SWR WorkingPro 400 Fact Sheet
(V.01 - 12.11.04)
SWR Model Name: WorkingPro 400
Status: Currently In Production
FMIC Part Number: 44-50200-010
FMIC 120V UPC Code: 717669311612
Model History
Production Dates: January 2005 to present
U.S. Retail Price: $857.13
Warranty: 5 years limited electronic warranty
Description
The WorkingPro series was designed to succeed the Workingman’s Series as SWR’s midline product offering of amps, cabs and combos. This line is an update of those now mature products and is meant to ensure SWR’s dominance in this price point group for years to come.
- What is it:
- The WorkingPro 400 is a 400-watt, all solid-state rackmountable professional bass amplifier
- What makes it special?
- The classic, timeless, crystal-clear tone of the famous SWR preamp and Aural Enhancer™
- The new Bass Intensifier™, an instant low-end frequency boost combined with fast-acting compression that literally intensifies the bass response – and makes a 400-watt amplifier sound like a 700-watt amplifier
- What differentiates it from current and competitive products?
- It breaks away from the trend of low-to-midline bass amplifiers (Crate, Behringer, Peavey) that come pre-installed in a “head case” – instead, the WorkingPro amplifiers are two-rack-space rackmountable pieces, which implies a more professional, higher cache
- It provides road-tested and studio-proven professional tone at a power-to-price ratio unmatched in the industry
- It comes with a two-button footswitch for hands-free control of the Mute (allows for silent tuning and practicing) and Bass Intensifier controls
- 5-year transferable warranty
- What is its “vibe?”
- Professional, modern, classy, sleek – all pointing to “pristine,” which is a hallmark of the SWR sound
Factory Modifications
Unavailable.
User Replaceable Parts:
Line Fuse (U.S.A./120 volt & Japan 100 volt): 8 Amp, Slow Blo (1/4” x 1 1/4")
Line Fuse (Europe/230-240 volt): 4 Amp, Slow Blo (20mm x 5mm)
Power Specifications
405 Watts @ 4 ohms
250 Watts @ 8 ohms
Controls & Features:
- Tubes/solid state:
- All solid-state preamp and power amp circuitry
- Channels:
- Single-channel preamp, mono-block power amp
- Front panel controls & features:
- Input jack w/-10db pad option
- Mute switch (mutes all outputs except tuner out and headphones out jacks)
- Independent preamp gain and master volume controls
- Exclusive SWR Aural Enhancer™ tone-shaping control
- 4-band active EQ with variable midrange
- Bass Intensifier Level and Frequency Cutoff controls
- EFX Blend control for side-chain effects loop
- Automatic limiter with defeat option
- Rear panel controls & features:
- Studio-quality XLR Balanced Output w/pre- or post-EQ option
- XLR ground lift and output level pad (-10db) switches
- Side-chain effects loop (effects send & return jacks)
- Tuner Out jack
- Unbalanced Line Out jack (post-effects-loop line-level out)
- Headphones Out jack – for silent practicing when used with Tuning
- Footswitch jack (for two-button footswitch that activates Mute and Bass intensifier circuit, included with purchase)
- Two ¼” and two Speakon™ speaker outputs
- Cosmetics:
- Overall unit: Two-rack-space rackmountable configuration
- Front panel: White text over black background – all screened over polished aluminum with a striped texture meant to emulate SWR’s X Series of professional bass amps
- Handles: Chrome-polished traditional rack handles
- Chassis (rear): White text over black paint
Technical Specifications
AC Current Draw: 1440 watts
Dimensions: 19" W x 3 1/2" H x 13 1/2" D
Weight: 25 lbs.
Suggested Speaker Enclosures
*SWR WorkingPro 4x10
*SWR Goliath III™ 4x10
*(1) SWR WorkingPro 4x10 & (1) SWR WorkingPro 1x15
*(1) SWR Goliath III 4x10 & (1) SWR Son Of Bertha™ 1x15
*(1) SWR WorkingPro 4x10 & (1) SWR WorkingPro 2x10
*(1) SWR Goliath III 4x10 & (1) SWR Goliath Junior III™ 2x10 (8 ohms)
FAQ – WorkingPro 400:
Q: What is the difference between WorkingPro Series amplifiers and Professional Series amplifiers?
A: The main difference is that the Workingman’s Series has a solid-state preamp, while the Professional Series has a tube preamp. Aside from that, the actual preamps in both series are nearly identical. Feature-wise, the WorkingPro Series has the Bass Intensifier circuit, while the X Series (a Pro Series subdivision) has onboard effects like the Subwave and Overdrive.
Q: What are the differences and upgrades between the WorkingPro Series amplifiers and the previous Workingman’s Series amplifiers?
- The power amps were totally overhauled and upgraded
- The WorkingPro units went to a true rackmountable configuration – previously they came pre-racked in a “head case”, with an extra rackspace for an effects unit, but you could not rackmount the unit in a rack of your choice
- The Tuning Mute and Bass Intensifier circuits were added (both footswitchable, unit comes with footswitch)
- The XLR out was enhanced with pre/post, level pad and ground/lift options – the Workingman’s Series just had a single-mode D.I. out
- Speakon speaker outputs were added (Workingman’s just had 1/4” output jacks)
Q: Is there any difference between the WorkingPro 700 and WorkingPro 400?
A. Only the power rating is different – the WorkingPro 400 delivers 400 watts at 4 ohms, while the WorkingPro 700 delivers 700 watts at 4 ohms. Other than that, the feature set is identical.
Q: What does the Bass Intensifier do?
- It takes a user-selected group of bass and lower-midrange frequencies and “intensifies” them
- It provides extra “meat” and “punch” to the attack of every note played
- It makes a 400-watt amp sound like a 700 watt amp, and a 700-watt amp like a 1,000-watt amp
Q: How does it work, and how do you set it?
A. It’s essentially a boost-compression circuit. The circuit has two variable controls: Level and Cutoff. The Cutoff control allows the user to select the highest frequency affected by the circuit, anywhere from 80 Hz to 200 Hz. The circuit will then “intensify” frequencies from 20 Hz up to that selected frequency. The Level control sets the amount of boost/compression for the group of frequencies selected by the Cutoff control
NOTE: This is a HIGHLY ACTIVE control! The resulting bass boost can be very subtle, or very extreme, depending on the settings of both controls.
Q: When I engage the Tuning Mute, is every output muted?
A: Every audio output is muted except for two – the Tuner Out and the Headphones Out.
Q: Is my WorkingPro 400 capable of driving a 2 ohm load?
A: No. The minimum impedance that the WorkingPro 400 is designed to drive is 4 ohms.
Q: Can I run my WorkingPro 400 without any speaker cabinets hooked up?
A: Yes. The WorkingPro 400 can be used for recording purposes using only the XLR record out and without speakers attached to the speaker jacks.
Q: Can I use my WorkingPro 400 to drive both a 4 ohm and an 8 ohm cabinet at the same time?
A: No. This will result in a total load of 2.67 ohms. Using two 8 ohm speaker cabinets is the ideal setup for achieving maximum power delivery from this amplifier.
Q: How can I get the most volume out of my WorkingPro 400 without damaging my speaker system?
A: After all tone controls and the Limiter are set to your liking, the Gain Control should be set to where the Preamp Clip LED barely flashes upon striking your loudest note. Then adjust the Master Volume to the desired volume level. Utilizing these controls in this manner assures the user of maximum signal to noise ratio with no distortion caused by the preamp circuits "clipping".
Q: Can I connect the XLR Output of my amplifier to a phantom power equipped mixing console?
A: Yes. Unlike earlier SWR models, the Workingman’s 8004’s XLR Output is capable of being connected to phantom power equipped mixing consoles without consequence.
Q: I want to use my WorkingPro 400 while on tour in a different country. Are there any precautions involved?
A: If you want the voltage of your amplifier changed permanently, as in the event of a relocation or long term move, we recommend that you have a replacement power transformer installed in the unit's chassis. This modification can be made at any authorized SWR service center. If it will be a temporary situation (such as a European tour), in which you require the amplifier to run on a voltage other than 120 volts for a short period of time, we recommend the use of an external voltage converter (or step up/down transformer). Voltage converters are available from your local or online electronics retailer and are offered in various wattage capacities, generally ranging from 100 to 10,000 watts. It is important that the capacity of the voltage converter be equal or greater than the current draw of the amplifier. On SWR amplifiers, the current draw specification is generally listed below the AC cord receptacle on the amplifier's rear panel. Depending on the model, it may also be necessary to change the amplifier's line fuse. Please consult your amplifier's owner's manual for the correct fuse rating.