Pope pre vs. Audere?

allenhumble · #1 09-28-2007, 05:30 AM

Has anyone A/Bed the Mike pope pre with an Audere?

KJung · #2 09-28-2007, 05:37 AM

Not directly, but I've played both, and owned both Pope 3 bands (in my Fodera) and 4 bands (in my Stambaugh).

I am one who's tone preference isn't really met by the Pope pre. It is quite fat and warm, but I've moved on to a little more wide tone with a little more capability of grind and some aggression if needed. They are quite expensive, but hand made and totally able to be customized.

I've come to really like the Audere. It has the capability of being much more alive and bright, but is also more transparent sounding to my ear when set flat. It's a very good deal, and it fits my personal tone much better at this point.

Purely IMO.

HMZ · #3 09-28-2007, 06:14 AM

I recently installed a Audere pre in my Fender jazz and it sounds great. Very transparent and the z modes are a very cool idea.
I got the volume volume treble/bass model. I installed it in about 20-30 min.

cybersnyder · #4 09-28-2007, 07:23 AM

I like the customization that's available with the Audere. Still haven't purchased one, but my next bass will likely have an Audere preamp. The only thing I wish for with the Audere is a sweepable mid option. Then it would be a 99.9 instead of a 95 out of 100.

KJung · #5 09-28-2007, 07:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cybersnyder

I like the customization that's available with the Audere. Still haven't purchased one, but my next bass will likely have an Audere preamp. The only thing I wish for with the Audere is a sweepable mid option. Then it would be a 99.9 instead of a 95 out of 100.

FYI... the Pope is a completely custom order, which is part of the high price. You can choose Q's, center frequencies, number of EQ bands, switchable mid center points, etc., etc., etc. MIke actually makes these things by hand.

That being said, now that I've played a couple of Audere's with the Z modes 'correctly dialed in', I'm very impressed with this pre, and at $150 to $200, it's quite a deal.

gkbass13 · #6 09-28-2007, 10:11 AM

once again, some lovely information from mr. jung. thank you, sir.

4Mal · #7 09-28-2007, 10:38 AM

I just installed a 3 band JZ3 in my MIJ Jazz - first rehersal with it was last night. It totally rocks! Through the SVT III Pro, 2x10, 1x18 rig it was way cool.

Recording direct seemed really bright to me using an old set of Duncan SJB 1 's. I'm going to swap the stock MIJ 75 RI pickups back in and try that.

I talked with Dave about the briteness and mentioned that you can throw a test pot (100K was his advice) and cap onto the board - there are solder points available - then dial the pot to where the briteness is more neutral, read the pot and replace it with a fixed resistor and the cap. Clever idea...

In my case, as I liked the sound through an amp but not as much recording direct - I may need to re-think my direct recording chain.

Anyway - this is my second Audere as I also have a 3zb wired up as vol/vol and z-mode - no other EQ. I'm a big fan.

narud · #8 01-09-2008, 10:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KJung

Not directly, but I've played both, and owned both Pope 3 bands (in my Fodera) and 4 bands (in my Stambaugh).

I am one who's tone preference isn't really met by the Pope pre. It is quite fat and warm, but I've moved on to a little more wide tone with a little more capability of grind and some aggression if needed. They are quite expensive, but hand made and totally able to be customized.

I've come to really like the Audere. It has the capability of being much more alive and bright, but is also more transparent sounding to my ear when set flat. It's a very good deal, and it fits my personal tone much better at this point.

Purely IMO.

old thread, but just noticed it from a another audere thread where this link was posted. what pickups did you have in your old fodera? i just got through having aero duals, nordstrand big splits, and now duncan duals (which ive finally settled on) within the last couple of months and all of those pickups reacted completely different with the pope and i dont think i could have a single charcterization on that pre anymore.

the bass came with aeros (by mistake-i ordered it with duncans when i bought it 7 years ago). it sounded warm on the lows, not much grind but an extended top end that i always had to tame. then i put the big splits in and it went to the brightest bass on earth with the pre set flat. thinner on the lows, but super extended highs that sounded like i was going through a sonic maximizer or something. i had to turn the treble and passive tone halfway off. now i finally have the duncans in and i can finally have the pre set flat. great lows again, and midrange grind that i wasnt getting out of either of the other sets of pickups.

after all of that, that bass sounded like 3 completely different basses with the pre set flat. if anything with the duncans its a lot more usable.

KJung · #9 01-10-2008, 02:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by narud

old thread, but just noticed it from a another audere thread where this link was posted. what pickups did you have in your old fodera? i just got through having aero duals, nordstrand big splits, and now duncan duals (which ive finally settled on) within the last couple of months and all of those pickups reacted completely different with the pope and i dont think i could have a single charcterization on that pre anymore.

the bass came with aeros (by mistake-i ordered it with duncans when i bought it 7 years ago). it sounded warm on the lows, not much grind but an extended top end that i always had to tame. then i put the big splits in and it went to the brightest bass on earth with the pre set flat. thinner on the lows, but super extended highs that sounded like i was going through a sonic maximizer or something. i had to turn the treble and passive tone halfway off. now i finally have the duncans in and i can finally have the pre set flat. great lows again, and midrange grind that i wasnt getting out of either of the other sets of pickups.

after all of that, that bass sounded like 3 completely different basses with the pre set flat. if anything with the duncans its a lot more usable.

Interesting. I just went through a bad experience with the Audere and Big Singles. I REALLY did not like the tone at all.

I had Seymour Duals in my Fodera, and that pre and those pickups sounded pretty good to me. The Aero's were too dark. Never tried the Big Single with the Pope, but I hated them with the Audere... very modern... super hi fi top end... similar to what you were hearing with the Pope/Big Splits.

I was actually railing on the Audere on the Nordy thread, but I really think it was the Big Singles that I didn't like at all. That surprised me, because I was hoping for a kind of fatter single coil tone, and I really just got another subtle flavor of soapbar to my ears.

I think what we are hearing are two relatively transparent preamps with VERY different sounding pickups.

K

Audere · #10 01-10-2008, 07:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KJung

I think what we are hearing are two relatively transparent preamps with VERY different sounding pickups.

IMO - A more transparent preamp will bring out larger differences in pickups and stings and all the other parts of the bass, etc.

When using the Audere preamp the different pickups will also react differently with the load settings including in High Z-Mod the Capacitance adjustment.

I my view transparency is very good but YMMV...