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my Audere preamp experience

JAUQO III-X

JAUQO III-X

Inactive
Jan 4, 2002
15,367
235
CHICAGO,IL.
jauqoiii-x.com
Disclosures
Endorsing artist:see profile.
#1
I have a 71 fretless Fender Jazz that I got new in 79,I later had the original Maple fb replaced with an ebony fb and many years later I've had a set of Bartolini J Bass pickups added,it would cross my mind often to add an on board preamp in it to slightly modernize the sound and having so many Basses with various preamps and having played so many Basses with various preamps I chose to just keep it with out a preamp,until I came across the Audere preamp.I spoke with David Meadows of Audere engineering and Man did I have ?'s,he knows what it takes to create what I feel is a well thought out product.what I got is a system that came attached to a J Bass control plate called the JZ 3 band model it has a master volume,balance/mid range stacked and bass/treble stacked and a 3 position switch called A Z-Mode switch,this switch changes the loading on the pickups to 3 different settings,The blend is Active while the
Treble boost/cut of 10 dB at 3K Hz
Mid is boost/cut of 8 dB at 500 Hz
Bass boost/cut of 10 dB at 100 Hz

and when the Z mode switch is in the Bass Boost mode,you can really hear the added bottom,it's almost as if the presence of the Bass is 10 times what it originally was(so much Low end that it will really shock you and it's not muddy or have I yet to notice any low end distortion).and if you want more low end or less there's two small adjustment screws for the Z modes Bass boost and the mid boost out put.
there's also a blue LED on the control plate to let you know when your 9volt battery is getting low.

and for those who may not have the skills to install a preamp yourself don't worry,there is no need for a soldering gun,All you will need is a standard Philips screw driver and a small Phillips(jewelers Phillips)for securing the pickup wires into the preamp)the preamp is shipped ready to install,all one has to do is take the wires from each pickup and install them in there assigned holes and from there you simply screw them in,you take the ground wire and you connect it to the ground wire from the preamp place the included metal covering over the wires squeeze it tight and put the shrink rubber on it,warm it up and you're finished now all that is left is to screw the plate onto the body and you're ready to play,at the most it'll take you about 10-12 minutes for the total installation.

what does it sound like

well first remember I took a passive J Bass and turned it into an active Bass.the Audere preamp works on changing the loading of the pickups(passive pickups)so if you feel your Bass is dull and lack character this preamp will not only enhance your Bass but what ever overall quality's your Bass may have this preamp will definitely add to it and it his totally quiet(no hiss at all even when I add more treble).I like a certaint growl when I play Fretless and even tho there was growl to begin with the Audere definitely brings a wealth more.Adding the Audere preamp in a Bass that I have always loved the sound of but wanted just a little drop of modernism has only taken it up a few more notches the overall enhancement of my fretless.the Audere is not at all a refined clone it really has it's own offering.

I have included pics.

In the 3rd pic you can see 2 caps in sockets. By changing the caps you change the frequency location of the peak in High Z-Mode. You might want to change the caps, for example (a conveniently chosen one…), if you want more bite from a fretless bass. With standard Fender pickups, no caps and a maple fretted bass neck the sound can be just too biting for 90% of players without some extra capacitance.



http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g161/jauqo/jz-3-band-controls.jpg

http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g161/jauqo/jz-bottom-view-labeled.jpg

http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g161/jauqo/jz-cap-sockets.jpg
 
#7
Well, really glad to see that you've checked out the Audere for yourself Jauqo. I'm in love with my Audere 4 band and I'm very excited to see that David has made a drop in version of his 3 band for jazz basses. Very, very smart. You should try one of the pre's in a fretted bass as well. These preamps have transformed my idea of what a bass pre is. Actually, it's what I always thought a bass pre should be honestly. I'm really glad to see that David is getting some props here. I should have my own review done within the next week.

cheers.
Andy.
 
#8
westland said:
I took a look through their site at [Invalid or Expired Link Removed] and I'm impressed. Certainly the theory looks good, and your experience seems to indicate that the company really knows what it is doing.
Click to expand...

I've gotta tell you, I've not played a preamp out there that can touch these. That's a large claim but after spending a good amount of time with mine I really believe it.
 
#11
emjazz said:
You should try one of the pre's in a fretted bass as well.
Click to expand...



I have a pretty good idea of what one would sound like in a fretted Bass,so much so that I will be putting an Audere preamp in my fretted Adler sub contra Bass(the Audere has the deepest Bass response of any on board preamp I have ever encountered and I mean deep with untouched clarity).
 
#14
bongomania said:
Holy cow- if Jauqo is impressed by the bass response, the mofo must go low!
Click to expand...



In my quest for Lows that are clear and having un colored presence I have to give mad respect to David Meadows and the rest of the talented team at Audere audio engineering.what impresses me most about the Audere pre is that it's made with the intention of being versatile.some companies feel that as long as a pre can go low or just a little lower than most of the pre's being offered that their work is done,well not for me because I have a different use for the low spectrum of Bass(with it I need the proper mids as well,with out a great mids enhancing option you can not get great low end response).
 
#19
I am having a custom 5 string Jazz bass built by Chris Stambaugh and after talking to him, I am going to be using Bartolini Hum Cancelling J's and was considering the U-Retro. Deposit is on the way and the bass wont be ready for a while. Looking for that nice 70's Jazz bass, Marcus Slap vibe as well.

BUT.............

After reading this Thread, I am considering the Audere instead. Active with Z-mod....4 band etc. Which way would you guys go Pre-amp wise ??? I have heard great things about both the U retro & Audere. I got 2 months or so before Chris and I finalize the Pre- amp choice....Always enjoy the input from you guys. Thanks



Tony
 
#20
Antman3820 said:
I am having a custom 5 string Jazz bass built by Chris Stambaugh and after talking to him, I am going to be using Bartolini Hum Cancelling J's and was considering the U-Retro. Deposit is on the way and the bass wont be ready for a while. Looking for that nice 70's Jazz bass, Marcus Slap vibe as well.

BUT.............

After reading this Thread, I am considering the Audere instead. Active with Z-mod....4 band etc. Which way would you guys go Pre-amp wise ??? I have heard great things about both the U retro & Audere. I got 2 months or so before Chris and I finalize the Pre- amp choice....Always enjoy the input from you guys. Thanks



Tony
Click to expand...

Hey Tony, congrats on going with a bass from Chris. You can't go wrong with his work.

I've played the U-retro and it wasn't for me. The high end is noisy and the eq is too extreme for my tastes. I will say though that for that Marcus Miller sound you may possibly not want to go with the Audere. The Audere preamp is not going to boost the eq in any extreme way. You may want to just look into a good two band preamp like the Sadowsky, Aguilar, etc.... Others may feel differently, and I can't say enough about the Audere, but it might possibly be too subtle for what you're looking for.
 

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