Radial Tonebone PZ

[Jason Hollar]

Man, the products for DB keep coming out:

http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/PZPre/

I wonder what a Piezo Booster really is?!

[Jason Hollar]

I see,

It's a 10dB boost on a switchable 10meg Ohm input...

Couldn't load the page this morning for some reason...

http://www.tonebone.com/tb-pzpre-features.htm

This looks like a handy device...

[T-Bal]

Looks like it could be useful, however, 2 channels with only one set of tone controls ?

[Jazzdogg]

I've been swapping email with Radial about the PZ-Pre, and their response to the lack if an XLR input (microphone connection) and separate tone controls for the second channel had to do with size; they said that when they were discussing design constraints with traveling artists like John Pattituci, compactness was at the top of everyone's list: The PZ-Pre is only 4 1/2" H X 8" W X 2" D.

I intend to work around its "limitations" by carrying a small mic-pre in my gig bag (they recommend a unit with headroom >20dB), and plugging an EQ pedal into the effects loop when I have two basses plugged in; when I'm amplifying upright with two pickups, or a pickup and a mic, I'm hoping that one set of tone controls will suffice when the two channels are summed.

On paper, the PZ-Pre looks better suited to my needs than anything else I've seen, and $280 seems reasonable. I sure hope it lives up to my expectations once it arrives.

Radial told me today that "PZ-Pres should begin to deliver in about two weeks." Their rep also told me that they planned to introduce a full-featured model in 2008.

[liam_g]

Originally Posted by T-Bal

Looks like it could be useful, however, 2 channels with only one set of tone controls ?

It actually works quite well, when combined with the eq section of an amplifier. On my Bassbone, which has the same eq / channel setup, I set the eq on my amp to sound good with the non-eq Bassbone channel. Then I have some flexibility for eq'ing my second channel with the Bassbone eq. This works fine for doubling, and I've also used it to dial in different pizz and arco settings when using a single instrument, or a 'solo' setting for solos.

Then again, I've also been messing with an MXR M108 10 band graphic EQ pedal. Would rather have a great parametric eq, but the MXR is doing the job pretty darn well. When I combine that, Fdeck's pre/HPF with phase reverse, and my Bassbone, it's a pretty darn powerful setup.

I'm interested in this new PZ-pre, though, for sure ... looks promising.

Cheers

[Jazzdogg]

Has Anyone received their PZ-Pre yet?

[shwashwa]

how would the full featured model differ from this one?

[Jazzdogg]

Originally Posted by shwashwa

how would the full featured model differ from this one?

I cannot say for sure, but what I inferred was that the "full featured" model would include an XLR input (microphone connection) and separate tone controls for the second channel, although I'd also like the high-pass filter to be variable (instead of offering only two fixed frequencies), and it would be great if they offered tone control bypass switch for each channel.