The Sushi Box FX Venus Z is a preamp pedal built around a high-voltage 12AX7 circuit, with an active EQ section and a transformer-based D.I. balanced output, all in a pedalboard-friendly package. Sushi Box FX describes its sound as "all the punchy tone you expect from a modern solid-state amp mixed with all the warmth and dynamics you expect from a tube preamp."1
The pedal is no longer in current production: Sushi Box FX lists the Venus Z as Archived on its product page.1
Controls and outputs
The EQ is boost/cut, where a "flat" response is all controls at 12 o'clock.1
The pedal's outputs serve different jobs:
- Balanced D.I. output: transformer-based, for sending the preamp's signal to a mixer or interface.1
- 1/4" OUT: provides an output from the preamp that can be run to a monitor, power amplifier, and so on.1
The input impedance is 1MΩ.1
On this latest version of Venus Z, the 1/4" output is independently buffered, so the volume control interdependency that affected the previous version does not occur. If you are comparing a used Venus Z against an earlier one, that buffering change is the difference to look for.1
Power
Sushi Box FX recommends a 9-12VDC power supply capable of delivering at least 500mA, and warns that using a supply that cannot deliver that current can damage the power supply and/or the pedal.1 A draw of that size means the Venus Z needs its own supply output rather than a battery or a shared daisy chain.
Where it sits in the Sushi Box FX range
Sushi Box FX builds several tube preamp pedals, and the Venus Z's combination of a 12AX7 circuit with a balanced D.I. puts it alongside models like the Sushi Box FX Grand Slampegg style of bass-oriented preamps and other Sushi Box FX designs such as the Sushi Box FX Finally v3 and the Sushi Box FX The Watt. The Venus Z's own distinguishing features are its active boost/cut EQ and its transformer-based balanced D.I. output.1
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Questions
Is the Sushi Box FX Venus Z still made?
No. Sushi Box FX lists the Venus Z as Archived on its product page, meaning it is no longer in current production. The page remains up as a reference for the pedal's features, controls and power requirements. Players looking for a current Sushi Box FX preamp would need to look at the maker's other models rather than the Venus Z itself.
Does the Venus Z have a balanced D.I. output?
Yes. Sushi Box FX describes the Venus Z as packing a high-voltage 12AX7 circuit with an active EQ section and a transformer-based D.I. balanced output in a pedalboard-friendly package. The balanced D.I. sits alongside the 1/4-inch OUT, which carries the preamp's output to a monitor, power amplifier or similar destination.
Can the Venus Z run on a battery?
The maker recommends a 9-12VDC power supply capable of delivering at least 500mA, and warns that using a supply that cannot deliver that current can damage the power supply and/or the pedal. A current draw of that size rules out a battery or a shared daisy-chain output, so the Venus Z needs its own dedicated supply.
What changed from the previous version of the Venus Z?
On the latest version of the Venus Z, the 1/4-inch output is independently buffered. Sushi Box FX says this removes the volume control interdependency that affected the previous version, so the two outputs no longer interact through the volume control in the way they did before.
Sources (1)
- Venus Z - Sushi Box FX, Sushi Box FX
