red dot music

Z-Mode – Preamp with Impedance Control

I am insanely pleased to have been given dealership for Audere audio products.
You may have heard about these preamps, but let me just say that if you’re looking for a preamp that’s organic/transparent and really lets your tone shine through – this preamp is for you.

The JZ3 is SGD$240, and the deluxe models are $270.
The 3ZB module starts at $260 (not incl of knobs).

(Prices updated as of 02/07/09)

DIY installation is incredibly easy and I highly encourage you to give it a go. But if you’d prefer me to do it for you, my installation charges are SGD$35.

As usual, email me for ordering information :)

Product blurb below…

Bass Player TV review
BP Magazine review

————————————————————————————-

Sure the Audere on-board bass preamp sounds great – but better than that, it has three fundamentally different voices.

To expand our musical range, most serious players have more than one bass. Different bass pickups and bass preamps change the way a bass interacts with a vibrating strings. Bass builders know it, so you’ll often see the same bass offered with a selection of configurations – like pickups and on-board preamps. This allows them to give the player a broader range of sounds to choose from.

The Audere bass preamp also offers you a broader tonal range – in a single bass. And it’s NOT just a change to how the pickup signal is filtered. The Audere preamp actually receives a different signal from the pickups and it changes the way the strings vibrate depending on the preamp setting. That is a fundamental difference from every other on-board bass preamp out there.

Flip the switch while playing to get the best sound for your performance:

• High Z-Mode is the sound you’d get when pickup(s) are directly connected to the input of a tube amp, i.e. no tone or volume controls. This very high impedance load produces a bright, lively and aggressive sound.
• Mid Z-Mode is the traditional and most popular active bass sound, offering solid bass line support.
• Low Z-Mode is a new sound for the Bass. Deep and driving with unusually low noise and distortion levels.

Link to more information on how Z-Mode changes the string’s vibrations…

Two Families – JZ3 or JZ5D jazz plate, 3ZB module

The JZ models are great jazz bass preamps. It comes in two configurations (with and without external jack) and replaces your exiting control plate. Two control layouts are offered – 1st version features vol and vol controls with a 2 band eq. The 2nd version, shown below, features volume and balance controls with a 3 band eq. It is very easy to install (no soldering required) and at $240 or $270 it’s priced to be easy on your budget.

The 3ZB model is a fully wired module that is highly configurable: from No EQ to 4 Bands; optional Mid Frequency Switch; optional Active/Passive switch with optional passive tone control; etc. A typical 3ZB bass preamp is shown below. All the pots and switches are wired and ready to go, making installation easy. The only soldering required is wire to wire joints for your pickups and ground wires.

More Tech Details

Here’s a visual representation of what makes the Audere Z-Mode bass preamp different from other bass preamps: common preamp block diagrams.

What is impedance? It is an electrical load, commonly referred to as Z. In a passive bass it comes from: the volume, balance, and passive tone controls; the cabling; and the first amplifier.