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Audere preamp users - how often do you use the Z-mode switch?

How often do you use the Z-mode switch on your Audere preamp?

  • All the time!

    Votes: 31 42.5%

  • Occasionally.

    Votes: 17 23.3%

  • Almost never.

    Votes: 25 34.2%
  • Total voters
    73
#21
matt galbraith said:
i usually keep it in mid, but when i want to boost the lows i throw in in low, but i dont use high too much.
Click to expand...

Man, am I on the fence here! I want the DC coupling, active blend, and transparency - I could have all of this with either preamp. I like the idea of the Z-mode switch and having one midrange knob with a three way switch, but I don't like the idea of new holes in my bass for those things.
 
#23
fourstringbliss said:
I should have been more clear. I started this thread because I'm debating between the Classic and the 3ZB. It sounds like the Z-mode switch is a good thing, though. Sounds like it's worth the extra money.
Click to expand...

That's why I'm getting a 3ZB.

I asked David via email if there were any plans for having a separate Z-mode switch for each pickup.. a 9ZB. (two three position switches gives 9 possible settings) :bassist: He informed me that there were engineering issues that made it a non-starter, for the time being at least. :crying:
 
#24
4StringTheorist said:
That's why I'm getting a 3ZB.

I asked David via email if there were any plans for having a separate Z-mode switch for each pickup.. a 9ZB. (two three position switches gives 9 possible settings) :bassist: He informed me that there were engineering issues that made it a non-starter, for the time being at least. :crying:
Click to expand...

I like the JZ5 primarily for the 5 positions it offers,. My second consideration was that it doesn't use those delicate little switches. I can get my right hand into a frenzy sometimes and preferred not to hit switches with it, hey it's happened! Essentially the JZ5 was a much cleaner installation, and used the edge input plug my Deluxe already had.
 
#26
CrashClint said:
I have a 3ZB in my Roscoe and never use it, it is always in the center position. I just do not care much for the boost in gain and the added mid it produces. I use the the Hi-mid and Lo-mid to adjust my sound, the treble and bass are at 0.
Click to expand...

A gain and mids boost isn't really what I'm looking for. That's why I never used the series switch on either of the G&L L2000/2500's I've owned.

I've been thinking about going with the Audere Classic 4-band, which would have the same tone controls as your 3ZB 4-band. Do you find that the low and high mids overlap the bass and treble?

Also, does boosting or cutting the tone controls affect overall volume?
 
#27
The three options are pretty different from each other, to me.
My audere is vol/blend/treb/bass, in a Valenti Geddy Vee with Nord Big Singles.
The center position is pretty dang close to passive sounding with the treb/bass set flat-which is about where I leave it at this setting
Switch up, get a really bright, active sound. I tend to scrub a bit of highs off, and roll a bit of bass in, especially when soloing the bridge pup
The down position is darker, and bassier. So, I usually back bass off a bit, and roll in treble a bit.

I can hear you thinking "well, use it that way, and all three positions are gonna end up sounding similar."
Not so;) They each have their own character.
 
#28
fourstringbliss said:
A gain and mids boost isn't really what I'm looking for. That's why I never used the series switch on either of the G&L L2000/2500's I've owned.

I've been thinking about going with the Audere Classic 4-band, which would have the same tone controls as your 3ZB 4-band. Do you find that the low and high mids overlap the bass and treble?

Also, does boosting or cutting the tone controls affect overall volume?
Click to expand...


I don't think you get a noticeable overlap. I think the lo-mid really adds some clean fullness without getting muddy. I will occasionally put the bass a 1 o'clock and adjust the lo-mid to about 2 o'clock. This really fills the low end up nicely without it losing focus and keeps the B string clean.

Honestly, for me I keep the hi-mids turned off most of the time to get more of a modern tone. The voiceing of the mids does not hit the treble range imo with this preamp. This is definitely where the mid-range growl comes from. I use mine sparingly, but if you want to cut through, the hi-mid is the control you want to turn up. It can get pretty agressive, not as much as an aguilar but it will cut through.

With all controls set flat, boosting or cutting the controls will make a difference in volume as with most preamps depending how far you boost or cut the frequency. If you turn the bass all the way down, it get thin sounding real fast in the same way if you turn the hi-mid all the way up it gets nasaly and the volume picks up in that range.

The Audere will probably work good for you, if you want something a little less complicated and you have 5 controls on you bass, the Glockenklang sounds pretty good and you can get one from The Perfect Bass for around $145. For me, I have always been partial to the Roscoe/Demeter preamps because of the mid-scoop they have. I just installed a Glockenklang in a friends Roscoe and he gave me the Demeter preamp which I will more than likely put in my bass this weekend.
 
#29
remember also that the amount of z-mode affect is controllable via the internal trim pot's on the 3ZB. You don't have to set it up for 'monster magnet' boost if you don't want that. On my L2.5, mine are set for a subtle emphasis not a thwacking big bump!
I still use my hand position as the dominant portion of my tone shaping.
 
#30
4Mal, or someone...can you give me a rundown on what those internal trim pots do?
CAuse I wouldn't mind at all having a little more range to the treb and bass controls, if that's possible.
If it's just "how big is the big bassy setting," I probably don't want to adjust mine.
 
#31
Chef said:
The three options are pretty different from each other, to me.
My audere is vol/blend/treb/bass, in a Valenti Geddy Vee with Nord Big Singles.
The center position is pretty dang close to passive sounding with the treb/bass set flat-which is about where I leave it at this setting
Switch up, get a really bright, active sound. I tend to scrub a bit of highs off, and roll a bit of bass in, especially when soloing the bridge pup
The down position is darker, and bassier. So, I usually back bass off a bit, and roll in treble a bit.

I can hear you thinking "well, use it that way, and all three positions are gonna end up sounding similar."
Not so;) They each have their own character.
Click to expand...
I do those same things, and they're all quite different.
 
#33
Chef said:
4Mal, or someone...can you give me a rundown on what those internal trim pots do?
CAuse I wouldn't mind at all having a little more range to the treb and bass controls, if that's possible.
If it's just "how big is the big bassy setting," I probably don't want to adjust mine.
Click to expand...

The two Low-Z trimpots are to adjust the gain in low-Z mode (per pickup, so two trim pots). They don't alter tone, just gain. You can adjust it so that the low-Z mode isn't appreciably louder or softer than mid-Z and low-Z.

The High-Z trimpots alter the capacitive loading placed on the pickup in High-Z mode. (per pickup again, so two trimpots here too) This lets you put [Invalid or Expired Link Removed] wherever it sounds good to you.

So basically, you've got 4 trimpots to customize how the Z-mode switch changes your tone.
 
#34
CrashClint said:
I don't think you get a noticeable overlap. I think the lo-mid really adds some clean fullness without getting muddy. I will occasionally put the bass a 1 o'clock and adjust the lo-mid to about 2 o'clock. This really fills the low end up nicely without it losing focus and keeps the B string clean.

Honestly, for me I keep the hi-mids turned off most of the time to get more of a modern tone. The voiceing of the mids does not hit the treble range imo with this preamp. This is definitely where the mid-range growl comes from. I use mine sparingly, but if you want to cut through, the hi-mid is the control you want to turn up. It can get pretty agressive, not as much as an aguilar but it will cut through.

With all controls set flat, boosting or cutting the controls will make a difference in volume as with most preamps depending how far you boost or cut the frequency. If you turn the bass all the way down, it get thin sounding real fast in the same way if you turn the hi-mid all the way up it gets nasaly and the volume picks up in that range.

The Audere will probably work good for you, if you want something a little less complicated and you have 5 controls on you bass, the Glockenklang sounds pretty good and you can get one from The Perfect Bass for around $145. For me, I have always been partial to the Roscoe/Demeter preamps because of the mid-scoop they have. I just installed a Glockenklang in a friends Roscoe and he gave me the Demeter preamp which I will more than likely put in my bass this weekend.
Click to expand...

I think this might be the way I'm going to go. My main concern about the Classic 4-band was how close the bass and low mid frequencies were set at but it puts my mind at ease that you don't hear an overlap. David Meadows is a pretty smart guy so there must have been a good reason for putting the low and high mid frequencies where he did. The more I think about it the less comfortable I am with the idea of drilling holes in my bass for a switch I might only use a little. Even though I'm 99.9% sure this bass is a keeper that I want to make even better with a new pre and pups, I trade basses so often I'd hate to make a permanent change (like drilling holes) only to regret it later. I'm also a bit of a klutz so I think I'll pass on the whole drill thing.
 
#38
The only thing I would add, and I haven't read all posts here in this thread, is that the Audere doesn't seem to be a pre designed to really "hype" the tone of your bass. It's not aggressive like an Aguilar OBP-3 or an East Retro. It's much more subtle. The Mid-Z setting, with the EQ flat, is about as close to a passive tone as you can get, almost exact by most people's observations. The Bass EQ is good for fattening up the tone, but it won't go as far as the OBP-3 will for example, which just really gets excessive IMO. I believe the Audere Pre's are GREAT for basses that already sound nice passive, but when you want a bit more control onboard without loosing the passive feel. If you run your basses into a DI often and don't have EQ control, then they're wonderful. Dave's preamps are also dead quiet unless you really goose the treble, at which point any pre will intoduce a bit of hiss.

I recommend them for people who want a more natural sounding instrument, especially for passive jazz bass guys. If you want to hype up your instrument and get a more modern, zingy sound, or to really dial in a lot of boom, then I'd look elsewhere.
 
#39
Eublet said:
The only thing I would add, and I haven't read all posts here in this thread, is that the Audere doesn't seem to be a pre designed to really "hype" the tone of your bass. It's not aggressive like an Aguilar OBP-3 or an East Retro. It's much more subtle. The Mid-Z setting, with the EQ flat, is about as close to a passive tone as you can get, almost exact by most people's observations. The Bass EQ is good for fattening up the tone, but it won't go as far as the OBP-3 will for example, which just really gets excessive IMO. I believe the Audere Pre's are GREAT for basses that already sound nice passive, but when you want a bit more control onboard without loosing the passive feel. If you run your basses into a DI often and don't have EQ control, then they're wonderful. Dave's preamps are also dead quiet unless you really goose the treble, at which point any pre will intoduce a bit of hiss.

I recommend them for people who want a more natural sounding instrument, especially for passive jazz bass guys. If you want to hype up your instrument and get a more modern, zingy sound, or to really dial in a lot of boom, then I'd look elsewhere.
Click to expand...

One of the two Audere preamps is going to be perfect for me. I don't want to color my sound - I have outboard preamps/pedals to color my sound if I want. I like the passive sound of the MK-1 pickups in my Lakland 55-01 and I'm going to eventually replace them with USA Barts, which will sound even better. I want thickness in my low end, not boominess. I want clarity in my treble, not zinginess. The Audere sounds perfect!
 

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