Audere Pre Amps - anyone tried one yet?

poptart · #1 09-15-2006, 04:54 AM

I have been looking into these pre-amps and they look very interesting, I have had some great help from David at Audere and wondered if anyone had tried one in a Roscoe yet?

I would appreciate any comments or feedback - thanks.

Gard · #2 09-15-2006, 10:10 AM

Gard · #3 09-15-2006, 10:12 AM

I have no knowledge of this "Audere" of which you speak...

Gard · #4 09-15-2006, 10:18 AM

...OK, OK, I'll 'fess up.

David from Audere has sent us one to try out - my bass was the obvious guiena pig for this.

I like it, I really do. If we can work a couple "kinks" out, it may (MAY) become an option in the forseeable future.

My take on it:

The treble and bass are subtle.

Real subtle.

...almost not-there-subtle.

(This isn't a "bad thing", just a thing...one of the "kinks" that David and I have already discussed, and come up with a resolution for. The actual EQ points for both controls are PERFECT, however.)

The two mids...all I am gonna say is this:

(Of course, I'm a midrange fanatic!

)

The Z Mode switch actually does something cool in each of the positions away from "standard" that is useful. Not overwhelmingly different, but noticeably so.

All in all, in a Roscoe, it's a positive thing, if you're curious, definitely give it a spin.

Nino Valenti · #5 09-15-2006, 11:02 AM

I've installed 2 in non Roscoe basses and some of my feeling mirror Gard.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gard

My take on it:

The treble and bass are subtle.

Real subtle.

...almost not-there-subtle.

This isn't a good or bad thing. I know people that don't like Aguilar preamps (which I love) because they feel that the boost is very in your face. As soon as you touch the knob, is boost "too much.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gard

The two mids...all I am gonna say is this:

(Of course, I'm a midrange fanatic!

)

I, opposed to Gard, don't like mids. One of the 2 basses was a 2 band preamp and the other, that is a personal bass has the 3 band JZ3 drop in pre. I literally just finished up the personal bass and I played it for 5 minutes. So far I like it. I didn't play with the Z mode switch. I'll save that for Band practice when I can really test the preamp out.

One thing I LOVE about the preamp so far is how DEAD QUIET it is. No noise, no hiss... nothing. I had the 3 bands of the preamp at 100% and there was no unwanted noise.

poptart · #6 09-15-2006, 11:38 AM

Thanks guys (Gard you are such a tease!) - I was looking at the 4 band system with the stacked mids and stacked bass/treble as I did not want too many switches on the bass.

I am not sure what to do with the LED - I thought it might fit on the battery cover?

Now which bass to put it on - Ceder/Mrytle/Purpeheart or Mahogony/maple/rosewood...hmmmm.

poptart · #7 09-15-2006, 11:45 AM

Gard - do you think there will be a difference in response to the eq between the stock Barts and your Nordstrand p/ups? I guess the Nords are already brighter than the Barts, plus you had a Demeter in there originally - so are your obsevations based on these factors?

Just throwing it around at the moment, but I think I will try it out as it does sound like a great bit of kit.

poptart · #8 09-15-2006, 11:53 AM

Well just ordered it off the site - it was easy to do, should arrive in a few days. When installed I will try to give a review and some sound files if I can (before and after).

Gard · #9 09-15-2006, 12:02 PM

Nino -

Yeah, it IS dead quiet. All 4 bands, cranked up 100%, sitting right in front of a CRT screen, no hiss.

Very impressive.

On mids, well, the thing that makes it all wonderful is everyone is different! I've found that nothing will make you noticed in a mix like a good honkin' midrange, just below the guitarist. You don't even need to be "loud" to be heard! However, it's not for everyone or every situation.

Poptart -

On the LED, if you're replacing the Bart pre with one of these, I'd suggest the spot that the trim control for the Bart is now is a very sensible location for the LED.

Tonally, it was very reminescent of the Demeter overall, just with the added flexibility of the dual mid controls. It's also quieter, which I thought was next to impossible.

Dave · #10 09-15-2006, 12:24 PM

So what would your recommendation be to someone who has grown to love the low mids available from the Bart? I like that punch that goes through the mix, but wouldnt mind just a tad bit more clarity for playing solo. What say ye?

maurilio · #11 09-15-2006, 02:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DMB

So what would your recommendation be to someone who has grown to love the low mids available from the Bart? I like that punch that goes through the mix, but wouldnt mind just a tad bit more clarity for playing solo. What say ye?

+1

Gard?.... Gard?..... Gaaaaaaard?

I remember trying the 4 bands unit in the test bass at Carey's place... I liked it. As Gard has mentioned, the BT were subtle (with the T acting more like a passive tone, which I like), but the two mids were perfect!

This is not good..... now I have something else more to "wonder"....

Mo'

Gard · #12 09-15-2006, 02:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DMB

So what would your recommendation be to someone who has grown to love the low mids available from the Bart? I like that punch that goes through the mix, but wouldnt mind just a tad bit more clarity for playing solo. What say ye?

See that 10 foot pole over there (points randomly in several directions at one time)...

...I'm not even gonna pick up that pole, much less touch this one with that pole.

The Bart pre SOUNDS like a Bart pre, and if you dig that tone, you want that preamp.

The Audere is a much different sounding creature to me, there, but almost _not_ there....a preamp that almost doesn't sound like a preamp???

maurilio · #13 09-15-2006, 02:37 PM

Good point Gard!

See, I told you, you are a Master!

Mo'

maurilio · #14 09-15-2006, 02:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by poptart

Well just ordered it off the site - it was easy to do, should arrive in a few days. When installed I will try to give a review and some sound files if I can (before and after).

Hello, please! sound files would be much appreciate!

You have Barts on your basses, right? Really interested to hear the difference!

So long

Mo'

J.Wolf · #15 09-15-2006, 03:27 PM

Oh daddy-

I can't wait for my century with the audere. For a fretless, dual mid controls seems quite preferable to a 3 band. As for bass/treble not doing much, lets hope the flat tone is just about perfect!

Dave · #16 09-15-2006, 08:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gard

See that 10 foot pole over there (points randomly in several directions at one time)...

...I'm not even gonna pick up that pole, much less touch this one with that pole.

The Bart pre SOUNDS like a Bart pre, and if you dig that tone, you want that preamp.

The Audere is a much different sounding creature to me, there, but almost _not_ there....a preamp that almost doesn't sound like a preamp???

Ah, that makes sense. Maybe Ill try some stainless steel strings next string change around.

That seems kinda like the same description I would have had on the Audere pre in the Jazz I had. It was really subtle, too subtle I think. Probly why I didnt dig that bass too much. Was wondering if the story would be the same in a Roscoe, and it seems it is.

Ah well, Ill have to find some other way of killing the GAS.

J.Wolf · #17 09-15-2006, 08:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by maurilio

You have Barts on your basses, right? Really interested to hear the difference!

+1

Dave · #18 09-15-2006, 08:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by poptart

Well just ordered it off the site - it was easy to do, should arrive in a few days. When installed I will try to give a review and some sound files if I can (before and after).

What kind of preamp will you be replacing with the Audere?

poptart · #19 09-17-2006, 09:30 AM

Dave

I have the standard 3 band bart pre - which I really like for it's slightly compressed low mid sound, especially for my style of finger playing. However I have two SKBs both with Bart/Bart so I have been looking for an alternative pre for one of the basses.

I have been keenly following the Demeter eq for a while but the Audere really impressed me when I went on there site, they really seem to have a new approach and the reviews have been really good from emjazz, jaquii etc - plus I think it is really good value as the four band system I have ordered is around $200.

I have decided to install it in my cedar body, tiger myrtle bass with spalted purpleheart f/b as this bass has a more crisp acoustic one than my other bass and the other has the perfect funk/finger sound than I need most of the time.

It should be interesting to see if the Audere gives me the spectrum of sounds I am hoping for eg the Bart sound and the more aggressive Agie sound and the transparent Demeter sound - now that would be cool

Dave · #20 09-17-2006, 09:53 AM

Very cool, keep us posted, this sounds like a really cool project.