SE Angelus Pre Amp

[DaveB]

Just received my new SE Angelus standard electric. Must say that it is all I expected. Excellent quality and tone so far a great deal for the price. One issue there was no user guide for the pre amp. Should there have been one, I can't find anything on the PRS web site.
This is my first acoustic electric and I am not familiar with using this pre amp.
Ideas where I can find instructions.

 

[MOBirds]

Went searching for information similar to this and noticed this post from over a year ago was never answered.

I'm looking for some details on the notch filter & mid-contour and cannot find anything at all. I understand what a notch filter is, but I'd like details on this specific one - in particular if it's all the way counter-clockwise, is it actually "off" or is it just swept to a different frequency? On the mid-contour, what frequencies are affected? I don't have meters that can measure this stuff. I'm looking at taking my guitar to an open mic night, but will be plugging into someone else's PA. I'd like to have some info on this preamp rather than stand there twirling knobs cluelessly if a problem arises.

I love the guitars PRS builds, some are truly spectacular both in looks and tone/playability. But it boggles my mind that nobody at PRS can write up a 5-10 page user guide for this preamp. Am I just on a hopeless crusade or is there somewhere I can find some basic info?

:dontknow:

 

[tinfish]

It's a "proprietary" preamp. which, translated to English means: some company in korea or china makes them for us. they should be fired in favor of fishman or lr baggs immediately. there's no info anywhere on it. even the guys at the factory aren't much help (although they get all "a's" for trying).

 

[Johnnyboy94]

It's a "proprietary" preamp. which, translated to English means: some company in korea or china makes them for us. they should be fired in favor of fishman or lr baggs immediately. there's no info anywhere on it. even the guys at the factory aren't much help (although they get all "a's" for trying).

The problem is that LR Baggs and Fishman would be making much more expensive equipment than whoever makes them now. would drive up the price of the guitar, and, TBH, although I dont even know what a Notch Filter is, I know that the Guitar sounds wonderful, plugged in or no.

 

[László]

TBH, although I dont even know what a Notch Filter is

A notch filter is used to cut or boost a very specific, narrow, frequency. It is the opposite of a shelf filter, that cuts or boosts a wide range of frequencies. When you work, say, the bass control on your amp, that's a shelf filter that boosts or cuts all frequencies below a certain range.

The notch boosts or cuts only a narrow band, for example, 200-300 Hz. There are fixed-frequency notch filters, and parametric notch filters, where you can find the offending frequency and then cut it (or if you want, boost it when using it as a tone control).

It's generally included on an acoustic guitar to cut frequencies that are causing feedback. It's also used a lot in live sound rigs for FOH mixing, because again, feedback is a problem from microphones. In FOH mixing, the frequencies that need to be notched are "rung out" and then cut when the ringing sound is found. It will vary from venue to venue due to room acoustics.

What PRS has probably done in designing the preamp is found the frequencies most likely to cause feedback when plugged in, and offered the option of cutting those frequencies.

Although you can use it as a tone control, it's really not intended for that purpose.

A mid-contour filter is simply a midrange / presence control.

 

[Johnnyboy94]

A notch filter is used to cut or boost a very specific, narrow, frequency. It is the opposite of a shelf filter, that cuts or boosts a wide range of frequencies. When you work, say, the bass control on your amp, that's a shelf filter that boosts or cuts all frequencies below a certain range.

The notch boosts or cuts only a narrow band, for example, 200-300 Hz. There are fixed-frequency notch filters, and parametric notch filters, where you can find the offending frequency and then cut it (or if you want, boost it when using it as a tone control).

It's generally included on an acoustic guitar to cut frequencies that are causing feedback. It's also used a lot in live sound rigs for FOH mixing, because again, feedback is a problem from microphones. In FOH mixing, the frequencies that need to be notched are "rung out" and then cut when the ringing sound is found. It will vary from venue to venue due to room acoustics.

What PRS has probably done in designing the preamp is found the frequencies most likely to cause feedback when plugged in, and offered the option of cutting those frequencies.

Although you can use it as a tone control, it's really not intended for that purpose.

A mid-contour filter is simply a midrange / presence control.

Ahh, thanks, LS!

 

[László]

Ahh, thanks, LS!

Glad to be of help!

Incidentally, if you want to see what frequencies the filter acts on, most DAWs these days have analysis tools that you can put on any track. Just plug the guitar into your interface, and you an see exactly what frequencies the filter controls. Even the EQ plugins that come free with some DAWs have analysis capabilities. Logic's analysis tools are pretty comprehensive, for example.