• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

Source Audio Zio Bass Preamp

#281
red_rhino said:
But I've had it for a couple of days now and frankly, I'm wondering if this is for me. I've had some minor success, but mostly I feel like I'm fighting overlapping functionality with my amp's EQ (GK MB800) and even more so when I'm using an active bass. I tried leaving the GK EQ flat and didn't care for the result, but I'm not so sure I trust that the GK's flat settings are actually truly flat. I may try using a Q-Strip to bypass the GK's pre entirely and see what that does for me. I like the Zio best in front of my Lusithand Alma; gives it a nice push.
Click to expand...

Definite improvement using the Q-Strip and bypassing the GK pre. Once I had the Q-Strip dialed in where I wanted it, adding the Zio was much easier to manage. (Even bypassing the GK pre with just the Zio was an improvement.) Spent the day trying it out with all my basses, playing with different settings. Surprisingly, the bass it sounded best with was my wife’s Ibanez GSR200. The bass I liked it least with was my MTD-434. I think the MTD pre overlaps too much with the Zio, and I had a bit more success when running the MTD pre flat.

Ultimately though, I kinda felt like I was forcing it. I think the Zio is a very nice pedal. The Focus control is really useful, but I found myself mostly able to get what I wanted without it.
 
  • Like
Reactions: TodaysTomSawyer
#283
I'm glad to be hearing that my assessment during the graphic samples segment appears to be as expected. Grit ON and likely at factory preset, Scoop ON, Treble cut to taste, Bass up "some" but probably not too much and der Focus in a comfy place between 9 & Noon.

:cigar:....Sweet!

Mine is still on the launch pad and has been exchanged for a DEMO for a cost savings....

It is what it is!
SA-Zio.jpg.d3fb84de219bb16af9cd6f59aef2ac5e.jpg

A beautiful lil green box of goodies...!

I've also ordered a nice Brass switch cap, too.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Rich67, triviani, Johno Dunn and 2 others
#284
Picked up my Zio a couple of hours before a small party jam last night...... ..slapped it onto my board at the end as planned, but during warmup/ sound check was not able to get it where I wanted, so I left it off for the night.....spent some more analytical time with it today. I normally toggle between the 2 channels of a Sushi Box Dreamcatcher-1 set for warmth, scooped a bit with nice harmonics and the other at higher gain with more treble.....I wanted to find a Zio setting that would provide a great clean tone on its' own, but optimally also play well in series with the Dreamcatcher settings. The pedal does a lot in and of itself....huge variety of tones.....but on this board I want to use it as a set and forget to have 6 tones available by foot: unaffected, clean Zio alone, Dreamcatcher ch 1 & 2 each w/wo Zio. With both a passive P and active MM/J it sounds absolutely glorious with bass & focus both @ 2:00, slight treble bump @ 1:00, scoop on, grit off. It's huge & sweet on its own, and adds presence to the Sushi box. On this board I don't need the grit feature, but I can see it being very useful if used without another source of increased harmonics. The grit definitely comes with an obligatory boost, which may be a blessing or a curse depending on how one wants to use it. Ignore the Zio settings in the pic.....they ended up as described above. It's 100% a keeper, but yeah, color me a fan of top jacks and a finger adjustable grit gain.
 

Attachments

  • IMG_7903.jpeg
    IMG_7903.jpeg
    3.2 MB · Views: 38
  • Like
Reactions: DwarfyStyl, LuckyJackson, Murch and 2 others
#285
I threw the Zio onto my board for an ampless gig this weekend. It was placed at the the end of my signal chain. I am using Spector Euro's and had played around with it at my studio before bringing it out to test it live.
I played around during soundcheck and ultimately bypassed it all night..and ran into a JDI. The tone in my IEM's was absolutely horrible and our soundguy (Who's one of the best in the business in the Mid-Atlantic) said it was boomy and totally destroyed the mids from my Spectors.
 
#286
^^^
That's interesting to hear...

I'm thinking; "how would a HPF being even reasonably thoughtfully engaged create a boomy signal?"

I guess, if you crank the Bass boost only up too much, it could create a huge boomy effect?

I can't recall off the top of my head, but didn't NN use his Spector Bass for a ZIO Bass Preamp demo?

Mine just shipped today...
 
#287
BaltBass5 said:
I threw the Zio onto my board for an ampless gig this weekend. It was placed at the the end of my signal chain. I am using Spector Euro's and had played around with it at my studio before bringing it out to test it live.
I played around during soundcheck and ultimately bypassed it all night..and ran into a JDI. The tone in my IEM's was absolutely horrible and our soundguy (Who's one of the best in the business in the Mid-Atlantic) said it was boomy and totally destroyed the mids from my Spectors.
Click to expand...
YMMV, but I’m getting the best IE tone I’ve ever had, using the Zio. And it sounds amazing FOH!
 
#290
BaltBass5 said:
I threw the Zio onto my board for an ampless gig this weekend. It was placed at the the end of my signal chain. I am using Spector Euro's and had played around with it at my studio before bringing it out to test it live.
I played around during soundcheck and ultimately bypassed it all night..and ran into a JDI. The tone in my IEM's was absolutely horrible and our soundguy (Who's one of the best in the business in the Mid-Atlantic) said it was boomy and totally destroyed the mids from my Spectors.
Click to expand...

Was the "scoop" toggle engaged? Did you realize that bass is flat completely ccw (not at noon)?
 
  • Like
Reactions: Abe-of-Bass and BaltBass5
#295
BaltBass5 said:
Scoop was not engaged. The Bass was at about 11 O'Clock. (I did not realize that the Bass was flat at Noon...RTFM I suppose! LOL)
Click to expand...

This is not a cookie cutter preamp.....not entirely intuitive. Bass is very boosted at noon, LOL. The more you boost bass, the more you will want to turn up the focus, which is a high pass filter; the more you crank the focus, the less boom you'll hear.....it allows you to be generous with the bass without the boom. From there, if scoop is engaged, where you set your treble will determine which mids are cut. It's worth spending the time to really know your way around it. That takes a little time and will vary from bass to bass as well, but it's worth the effort IMO. I also got mine just before I played out and quickly realized I would need to get more of a feel for it before milking it for what it can really do. It's not a friendly thing to hand to someone who doesn't already know his way around it and expect instant results. You might want to try it flat and go easy from there.........or try focus and bass both around 2:00, treble at 9:00, scoop engaged, grit on or off to taste.........I have a feeling it'd make a Spector shine jus' fine a la Graeme Maby ;)
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: LuckyJackson, BaltBass5 and GRichards
#299
I finally tried my Zio through my Katana 210, and man oh man does it sound good! I tried it through the Power Amp in, but it really shines going through the pre of the 210. I can dial in the exact tone I’m looking for with my fretless. Plenty of heft, and plenty of mwah! Now I just need to dial in the effects on the 210 to match what I’m after, and figure out how to switch them in using the GA-FC. Tuner, Comp and Zio will live on top of my amp.
 
  • Like
Reactions: LuckyJackson, triviani, GRichards and 3 others
#300
I tested mine out this morning. It definitely adds some secret sauce to my basses. The Bass and focus knobs dial in a good sound and gives me a tight low end in my practice rig. My preference is for the grit to be just above far left. Off for my fretless with flats or when I want a clean signal. The scoop will be very usable in certain situations. I didn't try the scoop on a Pbass yet. However, it should get funky sound. I have a franken P with flats and an old dimarzio 80's pickup. It'll most likely nail that 70's funky goodness. I'll be taking it out for a few gigs coming in the next week. I am already happy with the pedal. Thanks TBers for all the good reviews.
 
  • Like
Reactions: PhatBottomBass1, _Tay_, johnk_10 and 6 others

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back