As mine will be going at the front of my chain, interested to see how that works for you. Thanks for posting about your experiences so far!
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Source Audio Zio Bass Preamp
- Thread starter IronLung1986
- Start date
As mine will be going at the front of my chain, interested to see how that works for you. Thanks for posting about your experiences so far!
Finally got a chance to watch the demo vid with good speakers, and able to pay more attention. So, I noticed around 3:20 and 4:57 in the Source Audio video (and maybe elsewhere) the Output knob is at like 9 o'clock, about 9:30 at 5:47. My question for any of @rsmith601 @Gibs210 @NPappas , what is unity volume? Looks like The Bass Channel demo also is about 9 o'clock in most demos, no matter the bass or style.
Edited to add: the last clip, Dancing in September, it was at 8 and, when they turned it on, definitely a drop in volume, but a bit more presence or punch. And saw the site says -6db - +16db range, so maybe around 9 is unity?
Edited to add: the last clip, Dancing in September, it was at 8 and, when they turned it on, definitely a drop in volume, but a bit more presence or punch. And saw the site says -6db - +16db range, so maybe around 9 is unity?
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Putting the pedal at the beginning of the signal chain, before two other drives and a chorus, was a cool experience. My knob settings are drastically different from the previous posts, with those settings adding a bit of spark and focus to my sound. The high end is boosted a bit even though the treble is cut, which adds some magic to the top end.
Boosting the Focus knob and compensating with the Bass control is where this pedal gets really versatile. I’ve got mine at about 93%, right where it affects the mids in a pleasing way.
I also turned the gain up to about half-way, it’s set pretty low from the factory. It’s got a unique quality and feel, luckily the knob settings sound good with the Grit on and off. Cranking the gain sounds cool too, even with a bit of a fuzzy quality.
Boosting the Focus knob and compensating with the Bass control is where this pedal gets really versatile. I’ve got mine at about 93%, right where it affects the mids in a pleasing way.
I also turned the gain up to about half-way, it’s set pretty low from the factory. It’s got a unique quality and feel, luckily the knob settings sound good with the Grit on and off. Cranking the gain sounds cool too, even with a bit of a fuzzy quality.
Woke up to an Andertons delivery notification saying it's on the way today. Happy days!
Really like this Bass Zio it does exactly what i thought it would to my sound. I loved my sound before but this thing gives so much body to my tone whilst keeping it the same. Just makes it sound a hell of a lot better with very little effort. Congrats Source Audio on another amazing product!
I've stuck it at the end of my chain and haven't put it elsewhere yet as it sounds awesome. The gain sounds like it has a lot on tap and I've kept it low as I already had a few pedals giving me slight drive and the Zio's drive is very complimentary indeed.
State of my board now posted with this.
Looks great, and thanks for the description. I'm curious about your dual EQ2 placement. I don't have one yet, but have been reading about the SA dual input uses. I'm wondering about whether you considered coming back around to input 2 for the second instance of EQ2, as compared to an actual second pedal. (Even more curious now that I see you're already in and out of both input 2's.
I think that would be possible, but I haven't used any of them that way yet.
Love to hear what you're up to there signal-chain and preset-wise...
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I use all the channels in both EQ2s. First one I use for slight peak reduction (both channels ) and cleaning up the tone of my bass so it sounds clearer. Then it goes out channel 2 into the 1st channel of my 2nd EQ2 which is my main curve of my tone which in this case is a Pultec style EQ based around 60hz. I come back into the 2nd EQ2 near the end of the chain before the last More. Sounds complicated but is a decent sound. Then the Zio makes it better again.
The EQ2 is one of the best SA pedals made. If you're thinking about getting one then I'd recommend going for it. Amazing pedal.
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Funny, I was wondering about the dueling EQ2s, too, and the very interesting routing of your signal path, at least what's visible. Didn't pick up the EQ2 routing you broke down, which is interesting in and of itself. Is the C4 the first pedal in your chain? One of my biggest conundrums has been UW before or after C4, even thought about getting a 2nd UW in Bass. Luckily, cooler heads and emptier wallets have prevailed in stopping such madness.
Yeh C4 before Ultrawave. It's not obvious the routing so i'll explain.
Input.. > Microthumpinator > C4 > 1st EQ2 (input one into input 2) > 2nd EQ2 (input 1) > More > Ultrawave > Space Heater > MBD2 > MojoMojo > Ocean's 11 > JPTR Jive > 2nd EQ2 (input 2) > More > ZIO > ..Output
I like Ultrawave after my C4 as i mostly use my Ultrawave for always on Compression. If not, im using it as a stompbox for OD/Distortion/whatever
Funny, I was just looking at your published Pultec presets yesterday.
It sounds like you've physically connected output 1 back into input 2 in order to use both sets of 10 bands on the same signal in a series. Is that somehow different from using the cascaded routing mode in the pedal software while just going in and out of channel 1?
I have done on my 1st EQ2. To me there is a difference on my set up yeh. I have used the cascading routing before a few times and use it on my compressor on the Ultrawave.
Just got the ZIO Bass and have been playing with it for about 10 minutes. Question on the Gain, when I turn it I do not get a noticeable difference. Also it is noisy when I turn it. Lastly does the Gain not have a stopping point at either end? It just turns and turns with no noticeable resistance.
Sounds like a broken pot, but first I would check that the knob is tightened enough to actually turn the pot. Worth trying.
rsmith601
Commercial User
- Apr 14, 2009
- 4,461
- 8,356
- Disclosures
- CEO and Co-Founder, Source Audio
A "big up yourself!" to The Bass Channel for busting out a phillips head screwdriver and sweeping the gain trim pot. That's the first time I've ever seen (heard) that done.
When it comes to demo pedals, sweeping knobs > noodling, imo. I want to hear what the pedal can do more than I want to hear what the bass player can do, no offense.
(descends soapbox)
This is a general opinion, and was in no way directed at Nate Navarro, who always does great demos, but more for the spectacular playing than knob-twiddling. I just also want the knob-twiddling ones.
shoepedals
Commercial User
- Jan 9, 2024
- 15
- 153
- Disclosures
- Proprietor of Shoe Pedals, Source Audio, DOD, and Spiral Electric Consultant
Hi All,
So happy to hear people are digging the sounds of the Bass Zio! A quick note on placement in the chain: the first Zio had a treble switch that emulates different lengths of cabe and was interactive either the wiring of the guitar or bass plugged in. That makes that feature ideally used first in the chain.
The Bass Zio is designed so that it is equally happy anywhere in the signal chain and has a very high input impedance as well as a very large input capacitor, so it should have minimal interaction with other pedals placed before it. It has a high quality buffered bypass (extremely high quality, actually, as we're using Burr Brown op amps even for that), so just be aware that if another pedal in your chain does not like to see a Buffered signal, you'd want to put it first.
So happy to hear people are digging the sounds of the Bass Zio! A quick note on placement in the chain: the first Zio had a treble switch that emulates different lengths of cabe and was interactive either the wiring of the guitar or bass plugged in. That makes that feature ideally used first in the chain.
The Bass Zio is designed so that it is equally happy anywhere in the signal chain and has a very high input impedance as well as a very large input capacitor, so it should have minimal interaction with other pedals placed before it. It has a high quality buffered bypass (extremely high quality, actually, as we're using Burr Brown op amps even for that), so just be aware that if another pedal in your chain does not like to see a Buffered signal, you'd want to put it first.
I just published Tubey Cocked Wah as a UW Guitar preset. The clip I published with it uses it, as did pretty much every track I made after making that one, another one uses it more obviously, but is almost 15 minutes, decided to spare people from that. But if you're so inclined after being thus warned:
I did not adjust levels for this, and do warn that the guitar I use is an Ovation acoustic/electric, and go straight into interface. Only other pedals used were EQ2 for basic acoustic eq curve, UW Tubey Cocked Wah, Atlas with Vintage Citrus Expander>Compressor with band split at 416hz, and probably slapback Delay into large Hall reverb on the Collider. That's pretty much the same scene for a lot of my guitar work now. With optional flanger/phaser in Lunar and if I want that cocked wah to fully open and close, engage the Spectrum on MuTron.
Edited to add I published a couple more presets, one may be of interest: Bowed Upright Bass, it won't do it with the preset by itself on the UW, but paired with a massive Swell> E-Dome, massive bowed upright bass sounds can be had, as well as cello higher on the fretboard. The UW may just be able to help me crack the French Horn emulation!
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