Basic Setup & Wiring Procedure

This guide explains the basic connection and setup procedure for a single KHE switcher. If you need assistance, don’t hesitate to contact us for support.

Table of Content:

• Safety Information

• Basic Amp / Cab Setup

• Front-End Pedals Setup

• FX-Loop Pedals Setup

• Attenuator Setup

• Dual Cab Mode Setup

• MIDI Setup

• Linked Switchers Setup

• Troubleshooting

Safety Information

Take your time! Start with only one amp and one cab. No pedals, no attenuators, no fx-loops. Get the most basic setup running before adding more complexity to the rig. Troubleshooting can be a pain with all the cables involved, so make sure to be methodical during the initial setup. Don’t just connect everything at once and hope for the best. Be methodical during the setup and troubleshooting. Slow is smooth and smooth is fast. Better be safe than sorry.

Read the ACS Safety Information before using the KHE!

Basic Amp / Cab Setup

1. Start with all amps turned off. Securely mount the KHE into a rack or amp shelf. Connect the KHE DC Power Adapter to the dc input jack. Make sure to use the included KHE DC Power Adapter and the 3-pin ac mains cable. All amps are turned off.

2. Power-on the KHE. The small CTRL light turns red. If it blinks orange, you probably used a wrong power adapter. If it blinks red/green, check the setup for the linked switchers. Note: With the ASX and CSX, all lights will blink if no speaker load is connected. This is normal.

3. Connect the Speaker Cabinets and Load Boxes to the red KHE CABINET output jacks by speaker cables. The cab lights will turn on dimmed red, showing the load is connected but not activated yet. Press a CAB switch to activate a cabinet output. The light will turn on bright.

4. Connect the Guitar to the KHE guitar input (front or back). Turn down the volume knob of the guitar. Do not connect any pedals yet - go straight into the KHE during the initial setup.

5. Connect the first Amp Head to a KHE amp channel.

   1. Connect the Amp Guitar Input to the KHE AMP IN jack (black) by a shielded instrument cable.

   2. Connect the Amp Speaker Output to the KHE AMP OUT jack (blue) by a speaker cable.

6. Turn down the amp’s master volume. In case of wiring errors or bad cables, low output volume is safer for the amp.

7. Power-on the amp. Set it to standby for a minute to warm up.

8. Activate the Amp on the KHE by pressing the amp switch. The amp won’t be activated if no cab is activated (3x blink). Press a cab switch first so the cab light turns bright.

9. Test the amp and slowly increase the master volume. Check for normal operation (no noise, hum, feedback or squealing) and test the amp with all load options. If there is an issue, solve it first before adding more stuff. The problem only gets harder to troubleshoot. Do not use malfunctioning amps with the KHE.

10. Repeat Steps 5-9 for each amp. Add one amp at a time and verify that it is working fine before adding the next amp. Once all amps are connected and confirmed to be working fine, proceed to connect the rest of the equipment.

See the KHE Impedance Guide for all information on how to set and manage the impedance.

See the KHE Combo Guide for all info for combo amps.

See the KHE Cable Guide for all information about the cables types.

Do not use malfunctioning amps with the KHE.

If an amplifier has an issue such as hum or squealing noise that cannot be resolved, do not use it with the KHE. Power off the amplifier and inspect the wiring and cables, and make sure the amp is in good working condition (tubes, fx-loop jacks, input output jacks and such). Connecting a malfunctioning amp to the KHE may result in damage to the device. Refer to the Troubleshooting Guide for more help.

Power-On Sequence

All amps + KHE + gear power off > KHE power on > Amp Heads on with standby for 2 minutes > KHE activate Cab + Amp > Ready to rock!

Power-Off Sequence

Deactivate KHE Amp+Cab > Amps+Gear power off > KHE power off > Good Night!

Advanced Functions

Front-End Pedals Setup

Connect the pedals (or board) between the guitar and the KHE Guitar Input. The pedals will be active with all amps on the KHE. If using pedals with the KHE Master-FX-Loop, make sure to power the pre- and post pedal section individually by an isolated 9V power supply. Don’t use daisy-chain power cables between the section, as it can result in a ground loop. Use quality shielded instrument cables.

FX-Loop Pedals Setup

The ACS Master-FX-Loop Switching enables to share an single effects chain with all amps in their fx-loops. Connect the fx pedals to the ACS master-fx-loop and connect the amp fx-loops send/return to the KHE fx-loop section. Before using this feature, carefully read the guide linked above. Do not connect individual pedals to individual amp fx-loops! This feature is available with the ACS 4x4FX or the 8x4/ASX with the AFX 8 FX-Loop Switcher.

Attenuator Setup

The ACS Attenuator Insert Loop enables to share a single attenuator with all amps and speaker cabs (white S-Line Send and Return jacks). Before using an attenuator with the ACS, carefully read the ACS Attenuator Loop Guide. By default, the Attenuator Loop is deactivated and must be activated in the KHE System Menu. If not activated, the attenuator won’t work correctly. The attenuator is globally active and can not be bypassed by the KHE. This feature is not available for the KHE ACS 4x2.

Dual-Cab Mode Setup

Dual-Cab Mode enables to play two speaker cabinets or load boxes in parallel, at the same time. Dual-Cab Mode is deactivated by default. Learn more: Dual-Cab Mode

MIDI Setup

Connect the MIDI footswitch to the KHE MIDI In jack, set both devices to the same MIDI channels and program the PC or CC commands. Do not connect any MIDI gear to the KHE CTRL jacks - they are not MIDI! Learn more: ACS MIDI Guide and MIDI Footswitches for the KHE

Linked KHE Switcher Setup

Up to 15 KHE switchers can be daisy-chained to expand the switching channels. Learn more:

• Linked KHE Switchers: How it works (coming soon)

• Linked KHE Switchers: Step-by-Step Setup Procedure (coming soon)

Troubleshooting

Check the KHE Troubleshooting Guide for more help. If you can’t solve a problem, don’t hesitate to contact us!

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