EDB-1 Headway preamp

fyldenut · #1 01-18-2010, 09:18 AM

Hello all,

This is my first post here. I have read through various posts and threads and it appears there is a wealth of knowledge and experience here so I wondered if folk would be so kind as to offer their advice and comments on the following :

I have just bitten the bullet and ordered a Headway EDB-1 preamp despite concerns over the lack of independent EQ on the two channels as it seems other users have not found this to be a problem.

My setup is as follows:

Fylde Magician acoustic with a Headway fixed EQ undersaddle pickup which runs from a 9volt battery. Connects via a standard guitar cable.

Samick Artist Acoustic Guitar with a b-band undersaddle pickup and internal microphone. Again running from a 9 volt battery inside the guitar but the system connects via either a stereo cable (stereo to two mono jacks or a stereo jack to stereo jack).

First thing I wanted to ask is how people have got on plugging an undersaddle and an internal mic into the EDB1 and if anyone has any advice on this? Has everone found that the lack of independent EQ is not a problem? I realise that this unit was not designed with this in mind and have read the manual but I do need the internal mic as I play percussion on the body of the guitar and an external mic just doesnt do it for me. I acknowledge internal mics arent great but I am happy with what the b-band does blended with the undersaddle.

Secondly and this may well be asking too much but, ideally I want to put both of the undersaddle pickups into one of the inputs on the EDB1. I wouldnt be using more than one guitar at a time but as the outputs and tone on the two undersaddle pickups seems fairly similar I am hoping I can get away with this without having to change much when I swap. Does anybody have any thoughts on how this could be achieved? Could some sort of ABY switch box be used? Or a basic two channel mixer if one exists that doesnt degrade the signal too much?

There has been the odd gig when channels / D.I boxes have been thin on the ground and the undertsaddle pickups on my two guitars have shared a D.I box and the volume and EQ at the desk has not had to be changed each time I have swapped guitars. I am very much hoping I can use both my guitars through this unit somehow.

Many thanks in advance for any help / advice / comments.

David_Mead · #2 01-19-2010, 10:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fyldenut

Secondly and this may well be asking too much but, ideally I want to put both of the undersaddle pickups into one of the inputs on the EDB1. I wouldnt be using more than one guitar at a time but as the outputs and tone on the two undersaddle pickups seems fairly similar I am hoping I can get away with this without having to change much when I swap. Does anybody have any thoughts on how this could be achieved? Could some sort of ABY switch box be used? Or a basic two channel mixer if one exists that doesnt degrade the signal too much?

Can't help you with the preamp as I haven't tried the Headway. I have a Fylde Falstaff with the same FEQ pick-up in it and play with two guitars going into the same preamp live. I use a Behringer A/B box which is one of the only models I found on the market which allows you to plug two guitars in and switch between them (most A/B boxes seem to have one input going to two outputs). The Behringer is an AB200 which I picked up quite cheap on eBay...

David

irish_admiral · #3 01-19-2010, 02:59 PM

Well, it's likely that different guitars with different pickup settings will always need to be EQd slightly differently, so it's unlikely that will change by you simply getting a new preamp.

What might help is if you can figure out separate settings for each guitar which mean that you don't have to change anything at the desk end. However, that assumes that you play the same rig in the same location all the time...

As far as the Headway preamp goes, it is possible to construct a sort of stereo cable so that you can run the pickup and mic into separate channels. If you use the search facility and search under you preamp name, ljguitar had a couple of threads detailing how.

fyldenut · #4 01-20-2010, 05:17 AM

Many thanks for taking the time to reply...

- Thanks for the suggestion of the Behringer A/B box, I shall have a look. Do some A/B boxes degrade the signal at all? Is it best to use one which doesnt require power? I take it that the ones that dont require power cannot control the volume of the two seperate signals before they are mixed to mono. As the EDB1 seems like such a nice preamp I wouldnt want to degrade the signal before it reaches the preamp.

- Yes I have read those long threads about powering an internal mic and making the special cable to fit the EDB-1. Is that the thread you were referring to? As my b-band has a battery am I right in thinking that I wont need to get a special cable and would only need either a stereo to stereo or stereo to two mono?

Many thanks again

fyldenut · #5 01-24-2010, 06:55 AM

Hello thought I would post to conclude this thread for anyone who may be interested in the future.

I received the EDB1 and although I have not played live with it yet I have tried it out at home through my own PA on low volume.

The B-Band internal mic and undersaddle sounds fantastic through the EDB1 and the lack of separate EQ is not at all an issue it just sounds so good that only a touch of overall EQ and the notch filter is required. The phas invert switch is a revelation as it has cleaned up the overall sound loads, cant believe that I have been playing all these years with the two pickups out of phase!?

The Headway Undersaddle also sounds excellent although not as good as the B-Band but this has made me realise that I need an internal mic for the Fylde to give more of the guitars character to the sound of the Headway (sorry Headway I know you dont agree with this). Again the EQ seems to be fine as set for the b-band BUT unfortunately the b-band undersaddle is alot louder than the Headway and therefore different gain settings are required.

For the record I think that the Headway fixed EQ unbdersaddle in my Fylde is great and about as good as undersaddles get but I do want an internal mic also.

irish_admiral · #6 01-25-2010, 02:28 PM

Apologies, missed your last post, but pleased you have sorted your sound anyway!

A very cheap and easy "DIY" phase switch is to wire up your own very short mic cable with pins 2 and 3 in reverse. You can connect it in if you suspect you have phasing issues. That's basically all a phase switch does on your preamp...