Radial Engineering radial pz-pre User's Manual
Contents
1. have two pickup elements or two different pickup systems It allows you to blend the two input channels using the LEVEL controls to set up a mix For instance you can use the MIX mode to blend an active on board pickup with a passive piezo to create a more natural acoustic sound Alternatively you can use the MIX mode to connect two guitars to one amp for jamming with another player The MIX mode is activated by depressing the recessed BLEND MIX switch using a small screwdriver or tweaker The TOGGLE footswitch will not work when the MIX mode is active Input 1 is specially equipped to allow a stereo TRS cable Tip Ring and Sleeve to access both PZ Pre channels This feature is designed for instruments that combine two pickup systems through a stereo TRS jack A stereo TRS cable will allow you to connect both pickups to separate PZ Pre inputs with a single cable From there you can toggle between the two pickup systems or blend them together Saddle TRS Jack amp Plug Ti p Saddle Pickup Ring Piezo Pickup Radial Engineering Ltd 5 PZ Pre User Guide CRadial FILTER and EQ SECTIONS LOW CUT FILTER NOTCH FILTER Pre EQ Balanced XLR Output This balanced XLR output is essentially an active direct box It produces a 600 ohm mic level signal suitable for connection to microphone snakes and mixing consoles It taps ni the signal before the filters and i equalizer section and is not affected Wt by the PH2. in effects loop uses 14 jacks to connect effect pedals PRE EQ balanced XLR direct box out taps signal before filter EQ effects loop and boost sections Outputs an un processed signal to the house PA or recording console LIFT recessed ground lift switch disconnects pin 1 on both XLR outputs to reduce hum and buzz from ground loops 180 recessed switch reverses signal polarity at post EQ XLR output POST EQ balanced XLR direct box out taps signal after filter EQ loop and boost sections Outputs a signal to the monitor system so the player can control their on stage tone with the PZ Pre TUNER buffered 14 output to feed an electronic tuner 15VDC 400mA power supply connection 15 volts DC center pin positive Use only with Radial power supply R800 9407 PZ Pre User Guide 3 Radial INPUT SECTION Input 1 and 2 The PZ Pre features two 4 inputs each equipped with its own LEVEL control The flexible dual input design lets a player connect and switch between instruments simply by stomping on the TOGGLE footswitch Most performers whether they play acoustic guitar or mandolin tend to have two instruments on stage The second instrument is often for backup should a string break in some cases it may be tuned differently or it may even be a completely different instrument The PZ Pre is equipped to be a control center for two instruments PZB 1 and 2 Piezo Pickup Buffers Each PZ Pre input features a
3. into the real world Connect the PZ Pre to your PA system monitors and or on stage amp Turn your PA system on and gradually start increasing the LEVEL control on the PZ Pre to a comfortable setting If you are using monitors ora stage amplifier you should now bring these levels up so that you can hear them Remember always start with your EQ settings at the 12 o clock neutral setting Now set the tone to suit using the slightest adjustments of the EQ controls as possible When the band joins in you will likely need to have more volume So before they do increase the stage level to the point where feedback is beginning to occur Back off your level slightly and take note This is pretty much the maximum level you should be playing on stage If you push the system beyond this point you will need to start using the Notch Filter to control feedback Keep in mind that most feedback occurs due to low frequency resonance and the best approach to keep it in check is setting the LO CUT filter to the 80Hz or 200HZ position before you start using the NOTCH filter You will be surprised at how well this helps to control feedback Now move around on stage You may find that in certain posi tions the sound really feeds back where in others the sound is somewhat muted This occurs when various sound sources such as your on stage amp stage monitors and PA system combine to create room modes where some frequencies will amplify and other will cancel
4. microphone No But you can connect a dynamic microphone to the PZ Pre or use a battery powered condenser mic Can I use the PZ Pre with a microphone for a harmonica Yes You will need a dynamic microphone with a high impedance w plug for best results Radial Engineering Ltd PZ Pre User Guide 19 cRadial Input impedance Normal 6 8k ohm Low cut filter Notch filter range Low EQ Shelving type 12dB 75Hz High EQ Shelving type 12dB 7 5kHz Mid EQ Semi parametric 12d0B 82Hz 5 6kHz Effects Loop 14 Phone unbalanced Send 1k ohm Return 15k ohm Switching Opto coupler assisted omsec rise time Output instrument 14 Phone unbalanced 1k ohm output impedance Tuner output 14 Phone unbalanced 6 8k ohm output impedance Pre EQ output XLR balanced Post EQ output XLR balanced XLR pin out pin 1 ground AES standard pin 2 hot pin 3 cold Power supply 5VDC 400mA included center pin positive Size W x D x H 8 x 4 25 x1 37 203x108x35mm Weight 2 65 Ibs 1 2 kg Warranty 3 Years transferable Radial Engineering Ltd PZ Pre User Guide 20
5. mode and mix blend mode INPUT 2 1 4 connection for second instrument LEVEL 1 gain control for input 1 LEVEL 2 gain control for input 2 NOTCH used to sweep the frequency of the notch filter HIGH high frequency shelving EQ Boosts or cuts treble MID amplitude control for semi parametric mid EQ 11 12 13 14 15 16 FREQ frequency control for semi parametric mid EQ LOW low frequency shelving EQ Boosts or cuts bass BOOST variable level control for the power booster MUTE footswitch mutes all outputs except tuner out OUTPUT 1 out for instrument amplifier PHASE polarity inverts the signal polarity at the 1 4 instrument output FOOTSWITCH ASSIGN sets function of boost footswitch between power boost effects loop or both BOOST activates power booster and or effects loop depending on setting of footswitch assign switch NOTCH Q sets the depth of the notch filter Select between normal deep and bypass LO CUT high pass filter removes low frequencies to eliminate resonant feedback Select between bypass and two low cut settings PZ Pre User Guide 19901 a i m 5 x 21 22 23 24 29 26 27 28 Radial Engineering Ltd NOISSY 0 a SsxHsA34 paneer 13008 J TIYWYON A DHOION A HOLIMS 1004 PZB 2 recessed switch activates piezo buffer for input 2 Push in with tweaker to turn buffer on LOOP SEND amp RETURN The built
6. out as they intersect This is known as comb filtering Agood fix can sometimes be accomplished by reversing the polarity of one or more of the outputs The PZ Pre is equipped with a PHASE reverse switch for the instrument amplifier out and another for the POST EQ XLR out Try one the other or both to see if this helps For extreme feedback conditions you can try using an automatic feedback eliminating device These widgets digitally listen for feedback and then introduce digitally controlled filters to hunt it down The problem is that even though they are doing their best to eliminate the bad sound no matter how good the filter some of the good sound will also be lost If you have to play at extreme levels you are better to turn down your system or eliminate on stage amplifiers and stage monitors by using in ear monitors Cutting frequency after frequency in an effort to increase gain before feedback is often a Catch 22 You will achieve more gain before feedback but at the cost of your tone Remember when using the EQ less is best Radial Engineering Ltd PZ Pre User Guide 16 cRadial ADDING EFFECTS TO YOUR SOUND The PZ Pre is equipped with a combination effects loop and power booster The power booster is designed to allow you to increase your stage level during a solo and then revert back to your regular volume with a single foot stomp Most players will simply use the boost on its own by adjusting the boo
7. 2 LEVEL 1 O0000000 PHASE FOOTSWITCH NOTCH Q y LO CUT 7 LOOP BYPASS BYPASS m BOOST NORM 80Hz rR BOTH DEEP 200Hz m 180 H assicn ea i Setting Instrument Levels Start with your primary instrument connected to INPUT 1 Determine the type of pickup you are connecting If it is a passive piezo pickup activate the piezo buffer with the PZB 1 switch Stomp on the TOGGLE footswitch until LED 1 illuminates Turn on your instrument amplifier or sound system Slowly turn LEVEL 1 clockwise and set a comfortable listening level USING THE PZ PRE EQ CONTROLS Before you head off to your first gig with the PZ Pre it is a good idea to familiarize yourself with the controls in your practice room and investigate the various functions Do this at a low volume level first so that you do not cause feedback Listen to the LO CUT high pass filter and how it affects the tone of your instrument You will probably find that using it will clean up the bottom end of your sound without affecting the overall tone In fact if you are playing with a drummer and bassist you will likely find that filtering the lower registers of your instrument can really improve the overall mix Now listen to the EQ You will notice that the bass and treble controls are quite powerful So be careful Less is always best when it comes to equalization Creating a big fat sound with lots of bottom end and a super crisp high end may sound good in yo
8. ASE BOOST and LOOP TANN an m functions It is intended to feed a PA TLULLL J or recording system with a clean Mixing Console unprocessed signal Ground Lift for Balanced XLR Outputs The balanced XLR outputs are equipped with a recessed set and forget ground LIFT switch on the rear panel to reduce hum and buzz from ground loops The best setting for this switch is lifted pushed in to eliminate hum and buzz when connecting your PZ Pre to a mixing console Low Cut Filter The three position low cut filter also known as a hi pass filter is designed to eliminate LOGUT ZA low frequency resonant feedback Selecting BYPASS either the 80Hz or 200Hz positions will roll erie off low frequencies preventing uncontrolled run away resonant feedback The LO CUT filter can be removed from the signal path by setting it to BYPASS Notch Filter To help control second order harmonic feedback a sweepable notch filter allows you to focus on a very narrow frequency and surgically remove it without affecting the over all tone of the instrument The NOTCH Q y notch filter on the PZ Pre has two controls sere NOTCH sweeps the frequency spectrum r DEEP Radial Engineering Ltd 6 PZ Pre User Guide CRadial of the filter from 56Hz to 220Hz while the NOTCH Q switch controls the width and attenuation of the filter The NORMAL setting introduces an 8dB notch the DEEP setting introduces a 15dB notch The notch filter can be remove
9. Ltd Radial INTRODUCTION The Radial PZ Pre is a very unique pedal Although the PZ Pre is likely to be the best sounding acoustic guitar preamp you have ever experienced it is not dedicated to just guitars We designed the PZ Pre from the ground up to work with all types of instruments including violin cello contrabass mandolin Dobro bouzouki harp sitar and banjo In fact it will likely do a smash up job on brass and woodwinds too This is because the two inputs have been designed to accept all types of pickups and the on board equalizer is both very powerful and musical You can even combine the two inputs should you wish to use two pickups at the same time Our quest for flexibility did not stop there we also equipped the PZ Pre with four outputs so that it could drive four separate signal paths at the same time And each output is managed differently to address different needs The instrument output is designed for the on stage musician An electric fiddle player may have numerous effects pedals and an over driven guitar amp on stage to create various sonic textures while a bouzouki player may have his vintage Twin The tuner output works with the mute footswitch for silent on stage tuning and instrument changeover There are also two built in Radial direct boxes with balanced XLR outputs Output 1 is a pre EQ pre effects output designed to feed a clean signal to the PA system while output 2 is post EQ and post effects to f
10. MITED TO ANY IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE SHALL EXTEND BEYOND THE RESPECTIVE WARRANTY PERIOD DESCRIBED ABOVE OF THREE YEARS RADIAL ENGINEERING SHALL NOT BE RESPONSIBLE OR LIABLE FOR ANY SPECIAL INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES OR LOSS ARISING FROM THE USE OF THIS PRODUCT THIS WARRANTY GIVES YOU SPECIFIC LEGAL RIGHTS AND YOU MAY ALSO HAVE OTHER RIGHTS WHICH MAY VARY DEPENDING ON WHERE YOU LIVE AND WHERE THE PRODUCT WAS PURCHASED Fm ie Tii A 4 i ri 4 i T a es a rio nie Friricy p 1638 Kebet Way PortCoquitlam BC V3C 5W9 tel 604 942 1001 fax 604 942 1010 email info radialeng com Tonebone PZ Pre users guide V1 0 Part R870 1205 00 A pe CE MWD Ai gineering PZPre Acoustic Instrument Preamp User Guide Radial Engineering Ltd 1638 Kebet Way Port Coquitlam BC V3C 5W9 Tel 604 942 1001 Fax 604 942 1010 email info radialeng com Radial PZPre Acoustic Instrument Preamp Users Guide Table of Contents Page IIKOGUCN ON es tedtiusre alien tude Mats ahi conn oudsk 1 eliU pees bree tremtenee er treet Meee tnrnr er rneren teeter kere Urner rere 2 INDUT SOCOM aieiseaeteelei ee aaa ceneaeruaicteeinaineesl 4 Filter ANd EQ Section ccccceeeccceeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeseeeeeees 6 OUIDUL SECON erse A A 8 Instrument Connection sasizenccansccnacancatensesonanmaonvteneuens 9 Output Connectio Mene e A 11 Setting Up The PZ Pre sssssesssssssessssssr
11. RADIAL ENGINEERING 3 YEAR LIMITED WARRANTY Radial Engineering Ltd warrants this product to be free from defects in material and workmanship and will remedy any such defects free of charge according to the terms of this warranty Radial Engineering will repair or replace at its option any defective component s of this product excluding the fnish the tube the footswitch tubes and footswitches are warranted for 90 days and wear and tear from normal use for a period of three 3 years from the original date of purchase In the event that a particular product is no longer available Radial Engineering reserves the right to replace the product with a similar product of equal or greater value To make a request or claim under this limited warranty the product must be returned prepaid in the original shipping container or equivalent to Radial Engineering or to an authorized repair centre and you must as sume the risk of loss or damage A copy of the original invoice showing date of purchase and the dealer name must accompany any request for work to be performed under this limited warranty This limited warranty Shall not apply if the product has been damaged due to abuse misuse misapplication accident or as a result of service or modiftation by any other than an authorized repair centre THERE ARE NO EXPRESSED WARRANTIES OTHER THAN THOSE ON THE FACE HEREOF AND DESCRIBED ABOVE NO WARRAN TIES WHETHER EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED INCLUDING BUT NOT LI
12. aged will result in excess unpleasant distortion but it will not harm the PZ Pre For the best sound ensure the piezo buffers are switched off when connecting active pickups and switched on for passive pickups How do I go about adjusting the three band EQ Always start from the neutral setting shown on page 12 When adjusting the EQ you will find that the least amount of processing will yield the most natural sound Excessive EQ boost of one band may contribute to feedback Therefore it is sometimes better to cut out what is not wanted rather than boosting what is missing For example if the tone lacks bass consider rolling off the highs instead of boosting the lows Can control the EQ for each input separately No not directly However there are a couple of ways to do this The best way would be to add an EQ pedal in between the instrument and PZ Pre and activate it when needed Alternatively you can insert an EQ pedal in the effects loop and activate it with the BOOST footswitch when needed What happens if I plug into INPUT 2 when using INPUT 1 with a stereo TRS cable INPUT 1 is internaly connected to INPUT 2 so a stereo TRS cable can connect to both inputs with one cable This internal connection will be broken if a plug is inserted into INPUT 2 This could be a quick way to connect a second guitar on the fly and still have one pickup system connected from the guitar using the TRS cable Can the PZ Pre power a phantom powered
13. cy is still on the verge of feedback try setting NOTCH Q to DEEP An important point when using the NOTCH filter is that the prob lem frequency will likely change each time you play in a different venue or change instruments So experiment and get familiar with the NOTCH filter functions This will make sound check go more quickly and will reduce the occurrence of feedback when you are performing Setting the Notch Filter 1 Set the NOTCH Q switch to bypass 2 Test by playing ascending notes on the lowest strings 3 Focus in on the note that tends to feedback before the rest If necessary increase the LEVEL control to produce a perpetual feedback ring at this note s frequency 4 Set the NOTCH Q switch to NORM 5 While holding the note turn the NOTCH control until you have tuned the filter to the same frequency The notch filter is tuned when the note decays naturally without feeding back 6 Increase the LEVEL control until the same note starts to feedback and then back off the level a little 7 If more gain is needed you can switch the NOTCH Q to DEEP and try increasing the LEVEL control some more TIP At some point turning up the instrument level will cause uncontrollable feedback at many frequencies and is an indication levels should be lowered Radial Engineering Ltd PZ Pre User Guide 15 Radial STAGE SETUPS Now that you are familiar with all of the functions on your PZ Pre you are set to take it out
14. d effects such as reverb or chorus in post production or even re amplify the signal using the Radial X Amp None of the effects EQ or notch filter will affect this output Post EQ and Effects XLR Wet Direct Box Output This is primarily designed to feed stage monitors but is also where you would connect your PZ Pre to the PA if you do not have a FOH engineer running the PAsystem For monitoring you can have all of your effects on and create the stage mix that sounds best to you without interfering with what the FOH engineer may require The FOH engineer can receive the dry unprocessed signal from the Pre EQ XLR output You can also send a wet mix to the house PA and the FOH engineer can combine both feeds PA MIXER VUESUUECRSEERTeeatesteee of EEALEETEEZE STAGE AMP Radial Engineering Ltd PZ Pre User Guide 11 N ae cRadial SETTING UP THE PZ PRE Always make sure the equipment you are connecting to is either turned off or the volumes are set to zero This will eliminate any power up transients from harming the loudspeakers To avoid potential for electric shock only connect the PZ Pre to properly grounded audio equipment If your instrument uses an on board preamp ensure the battery is fresh and fully charged To start set the PZ Pre to a neutral setting as shown below Connect the power supply and toggle the MUTE and BOOST footswitches to their off positions BOOST BASS FREQ MID HIGH NOTCH LEVEL
15. d from the signal path by setting it to BYPASS 3 Band Semi Parametric EQ This three band semi parametric EQ is shared between the two inputs HIGH and LOW are shelving type EQ and adjust the treble and bass response The sweepable midrange EQ uses two controls MID controls the amount of boost or cut while FREQ sweeps the frequency spectrum Phase Reverse Stage Amp Output only Technically speaking this is actually a polarity reverse switch that lets you control the polarity of the signal at the 14 instrument OUTPUT This switch is used to help reduce feedback when the monitors or PA system coincide with the instrument amp to cause a feedback hot spot where the performer is situated on stage Boost and Effects Loop The PZ Pre is equipped with a power booster and effects loop that can be kicked in to create dynamic solos or avant garde textures The power boost and effects loop may be activated together or separately depending on the position of the FOOTSWITCH ASSIGN switch Boost When the FOOTSWITCH ASSIGN is set to BOOST depressing the BOOST footswitch will only turn on and off the variable power booster effects loop is bypassed The BOOST knob sets the level of the power booster with a maximum of 12dB of clean boost When set to BOTH depressing the footswitch will turn both the effects loop and power booster on or off An LED illuminates when the loop booster or both are active Effects Loop Whe
16. e be careful not to over EQ your tone The sweep function of the FREQ control is designed to find the range best suited to your instrument s natural tone Start by setting the MID control at 2 o clock and then sweep the FREQ control until you find the spot where your instrument seems to resonate at an unpleasant frequency Then back off the MID control to approximately 10 o clock and listen Try playing at soft and then louder volumes to see what happens Then try fine tuning the FREQ control to see where it sounds best Setting an EQ is more of an art than a sience but you can not go wrong if you follow EQ rule number 1 Less is Best BASS FREQ TIP The twelve o clock position is neutral or zero boost cut for the BASS TREBLE and MID controls Turning these controls clockwise will increase or boost the amplitude while turning counter clockwise will decrease or cut If the MID control is at the 12 o clock position zero boost cut the FREQ control will have no effect You will need to set the MID control to a boost or cut posi tion in order to hear the sweep of the FREQ control Radial Engineering Ltd PZ Pre User Guide 13 Radial CONTROLLING FEEDBACK The PZ Pre gives you low cut and notch filter tools to suppress feedback and achieve the greatest amount of signal gain This concept is called gain before feedback This section of the manual will help you set up the PZ Pre for maximum gain before feedback To te
17. e signal but your instrument can have more gain before the feeback starts Setting the LO CUT Filter 1 Set the LO CUT switch to bypass 2 Perform this test by strumming open strings 3 Slowly turn up the LEVEL control until low frequency feedback starts to make the open strings resonate 4 Set the LO CUT switch to 80Hz 5 While playing the open strings continue to slowly increase the LEVEL control to the point where low frequency feedback re Occurs 6 Turn the LEVEL control down a little from this point 7 If more gain is needed set the LO CUT to 200HZz and increase the LEVEL control Radial Engineering Ltd PZ Pre User Guide 14 Radial Notch Filter The notch filter is designed to manage feedback by surgically re moving an offending frequency while leaving the rest of the sound intact To find which note is going to feedback first play ascending scales or chords starting from your instrument s lowest note If during your tests you hear that a particular note is more prone to feedback than others set the NOTCH Q to the NORMAL posi tion and slowly rotate the NOTCH control to see if you can dial in the offending frequency This process is sometimes referred to as notching out When you have found the position on the dial that corresponds to the frequency feeding back play and hold a chord or simply let all of the strings resonate Now turn the LEVEL control up some more and see what happens If the same frequen
18. eed stage monitors and in ear systems with a completely different mix For instance when playing in a typical arena there is so much echo that the last thing you would want would be to send a wet instrument Sound with lots of echo and reverb into the PA system On the other hand adding reverb to your in ear system will often give you a better sense of space and a more natural feel to the performance The built in flexibility is further expanded with an effects loop power booster and probably the best sounding front end you have ever encountered for your instrument Best of all it is all housed in a Super compact pedal that can fit in any gig bag and travel with you wherever you go PA MIXER Deen nseersesiseesneeeses ae ars tere parr rycen vos steeeteriees wor STAGE AMP Radial Engineering Ltd 1 PZ Pre User Guide D 15 FEATURES AND FUNCTIONS Ce Oy 20 Radial Engineering Ltd Oe SO A wag Ow ee OUT POST EQ 180 LIFT lour PRE EQ RETURN LO SENC PZB 2 FOOTSWITCH LO CUT 7_ r BYPASS aae T BOOST Wier r f r BOTH j r 20Hz U ASSIGN BLEND MIX f 5 3 MUTE ZV NENS FA LNI 6 AN d j A i of i Q D 48 A9 20 INPUT 1 connection for first instrument PZB 1 recessed switch activates piezo buffer for input 1 Push in with tweaker to turn buffer on TOGGLE footswitch selects between input 1 and input 2 BLEND MIX recessed switch selects between toggle
19. ith an electric guitar Absolutely The PZ Pre will provide an electric guitar with noise quieting buffers With dual output instruments that have both magnetic pickups and a piezo embedded in the bridge you can activate the piezo booster for the bridge pickup and select between both sources easily with the TOGGLE footswitch Can I use the piezo booster that came with my pickup Sure Just make sure you turn the PZ Pre piezo boosters off as driving one buffer into another will likely cause unnecessary noise and increase distortion Can I use effects pedals with the PZ Pre Yes You can use pedals before or after the PZ Pre just like any other pedal Positioning an EQ pedal between one instrument and the PZ Pre is the best way to add greater control over a second instrument Does the booster come before or after the effects loop The power booster circuit is after the effects loop send and return This works best to keep your effects levels from causing distortion when engaging the booster Can I use line level studio effects with the PZ Pre Sometimes It depends on the effects processor Check to see if it is designed to accept instrument levels If it is you should be fine If not you may find that the PZ Pre is not generating sufficient level for the effects processor and therefore you will likely encounter added noise Can I drive a power amplifier directly from the PZ Pre No The PZ Pre is a unity gain preamp and outputs a signa
20. l in the 40dB range which is normal for connecting to musical instrument amplifiers Power amplifiers usually require 10dB or 4aB line level signals to drive them to max output Why does the XLR output produce a mic level signal This allows the PZ Pre s output to be treated like a microphone signal for connection to PA and recording mixing consoles Can I use the PZ Pre to record direct into my computer Yes as long as you have a mic level input on your computer interface Mic inputs are the most common form of input on a mixer so this should not be a problem Connect the POST EQ XLR output to your interface using an XLR mic cable Can I use the PZ Pre with a bass guitar Yes For electric bass consider the Tonebone Bassbone as well However an acoustic string bass would be better served by the PZ Pre feature set Radial Engineering Ltd PZ Pre User Guide 18 Radial What Radial DI is used for the PZ Pre outputs The balanced XLR outputs on the PZ Pre are proprietary active Class A balanced drivers designed specifically to maximize the performance of the PZ Pre They are similar to the active output stage used on the Radial J48 direct box except the PZ Pre uses a DC power supply instead of phantom power and therefore can draw more current for even better signal to noise ratio and headroom performance Will damage the PZ Pre if the piezo buffers are on by mistake No Connecting an active pickup with the piezo buffer eng
21. n the FOOTSWITCH ASSIGN is set to LOOP depressing the BOOST footswitch will only turn on and off the effects loop power booster is bypassed The 1 effects loop SEND and RETURN jacks are used to interface with standard guitar effects pedals such as reverb chorus and delay PHASE NORMAL F REVERSE 180 FOOTSWITCH LOOP BOOST r BOTH ASSIGN Radial Engineering Ltd 7 PZ Pre User Guide lt Radial OUTPUT SECTION 1 4 INSTRUMENT OUTPUT POL REV E i POST EQ DI OUT GROUND LIFT Instrument Amp Output The OUTPUT jack connects to the musician s on stage amplifier This output is at the end of the PZ Pre signal path and is affected by all the controls Post EQ Balanced XLR Output This balanced XLR output is another active direct box It produces a 600 ohm mic level signal suitable for connection to mixing consoles The POST EQ XLR OUT comes at the end of the PZ Pre signal path after the filters equalizer PHASE BOOST and LOOP functions It is intended to feed a stage monitoring system or in ear monitors allowing the player to control their on stage tone through the PZ Pre controls 180 Polarity Reverse The POST EQ XLR balanced output features a polarity reverse for absolute phase alignment This recessed switch will invert the signal polarity of the POST EQ XLR output by reversing pins 2 and 3 at the XLR connector The default position for the switch is pushed out where pin 2 is po
22. ng played Stereo TRS Output Jack Magnetic Pickup eee Bridge Saddle Piezo Radial Engineering Ltd PZ Pre User Guide 10 lt Radial OUTPUT CONNECTIONS The PZ Pre is equipped with four outputs each of which is designed for specific tasks to address various needs on stage Instrument Amplifier Output This 1 guitar level output is designed to feed an on stage guitar amplifier Think of this output as your own personal world where you create your sound and get inspired You may even set up a mic in front of your stage amp so the FOH engineer can mix in your effects with his room mix Tuner Output This 1 output is separately buffered so that connecting an electronic tuner will not have any effect on the instrument tone because of impedance loading When the MUTE footswitch is depressed all other outputs are turned off while the tuner output remains active This lets you quietly tune on stage or change instruments without disrupting the audience Pre EQ and Effects XLR Dry Direct Box Output This balanced mic level XLR output is designed to go into the PA system It is dry and unprocessed so that the FOH engineer can treat this signal to optimize the sound in the PA For instance you may want reverb on stage but in an arena this is likely the last thing that is needed This is also a great place to connect a recorder if you plan to produce a CD afterwards With a clean unprocessed track you can ad
23. sitive This is the AES standard for XLR connectors and is sometimes called pin 2 hot XLR OUT XLR OUT Ground Lift Polarity Reverse Radial Engineering Ltd PZ Pre User Guide INSTRUMENT CONNECTIONS Because the PZ Pre can accept different kinds of pickups it s important to identify which type of pickup your instrument is equipped with Typical pickup systems include 1 Magnetic passive 2 Piezo transducers passive 3 Magnetic or piezo with on board preamp active 4 Combination magnetic and or piezo with split output Magnetic Pickups Passive These types of pickups are sometimes mounted in the sound hole of an acoustic guitar They are referred to as passive pickups because there are no electronics between the pickup and instrument output jack Magnetic pickups connect directly to the PZ Pre with an instrument cable Piezo Transducers Passive Piezo transducer pickups can be permanently mounted inside an instrument embedded in the bridge or attached to the sound board with double sided tape A piezo is considered passive when there are no active electronics between the transducer and the instrument output jack The piezo transducer pickup converts vibration into a very small electrical current The current a piezo produces is so small that it needs a specially designed amplifier or buffer to increase the signal to a workable level The PZ Pre is equipped with a piezo buffer on each input to ensure the be
24. special piezoelectric pickup piezo buffer that can be switched into the signal path when needed These 100 Class A buffers allow a passive piezo pickup element to be connected directly to the PZ Pre withoutthe use Input 1 Piezo Blend Input 2 Piezo of a separate preamp The Buffer 1 Buffer 2 piezo buffer increases the gain while elevating the input impedance to 10meg ohms This ensures the piezo pickup sees the optimum input impedance for signal transfer which will result in better tone To activate the piezo buffer use a tweaker small screwdriver to push in the recessed PZB switch There is a separate PZB switch for each input channel LEVEL 1 and 2 Separate level controls Sd Cada adjust the volume of each instrument input for the proper on stage balance Radial Engineering Ltd 4 PZ Pre User Guide ERadial Tuner Output This buffered output is dedicated for an electronic tuner Since it is buffered connecting a tuner won t load down your pickup s tone The TUNER output is always on to allow silent tuning in conjunction with the MUTE footswitch Mute Footswitch with LED The MUTE footswitch allows silent tuning on stage through the TUNER output and may also be used for instrument change over Depressing this footswitch will mute all outputs except the TUNER out The LED illuminates to indicate the PZ Pre is in mute mode Blend Mix The BLEND MIX function is typically used with instruments that
25. srsrrrrrrrsesesrseren 12 Controlling Feedback s sesnsnsesesersesrrrrrrrrrrrreresesn 14 Slade SClUNS rR 16 Adding Boost and Effects cccccecceccceeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeees 17 PPG cesses bet ante abate A net haces 18 SDESCIICALIONS sasaa A 20 WAAN ann Back Cover Congratulations on your purchase of the Radial PZ Pre without a doubt the most challenging pedal we have ever produced Why Simply put it is so jammed with features that it took us over two years to get it right And with all of these features we absolutely recommend that you take a few minutes to read through this manual to familiarize yourself with all of the PZ Pre functions before you get started Like all Radial products the PZ Pre is built to the very highest standards with the very best components and provides the type of durability you would expect for concert stage use If after read ing this manual you have a question please visit the FAQ in the PZ Pre section of our web site This is where we post the latest notes If you have a question that is not covered please send your email to info radialeng com and we will do our very best to get back to you promptly Now get ready to pluck pick bow twang and strum till dawn Radial Engineering Ltd 1638 Kebet Way PortCoquitlam BC V3C 5W9 tel 604 942 1001 fax 604 942 1010 email info radialeng com Specifrations and appearance subject to change without notice Copyright 2007 Radial Engineering
26. st for feedback you should be positioned in the area on stage where you will be performing Always test for feedback with your amp monitors and PA system turned on TIP Feedback can be very unpleasant to listen to The MUTE footswitch can be used as a panic button in case of uncontrolled run away feedback Dampening the strings with one hand while you adjust the PZ Pre controls is another method to control feedback while testing Begin your feedback testing by increasing the LEVEL control to the point where your instrument starts to feedback Play your instrument move around on stage and experience the effect At this point you will likely hear two types of feedback feedback when a specific note sounds usually on the bass strings and a low frequency run away resonance The feedback from a spe cific note we will deal with later using the notch filter For now we will focus on removing the runaway low resonance with the LO CUT filter LO CUT Filter The goal for using the LO CUT filter is to be able to strum the open strings loud and clear without run away low frequency resonance feedback This type of feedback can often be eliminated simply by engaging the LO CUT filter Try this by setting the LO CUT control to the 80Hz position In crease the volume and see what happens If you get more of the same resonance feedback try the 200Hz position In this position you can hear that more bass frequencies have been removed from th
27. st level to suit You may want to introduce an effect such as reverb or echo with or without the power boost to enhance the solo This is what the built in effects loop was designed for When effects are used in the loop they will be heard on the 1 instrument out and the POST EQ XLR wet direct box output but will not be heard on the PRE EQ XLR dry direct box output So before you decide on how you are going to use the PZ Pre effects loop it is a good idea to consider if you want the effects to go to the PA monitors or both Keep in mind that if you put pedals in the effects loop they can only be accessed by engaging the effects boost footswitch Post Pre Wet Dry If you would like to have an effect such as chorus or reverb on at all times you are best to position these at the 4 INSTRUMENT output between the PZ Pre and your amp If you want this effect to also go to the PA then you would connect a direct box after the effect pedal Post Pre If you have an active instrument that does not need the PZB piezo buffers you can put effects in front of the PZ Pre by first connecting the instrument to the effect and then to the PZ Pre In this case the effect will be heard on all of the PZ Pre outputs for your first instrument only Post Pre Wet Wet nt lee T Radial Engineering Ltd PZ Pre User Guide 17 Radial FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS Can I use the PZ pre w
28. st possible tone from passive piezo pickups When connecting a piezo pickup to the PZ Pre you should engage the piezo buffer for the input you re connecting to Set the switch to its inward position to engage the piezo buffer Radial Engineering Ltd 9 PZ Pre User Guide Radial Magnetic or Piezo Pickups with On board Preamp Many electrified acoustic instruments feature an on board preamp that works with internal pickup systems The pickups may be passive magnetic piezo or a combination of both types These instruments are referred to as active because there is a preamp between the pickups and the instrument output that requires a power source such as a battery The preamp controls are usually mounted on the side of the instrument Active instruments produce a signal that can connect to the PZ Pre without the need to engage the piezo buffer The instrument s on board preamp will buffer the signal and the output can connect directly to the PZ Pre with an instrument cable On board Preamp Controls Combination Pickup Systems Each type of pickup system has strengths and weaknesses and some players may use a combination of pickups to create a more natural tone than either pickup system can produce alone You can connect both a magnetic and piezo pickup and use the unique BLEND MIX feature to blend the outputs together Alternatively the PZ Pre can toggle between the pickups to use the one that best suits the song bei
29. ur basement but live these frequencies tend to muddy up the bottom end and cause the high end to get very harsh especially if you have mid range horns in your PA Furthermore feedback with acoustic instruments occurs when the sound resonates from Radial Engineering Ltd PZ Pre User Guide 12 the PA back into the instrument pickup system This increases exponentially when you add lots of bass or treble The MID control is very important to getting your sound right Each instrument tends to work within a given sonic range For instance a violin s range is much higher than that of a cello or double bass However the character of all instruments is usually in the mid range This is also where human hearing is most effective The PZ Pre has a semi parametric mid range EQ with one knob that adjusts the center frequency FREQ and another that controls the intensity MID You can cut or boost any frequency within the controls range of 82Hz to 5 6kHz This is also where most folks get into trouble Because human ears are most sensitive to mid range we tend to naturally cut it back Now if you take out the very essence of the instrument before it gets to the PA what do you expect the audience to hear This is why we included a separate Pre EQ output for the front of house PA system The Pre EQ output will give the house engineer a full range signal to mix with while the PZ Pre EQ controls can be adjusted to suit you However in any cas
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