s most advanced amp modeling to date

• New Smart Harmony and Pitch Glide FX

• 18 FX models via 3 Smart FX knobs, with customizable primary & secondary FX

• 2 Reverb models with a dedicated Mix control on the front panel

• A new Edit Mode enables deep editing of all Smart FX and Reverb parameters

• Adjustable pre & post Boost plus new user-adjustable noise gate (Gate + NR)

• Quick Loop feature with 14 seconds of loop recording & overdubbing

• Manual mode allows for easy preset design and straightforward navigation

• 128 User Preset memory locations for ultimate control and customization

• MIDI In, Out/Thru jacks for integration into MIDI-controlled rigs

• Updatable ﬁrmware (via MIDI or FBV MkII series foot-controllers) keeps your amp

up to date

• New speaker cab design for clean to mean sonic delivery

• Larger LCD display for easy access to deep editing and instant parameter feedback

• Time-based Delay and Mod FX

• Two Direct Out modes for recording or transformer-tapped performance output

• FBV Pedal Control with an optional FBV Shortboard MkII or FBV Express MkII

• Preamp Out/Power Amp In to plug directly into your Bogner tube power amp

Overview

1•2

1 Guitar In – Plug your axe in here.

2 Amp Models – Spin this knob to select 1 of 16 Amp Models out of the box. All

Tone and FX controls will automatically be set to sound great with that model, so you can

just play! When you select an Amp Model, the LCD Display will show the model name

plus the current settings for Drive, Bass, Mid, Treble, Channel Volume and Reverb.

3 Manual Mode – Press this button to enter Manual Mode. When it’s LED is

on, all the front panel Tone knobs determine your Tone settings. Even if you select a new

Amp Model, the Tone settings remain the same as your current knob positions. When you

exit Manual Mode by selecting a new Preset, that Preset’s stored settings will take over.

4 Tone Controls – Drive is like a volume or gain knob on conventional guitar

amps; it controls how much “dirt” you get in your sound. Bass, Mid, and Treble controls

are customized for each Amp Model to give you optimal tonal control, just like the original

amp the model was based on. When you turn any of these knobs, the LCD Display will

show the current settings for Drive, Bass, Mid, Treble, Channel Volume and Reverb.

5 Channel Volume – This control is pre-Master Volume in the signal ﬂow. It

helps you balance the volumes of your different Amp-and-FX setups that you store in your

Spider Valve MkII’s Presets. When you turn this knob, the LCD Display will brieﬂy show

the current settings for Drive, Bass, Mid, Treble, Channel Volume and Reverb.

6 Channels – Press any of the A B C D Channel buttons to select a Preset in the

current User Bank. The selected Preset name will appear in the LCD Display. To initiate

a Save, push and hold one of these buttons for 2 seconds. *See Chapter 2•2 for details.

Front Panel Controls

Overview

1•3

7 Smart FX Controls – Spin one of these 3 knobs to select great FX, fast and

easy. Each FX knob lets you choose one of 3 primary or 3 secondary FX Models, for a total

of 18 possibilities, with up to 3 active at once.

The lit LED indicates the active effect, either amber or blue. If an effect’s settings have been

customized, its LED will be purple. *See Chapter 4•3 for more info on FX Customization.

Turning an FX knob all the way off disables the effect and resets any customization.

FX-1 Knob: selects Red Comp or Fuzz Pi, Auto Wah or Auto Swell, Pitch Glide or Smart

Harmony, with a pre-set range of settings for each effect.

FX-2 Knob: selects Chorus or Flanger, Phaser or U-Vibe, Opto or Bias Trem, again with

a range of settings for each effect.

FX-3 Knob: selects Digital Delay or Analog Delay w/Mod, Tape Echo or Multi-Head,

Sweep Echo or Reverse, with a range of settings. The Tap LED ﬂashes the delay time.

When you turn any of the 3 FX knobs, the Momentary FX Display will show you the

current FX Model name. To select the alternate model, turn the Presets knob while the

Momentary FX Display is showing. Your selection will be stored in that FX location per

saved preset.

8 Tap – To set your tempo for time-based Mod and Delay FX, press the Tap button

at least twice at the desired tempo. When Tap is set to Don’t Control in Edit Mode, set

the Delay time or Mod speed manually and it will remain independent of the Tap tempo.

14 15 16 17

Overview

1•4

Hold Tap For Tuner – To enter Tuner mode, hold the Tap button for a few seconds.

The Tuner will appear in the LCD Display, along with each note you’re tuning. It will

indicate whether you’re sharp or ﬂat via the graphic lines to the right or left, respectively.

When you’re in tune, the graphic ** symbols will be lined up in the center of the LCD.

9 Reverb – When you adjust the Reverb knob, a bar graph will display the Reverb

Mix level for a few seconds in the LCD, along with the current Reverb Model name,

either Lux Spring or Vintage Plate. To toggle between the two Reverb Models, turn the

Presets knob left or right while the bar graph is displayed.

Quick Loop – Pressing this button puts you in Looper Control Mode. When

it’s lit, the Tap button becomes your one-button control for Recording, Overdubbing, loop

Playback and Stop. *See Chapter 5 for in-depth info on recording and playing loops.

11 4-way Navigation Disc – Press the Up, Down, Left, or Right arrows to

select a parameter that you’d like to change. The arrows are displayed in the LCD for each

function. *For in-depth info on the many Amp Model and FX parameters you can access

with this control, see Chapter 3 Editing.

12 Presets/Press To Edit – When in Preset Select Mode, turn this knob to

scroll thru 32 banks of presets. Push in the Presets knob to enter Edit Mode. This enables

you to set various parameters for all your FX, as well as select settings in Setup Mode and

perform other functions. *See Chapter 3 for more info.

13 LCD Display – The LCD (liquid crystal display) is your window into the

power of the Spider Valve MkII. Here you’ll see various “pages” as you adjust the various

controls, including Momentary Tone Display, Momentary FX Display, and numerous other

Parameter menus as you ﬁne-tune your guitar sounds. The LCD is designed to give you

instant feedback on any parameter you’re currently adjusting.

14 Presence – This is a Presence control for the tube power amp. It works even if

you plug a POD X3 into the power amp, for example, using the Power Amp In jack.

15 Master Volume – Sets the Master output level of your Spider Valve MkII

power amp. This also controls the level of the Direct Output in Performance Mode.

16 Standby Switch – This switch puts the amp in standby mode when desired.

17 Power Switch – Flick this switch to power up your Spider Valve MkII.

Overview

1•5

Rear Panel I/O

18 Preamp Out – Use the Preamp Out to send your Spider Valve MkII DSP Amp

and FX modeling output to an external power amp, guitar amp or FX device.

19 Power Amp In – Plug into your Bogner-designed power amp here. Some

players use a POD X3 or M13 as a front end, for example, driving the all-tube power amp.

20 Ground Lift – When using the Direct Out, you can lift the ground if desired.

This may help eliminate buzz when you have two different devices connected.

21 Direct Output – This jack is a Direct Output to connect your Spider Valve

MkII to a mixer, PA, computer DAW, recording interface or other line input equipment.

You can select Studio Mode or Performance Mode output via a Setup menu. See Chapter

3•4 for more details.

22 FBV Pedal Input – This jack is the standard Line 6 connector for FBV Foot

Controllers. You can now update your Spider Valve MkII’s ﬁrmware via FBV Mk II pedals.

23 MIDI Input – This is a standard MIDI Input jack. With a MIDI interface you

can send and receive Program Change and other MIDI messages to control your amp from

a computer. You can also update the amp’s ﬁrmware via MIDI.

24 MIDI Out/Thru – This is your MIDI Output jack. In addition to computer

interfacing you can daisy-chain multiple amps together and both amps will respond to

FBV foot controller messages (with v1.18 ﬁrmware or higher).

* For MIDI Program Change and CC info, see Appendix A: MIDI. You can also download

a comprehensive sysex MIDI spec at www.line6.com/manuals.

1918 20 21 22 23 24

Overview

1•6

Speaker Outputs - HD100

A 16 Ohm Out – If you’re using one 16 Ohm cab, a 4x12 for example, connect

it to the single A Speaker Output.

B 8 Ohm Out – Use the two B Speaker Outputs to drive two 16 Ohm cabs, or

plug into one of the B outputs to drive a single 8 Ohm cab.

C 4 Ohm Out – If you’re using two 8 Ohm cabs, plug them into the two C

Speaker Output jacks; if using a single 4 Ohm cab, plug it into one of the C outputs.

Speaker Outputs - 112 / 212

A 8 Ohm Out – If you’re using one 8 Ohm cab, connect it to the single A Speaker

Output.

B 4 Ohm Out – If you’re using two 8 Ohm cabs, plug them into the two B

Speaker Output jacks; if using a single 4 Ohm cab, plug it into one of the B outputs.

Presets

2•1

Presets

Spider Valve MkII is ready to rock when you switch it on - just plug in your guitar and play.

By pressing a button or using the Nav Disc or Presets knob you can easily access every FX

parameter, the Looper, 128 savable presets, and ultimately customize your guitar sound.

Preset Select

When Spider Valve MkII is ﬁrst powered up it will be in Preset Select Mode. By simply

turning the Presets knob and using the 4-way Navigation Disc, you can select any User

Bank and Preset. You can also press any A B C D button to select a User Preset in the

current Bank, or use an FBV foot controller to navigate thru the 32 User Banks.

Here’s a basic navigation overview of Preset Select Mode:

Manual Mode

Pressing the Manual Mode button puts the amp in Manual Mode. This means that all

your settings, regardless of the saved settings, are determined by the physical positions of

the Drive, Bass, Mid, Treble, Channel Volume and Reverb knobs. To exit Manual Mode,

press the button again or load a preset via the Presets knob or one of the A B C D buttons.

• L/R Arrows on

4-way Nav Disc

select the Preset

(Bank & Channel)

• Up/Down

Arrows will scroll

through the next/

previous Bank

• Turn Presets

knob to select

next/previous

Preset from the

current Bank

• Current Preset

is displayed here

[Class A Delays]

Presets

2•2

Saving

Once you’ve edited a preset to your liking, you’ll want to save it in one of the User Banks.

Here’s an overview of the Save routines for Spider Valve MkII:

• L/R Arrows on

4-way Nav Disc

select one of the

14 characters of

the Preset name

[it will ﬂash]

• Up/Down

Arrows select

the next/previous

User Bank as the

Save destination

• Turn Presets

knob to change

the current

character in

Preset name

[push for quick

change of type]

• Current Preset

Save destination

[Bank 31 Chan A]

To save a preset:

• Press & hold the channel button of the current preset location - all 4 LEDs will ﬂash

• Select the destination Bank by pressing the up/down arrows on the Nav Disc

• Rename the preset if desired - L/R arrows select character - Presets knob changes it

• Once your preset name is set, press a Channel button as your preset destination

• The LEDs will ﬂash rapidly a few times indicating the Save is complete

• Your preset is now saved to the Bank and Channel location you’ve selected

Editing

3•1

editing

Edit Mode

In addition to standard Tone controls, Spider Valve MkII features a new Edit Mode that

enables you to perform deep editing of all your FX parameters. You can edit any available

parameter for FX1, FX2, FX3, Reverb, Gate, Boost, Volume, Loop and Setup.

For basic editing, it’s best to select your Amp Model ﬁrst, or start with a pre-programmed

preset that’s close to the sound you want. Then adjust the Drive, Bass, Mid and Treble

controls. You’ll notice that when you touch a Tone control, all the Tone values and

Reverb level will be displayed in the LCD. This is called the Momentary Tone Display.

When you turn the Amp Model encoder, you’ll see the current Amp Model name in the

LCD. This is so you know which model is selected without looking at the encoder.

When you’re ready to add SmartFX to your preset, turn any of the 3 SmartFX knobs. You

can add 1 effect from each of the SmartFX per preset, in addition to Reverb.

To select an alternate FX Model for the current effect (or Reverb), turn the Presets knob

while the FX Model name is displayed in the LCD. The name will be displayed for 4

seconds every time you turn the knob, so if you change your mind, just touch the FX knob

again to wake it up - then turn the Presets knob left or right to select the alternate Model.

When you turn the Reverb knob, you’ll see the current Reverb Model name in the LCD

for a few seconds, along with a bar graph displaying the Reverb Mix level.

Editing

3•2

Use the L/R arrows to navigate thru the FX blocks. Use the up/down arrows to select the

various parameters in each block. To adjust a parameter value, turn the Presets knob.

Depending on the FX you’re editing, you’ll have a variety of parameters to adjust. These

include Routing, Mix, Tone, Feedback, Depth, Speed, Time and Tap Control, among

others that will be speciﬁc to each FX model.

A note about SmartFX

In Preset Select Mode, when you turn the FX1, FX2 or FX3 knobs to select effects, you’ll

notice that parameters have already been set up for you. These SmartFX provide you with

an instantly musical sound without having to tweak an effect’s individual parameters.

This makes it quick and easy to audition the various effects and not have to worry about

setting them up. When you hear an effect that you’d like to use for the current preset, you

can then enter Edit Mode to customize it to your personal taste.

*We’ll cover SmartFX in more detail, including customization, in Chapter 4 SmartFX.

With each of your FX assigned, you’ll want to enter Edit Mode to tweak the individual FX

parameters. To do so, press the Presets knob. The LCD will look like this (for FX3):

• L/R Arrows on

4-way Nav Disc

take you thru

FX1, FX2, FX3,

Reverb, Gate,

Boost, Vol, Loop,

MIDI, Setup

• Up/Down

Arrows take you

thru the available

parameters of the

current selection

[Mix for FX3]

• Turn Presets

knob to adjust

the current

parameter

[Mix]

• Current Model

is displayed here

[Digital Delay]

Editing

3•3

Gate

If you press the right arrow from the Reverb screen, you’ll see the Gate screen. Your Gate

Mode choices are Off (Gate is disabled), Gate (a standard noise gate), NR (a frequency

dependent noise reduction) or Gate+NR (both Gate+NR together). You can also adjust

Threshold and Decay settings. Gate parameters are saved with the individual preset.

Boost

We’ve included a new Boost with Spider Valve MkII, which is the next Edit Mode screen

to the right of Gate. Boost has 3 parameters: Pre, which lets you set the amount of Boost

before your signal hits the Amp Model, Post, which lets you set boost level after the Amp

Model, and Active, where your choices are On or Off. Boost is also saved per preset.

Vol

Press right arrow from the Boost screen to see Vol. If you use an FBV or expression pedal

to control Volume, you can set its parameters for Min (the minimum volume for heel

down), Max (the maximum volume for toe down) and Routing, which routes the volume

pedal pre or post Amp Model. Vol is saved per preset.

Loop

If you press right arrow from the Vol screen you’ll arrive at the Loop screen. This screen

is dedicated to Loop routing, and is saved per preset. Pre routes your loop audio before the

Amp Model; Post routes it after the Amp Model.

MIDI

Press right arrow from Loop to set your MIDI Channel and Output mode (Out or Thru).

Editing

3•4

• For AutoFX your choices are AmpSetFX, which means your FX will change when

you change Amp Models, or Disabled, meaning your FX don’t change when you

change Amp Models. Turn the Presets knob left or right to make your selection.

Setup

In Setup Mode there are 5 screens: Auto FX, Direct Out, Back Light, Tap Light and

Version. To edit, press the Presets knob to enter Edit Mode, then press the L/R arrows

until SETUP is displayed. Press the up/down arrows to display the following in the LCD:

• Press the down arrow to edit your Direct Out setting. Your choices are Studio, which

uses the DSP output, or Performance, which taps off the power amp transformer.

• Press the down arrow to edit BkLite. Your choices are On, meaning the LCD will

always be lit, or 15SecOff, which means the LCD back light will turn off after 15

seconds of inactivity. Turn the Presets knob left or right to make your selection, then

press the down arrow to go to the next screen.

• For TpLite your choices are On, meaning the TAP light will always ﬂash the current

tempo, or Flash 8, which means the TAP light will ﬂash 8 times after the most recent

activity, then it will stay off. Turn the Presets knob to make your selection.

• Press right arrow for the ﬁfth Setup screen. It displays the current Flash Memory

Version you’re running in your Spider Valve MkII. This display cannot be edited.

SmartFX

4•1

smart FX

As we mentioned in Chapter 3 Editing, FX1, FX2 and FX3 are SmartFX. SmartFX are

designed to give you instant great-sounding FX without having to tweak their parameters.

Of course you can enter Edit Mode at any time and adjust FX settings to your liking, but

it’s easiest to audition SmartFX by simply turning one of the 3 FX knobs.

When you turn a SmartFX knob you’ll hear a variety of pre-programmed settings that

change according to the knob’s ‘swoosh’ position. Swoosh is our term for the range of

travel between each effect’s starting point and ending point on the SmartFX knob.

For each SmartFX knob you can select 1 of 3 primary or 3 secondary FX models. For

example, turn the FX1 knob clockwise from the off position. The ﬁrst LED will light up

amber, incidating the primary Gain model Red Comp is active. At the same time you’ll

see RED COMP displayed in the LCD with a bar graph indicating its swoosh position.

To select the secondary Gain model, turn the Presets knob to the right while RED COMP

is displayed in the LCD. FUZZ PI will now be displayed and the FX1 LED will turn blue.

To change back to Red Comp, move the FX1 knob slightly to wake it up. You should see

FUZZ PI in the LCD - turn the Presets knob to the left and Red Comp will load again.

Above are the primary and secondary FX1 models for the Gain, Auto and Pitch locations.

The small knob at min position indicates primary model; max position indicates secondary.

The bar graph displays the selected effect’s current swoosh position on the FX1 knob.

SmartFX

4•2

Again the small knob graphic indicates primary model (min) or secondary model (max).

The bar graph indicates the selected effect’s current swoosh position on the FX2 knob.

Here are the primary and secondary SmartFX models for the Chorus, Phaser and Tremolo

locations on the FX2 knob:

Here are the primary and secondary SmartFX models for the Delay, Tape Echo and Sweep

Echo memory locations on the FX3 knob:

SmartFX

4•3

Reverb isn’t in the SmartFX group, but it also features a primary and secondary model,

as illustrated below. Like the SmartFX, you select the model by turning the Presets knob

when the Reverb model name is displayed in the LCD. The difference is, the bar graph for

Reverb indicates its Mix level, which matches the Reverb knob position when you turn it.

Smart FX Customization

In addition to editing FX in a preset, as outlined in Chapter 3 Editing, you can also

customize the individual parameters of one effect per FX knob, so that when you select

that effect in a preset, your settings will be recalled. Customization settings are stored with

each preset. When a SmartFX model has been customized, its LED will light up purple

instead of amber or blue. Here’s an example of what you might see on the front panel:

• FX1: Auto Wah

[Amber = primary]

• FX2: U-Vibe

[Blue = secondary]

Since the FX3 LED is purple, you know it’s been customized. To determine whether the

FX3 model is Tape Echo (primary) or Multi-Head (secondary), you can either touch the

FX3 knob to wake it up or press the Presets button to enter Edit Mode and the model name

will be displayed. Here’s what the FX3 Edit screen would look like for the Mix parameter:

• FX3: Tape Echo or Multi-Head

[Purple = customized]

Notice the knob graphic instead of a swoosh graphic - this Mix has been customized.

SmartFX

4•4

Here are a few important points to remember regarding SmartFX customization:

• In Edit Mode, if you change any parameters for one of the SmartFX, your settings

will remain ﬁxed where you set them, even when you turn the SmartFX knob

• Parameters that you do not change will default to the pre-programmed SmartFX

settings for that effect

• Only 1 effect per SmartFX knob can be customized at a time (its LED will be purple)

• SmartFX customization settings are saved with each preset

• If you turn the SmartFX knob to the Off position, customization will be lost and all

effects for that SmartFX knob will revert to the default settings

To see what the individual settings are, select a setting on the FX1 knob, press the Presets

knob to enter Edit Mode, then use the up/down arrows to navigate thru the various Pitch

Glide parameters.

If you decide to customize your Pitch Glide settings, keep in mind that the note pitch will

be determined by a combination of Heel value, Toe value, and Pedal Position. With no

pedal connected and POS value set at 0, the Heel value determines the note you hear.

Pitch Glide Tips

When you turn the FX1 knob to the Pitch position, the Pitch Glide effect will be activated.

Listen as you turn the FX1 knob slowly thru all the different SmartFX settings. Along with

your original note, you’ll hear a 2nd note 2 octaves down, 1 octave down, then -9, -7, -5,

-4, -3, +3, +5,+7, +9 (in semitones), 1 octave up and 2 octaves up. Mix is set at 44%.

For example, with Heel at +7 and POS at 0, you get a 5th note, which is 7 half steps up.

SmartFX

4•5

To control the Pitch Glide effect with an FBV pedal, enter Edit Mode and navigate to the

Pitch Glide FBV parameter. Select Wah=Glid or Vol=Glid, depending on which pedal

setting you’d like to use to control the Pitch Glide. Keep in mind the note you hear will

always be the Position of your pedal, relative to the Heel and Toe values.

When Wah=Glid, if you switch the wah pedal off, the pedal will control volume as usual.

If you switch the Stomp switch on, the volume pedal will switch to Pitch Glide again.

Make sure your pedal volume is up all the way when you use the Stomp switch, however,

because once the Pitch Glide takes over the wah pedal, you can’t adjust volume unless

you’re using an external expression pedal for volume.

When you set the FBV parameter to Vol=Glid, you’ll have no volume control via the

pedal, since it will be controlling Pitch Glide. If you switch to wah, the pedal will control

wah as usual, and your volume will always be at 100%.

Smart Harmony Tips

To use the Smart Harmony effect, ﬁrst select Pitch Glide by turning the FX1 knob to the

Pitch position. While the LCD displays the name Pitch Glide, turn the Presets knob to

the right - Smart Harmony will replace it.

Now listen to the various Smart Harmony settings by turning the FX1 knob while you

play an open E string, for example. First you’ll hear a low octave, then a few low harmony

notes, followed by some higher harmony notes up to an octave above your open E.

SmartFX

4•6

* Notice the two top screens display a swoosh graphic to the left of E and Major. This means

the Key and Scale settings are the Smart FX defaults and haven’t been customized. The

Shift and Mix parameters display a knob graphic, indicating they have been customized.

Routing always displays a knob graphic for Pre or Post.

Using the Smart Harmony settings above, if you play some single note riffs on your guitar

in the key of E you’ll hear a 5th note along with every note you play. With the Mix level

at 50%, the two notes should be equally balanced in volume. Give it a try.

• Select any Key by

turning the Presets

knob

• Routing can be

either Pre- or Post-

Amp Modeling

• Set the balance of your

dry & harmony note

with the Mix control

• Select the harmony

note Shift by turning

the Presets knob

• Select any of the

available Scales for the

Key you’ll be playing in

If you want to experiment with your own Smart Harmony settings, you’ll want to enter

Edit Mode. With Smart Harmony selected, here are the various Smart Harmony edit

screens that will be available for tweaking:

SmartFX

4•7

Now let’s try a different scale and see how Smart Harmony works. We’ll keep the settings

the same for Key (E), Mix (50%) and Routing (Post). But let’s set the Scale to pentatonic

major and Shift to +3rd.

Use the up/down arrows to display Scale, then turn the Presets knob to display PntMaj.

Use the up/down arrows again to display Shift, then turn the Presets knob to set it to +3rd.

Your Scale and Shift screens should look like this:

Now before you play anything, here’s a tip to help you understand what notes make up any

scale you might select. Set the Mix parameter to 100%, then navigate back to the Shift

screen. Set Shift to +None and play an open low E note - it should sound normal.

Now turn the Presets knob to the right one click at a time and play a single E note with

each click. Your notes will shift to +2nd, +3rd, +4th, +5th, +6th, +7th, +8th and +9th.

As you play your E note the notes you hear will be E (+None), F#, G#, B, C#, E, F#, G#

and B. Guess what? That’s your pentatonic major scale.

Now set your Scale and Shift values back to where they were in the graphic LCDs above

and play the 9 notes we just experimented with. Your harmony notes should be right in

tune. Improvise some single note riffs in the key of E, using only those same notes in any

combination. The harmony notes should be in perfect tune with your riffs.

Change the Shift parameter to +4th and play more riffs, again using only those 9 notes.

They should be in perfect harmony. Some Shift values like +2nd might not sound so

musical, but in most cases the Smart Harmony notes will sound pretty good.

If you have a degree in music theory, you already know what these scales are all about, but

if you’re a self taught rock’n’roller, do some experimenting and see what happens.

For a reference to all the Smart Harmony scales, check out the table on the next page.

SmartFX

4•8

Smart Harmony Scales

Looper Control Mode

5•1

• When you’re ready to record your loop, press the Tap button. Whatever you play

will be recorded (up to 14 seconds max). The LCD will look like this:

LOOPer COntrOL mOde

Spider Valve MkII’s Quick Loop function enables you to easily record a guitar loop for

jamming or auditioning Presets. To enter Looper Control Mode, press the Quick Loop

button. You’ll notice that both the Tap button and the Quick Loop button remain lit. In

Looper Control Mode mode, all you have to do is press the Tap button to control various

functions of the looper, including Record, Overdub, Play, Stop and Clear. You can also

edit presets and save your changes while your loop continues to play back.

Auditioning & Editing Presets - To record a loop and play it back to audition

and edit Spider Valve MkII presets, plug in your guitar and follow these steps:

• Press the Presets button to enter Edit Mode. Use the left arrow on the Nav Disc

to navigate to the LOOP screen. Set Routing to Pre by turning the Presets knob.

• Now press the Quick Loop button to enter Looper Control Mode. The button will

ﬂash and the Tap button will remain lit; the LCD display will look like this:

• To stop recording and immediately play back your loop, press Tap again. This sets

your loop out-point and sends your loop back to the beginning in Play mode.

Looper Control Mode

5•2

• To stop loop playback, press the Quick Loop button then press the Tap button. To

clear your loop, press and hold Tap for at least 3 seconds.

• To exit Looper Control Mode, press the Quick Loop button again. Its LED will

turn off and the Tap button will return to normal operation.

To save your edited settings, press and hold any Channel button for a few seconds, rename

your preset and select a Bank destination for it, then press the desired Channel button to

complete the save, as described in Chapter 2•2.

Since your loop playback is set to Pre, you can select any preset you want and your guitar

sound will change the same as if you were playing live. Press the Quick Loop button to

temporarily exit Looper Control Mode. Select any of the A B C D Channel presets to hear

what they sound like. You can even change Banks via the up/down arrows. This is a great

way to audition sounds.

If you want to stop playback, press Tap again. If your loop sounds good to you and you’re

ready to check out some presets, let it play. We’ll get into overdubbing on page 5•3.

Now let’s do some preset editing. If you want to stop your loop for a minute, press the

Quick Loop button to re-enter Looper Control Mode, then press Tap. When you’re ready

to go again, press Tap to play your loop, then press the Presets knob to enter Edit Mode.

Use the left/right arrows to navigate to the FX3 screen to edit Delay Mix. If you don’t have

a delay on, turn the FX3 knob to select one.

Feel free to navigate to any FX parameter and tweak it, change your Tone controls, even

load a different Amp Model, all while your loop continues to play.

Looper Control Mode

5•3

Looper Tips

For those of you who might be interested in multiple overdubbing and more advanced

control of the looper, Spider Valve MkII can accommodate you. Although all Quick Loop

functions are assigned to one button, which is Tap, we’ve added a second layer of control

by programming a ‘quick press’ and a ‘press and hold’ functionality to the Tap button.

Of course it isn’t easy to play guitar with both hands and press buttons at the same time,

so you might want to use an FBV foot controller to control your looper. Using the Tap

switch on an FBV MkII Shortboard, for example, labeled in the graphic below, here are

a few tips you can try with your Spider Valve MkII when you’re in Looper Control Mode:

Record/Overdub – ﬁrst press the Quick Loop button (or Function 2 ); now to

record your initial loop, set an accurate out-point and begin overdubbing immediately...

• Step on the Tap switch to begin recording your loop, but don’t release the switch

• With your initial take in progress, when you’re ready to set your loop out-point and

record your ﬁrst overdub, lift your foot off the Tap switch

• Your loop will play back from the beginning and you’ll be in Overdub mode,

recording over your original loop

• If you continue to let it roll, you’ll add a new overdub with each pass; to stop

overdubbing and enter Playback mode, brieﬂy press the Tap switch

You can now jam along with your loop, or press the Tap switch again to stop playback.

Looper Control Mode

5•4

Set Out-Point/ Arm Overdub – to accurately set your loop out-point and arm

Overdub mode in advance of recording your next layer of guitar, try this:

• Step on Tap brieﬂy and release to begin recording your loop

• Step on Tap at the out point and hold - you’ll enter Playback mode immediately

• When you’re ready to record an overdub, release the Tap switch to enter Overdub

mode; if you continue to let your loop roll, each time it loops around you’ll be adding

another overdub layer

• To exit Overdub mode and immediately enter Playback mode, brieﬂy step on the

Tap switch; if you’d rather stop playback, step on the Tap switch and hold

Arm Overdub From Playback – after you’ve recorded your initial loop and set the

out-point, you can enter Overdub mode at any time. With your loop playing back:

• Press and hold the Tap switch - when you’re ready to record, release the Tap switch

and you’ll enter Overdub mode

• To enter Playback mode, press the Tap switch - to stop playback, press Tap again

Exit Overdub Mode/ Stop Playback – if you’re in Overdub mode and you’d like to

stop recording but keep playback going until a speciﬁc stop point:

• Record your initial loop as usual and enter Overdub mode using any of the previously

described methods

• With your overdub in progress, when you’re ﬁnished overdubbing, press and hold the

Tap switch - your loop will be playing back but not recording

• To stop playback, lift your foot off the Tap switch - your loop will stop immediately

Foot Control

6•1

FBV Options

If you have an FBV Shortboard or Longboard, all the standard FBV functions will control

the Spider Valve MkII as expected, including Tuner, A B C D Preset select, Bank Up &

Down, Mod, Delay, Boost, Reverb and Tap Tempo. The FX Loop switch activates the

Boost, which is saved per preset in Spider Valve MkII. The Volume or Wah pedal can also

be assigned to control Pitch Glide, and Volume can be assigned a Min and Max value per

preset. For more info see Chapter 3 Editing and Chapter 4 Smart FX.

Another important advantage to using an FBV is you can control Quick Loop functions

with the Tap button. This greatly expands the possibilities for recording, overdubbing and

live performances when in Looper Control Mode. See Chapter 5 for more info on how

to use your FBV to record and play back loops in Looper Control Mode.

The FBV Express and FBV Express MK II will also control many Spider Valve MkII

functions such as Tuner, Preset Select, Tap Tempo, and a few FX assignments for the pedal.

FOOt COntrOL

Foot Control

6•2

Firmware Updates: If you have an FBV Mk II series foot controller, you can update

your Spider Valve Mk II’s ﬁrmware via USB and RJ45 connector when connected to your

computer, should new versions of Flash Memory be released. You can also update using

the MIDI connections on the Spider Valve MkII rear panel. Be sure to check the Line 6

website for the latest info on ﬁrmware updates and instructions for updating your Spider

Valve MkII. You can also download the FBV Mk II Advanced Guide, which provides

more details on the new FBV Mk II series foot controllers.

We’ve also added new switch functionality to the FBV Express MkII, as described below:

• To enter Tuner Mode, press and hold the currently lit Channel switch

• Press and hold either the A+B or C+D switches to enter Looper Control Mode; the

lit Channel switch will now control the Loop, like the front panel Tap switch

• To exit Looper Control Mode, press the A+B or C+D switches again

• You can exit Looper Control Mode while your loop is playing, change your preset

by pressing any Channel switch, then enter Looper Control Mode again at any time

FBV Shortboard MkII: The new FBV Shortboard Mk II features an extra switch labeled

Function 2. This switch toggles Quick Loop on or off, and has the same functionality

as the Quick Loop switch on the front panel of your Spider Valve MkII. It makes it easy

to enter and exit Looper Control Mode from the FBV. The Function 1 switch turns the

Boost on and off; it’s state is saved with every preset.

Appendix A: MIDI

A•1

aPPendiX a: midi

In this chapter we’ll provide you with reference tables of MIDI CC and Program Change

numbers that control basic functions of your Spider Valve MkII. When connected to a

computer using an FBV MkII foot controller (or using MIDI cables and a MIDI interface),

you can send and receive MIDI messages between your Spider Valve MkII and sequencer.

Here’s a guide to setting up your gear when interfacing with your computer work station.

Connect your Spider Valve MkII (v1.18 or higher) to your FBV MkII foot controller using

an RJ45 FBV cable. Connect a USB cable from the FBV MkII to your computer. Launch

your sequencer and make sure your FBV MkII shows up as a MIDI input/output port.

Within your sequencer project, create a MIDI track with its inputs and outputs assigned to

the MIDI channel that represents your FBV Mk II interface. Then either manually insert

MIDI CC values or PGM Change messages directly into the MIDI track’s timeline, or put

the track in record, roll it from the top and make the desired changes on the Spider Valve

MkII itself. As your song plays, you’ll see your actions appear in the MIDI track.

Once your MIDI commands are recorded, simply put the track in playback mode and play

back the track. Your Spider Valve MkII will respond to all the recorded MIDI commands.

Connect an FBV*

cable between

your Spider Valve

MkII and your FBV

MkII Connect a USB

cable between

your computer

and your

FBV MkII

Basic MIDI Setup

*Or you can use

MIDI cables and a

MIDI interface

Amp Daisy Chaining

For those of you who might like to use two Spider Valve MkII amps in your stage rig, we’ve

implemented MIDI to enable multi-amp daisy chaining. This is especially effective when

using an FBV MkII series foot controller to control both amps. To set this up, connect

your master Spider Valve MkII MIDI Out to the slave MIDI In. Connect your FBV MkII

to the master amp as usual. Any of the standard FBV functions will control both amps,

such as Channel select, FX on/off, Wah and Volume. Also, any adjustments you make

on the master amp’s front panel will be reﬂected in the slave, such as FX or Tone tweaks.

Appendix A: MIDI

A•2

MIDI CC REFERENCE TABLE 1

Parameter CC # Min. Max. Notes

Wah Position 4 0 127

Volume 7 0 127

Pan 10 0 127 0=Left; 64=Center; 127=Right

Amp Model w/ defaults 11 1 16 0=Bypass

Amp Model w/o defaults 12 1 16 0=Bypass

Drive 13 0 127

Bass 14 0 127

Mid 15 0 127

Treble 16 0 127

Channel Volume 17 0 127

Reverb Mix 18 0 127

Gate Enable 22 0 3 0-Off; 1=Gate; 2=NR; >=3=Gate+NR

Gate Threshold 23 0 127 -96 dB to 0 dB

Gate Decay 24 0 127 0 to 100%

Stomp Enable 25 0 127 0-63=Off; 64-127=On

Boost On/Off 26 0 127 0-63=Off; 64-127=On

Stomp SmartFX 27 0 127 Swoosh position

Delay SmartFX 30 0 127 Swoosh position

Delay Mix 34 0 127

Reverb Enable 36 0 127 0-63=Off; 64-127=On

Reverb Model 37 19 20 0=Off; See Reverb Models table

Reverb Routing 41 0 127 0-63=Pre; 64-127=Post

Volume Pedal Min. 46 0 127

MIDI CC REFERENCE TABLE 2

Parameter CC # Min. Max. Notes

Volume Pedal Max 45 0 127 Vol or Wah can control Pitch Glide

Volume Routing 47 0 127 0-63=Pre; 64-127=Post

Mod Enable 50 0 127 0-63=Off; 64-127=On

Mod Mix 56 0 15 #11=Default Settings #12=Model Only

Mod Routing 57 0 127 0-63=Pre; 64-127=Post

Tap Tempo 64 0 127 value ignored

Tuner Mode 69 0 127 0-63=Off; 64-127=On

Pitch Glide Enable 72 0 127 0-63=Off; 64-127=On

Stomp Routing 74 0 127 0-63=Pre; 64-127=Post

Stomp Model Select 75 1 6 0=Off; see FX-1 Models table

Delay Routing 87 0 127 0-63=Pre; 64-127=Post

Delay Model Select 88 13 18 0=Off; see FX-3 Models table

Delay Enable 28 0 127 0-63=Off; 64-127=On

Mod SmartFX 96 0 127 Swoosh position

Appendix A: MIDI

A•3

MIDI CC REFERENCE TABLE 2

Parameter CC # Min. Max. Notes

Volume Pedal Max 45 0 127 Vol or Wah can control Pitch Glide

Volume Routing 47 0 127 0-63=Pre; 64-127=Post

Mod Enable 50 0 127 0-63=Off; 64-127=On

Mod Mix 56 0 15 #11=Default Settings #12=Model Only

Mod Routing 57 0 127 0-63=Pre; 64-127=Post

Tap Tempo 64 0 127 value ignored

Tuner Mode 69 0 127 0-63=Off; 64-127=On

Pitch Glide Enable 72 0 127 0-63=Off; 64-127=On

Stomp Routing 74 0 127 0-63=Pre; 64-127=Post

Stomp Model Select 75 1 6 0=Off; see FX-1 Models table

Delay Routing 87 0 127 0-63=Pre; 64-127=Post

Delay Model Select 88 13 18 0=Off; see FX-3 Models table

Delay Enable 28 0 127 0-63=Off; 64-127=On

Mod SmartFX 96 0 127 Swoosh position

Appendix A: MIDI

A•4

AMP MODELS (MIDI CC 11 or 12)

Value Amp Model Name

0 Clean Amber

1 Clean Blue

2 Twang Amber

3 Twang Blue

4 Class A Amber

5 Class A Blue

6 Blues Amber

7 Blues Blue

8 Crunch Amber

9 Crunch Blue

10 Hi Gain Amber

11 Hi Gain Blue

12 Metal Amber

13 Metal Blue

14 Insane Amber

15 Insane Blue

Amp Model Select

A MIDI CC of 11 Selects the Amp Model with Default settings. A CC of 12 selects the

Amp Model only, with no change to the Tone controls, FX or Channel Volume.

With CC 11 inserted on your MIDI track, select an Amp Model by entering a value of 0

through 15. A corresponding Cab Model will automatically load with the Amp Model.

When using CC 12, the current settings for Drive, Bass, Mid, Treble and Ch Vol remain

unchanged.

Appendix A: MIDI

A•5

FX-1 MODELS (MIDI CC 75)

Value FX Model Name

0 Off

1 Red Comp (Gain)

2 Fuzz Pi (Gain)

3 Auto Wah (Auto)

4 Auto Swell (Auto)

5 Pitch Glide (Pitch)

6 Smart Harmony (Pitch)

FX-2 MODELS (MIDI CC 58)

Value FX Model Name

0 Off

7 Sine Chorus (Chorus)

8 L6 Flanger (Chorus)

9 Phaser (Phaser)

10 U-Vibe (Phaser)

11 Opto Trem (Tremolo)

12 Bias Trem (Tremolo)

FX-3 MODELS (MIDI CC 88)

Value FX Model Name

0 Off

13 Digital Delay (Delay)

14 Analog w/Mod (Delay)

15 Tape Echo (Tape Echo)

16 Multi-Head (Tape Echo)

17 Sweep Echo (Sweep Echo)

18 Reverse (Sweep Echo)

REVERB MODELS (MIDI CC 37)

Value Reverb Model Name

0 Off

19 Lux Spring

20 Vintage Plate

FX Model Select

Use the MIDI CC numbers indicated in the tables below to select the FX and Reverb

Models for FX-1, FX-2, FX-3 and Reverb. For example, CC19 value 10 is U-Vibe.

This works the same way as Amp Models. Insert the appropriate CC, for example CC 19

for Reverb, then add a value of 19 to call up the Lux Spring model or 20 for Vintage Plate.

Appendix A: MIDI

A•6

Preset Select

Spider Valve Mk II User Presets are comprised of 32 Banks of A B C D Channels.

To call up a particular User Preset, insert a Program Change value of 0-127. *0 would be

Preset 1A, 1 would be 1B, 4 would be 2A, 5 would be 2B, and so on, up to 127 for 32D.

PRESET SELECT

Bank MSB Bank LSB Program Range Program Bank Program Number

0 0 0-127 User Presets *1A-32D

0 1 0-15 Amp Models

Appendix B: Amp Models

B•1

aPPendiX B: amP mOdeLs

Here’s a brief reference guide to the 16 Amp Models in your Spider Valve MkII:

Clean Amber - Based on the clean channel of the Marshall® JCM 900, the ﬁrst true

modern high gain amp from Marshall®. Select Clean Amber to get crisp, amazing clean

tones, great warm jazz tones, and all the high-end shimmer you’ll need with a generous

amount of bottom end.

Clean Blue - This amp model was developed to emulate those late 60s and early 70s

clean tones. We modeled a 1973 Hiwatt® custom 100, then extended the tone control range

and tightened up the low end for that big, ringing sound.

Twang Amber - This model draws on our analysis of mid 60s Fender® amps, in particular

the blackface ’65 Twin Reverb®. We wanted that classic, glassy high end tone, with enough

snap and bite for some serious chick’n pick’n. Things don’t get too crunchy until you reach

the top range of the Drive knob.

Twang Blue - There’s nothing like the sound of the classic Fender® blackface Deluxe

Reverb®, the Holy Grail for many blues, country and roots rockers.

Class A Amber - Ready, steady....GO! This amp model is based on a Vox® AC-30

ampliﬁer with an updated and expanded TBX tone control circuit. We wanted to capture

that early pop rock tone that many British invasion bands are so well known for.

Class A Blue - There are some great modern amps out today based on the legendary

tones of yesteryear. Here’s our take on the EL84 circuit of a Divided By 13 9/15 Model.

Blues Amber - This model is inspired by that famous vintage tweed sound we all know

and love. We evaluated a ’53 Fender® wide panel Deluxe and this is what we came up with.

Blues Blue - Blues Blue is based on a Gretsch® 6156, a 1960 1x10 combo from the days

when rock’n’roll took the blues to a new level. Add some reverb and a slap echo and be-

bop-alu-la!

* All product names are trademarks of their respective owners, which are in no way associated or afﬁliated with Line 6. These product

names, descriptions and images are provided for the sole purpose of identifying the speciﬁc products that were studied during Line 6’s sound

model development. Hiwatt® is a registered trademark of Fernandes Company, Inc. FENDER®, Twin Reverb, Deluxe Reverb and

Bassman are registered trademarks of Fender Musical Instruments Corporation.VOX® is a registered trademark of Vox R&D Limited.

MARSHALL® is a registered trademark of Marshall Ampliﬁcation Plc. GRETSCH® is a regustered trademark of Fred W. Gretsch

Enterprises, Ltd.

Appendix B: Amp Models

B•2

Crunch Amber - This sound was crafted during our studies of the ‘68 Marshall® Plexi

50 Watt, which was used by a number of early metal bands. Crunch Amber provides a wider

range of tone control settings than the original jumpered Marshall®, allowing you to bump

up the mids even at the highest Drive settings.

Crunch Blue - Here’s our inspired interpretation on a 2005 Orange® AD-30TC, a 30

watt, Class A head that oozes pure Brit rock tone, taking 60s crunch to a new level.

Hi Gain Amber - Plexi On Fire! This amp model is based on a ‘68 Marshall® Plexi 100

watt with a few added extras; the combination of a Variac and the jumpered input channels

creates that infamous brown sound that will feel like ﬂames are shooting out the input jack!

Hi Gain Blue - Hi Gain Blue was inspired by the Diezel® Herbert, the 180 watt Ducati

of high performance guitar ampliﬁers, featuring a huge, tight low end.

Metal Amber - For this amp model we took the classic Mesa/Boogie® Dual Rectiﬁer®

and added a few enhancements. The resulting Amp Model has a deﬁnite modern ﬂavor.

This monster truck of tone delivers a bottom end that’s big, powerful, tight and fast. Use

Metal Amber to get a punchy, high gain Metal sound.

Metal Blue - This model was created to deliver an aggressive high gain sound. It features

a unique Mid control that will sweep though an entire spectrum of tone on one knob. With

the Mid knob is set to minimum, the distortion exhibits Fuzz pedal characteristics. When

set to noon, it mimics the creamy modern high gain amp tones. When turned up to max, it’s

reminiscent of that maxed out Class A sound. Of course there are all the places in-between...

Insane Amber - This model is our “dialed in for shredding” version of the Mesa/Boogie®

Dual Rectiﬁer® red channel. It combines the intensity and impact of Metal Amber, but

delivers more midrange and teeth for that bone-crushing, brain piercing insane grind.

Insane Blue - Our goal with Insane Blue was to provide you with as much input gain

distortion as possible short of complete meltdown. You get an obscene helping of distortion,

while still retaining tonal deﬁnition and character. As a result, you get way more bottom

end and cabinet character than other small amps. Crank up the Drive control and prepare

to dominate!

* All product names are trademarks of their respective owners, which are in no way associated or afﬁliated with Line 6. These product

names, descriptions and images are provided for the sole purpose of identifying the speciﬁc products that were studied during Line 6’s sound

model development. ORANGE® is a registered trademark of Orange Personal Communications Services Ltd. MARSHALL® is a regis-

tered trademark of Marshall Ampliﬁcation Plc. MESA/BOOGIE® and RECTIFIER® are registered trademarks of Mesa/Boogie, Ltd.

DEIZEL® is a regustered trademark of Deizel GMBH.

Appendix C: Maintenance

C•1

aPPendiX C: maintenanCe

The Spider Valve MkII 112 and 212 combo amps include two 12AX7-B preamp tubes and

two matched 5881 (6L6) power amp tubes. The Spider Valve MkII HD100 head features

two 12AX7-B preamp tubes and four matched 5881 (6L6) power amp tubes.

Keep in mind that tubes are like car tires – they get worn out through use and need to be

replaced. How loud you play and how long you play affects how often you need to re-tube

your amp. If you play a lot, changing the power tubes once a year is normal. Preamp tubes

can often last twice as long, even longer.

For the 12AX7-B preamp tubes, we recommend that you always change both tubes at the

same time, since one bad tube can often “take down” a good tube.

When changing power tubes, you must only use matched sets of 5881 (6L6) tubes and

have them properly biased for optimum tone and tube life.

Tube Troubleshooting

Most amp problems (squeals, crackling, low power, mushy bass response, etc.) can be

traced to bad or weak tubes. If you hear your sound begin to deteriorate, it may be time to

change your tubes. Here are some possible signs:

• Dull or cloudy sound, despite your tone settings

• Loss of low-end response

• Uneven tonal output – some notes seem louder than others

• Amp becomes noisy

• Amp sounds thin

• Amp feels weak or has low output

• Amp has ﬂuctuating power output

• Output decays quickly – isn’t able to produce your guitar’s sustaining notes

• Popping sound accompanied by intermittent light from tubes

• The appearance of “white frost” inside the tube – (this usually means the tube has

cracked and must be replaced)

Appendix C: Maintenance

C•2

Even if everything seems to be working OK, it’s a good idea to replace power amp tubes

with matched sets every 12-24 months (depending on the amount of use) and have the

bias checked and/or adjusted. Make sure you read and understand the safety instructions

– this work is dangerous and repairs should only be done by an Authorized Line 6 Service

Center! For your convenience, these can be located online at http://www.line6.com/

support/servicecenters or by calling Line 6 Customer Service at 818-575-3600.

Preamp tubes only need to be replaced when they are noisy, damaged, or “microphonic”.

When a preamp tube becomes microphonic it gets highly sensitive to vibration and

becomes very thin sounding and squealy like a microphone feeding back. A good way to

check for a microphonic tube is to lightly tap on the tube with a pencil. If you can hear

it tapping through the speakers, it’s microphonic and should be changed. It’s also possible

for a bad pre-amp tube to simply not pass any audio and be dead, but they usually go

microphonic before completely dying.

General Troubleshooting

Here are some general, non-tube troubleshooting tips:

• Always make sure your cables, guitars, effects and extension cabinets are working

and hooked up correctly.

• If you think something is wrong with your amp, play straight into the amp with

nothing else hooked up other than a guitar. That way you make sure it is the amp.

• Unplug the internal speaker and hook up an external speaker cabinet to make sure

it’s only the amp which is faulty.

Fuses

Your Spider Valve Mk II amp has 2 user-replaceable fuses. Both of them need to be good

in order for the amp to work properly.

The Mains Fuse is located on the back panel below the power cable connection. To release

the fuse holder you need to push the top and bottom latches towards each other with your

ﬁngernails and pull the insert out. If you can’t get it out this way, use a small screw driver

and pull one latch ﬁrst, then the other. The insert will snap out. If the Mains Fuse blows,

it could be just a voltage peak from your power outlet. Replace it and see what happens.

The Tube Protection fuse is located in a separate fuse holder on the back panel. Turn the

fuse holder cap counter-clockwise to remove the fuse. This fuse protects the tube circuitry

and usually blows if your power amp tubes are bad. When replacing fuses, be sure to only

use the exact type and value speciﬁed on the back panel of the amp.

Line 6 Spider Valve Mkii 212 Owners Manual Advanced Guide

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