User guide

True to the Music
Radial Engineering Ltd.
PZ-Select
™
User Guide
8
FAQ
Can I use the PZ-Select with two electric guitars?
You could, but you may be better served with the lower priced
BigShot i/o. The PZ-Select is not designed to send the two pickup
signals to the same amp. So this may not work for your setup.
Why does the PZ-Select use a 15V volt supply - not a 9V?
Unlike guitar pedals that merely need to control electric guitars,
the PZ-Select also must control acoustic signals. These tend to
have radical transients with more dynamic range. This means it
needs more headroom. More headroom is accomplished with
more voltage, thus the reason we use a 15 volt supply.
Will the PZ-Select alter my electric guitar tone?
Yes and no. The PZ-Select will buffer your guitar and it will lower
the impedance. This lowers noise, allows you to run longer cables
and eliminates the popping when you switch pickups on and off.
To counter any effect that the buffers may have on the signal, we
have added a feature called Drag Control. This lets you adjust
the load on the pickup so that it sounds natural. Carlos Santana,
John Petrucci, and Steve Lukather all use Radial buffers with Drag
Control when they record. We think they would be just about as
picky as anyone else!
Can I use the Tuner out as a combined output?
Yes, but there is no way to turn it off. This output is always active.
Can I power the PZ-Select using 48V phantom from a mixer?
No. Phantom power does not have enough current to power the
PZ-Select. This is why the PZ-Select comes with a power supply.
Will turning on the phantom power hurt the PZ-Select?
No. The PZ-Select is equipped with DC blocking capacitors at the
XLR output connector to protect it from phantom power.
Can I leave the PZ-Select powered on when I'm not using it?
Yes. The PZ-Select is designed to work continuously and leaving
the power connected will not cause any harm to the PZ-Select or
devices connected to it.
Why does the 180º polarity switch sometimes cause popping?
This has to do with DC offsets at the ins and outs of other devices
the PZ-Select is connected to. Theoretically the inputs and out-
puts of an audio device should be exactly at zero volts. But due
to imperfections within the electronic components like op-amps
and capacitors, sometimes there can be several millivolts of DC
present. This small amount of DC voltage creates a potential for
current to fl ow and can cause a popping sound when it does.
While the PZ-Select is designed correctly to avoid DC offsets we
can not be sure about other devices it is connected to. Turning
down the volume before switching the polarity is a safe way to
avoid loud transients from reaching the loudspeakers.