#31
|
|||
|
|||
Quote:
When I'm playing and running my own sound at the same time, I don't have time or the mental space to be so careful about the adjustments, so just flipping the HPF on the PZ-Pre and maybe adding a small bump in the low mids suits me just fine. Louis |
#32
|
|||
|
|||
It's not really a unique preamp and a lot of users on here seem to have their own versions. Actually the Fishman systems are extremely popular. With that said, preamps with eq can only do so much. Saying it makes good pickups sound great might be a bit of a stretch. Not trying to be argumentative but I have been down that road before. I remember buying every preamp thinking it would be the cure for my plugged in tone. At the end of the day they are great but they won't fix all issues.
|
#33
|
|||
|
|||
I saw a good description on a long defunct recording forum with a pie chart, which I am not going to draw, but describe a little....when you play your acoustic guitar at home, alone, you have the whole pie. When you sing, you have to share the pie, approx 50/50. Add a large noisy crowd, you have to share that noise space with your guitar sound, so you get even less.
Now, add a drummer, you got nothing. Unless you get get a volume to match the drumkit. Add a whole band and....phew. Now with some electronics and judicious eq, you need to 'carve' a piece of the pie for your acoustic guitar. Bass and drums occupy mainly this bit, vocals mainly this bit, guitar this bit. (which is usually a very narrow band, hence adding a slab of compression to help make all that guitar sound fit in ...that bit! FYI: http://blog.sonicbids.com/the-ultima...mon-instrument BluesKing777. |
#34
|
||||
|
||||
Quote:
|
#35
|
|||
|
|||
Quote:
BluesKing777. |
#36
|
|||
|
|||
Quote:
The most natural pickup I've ever used was a PUTW #54 but it was super low-ouput, feedback prone, and would get lost in a mix. Nowadays, I just use the LB6 in my 'pickin' guitars and an iBeam in my strummer. They're not PUTW or Trance-level natural but they work and are audible in a mix. For the music I play and the venues I perform in, these are the best compromise of utility and tone. The LB6 doesn't sound as natural as a PUTW but it does sound better than a Fishman and it's passive and feedback resistant. The iBeam is pretty nice but it's not as hot as a K&K or Dazzo but for my strummer, it's more than enough and requires very little EQ. I don't chase "perfect" because that could become the enemy of "good." I get a good sound that's passive and dependable, I won't risk losing that for a chance at something more "natural." And "natural" is a quality that only I'll appreciate and will be lost on the audience who just care about hearing the music and it being in tune.
__________________
Alvarez MC90 Guild GAD-50 w/Seymour Duncan Mag Mic Taylor 352ce Taylor 514ce Zoom AC3 https://linktr.ee/erikjmusic |
#37
|
|||
|
|||
I came to the same conclusion as the OP, that's why I equipped my last guitar with a piezo pickup (LR Baggs Session VTC). I realised that many live recordings I like feature a UST pickup, (often Fishman Matrix or similar). The benefit is, you worry less about the feedback and you can get a really good sound although not necessarily natural.
In many sound examples of systems like the Tonedexter or the Aura, I hear on one hand sound closer to a natural one, but on the other hand very processed. It's something I can achieve in my DAW, using many plugins and techniques to turn a UST sound into acoustic tone but often its still not as convincing as piezo sound with some EQ. I think for live performance a piezo does a good job, I say that possibly because I'm used to it or maybe a quality UST pickup is not that terrible. And we only say this when we compare it to the sound of an unamplified acoustic. |
#38
|
|||
|
|||
I've had good luck with grace designs Felix. I agree "natural" does not cut it
In a live mix. I like KK pups but find now I'd rather use the sunrise mag as it is More versatile and always sounds good in any situation (with less tweaking)...so far... The KK does not work well without a pre and some eq. The sunrise sounds doable plugged into A di ... Last edited by varmonter; 02-16-2018 at 07:13 AM. |
#39
|
|||
|
|||
This is why guitars like Taylors are so popular in full bands. They sound great in a band mix with their built-in piezo systems. Solo or acoustic, not so good. Guitars that sound great acoustically like a Martin often sound boomy played loud and amplified.
__________________
Do your best, fake the rest |
#40
|
|||
|
|||
Funny i've never owned an ovation but always
thought they sounded pretty good in a live plugged in situation. not so much acoustically in a living room. So i think taylor's "sound" also occupies this spot in the mix . a little "high and lonesome"if you will. Put it in front of a mic and not as much. This is where Martin shines. |
#41
|
|||
|
|||
In contrast I love the sound of my Taylors acoustically as well as solo specifically because of the ES system. Run directly to the board which I keep set flat I can adjust my tone at the guitar as needed, which is rare. I also love my Martin acoustically. I can't comment on them amplified as I don't have pickups in them!
|
#42
|
|||
|
|||
Quote:
Last edited by tubetone74; 02-16-2018 at 08:35 AM. |
#43
|
|||
|
|||
Quote:
With respect to ToneDexter, though, I'm still preferring using full character. I'm not even feeling a need to reduce the character at this point, let alone make the upgrade which would enable me to blend some dry signal with a WaveMap. Perhaps the fact that I'm training WaveMaps with an omni-directional mic at fairly close distance is producing less ambient sounding WaveMaps which are less of a problem in a noisy setting. The fact that I only play solo likely also contributes to my preference for the full character ToneDexter sound. I remember a friend once telling me that he preferred the amplified sound from a PUTW soundboard pickup when playing solo, but needed a UST sound to cut though in a band setting. |
#44
|
||||
|
||||
I respectfully disagree. When volume is added the room acoustics enhance and subtract from whatever the original sound was. You can't change physics.
__________________
Waterloo WL-S, K & K mini Waterloo WL-S Deluxe, K & K mini Iris OG, 12 fret, slot head, K & K mini Follow The Yellow Brick Road |
#45
|
|||
|
|||
Quote:
I find that the blend control doesn’t work in the same was as the Aura. I’m glad it’s there but I actually prefer character 1 or 2! |