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-   -   ToneDexter - The Holy Grail! (https://www.acousticguitarforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=488930)

Mkel12 11-09-2017 06:46 PM

ToneDexter - The Holy Grail!
 
Picked up my ToneDexter yesterday from old friend Stevie at Mighty Fine Guitars.

The TD is amazing! It is the tone I have been searching for in amplified acoustic sound since the mid 90s. It is the purest acoustic guitar amplified sound I have ever heard.

I trained a Dazzo SBT-equipped Taylor 814ce with a Shure SM81, miked at 15" from the neck body joint straight on. The manual was easy to follow, and my first training attempt produced a very pleasing result in about 3 minutes. I then used that map for a Dazzo-equipped Blackbird Lucky 13 carbon fiber guitar, plugged into a Schertler Jam 150. Though you can tell the difference between the two when amplified, they are pretty close in tone. So now I have a carbon guitar that sounds like a miked wooden guitar when amplified. Wow! I understand why these units are selling as fast as they are made.

This is the best $400 I have ever invested in acoustic amplification. Just wanted to give a shout out to an amazing, magical product. ~ Mike

jennconducts 11-09-2017 07:37 PM

Congrats! I love mine as well.

Petty1818 11-09-2017 09:17 PM

Awesome! I am in the process of ordering mine now!

Racerbob 11-09-2017 09:17 PM

I got one of the very first batch, it's marvelous. I'm also equipping all my guitars with James's SBT system. He was nice enough to throw in the exciter with the lot so I can do the fine tuning myself.

Like you I was never satisfied with the amplified sound until now. "Quack no more"

SpruceTop 11-09-2017 11:36 PM

+1 ToneDexter!

Petty1818 11-10-2017 09:52 AM

I really hope this ends my acoustic amplification search. I think the most exciting part is that I hopefully will not have to worry so much about the pickup itself in the future. I won't cheap out but there doesn't really seem to be any benefit to dropping $300+ on a system when I simply can install a UST or a more affordable SBT like the pure mini.

Mkel12 11-10-2017 12:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Petty1818 (Post 5532813)
I really hope this ends my acoustic amplification search. I think the most exciting part is that I hopefully will not have to worry so much about the pickup itself in the future. I won't cheap out but there doesn't really seem to be any benefit to dropping $300+ on a system when I simply can install a UST or a more affordable SBT like the pure mini.

I think you will be very happy, Petty. We seem to be of like mind on all things related to amplified acoustic tone, based upon your posts I have observed over the years. My next endeavor with the TD will be to record my Gibson Jackson Browne model, using the Trance Amulet pickup system. Based on how well the Dazzo performed, I am optimistic.

rb1591 11-10-2017 02:16 PM

anyone have live recordings of TD
 
I've listened to all the TD demos I can find, but I want to hear it on stage. All I've found are Peter Frampton videos, which weren't very informative to me. Anyone know of others?

Petty1818 11-10-2017 05:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mkel12 (Post 5533006)
I think you will be very happy, Petty. We seem to be of like mind on all things related to amplified acoustic tone, based upon your posts I have observed over the years. My next endeavor with the TD will be to record my Gibson Jackson Browne model, using the Trance Amulet pickup system. Based on how well the Dazzo performed, I am optimistic.

Did you use high end microphones to recover your images? I am considering renting some from my local music store once the tonedexter arrives. I have some very good condenser microphones but none are technically for acoustic guitar.

Petty1818 11-10-2017 05:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rb1591 (Post 5533131)
I've listened to all the TD demos I can find, but I want to hear it on stage. All I've found are Peter Frampton videos, which weren't very informative to me. Anyone know of others?

Good point, I have wanted to see more live videos as well. I will say this though, when I first listened to Aura images, I was very impressed. However, there was always this hollowness to the tone that made me dislike the images. I tried the spectrum for a few years but could never bond with it for that reason. I don't hear any of that with the tonedexter.

Mkel12 11-10-2017 08:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Petty1818 (Post 5533358)
Did you use high end microphones to recover your images? I am considering renting some from my local music store once the tonedexter arrives. I have some very good condenser microphones but none are technically for acoustic guitar.

I used a Shure SM81. Not high end, but highly recommended by James May, TD founding father. I have some higher end large condenser mics that I will play with down the road, but the SM81 worked pretty well. $350 at Sweetwater.

rb1591 11-10-2017 08:06 PM

Re: TD live demos, I have learned over many years of gigging that what might sound good in my music room at home or when recording a track, can be very different on stage in a multitude of ways.

Mkel12 11-10-2017 09:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rb1591 (Post 5533456)
Re: TD live demos, I have learned over many years of gigging that what might sound good in my music room at home or when recording a track, can be very different on stage in a multitude of ways.

Makes total sense. I have heard that Alison Krauss and her entire band have them now, so maybe we will soon see them using them in a video from a live show.

Doug Young 11-10-2017 10:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Petty1818 (Post 5533358)
Did you use high end microphones to recover your images? I am considering renting some from my local music store once the tonedexter arrives. I have some very good condenser microphones but none are technically for acoustic guitar.

I tried an SM57 when I first got mine, worked fine. I've been using "better" mics, but I'd say try with whatever you have handy and see if you like the results. It's not like you're locked in, you can always create additional wavemaps.

rb1591 11-11-2017 08:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mkel12 (Post 5533522)
Makes total sense. I have heard that Alison Krauss and her entire band have them now, so maybe we will soon see them using them in a video from a live show.

That's encouraging. A good recording of that would be quite a live performance test.


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