Martin HD-28 with Trance Amulet M-VT ToneDexter Slot 22 WaveMap Sound File

[James May]

Originally Posted by martingitdave

I love this post. Take my money. :-)
...
James did you read my fantasy mini tondexter diatribe above? ;-)

Yes, read it and noted your ideas! Of course, some of them we've thought about already. There are a lot of things we could do with this technology. That's all I can say about that right now.

I do totally understand the consideration that for utmost flexibility, you'd would want the best sounding pickup, preferably passive, and sans reliance on an external preamp, installed in your instrument so that you can go anywhere, plug in and play, and get a decent, usable sound.

YMMV, but at the end of the day that says to me you'd want a sound board transducer of some type for best sound, and suffer the compromise in feedback immunity.

[Christopher Cozad]

Originally Posted by James May

...at the end of the day that says to me you'd want a sound board transducer of some type for best sound, and suffer the compromise in feedback immunity.

Since we are dreaming...I wonder if there might be more than one product to satisfy more than one market?

The UST crowd typically want power without the price (to quote Atari's famous motto). I suppose an entry-level product could supply a couple of pre-defined "images" (it's not like that idea hasn't been thought of, before). But I could envision an unassuming UST coupled with a "microphone trainable" on-board solution that also provides for feedback "hardening".

For those wanting higher fidelity, you could up-charge for a couple of fun combinations, such as the SBT you already mentioned.

Just dreaming...

For now, the ToneDexter is doing everything, if not more than, I ever thought possible. I will be using it at a performance this weekend.

[martingitdave]

Originally Posted by James May

Yes, read it and noted your ideas! Of course, some of them we've thought about already. There are a lot of things we could do with this technology. That's all I can say about that right now.



I do totally understand the consideration that for utmost flexibility, you'd would want the best sounding pickup, preferably passive, and sans reliance on an external preamp, installed in your instrument so that you can go anywhere, plug in and play, and get a decent, usable sound.



YMMV, but at the end of the day that says to me you'd want a sound board transducer of some type for best sound, and suffer the compromise in feedback immunity.

Thanks James! I just didn't want my stream-of-consciousness internet babble to go unnoticed. ;-). In the meantime, you are exactly correct.

While I have an aura equipped Martin, which is great, I'd like a similar solution for my more resonant guitars. I am going to test two analog SBT solutions in various guitars. The PUTW #54 that I wrote about in another thread and the K&K mini. Both guitars will utilize an impedance matched MiSi battery free preamp with volume and tone wheels.

Once I can demonstrate reliability, the next step will be your Tonedexter, and and a nice small diaphragm condenser mic, which I should have already purchased for recording, but haven't.

I've convinced myself that IR is the way to go. I just need to determine how much feedback resistance I really need. We folk singers don't get that rowdy.

What I need is IR convolution for my voice. Every few years I seem to lose a semi-tone in range. Maybe you can make me sound like Josh Groban again?

Cheers

[Petty1818]

Originally Posted by James May

To a large degree, ToneDexter will compensate for the pickup's deficiencies. Not 100%, but a lot.

So for example, a UST will most likely sound weak in the bass by itself, but TD will fill it in and make it sound much fatter, more like the mic.

A KK SBT, by itself, will tend to sound too heavy on the bottom. TD will automatically fix that up to get very close to the balance heard by the mic.

Other types of pickup systems, like onboard mics, will theoretically work as well, but some of them, like the Lyric, have some non linear characteristics that limit the degree to which they can be improved by ToneDexter.

They biggest question one should ask themselves, IMHO, is how loud you need to play. That will be the basic determinant of the type of pickup you'll need. Then, get a ToneDexter and make it sound good.

Of course I realize there are many more considerations than just that.

Thanks for clearing that up, I like what I am hearing! Just wondering if there have been any updates on the Tonedexter being available to Canadians soon?

[James May]

Originally Posted by Petty1818

Thanks for clearing that up, I like what I am hearing! Just wondering if there have been any updates on the Tonedexter being available to Canadians soon?

As a matter of fact, yes. We have received technical clearance for selling in Canada. Now we just have to figure out the logistical issues like what shipper to use, how to navigate customs, and how to arrange the order taking through Paypal. Working on it.

[Petty1818]

Originally Posted by James May

As a matter of fact, yes. We have received technical clearance for selling in Canada. Now we just have to figure out the logistical issues like what shipper to use, how to navigate customs, and how to arrange the order taking through Paypal. Working on it.

That's great! Please feel free to PM me when everything is finalized.

[TimbreTones]

Hi James,

I've been following ToneDexter from the prototype phase, and would be very interested in trying it out. Any thoughts of entering the European market, preferably Finland yet ?

Janne

[guitaniac]

Originally Posted by buzzardwhiskey

I don't have any vids from this summer, sorry.

After listening to a dozen or more samples that folks posted when the little red box first came out, I'd say that the pickup matters "a little". My personal evaluation is that undersaddle pickups like the Fishman Matrix and B-Band will sound fantastic, that K&K and JB and Trance bridge plate transducers sound really good, and Lyric-like stuff is problematic. YMMV.

That observation about the Lyric/ToneDexter combo seems to be reinforced by the fact that two or three ToneDexter users that we know of have replaced the Lyric with a more ToneDexter-compatible pickup. Didn't you do that yourself, buzzardwhiskey?

[buzzardwhiskey]

Originally Posted by guitaniac

That observation about the Lyric/ToneDexter combo seems to be reinforced by the fact that two or three ToneDexter users that we know of have replaced the Lyric with a more ToneDexter-compatible pickup. Didn't you do that yourself, buzzardwhiskey?

Not yet. I have a carbon fiber guitar from CA that has a Lyric in it. It's a combo I no longer play very much, but I'd hoped that the Tonedexter would help me fall in love again. No such luck. It howls too easily and is just generally not to my liking.

But the guitar itself is great and has many advantages, especially when I play outdoors.

This winter I plan on installing a Fishman Thinline undersaddle in it (very difficult K&K install due to offset soundhole). I believe this will allow the Tonedexter to do its thing well.

[buzzardwhiskey]

Duplicate post

[MaurysMusic]

I'm installing an Amulet MVT in a customer's new HD-28 Sunburst today. I'll try and post some sound clips when I'm finished the install for anyone who's interested.

[martingitdave]

Originally Posted by MaurysMusic

I'm installing an Amulet MVT in a customer's new HD-28 Sunburst today. I'll try and post some sound clips when I'm finished the install for anyone who's interested.

Please do that Maury!

[SpruceTop]

Originally Posted by MaurysMusic

I'm installing an Amulet MVT in a customer's new HD-28 Sunburst today. I'll try and post some sound clips when I'm finished the install for anyone who's interested.

Thanks Maury! Question: Do you use Trance's "selective-area-pressure" method (my terminology) to get the best tone from each Amulet or do you just centrally locate the clamp on each Amulet and let the adhesive bond for 12-hours? Thanks for any information you'd like to share!

[MaurysMusic]

I do use Trance's "selective-area-pressure" method and let the adhesive bond for 12-hours. Gary has coached me up over the years, and I'm really proud of the results we're getting.

[SpruceTop]

Originally Posted by MaurysMusic

I do use Trance's "selective-area-pressure" method and let the adhesive bond for 12-hours. Gary has coached me up over the years, and I'm really proud of the results we're getting.

Thanks, Maury! I'll probably do a reinstallation of the Amulets in my Martin HD-28, and when I put the Trance Phantom M in my Martin D-18, I'll use the "selective-area-pressure" method in both guitars.