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CreativeAudioLabs Redeemer Circuit. WOW!!!

#61
SGD Lutherie said:
...the Redeemer sounded as if the low end was a tad attenuated ... I liked the Redeemer when I had both pickups on, it seemed to have a boost in the highs
Click to expand...

On the Audio Precision sweeping from 10Hz to 50 kHz the signal stays at unity within 0.1dBu through the circuit. My goal with the circuit is for it to be the "pure mountain stream" - if you want to make it into "coffee or tea" and add a little "cream and sugar", you can do that on purpose in a controlled way using your pedals and amps. If a buffer has its own sound and you like it, then that's great. However, the next guy might like something else, so I just want to give it to him clean so he can decide what to add and subtract with the rest of his gear.

Someone who likes the effect a particular amount of cable capacitance has on the pick-up's resonance could measure that capacitance and add a capacitor inside the instrument before the Redeemer - then you can use any old cable after the Redeemer without a second thought...

The point is - if you start as close to clean as you possibly can, you can always color your tone on purpose. You can add cream and sugar if you want to, but if it's already in there, it's hard to take out... it's easier to start over with a fresh cup...

Thanks for the warm welcome - I'll try to check in once in a while, but if I get distracted and you don't hear from me for a while don't get offended - I haven't even been seen on Myspace in about 6 months - I'm just not up to speed with the whole forum thing these days. Ten years ago I had to get on the audio forums for Soundcraft all the time and got pretty burned out on it...

I'll watch this thread for a few more days...

Skip
 
#62
PilbaraBass said:
David,

On your recordings, I actually prefered "A" sonically...I must have liked the mid hump (or maybe it was the playing ;) )...

C definitely had more lows...but it was difficult to compare to A and B because the music line was different (different high and low root notes...uh ohhh! ;) )
Click to expand...

The BTC is installed in my bass. It was more of a curiosity thing, because I had been using those preamps for so long, and wanted to see what it did with my pickups. It's really kind of a upper mid notch, probably from where the bass and treble controls cross over. I usually have the bass and treble boosted slightly, and then you don't hear it.

Also out of curiosity, I install a bypass, and was quite surprised when the bypassed passive tone was very similar to the flat tone, when EQ is used after the bass. These clips were all recorded with the mixer's EQ switched out.

I was trying to find some pattern to play in each clip, but then I'd forget what I just did, and my 3 year old daughter was running around yelling... lol

I have another set of clips I did. I forget why I didn't use them.


Question:
Have you experienced with certain FET circuit designs that you can bleed the signal sufficiently through input biasing resistors such that it can actually play "ok" without a battery connection?

I have had this experience with a couple of breadboard designs that I was messing with.

Kerry
Click to expand...

No, I never tried that. Batteries don't worry me. I've had batteries in my basses since about 1977, and back when I gigged every night I think only once did I have a battery that was starting to go. It was getting somewhat fuzzy sounding, so I replaced it before the show.

I've broken strings on stage, but never had a battery die on me!

I haven't broken a string in a long time... I used to play my Ric with a pick back then and really bash the strings! :bassist:

Blame it on John Wetton. ;)

eutgard said:
Great thread!

I think any kind of impedance buffer should have bypass switch.

Because there is time when mellow/sweet passive tone is desirable.

I thank awelti for great product and SGD Lutherie for clips! :bassist:
Click to expand...

As I mentioned above, I put a push/pull bypass in my bass because I had become accustomed to hearing it passive since putting in the prototype pickups. But I find I never use it passive anymore. It's easy enough to turn the highs down a little.

The bypass is real handy for trying out other preamps and buffers though.

I think ideally I'd like to have the bypass switch out the tone controls while retaining the buffer.

Hey a new project! A FET preamp with switchable tone stack.
 
#63
awelti said:
On the Audio Precision sweeping from 10Hz to 50 kHz the signal stays at unity within 0.1dBu through the circuit. My goal with the circuit is for it to be the "pure mountain stream" - if you want to make it into "coffee or tea" and add a little "cream and sugar", you can do that on purpose in a controlled way using your pedals and amps. If a buffer has its own sound and you like it, then that's great. However, the next guy might like something else, so I just want to give it to him clean so he can decide what to add and subtract with the rest of his gear.
Click to expand...

Yeah, and you can hear it. It reminded me of a good mic preamp. It has a very naked type of tone.

Thanks for the warm welcome - I'll try to check in once in a while, but if I get distracted and you don't hear from me for a while don't get offended - I haven't even been seen on Myspace in about 6 months - I'm just not up to speed with the whole forum thing these days. Ten years ago I had to get on the audio forums for Soundcraft all the time and got pretty burned out on it...

I'll watch this thread for a few more days...

Skip
Click to expand...

Thanks for contributing to this thread. I think we all know now that the Redeemer is not snake oil. I wondered if it was a cascode or bootstrap type circuit, and now I know. :D

I know I spend way too much time online when I need to be working!
 
#64
This is mainly directed at SGD.

I was wondering if we could get a clip of the bass (passive?) with the Redeemer installed with a bypass switch, and a single recording where you play with different attacks (like over the neck pickup, bridge pickup, palm muting, slap, etc), and toggle the Redeemer on and off in the same clip.

I'd really appreciate it! Cheers!
 
#65
SGD Lutherie said:
OK... might as well spill the beans.

B is the Redeemer, and C is the FET preamp.
Click to expand...

Unlike the EMG BTC, I had not heard either the Redeemer or FET preamp previously, so I had no direct experience upon which to guess which was which.

From listening to the sound clips I chose C as the Redeemer based upon the marketing claims of sonic purity and transparency. Sample B sounds a bit dampened and less dynamic to my ears, so I ruled that one out.

Overall, I preferred the sound of C, although the slight increase in volume confounds the experiment slightly, given that people tend to prefer the louder of two sounds. Care to share any details about the FET buffer circuit?
 
#66
needmoney said:
This is mainly directed at SGD.

I was wondering if we could get a clip of the bass (passive?) with the Redeemer installed with a bypass switch, and a single recording where you play with different attacks (like over the neck pickup, bridge pickup, palm muting, slap, etc), and toggle the Redeemer on and off in the same clip.

I'd really appreciate it! Cheers!
Click to expand...

I no longer have the Redeemer in my possession ... its on its way back home. :)

Also I didn't actually install it, it was connected to the bass via a jack with alligator clips that I use for testing things. So I had no way to switch it in and out.

But here's a composite of the first set of recordings I did, which are different from the ones I posted. This set of recordings had both pickups on for the whole thing.

I spliced the files so you hear the passive bass, then the Redeemer, passive, Redeemer, etc. In between each section is a short beep. None of the levels were changed during the recording.

Link Removed
 
#68
Thanks for that.

All I can really say (going off my ears), is that the Redeemer adds a bit more sheen to the higher notes, particularly harmonics. From the clip on the actual website, I hear a greater but similar effect with the guitar.

Of course, we are listening to a recording here. Once you plug into your amp and whatever chain you're running, your tone is going to be completely different. The Redeemer circuit could potentially shine a lot more for live use.
 
#72
SGD Lutherie said:
I can see this being a good thing... like what the Audere does. This way you keep the signal buffered and constant, and have a tonal option.

Personally I like the buffered tone better.
Click to expand...

I like buffered tone for the main reason that I am not at the mercy of the amplifier input and cable impedence.

However, that said, I always use the same cable and I always run my signal through a zoom b2.1u...

but, may cable is awefully long (6m) and my P-bass darkens up QUITE a bit with this long cable...my other 2 basses are active and don't exhibit the same issues.

In case your wondering...YES, I am planning on buffering the P someday ...but for now, I'm just going to put in a tone cap bypass switch to help in that regard.
 
#73
PilbaraBass said:
but, may cable is awefully long (6m) and my P-bass darkens up QUITE a bit with this long cable...my other 2 basses are active and don't exhibit the same issues.
Click to expand...

Not to derail, but I would consider a 20' (basically 6m) cable to be a standard length. Do most people use shorter cables live?

You should go wireless, solves the cable and buffering problems in one shot! ;)

I'm interested in hearing what you think of the bypassed tone cap.
 
#74
seanm said:
Not to derail, but I would consider a 20' (basically 6m) cable to be a standard length. Do most people use shorter cables live?

You should go wireless, solves the cable and buffering problems in one shot! ;)

I'm interested in hearing what you think of the bypassed tone cap.
Click to expand...

I play @ church...I don't run around...I jump up and down a bit, but a 6m cable is PLENTY

going wireless introduces a whole lot of other issues that I'm not willing to cope with.
 
#75
seanm said:
I think you should go for it! I am interested in the results... but not $123 interested ;)
Click to expand...

Message received... we talked about this very post... with dealers making half the money the price was too high... it took a couple of weeks, but we've decided to go for direct sales only - new price going in effect as of noon today... $49 including US shipping... you can thank seanm and the rest of the guys who chimed in on the pricing in this thread.

Skip
 
#76
awelti said:
Message received... we talked about this very post... with dealers making half the money the price was too high... it took a couple of weeks, but we've decided to go for direct sales only - new price going in effect as of noon today... $49 including US shipping... you can thank seanm and the rest of the guys who chimed in on the pricing in this thread.

Skip
Click to expand...

Great! Can you ship internationally yet?
 
#78
awelti said:
Message received... we talked about this very post... with dealers making half the money the price was too high... it took a couple of weeks, but we've decided to go for direct sales only - new price going in effect as of noon today... $49 including US shipping... you can thank seanm and the rest of the guys who chimed in on the pricing in this thread.

Skip
Click to expand...

I think everybody who gets one at the new price owes me $10 :D
 
#79
awelti said:
Message received... we talked about this very post... with dealers making half the money the price was too high... it took a couple of weeks, but we've decided to go for direct sales only - new price going in effect as of noon today... $49 including US shipping... you can thank seanm and the rest of the guys who chimed in on the pricing in this thread.

Skip
Click to expand...

I always said that $50 was very reasonable for the circuit...now that it's there, I thank the Redeemer folks...
and now that I've seen the patent application, I see that is legit (as a unique circuit) and quite a lot of work went into it...

also I feel that I can now divulge that Pete Skjold is so sold on the Redeemer that he offered to send me one free-of-charge to try out...that's conviction folks...thanks Pete (even though I didn't take him up on the offer)
 
#80
I just got the email for the new pricing myself and I have to say , for 50.00 , if you want something that will totally improve and preserve the tone of your passive bass then this is your wake up call . I have already made my decision a while back . Anyone who has been on the fence needs to call Skip and the boys and try one of these . You will see What the fuss is about .

Pete
 

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