FAQ - Active Mixing
All Audere preamps feature active pickup mixing.
With our preamps you get active mixing if you use a balance control
or two independent volume controls.
All passive basses and most other preamps only have passive mixing
located in front of the preamp. Using a passive mixing system can
often leave a bass with 3 usable tones. 100% neck
or bridge and both on center
setting. Many bass builders use 100% center balance pots (really
2 W taper elements) which is helpful to get a better sounding bass
but not equivalent to active mixing.
With an active mixing system you get a smooth uniform scan across
all pickup combinations and the sound never gets muddy.
Active mixing is especially advantageous when you have different
types of pickups that need to be mixed together - like a PJ pickup
setup.
Choosing between active balance and multiple volume controls:
If you mainly play with both pickups at equal volume then a balance
control will probably work best for
you. With our active balance control can you get very fine control
on the ratios.
If you play mainly on 1 pickup then a multiple volume setup
will probably work better. The logarithmic tapers on the volume controls
allows more control so you can add a small amount of the 2nd
pickup more precisely. We also offer a master volume control so
you can
vary the overall volume and not disturb the mix that you set on the
independent controls.
We feel a active linear balance control is the best choice but often
players prefer the type of balance controls they are most used to
working with. This causes
the
most
concern
for the
players
which
are
used
to a 100% on balance control. With the 100% on at center balance control
you get the max volume in the
center
(both
pickups
on) and
as you move
toward
either
single
pickup the volume is reduced. If you have a preference for this volume
effect (which works better than a standard balance control in
a passive
balance system) and
you purchased a 3ZB preamp then you can still get this type of response.
To get the volume curve of a
passive type 100% on balance control - wire a 100% on balance pot
to the Audere preamp in the multiple volume control mode instead
of using the standard balance wires.
Since we do not stock 100% on balance pots,
you will have to provide the balance control and do a small amount
of your own wiring but this is relatively
simple as shown below:
You will now have a response curve which is louder output
in the center (like you are used to) and the output will be reduced
as
either
pickup
is
soloed
and the pickup
mixing will be more useable than you are used to when using passive
balance controls.
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