Locomotive Audio Z-Car

Locomotive Audio Z-Car is a passive DI and re-amp box with no power of its own, the whole signal path runs through a custom mu-metal shielded transformer, with no active electronics involved. In DI mode it turns an instrument signal into something a mic preamp can take; in Amp-Up mode it does the reverse, taking a line-level signal recorded in the DAW and stepping it up to instrument level, ready to drive pedals or a guitar amp for re-amping. It's one of two signal-conditioning devices in the Locomotive Audio range, alongside the Copperline module.

Two modes, one transformer

A 3-position pad (0, -12, -18dB) works identically in both modes, and a bandwidth switch adds a "Big Roll" option, a gentle 6dB-per-octave top-end rolloff starting at 1kHz, useful when re-amping through pedals that react too brightly to a full-bandwidth signal. DI input impedance scales with the connected preamp (up to 324 times its input impedance, or 388kΩ/324kΩ with the pad engaged), and Amp-Up input impedance runs above 2kΩ.

A solid steel body built for the road

The 1/4" and XLR jacks are electrically isolated from each other, the XLR output is balanced, and a ground lift switch clears hum loops without touching the rest of the signal path. A heavy-duty steel enclosure and no dependence on mains power make the Z-Car equally at home in the studio or on tour. Useful both for tracking a dry guitar or bass signal for later processing, and for classic re-amping, sending a previously recorded track back out through pedals or a guitar amp.

KEY FEATURES

• Passive DI and Amp-Up (re-amp) box, no power required
• Custom mu-metal shielded transformer
• 3-position pad: 0 / -12 / -18dB
• Bandwidth mode: Flat or "Big Roll" (-6dB/oct from 1kHz)
• Electrically isolated 1/4" and XLR jacks
• Balanced XLR output
• Ground lift switch
• Heavy-duty steel enclosure, built in the USA

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

• Type: passive DI / Amp-Up (re-amp) box
• Pad: 0 / -12 / -18dB
• DI input impedance: up to 324x the preamp's input impedance (388kΩ/324kΩ with pad)
• Amp-Up input impedance: >2kΩ
• XLR output impedance: approx. 330Ω down to 140Ω depending on pad
• Bandwidth mode: Flat / Big Roll (-6dB/oct from 1kHz)
• Connectors: 1/4" and XLR, isolated