paradis Polybass User manual

User Manual for Polybass-P + Shield
(version for any instrument)
Why do we make such an effort?
Bass is fundamental
working as a sound engineer, playing in bands, studying the history of instrument making
and analog electronics, the feeling became stronger every year that bass is much more
important than it seems. it’s unfair that the bass player is in the background, but it also ts
to his fundamental task of stability and coordination for all other musicians.
Harmonies are built from harmonics of the fundamental tone. on primitive instruments like
the fanfare its only possible to play those notes, and hearing the bass tone, we feel why
all other notes belong together and why the notes that are not directly in the scale create
an interesting tension...
more so, I feel that the vibrations resonate in our bodies and a concert or dance night is
not just a social and cultural event but also a therapy... short:
IF I COME HOME FROM A SHOW AND DID NOT FEEL SOME LOW BASS, I AM NOT SATISIFIED !!
How to create the bass in a small ensemble
unfortunately not in every combo there is space for a bass player. there are probably more
duos and trios of voice, guitar and percussion or harmonica and clarinet and so on where
one of those instruments takes the musical task of the bass player, yet on an instrument
which does not have the size to create a real low bass.
BUT:
we are lucky that engineers of the last decades created portable woofers that ll a big
room with solid and profound bass! so one of the band can play a bass pedal and its done.
how clumsy and synthetic! we have a better solution: we divide the lowest notes of the
guitar so that they turn into bass notes! the guitar plays as usual, maybe a bit more aware
of its function, and the bass comes out for free, low and alive, discrete and present, but
not calling attention or pretending to be another instrument: everyone can see who plays
those notes, no one cares why they sound so low, but they feel satised
The physics of intervals
since the scales are made of harmonics which are multiples of the bass note, the higher
climb in the scale, the more notes we get, the closer the intervals are. and also: the high-
er the frequency, the shorter the wave, the quicker we identify notes. so an interval that
sounds good on the guitar can sound wobbly one octave lower!
V 2.2 April 2020

adjust the eect volume
for D-string
here you can connect
a LED that blinks when
the battery is weak
solder battery wires
select the volume of
each string by adding
gain to the weaker
ones (default is all
closed)
set VCA volume of
PBass eect
mixing connectors for
jumpers and potenti-
ometers
gain of the 7th string or
2nd pickup (magnetic,
body piezo, mic...)
all inputs and the mix
outputs are on this con-
nector called X1
X2 to 13pin out
insert connector for
external mono eect
like wooDi-m
What is different about Polybass
there have been many approaches to create bass, but not for a clean single bass line! ba-
sically, one octave generator which switches to the lowest played string would be enough.
but we found that sudden switching between strings call attention. so we made an octave
generator for each string, tune it to the string and then select the lowest note and fade
the previous. then a steep lter takes its color, so instead of sounding like an instrument
which is not on stage, it just vibrates totally synchronous to the guitar string.
The complete high class preamp system
Polybass is not only the low bass but a complete 7-channel low noise low power preamp
and mixing system, designed to give you the maximum possible options for conguring and
mixing any kind of pickups in any guitar. the 7th channel can amplify a magnetic pickup,
a body piezo or even a microphone and on the Shield there is another preamp with notch
lter in case you need 7 strings or some more pick up option.
Support for configuration and wiring
we understand the diculties of musicians and lutiers to deal with electronics, schematics
and solder iron. Paradis Guitars went through phases of using too much electronics and
learned to reduce to standard parts, long life, low power, low noise...
the right amount of electronics simplies the conguration outside the instrument and
makes it sound the same wherever its connected: clean, noise free and large!
wiring can be soldered or crimped or at cable. the headers are not soldered yet so they
can be added on either side and angled or not. we ask the questions you need to nd the
right system and then provide all necessary parts and information (which may not yet be
complete here)
in the 90ies we explained to the world what livelooping was good for, now you can partic-
ipate in this evolution...

About this manual
Polybass adds a low octave to each string separately, thats why it works so accurately.
Godin/RMC produced many instruments with the necessary hexaphonic pick-up, thats why
we made the board t perfectly into guitars with the RMC Polydrive system. if you own such
an instrument, the installation is very simple, explained in a separate Polybass-R manual.
This manual starts with a quick install of a pre-mounted kit and explains the basics to the
user. then it becomes increasingly more sophisticated, rather for luthiers and engineers,
showing all the options to build the Polybass-P into any guitar and adapt the features
acording to the needs of the user.
originally all was wired directly to the board. then we created the Polybass Shield which
makes all simpler and adds tone control and many other features.
its dicult to make this manual complete. please ask whatever you do not understand and
we help and invent and add to the manual... so make sure you grab the latest version!
Credits
I came up with all this, but I would not reach anywhere without good friends!
Philipp Scheidegger is the very experienced electronic engineer who simulated the details,
reduced power consumption, draw the schema, made the layout, and nally thought me
how to use the layout software so I am free to complete and modify what he did!
Tom Maier of 24dB.de had the great idea to replace a RMC pcb’s to make this plug and play.
Rein, Taivo and Vahur of spicetone.com organized the manufacturing and testing of the
boards
Heinz “Rüebli” Fässler of Rueblirock.ch is the great inventor and mechanics who nds the
right solutions and materials, prints and lasers...
Vasilis Kotareles of media5.ch created the site and explained me how to complete it, test-
ed, took pictures and always brings some good mood and great music!
Randolph Arriola of embryosongs.com helped in great discussions to understand the busi-
ness situation, my texts, this manual... and always feeds with his love for what we do...
Adrian Schackmann similarely tested, thought, recorded, explained, encouraged...
Ursetta Mutzner of muurmeli.ch was always patient to listen to my stories and keeps our
place cozy and tasty, created the Messe booth, went to the post oce in-numerous times
and reminded of what I forget...
Rolf Spuler could not participate in this version physically any more, but his incredible spirit
is always present and brings quality and precision...

Contents
Why do we make such an effort? 1
Bass is fundamental 1
How to create the bass in a small ensemble 1
The physics of intervals 1
What is different about Polybass 2
The complete high class preamp system 2
Support for configuration and wiring 2
About this manual 3
Credits 3
Quick installation Polybass without Shield 5
All on the Input Connector 5
External controls wiring 6
Parallel mixing 6
Master volume control 6
Pickup balance 6
Quick installation Polybass + Shield 7
Input connection 7
Output connection 7
Control connection 8
Understanding and Adjustments 9
Priority 9
Battery low warning 9
Power consumption 9
Li battery 9
Adjustable volume for each string 10
D4 string Bass volume 10
The little trimmer on the component side 10
Filter jumper 10
Roland GuitarSynth and compatible 11
Resonances in your instrument 11
Into which instruments can we install? 12
Acoustic guitars 12
Les Paul family 12
Strat family 12
Yamaha Silent 12
Archtop 13
Paradis Eden 14
Paradis Avalon 14
What can we continue to use? 15
What pick-ups can be used? 15
What controls do you need? 15
What kind of controls are available? 15
how to mount the controls in the instrument 16
What output connectors you need? 16
Polybass Shield board connectors 17
Input connector 17
Output connector 17
Volume control connector 17
Tone control connector 18
Roland GK controls connector 18
WooDi Switch connector 18
Connectors Shield - Polybass 18
Polybass board connectors 19
Input connections 19
Output connector 20
Insert connectors 20
VCA, LED and Priority connectors 20
Insert connector for wooDi-M etc 21
jumper for Insert connector 21
Mixing Options 22
Parallel (no Master): 22
Master and Aux: 22
Master and Parallel: 22
Master and Balance: 22
Passive Magnetic Pickup 22
OutputPCB board 23
Cable service 23
Split Polybass effect out 24
Connector options for split outputs 24
Remove the PBass from the Main? 24
How to switch back to mono 25
Implementation of the Split PBass out 25
Volume control for the split PBass 26
VCA and GK control 26
CV control off the Polybass effect 26
three volume steps for PBass 26
Roland GK control 26
Piezo input gain 27
increase gain for Ghost pickups 27
Dimensions 28
Polybass board (Shield is the same) 28
OutputPCB 28
FingerWheel PCB 28
Potentiometer TT P09X 29
Potentiometer TT P160 29
Thumb wheel control 30
Slider Alpha RA3044F 30

Quick installation Polybass without Shield
the most simple way to use Polybass is by connecting the hex pickup at the input and the
1/4 jack at the output and a battery. this can all be done on one header connector:
All on the Input Connector
you can solder each wire to the spot indicated,
but we rather recommend to use a header con-
nector and possibly a at cable to which you
then can solder wires.
the header can be soldered on either side, pref-
erably straight on the component side or an-
gled on the trimmer side.
we do not use the VCA (necessary for RMC/
Godin), and set it to maximum with a jumper or
solder bridge as indicated.
we can send you a pre-wired kit like this if you inform the kind of controls and connectors
and cable length

External controls wiring
in case you install the Polybass with the Shield, this page is not correct since the controls
are connected to the Shield. but the kind of wiring is the same:
insert the wires you need into the conector housing and solder them to the potentiometer.
or use a at cable.
in chapter “Options of Mixing” you can nd the schema and more versions, here we show
the most frequent solutions
Parallel mixing
Master volume control
instead of the Clean volume as shown in the last paragraph, you can install a master volume
on X1. pin14 is the output from the sum amp and on pin7 it returns to the output stage.
so in the above example you would need to simply join pint7 and pin14, but you can also
add a volume potentiometer, a lter or whatever eect you like.
Pickup balance
instead of separate volume controls you may want a balance. this is especially interesting
if you have a magnetic pickup or microphone on channel 7 so the balance control will give
you on one end only the bridge piezo and on the other only the magnetic pickup.

Quick installation Polybass + Shield
the Shield makes installation easier and brings new features like:
• tone control: Bass / Mid / Treb
• another Aux input with a feedback reducing notch lter for a microphone or body piezo
• serves as hum shield instead of metal vbox or metal foil
as you see on the picture above, we deliver tested kits with the controls and functions you
choose and the cable length you need.
Input connection
connect Graphtec Ghost pickups
or
solder the pickups in one of the 3
ways shown below.
Output connection
for a solid body or generally shielded guitar the
output wire does not need to be shielded so its
easier to use the output connector.
or
on the left the solder pads also oer all signals.
usually we deliver with those wires soldered.

Control connection
depending on the kind of controls you use, they can be connected with one or two 6 or
12 pin ribbon cables or with crimped wires. one connector is for 2-3 volume controls, the
other for 2-3 tone controls.
for acoustic guitars, the thumb wheel potentiometers in the sound hole are interesting be-
cause there is no need to drill into the guitar
in this case we had no Aux and no Mid so two small connectors were sucient:

Understanding and Adjustments
Priority
probably the most unique part of the Polybass is the priority function:
only the lowest played string is audible and switches the higher ones o. its useful enough
that we make it active all the time.
the priority idea comes from the physical fact that we easily hear small intervals in the
higher octaves but perceive the same interval as rumbling or wobbly when its in the lowest
octave. that’s why a bass player usually only plays one note at the time. so if you play a
4th on the lowest strings of the guitar, it sounds ne, but if we then add the lower octaves
for both notes, its too much. thats why we need the priority function to only add the lower
of the two notes as the bass line.
as far as we know, no other equipment on the market does this. thank you for respecting
our patent of 1992!
in the classic Polysubbass unit, there was a switch
to turn priority o. few people have used this, but
if you like to hear the octave on all 3 bass strings
at once, you can install a switch to Prio1 (A-string)
and Prio2 (D-String). for version < PB-P-0045 un-
solder the two zero-ohm resistors on the compo-
nent side, on the newer boards you have to scratch
the tracks.
Battery low warning
the rst sign of the battery becoming exhausted (~5V) is when strong attacks mainly on
the D string cause a delay of the subbass sound. when dropping further, the delay also hap-
pens on lower strings and softer attacks. we think this is a rather helpful indication since
the musician will notice but hardly the public.
for those who want a visual warning before this, you can connect a LED that ashes when
the battery drops to about 7V. (see chapter LED installation)
Power consumption
the Polybass consumes 4mA and wooMe or Shield another 3mA. so a 9V battery with
700mAh theoretically serves for 100h.
Li battery
We recommend rechargeable batteries to protect the environment. in case of professional
musicians more so, because many exchange the battery before its empty, just to make
sure that it does not interrupt the performance. so charge before an event! the NiXx bat-
teries have less capacity and loose their charge by themselves and then the acid comes out
and eats the contacts and more. Li (and eneloop) batteries maintain charge much better
and the Li have higher capacity. since a Li cell is about 3,6V, two cells produce 7,2V which
is still enough for the Polybass. we are also trying to convince the industry to produce 9V
batteries with 3 Li cells. the resulting 11V would make most pedals work better...

Adjustable volume for each string
the RMC pickup is amazingly balanced, other pickups need correction. it can be helpful to
adapt the string volumes to playing style, to string characteristics, to musical intentions…
from outside with a little screwdriver, boosting the weak strings…
D4 string Bass volume
by default, the Polybass eect on the D4 string is similar to the E6 and A5 string. but some
musicians like to have no eect on the D4 string and others prefer it to be lower so there
is a transition between the strings with eect and the ones without.
try out your setting on the single little trimmer on top of the board!
The little trimmer on the component side
as long as you do not use the VCA you can forget about this tiny trimmer. it is set once to
adjust the silent point. (see chapter VCA and GK control)
if you use the VCA to control the Polybass eect volume, and its not totally gone when
you close the pot, adjust the trimmer.
Filter jumper
the original RMC system has a treble enhancement on the input and a compensating treble
cut on the output. that’s why there is a compensation lter on the Polybass, switchable
with a jumper which is not set in the -P version. but maybe you can use it anyway? as it is, it
cuts treble and creates a warm sound for nylon strings. we can also change its components
for some other lter desire.
we usually do not install ltering into the instrument because we think its better to lter in
a mixing desk or dedicated lter unit. at, the Paradis guitars sound great.