Anyone Using A Fishman Aura 16 w/Nylon?

open-road-matt · #1 01-26-2011, 12:21 PM

I have two nylon string guitars that will be going on the road with me next week. They both have the Fishman Prefix Pro Blend system in them. That system blends an under saddle transducer with a sound board transducer. The sound board transducer is in different spots in each guitar so I get a different plugged in tone. In one, the SBT (sound board transducer) is closer to the bridge and more in the middle. In the other, it is further from the bridge and more toward the bass side.

I can make both of them work nicely for me with different settings and they have different plugged in characteristics and that might come in handy. But it dawned on me last night that I might get more consistency out of them by using an Aura 16 with some of the different nylon images.

I can roll the blend 100% to the UST (under saddle transducer) and if I can find an image I like, blend in just a little image to give me some body without having to fool with the different sound board transducers. And as a plus, I can try my ukulele through it too!

I've been down the Aura road unsuccessfully 3 different times before with my steel string guitars but never with nylon.

Is anyone else using an Aura with their nylon string guitar? Any words of wisdom?

Thanks!
Matt

Paultergeist · #2 01-26-2011, 05:49 PM

I have an Aura 16 for nylon. While the 16 pre-sets are all a bit different, none of them seem -- in my personal opinion -- to truly enhance the sound of the guitar through the PA. I get a slightly synthetic feel from the thing, but perhaps I am just not a "modeling" type of player. The Arua wasn't bad, I just didn't care much for it. I have stopped using it.

In my limited experience with the Aura 16, if one has a good sound from the guitar and pick-up system, then one is likely to sound good through the PA -- with or without the Aura. Conversely, if one has a bad/lacking sound from the guitar and pick-up system, then one is likely to sound bad/lacking through the PA -- with or without the Aura. That said, I do not see the Aura as being a "solution" or even a significant enhancement to a less-than-satisfying tone, but it may offer some more subtle flavors if one likes that sort of effect.

Since these things are a bit procey, my advice to you is to order one from one of the stores which carry a flexible return policy (i.e., MF has a 45-day return policy, as do others) try the thing out, and make your final decision while you are still within the return time-frame.

open-road-matt · #3 01-26-2011, 10:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Paultergeist

In my limited experience with the Aura 16, if one has a good sound from the guitar and pick-up system, then one is likely to sound good through the PA -- with or without the Aura. Conversely, if one has a bad/lacking sound from the guitar and pick-up system, then one is likely to sound bad/lacking through the PA -- with or without the Aura. That said, I do not see the Aura as being a "solution" or even a significant enhancement to a less-than-satisfying tone, but it may offer some more subtle flavors if one likes that sort of effect..

Thanks Paultergeist!
That sounds like my exact experience with the other Aura products I've tried out.

I did order one from Musician's Friend last night and it will arrive tomorrow. I'll put it through its paces and if I don't like it I'll send it back.

I appreciate the help.

Matt

open-road-matt · #4 01-27-2011, 09:22 PM

My Aura 16 arrived this afternoon. I had it overnighted so I could use it for my show on Saturday if I like it.

They sent me a used one! No USB cable, the software install disc was all scratched up and when I got it hooked up to my computer, someone had loaded different images into it already.

But I figured if I liked it, I'd call and see what could be done about getting either a partial credit or a different one.

They don't have images for my specific guitars so I went with the generic Classical Guitar, Fishman Nylon with my same wood combination.

After getting everything hooked up, I found two images, maybe three that I liked. I thought they sounded nice and would be very usable live but they didn't sound like my guitar. I tried anywhere from a 50/50 split between pickup and image and just the slightest amount of image. The image I liked the best sounded like a very clean, mic'd nylon string guitar but it sounded a bit artificial to me when I compared it to the pickup system without the Aura.

My pickup system with a bit of the sound board transducer blended in, sounded like my guitar and that's what I want. So the Aura is already on its way back.

Matt

Forensicguy · #5 01-28-2011, 07:07 AM

Well, I'm a little late to the game, but I have a Fishman Aura Spectrum DI that I use with my Ovation Classic 2073LX nylon as well as with my R Taylor Style One (Maple / Sitka) and it has worked out just fine.

I find that while the tones may not necessarily be exactly as my guitar might sound when played acoustically, they are very nice... that is, just a handful of them. Not all work with the guitars, of course. But even if one or two make the guitar sound better, that's good enough for me.

For the nylon, I found only one that matched the Ovation such that it enhanced it better than playing the Ovation "as is" when plugged in. That's the one I use all the time. The R Taylor Style One steel string sounds decent with a couple of settings (it has an LR Baggs Element VC in it.)

open-road-matt · #6 01-28-2011, 03:17 PM

Hi Russ!
I found 2 settings that made my guitar sound better than it did with just the UST but when I brought in just a bit of the sound board transducer, I thought I got a truer representation of the guitar than I did with UST/Aura but that could just be me.

So I guess my point is that if I didn't have the option of blending in the SBT I would have been a bit more apt to keep the Aura.

Matt

Paultergeist · #7 01-28-2011, 03:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by open-road-matt

My Aura 16 arrived this afternoon.
They sent me a used one! No USB cable, the software install disc was all scratched up and when I got it hooked up to my computer, someone had loaded different images into it.

The image I liked the best sounded like a very clean, mic'd nylon string guitar but it sounded a bit artificial to me when I compared it to the pickup system without the Aura.

My pickup system with a bit of the sound board transducer blended in, sounded like my guitar and that's what I want. So the Aura is already on its way back.

Matt

Hey Matt,

It sounds like you and I may have independently arrived at some similar conclusions.

It is a bit disturbing to me, however, that you mention that you received a used Aura. I had a somewhat similar experience with a previous (large chassis) Aura. It went back to Fishman for a factory upgrade, and came back to me with some damage. I wonder if there is a quality control problem in their returns/repairs department?

Paul

Forensicguy · #8 01-28-2011, 03:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by open-road-matt

Hi Russ!
I found 2 settings that made my guitar sound better than it did with just the UST but when I brought in just a bit of the sound board transducer, I thought I got a truer representation of the guitar than I did with UST/Aura but that could just be me.

Matt

It's very possible that you are correct. Every guitar and pickup is going to react a little differently with the Fishman, so perhaps for your guitars, it might very well be better without it. For the Ovation, it makes a better sound with it than without, but if I had to use the Ovation by itself, I could live with it too as it's not bad "as is" either.

open-road-matt · #9 01-28-2011, 04:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Paultergeist

Hey Matt,

It sounds like you and I may have independently arrived at some similar conclusions.

It is a bit disturbing to me, however, that you mention that you received a used Aura. I had a somewhat similar experience with a previous (large chassis) Aura. It went back to Fishman for a factory upgrade, and came back to me with some damage. I wonder if there is a quality control problem in their returns/repairs department?

Paul

Hi Paul,
This one came from Musicians Friend. I assumed that it was one they sold and someone returned it after loading on some different images and making off with the USB cable. At least that is my best guess as to what happened. Musicians Friend couldn't have been more helpful with the return. They were very apologetic about the used Aura and refunded my shipping costs too. Which of course they probably should but it was nice to have them do it without my asking.

Matt

Irishpicker · #10 11-03-2017, 03:55 PM

I just received a used Fishman Aura I found from another state on GC. I’m putting it through tests. My two guitars are Taylor 114e GA spruce/walnut & a Lag GA cutaway elec cedar/mahogany. Didn’t know which Aura I would get, wasn’t specified. Nylon came, at first disappointed but since my cedar Lag almost sounds Spanish classical though I’d try it. I don’t know what each setting is supposed to be but I found at least one or more that enhances blend nice different for the two guitar sounds. I’ll try a while. Only cost $69 plus tax & ship. It definitely enhances the sounds even with steel strings. New they’re $169-239.