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Tell me about your Audere Z-Mode preamp!
- Thread starter mmbongo
- Start date
After installation and various Z mode trials, we decided to splint the Z switch in the mid position and buried the whole schmear within the control cavity. High Z was way too harsh and low Z added unwanted mud but, then again, response(s) will vary widely bass-to-bass, pickup-to-pickup. As it stands, the resulting tone is very smooth and transparent especially in the high-end.
Installation was more convoluted than planned. Instructions call for the pup grounds to be soldered to cavity shielding but Walter was wary of long-term stability. Instead, he fashioned a triple-looped ground buss / harness which follows the pot / knob layout. Each of the pots passes through a loop during installation, binding it between the pot body and cavity shielding. Ground wires were then soldered to a remaining "pigtail" which extends into the cavity itself. Pretty neat, eh?
Riis
Did you try the multiple turn pot to adjust the capacitance? While the coloration itself will be most obvious in the High Z-mode, it seems like you might have the coloration in that undesirable area I mentioned, which also means the highend above is being rolled off in all mode selections (perhaps part of why Low Z sounded muddy).
I wired up my Audere to where it is like the Jazz Plates they sell (6 way Z mode switch). You can get some really cool tones by say have the neck pup in low z and the bridge in high z. Definitely my favorite preamp.
Actually, I played around with Z modes today as it was raining and I had nothing better to do (kind of like "The Cat in the Hat"). Surprisingly enough, the high Z sounds akin to the mid mode so I left it alone for the time being. This is addressed in the Audere FAQ's and has a lot to do with the nature of the pickups. So be it. I'll also admit that all 3 modes sound much better through my bass rig than they did at the shop. I spent most of my time balancing the low Z's output with that of mid mode so as not to create a drastic volume boost when switched. The low Z now produces a very subtle bass boost with no discernible volume increase. If I've read the instructions correctly, the high Z capacitance adjustment should have no effect on the low or mid Z settings.
I do have a "mystery" trim pot within the cavity which requires some addt'l explanation as I'm not 100% sure about its function. I believe it's some type of midrange control but uncertain as to how it interacts with this 2 band EQ. I'll keep you posted.
Riis
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Look at the section "Adjustments on the Module Top". I'd try adjusting the both to the lowest setting at first, but experimenting with higher settings could be particularly fruitful for a bridge pickup if it's in the right place.
"If I've read the instructions correctly, the high Z capacitance adjustment should have no effect on the low or mid Z settings." I'm unsure, but capacitance loading should still have an effect, whether or not it has a pronounced peak like the High Z mode. The graphs seem to indicate this with the rolloff above where the resonance is obvious in the High Z mode, as it looks consistent with the other modes, but I could be mistaken.
Look at the section "Adjustments on the Module Top". I'd try adjusting the both to the lowest setting at first, but experimenting with higher settings could be particularly fruitful for a bridge pickup if it's in the right place.
"If I've read the instructions correctly, the high Z capacitance adjustment should have no effect on the low or mid Z settings." I'm unsure, but capacitance loading should still have an effect, whether or not it has a pronounced peak like the High Z mode. The graphs seem to indicate this with the rolloff above where the resonance is obvious in the High Z mode, as it looks consistent with the other modes, but I could be mistaken.
"1 Meg Ohm resistor is loading each pickup in the High Z-Mode" per the Audere website.
Riis
That bit in the description is to explain the accentuation of the resonance peak, but the resonance and rolloff look like they're still present:
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I punched a hole thru the control cavity and top-mounted the Z switch. Still need to fine tune the high Z mode but the mid and low modes sound really good.
The "mystery" internal trim pot is apparently a mid control although I'm not exactly sure what the freq. center is. Not to worry. It's a PIA to access / adjust on the fly but I have an idea. I'll mount the pot on the cavity sidewall facing the cover and drill an aligned port so as to be accessible with via jeweler's screwdriver.
Riis
The "mystery" internal trim pot is apparently a mid control although I'm not exactly sure what the freq. center is. Not to worry. It's a PIA to access / adjust on the fly but I have an idea. I'll mount the pot on the cavity sidewall facing the cover and drill an aligned port so as to be accessible with via jeweler's screwdriver.
Riis
I've settled on Low-Z mode for my Warwick Streamer. Mainly because it has the gain control, and any other mode has way less output than my other basses and I like them to match. I just dial a little bass out, and a little treble and high mid in. Loving it!
Had the 4-Z in my Thumb NT5 and it was great - Z-modes were very usable and really lent a lot of tonal flexibility to the Thumb, not known as the most versatile instrument ever 
Good to know that KsPiNeSh , ordered one , now I ll order another one for my Warwicks , but the Classic 4-Band pre , look forward to these , by the way , what are the PUs on your Thumb buddy
I rebuilt a 62' P-Bass body last year w/ the 4 band Audere Pre, Jazz neck, Gotoh bridge, in Shell Pink w/matching headstock and all Gold hdw. I call either Pinkenstein or Pinkula or just pimpmobile haha!
Oh yea the A. pre. I think it's the most versatile pre. I own. The amount of variation in tones is astounding! In some of my other basses I have a Demeter out of an early Fodera in a P-Bass Lyte, A J-Retro in a Jazz, Barts in a Tobias Killer B and an Elrick, Kubiki, Fender, etc. So I do have some experiance with different Pre's. This pre turned my P-bass into a tone monster. No P Bass has ever had this much tonal variety, ever !!
A drummer I work with said it's the best sounding bass he's ever heard.
I haven't even gotten into all the tech. as I am more of a play it and turn knobs type. There are quite a lot of useable tones in all settings it does however take a bit of knob twiddling to get at them but how becomes apparent with a little time with the unit.
I didn't even know there are adjustments inside as I had a friend wire it up then after it had some noise I took it to another tech and after his consersations with David @ Audere he made some changes to the wireing for the better.
Now you have me wondering about turning knobs inside Hummmmmmmm?
This conversation is instructive, Though if I go read that tutorial I'll have to go read my GB SM12 manule again too!
Even after using this pre for several months I find new sounds or variations that sound new. Very cool!
peace Kirk
Oh yea the A. pre. I think it's the most versatile pre. I own. The amount of variation in tones is astounding! In some of my other basses I have a Demeter out of an early Fodera in a P-Bass Lyte, A J-Retro in a Jazz, Barts in a Tobias Killer B and an Elrick, Kubiki, Fender, etc. So I do have some experiance with different Pre's. This pre turned my P-bass into a tone monster. No P Bass has ever had this much tonal variety, ever !!
A drummer I work with said it's the best sounding bass he's ever heard.
I haven't even gotten into all the tech. as I am more of a play it and turn knobs type. There are quite a lot of useable tones in all settings it does however take a bit of knob twiddling to get at them but how becomes apparent with a little time with the unit.
I didn't even know there are adjustments inside as I had a friend wire it up then after it had some noise I took it to another tech and after his consersations with David @ Audere he made some changes to the wireing for the better.
Now you have me wondering about turning knobs inside Hummmmmmmm?
This conversation is instructive, Though if I go read that tutorial I'll have to go read my GB SM12 manule again too!
Even after using this pre for several months I find new sounds or variations that sound new. Very cool!
peace Kirk
I just had another thought. The other Pre's I have been thinking about looking into are the newer John East 4 band and the new Pope 4 band.
Does anyone here have any direct experiance with BOTH the Audere and these others?
Does anyone here have any direct experiance with BOTH the Audere and these others?
Had the 4-Z in my Thumb NT5 and it was great - Z-modes were very usable and really lent a lot of tonal flexibility to the Thumb, not known as the most versatile instrument ever
It gives me some ideas...
How do you think of JMVC CE paired with audere pre? I just ordered the same combo with yours.I have two of the Audere Classic 4-band preamps for a pair of Carvin Icon 5s that I've had customized. Each is also mated with a set of SGD wide-aperture Neo humbuckers. I can state enthusiastically that the combination is excellent: so clean, so deep, so powerful, so PHAT! Yum!
As I've stated in a previous thread, the SGD humbuckers in parallel mode with an 18-volt Audere in Low-Z mode is a revelation. Not unlike the effect of playing a pipe organ through a large folded-horn subwoofer. If you venture to "go there", be sure to hold onto your dental fillings...
For the record, I'm also about to invest in an Audere JZ6D - one of the "Z-Mode" preamps designed for Jazz-style bass guitars. This one will go into my Carvin SB5000, which I've already had fitted with a set of Delano JMVC 5 FEs - the five-string version of the famous JMVC 4 FE/M2 pickups for four-string - with those big, powerful 9.5mm pole pieces. Very hot, very aggressive sound. Should totally kill with the new Audere JZ6D...
MM
The Audere JZ6D Jazz plate preamp is an excellent match for the Delano JMVC series pickups - just as I had predicted. But I suspect it would be a great match for practically any Jazz-style set of pickups - so long as the player can appreciate a very modern, wide-range kind of sound (even in the traditional, high-Z mode).
MM
