I'm bumping this thread to get some opinions...
I am a (mostly) solo Americana singer/songwriter. My playing is primarily moderate strumming with some fingerpicking. I've recently picked-up a new J-45 Standard, and it clearly has the acoustic potential to be my #1 guitar (and my one and only performing guitar - It would be really nice to take just one guitar to gigs). Feedback is not an issue for me. Besides the guitar my stage set-up is one Heil PR-22 mic (for vox & harmonica).
I have K&K Pure Minis in three of my other guitars, and a Fishman NEO-D2 soundhole pickup in one other guitar (Martin 000-15), and I frankly think all those guitars sound better (more natural) amplified than the J-45.
I play everything through a Baggs Para DI and then either into my Carvin AG200 or DI'ed into a PA.
So, I considering a lot of options of how to address the Active Element's deficiencies for my application. Here are some I'm considering (ranked from less invasive/expensive to most invasive/expensive):
1. Keep everything "as is" for the time being, and continue to experiment with different setting on the Para DI (I've actually tweaked the sound to be fairly "quackless", but it's still more colored than I would like).
2. Add a second microphone to my rig/system and either blend that in with the Element, or don't use the Element at all. I play sitting, so this would be fairly doable. The downside, of course, would be the added gear and set-up. I'm a Heil guy, so the mic would likely be a Heil.
Thoughts? Would it be worth the time and effort to blend the Element and the mic, or should I just give up on the Element if I go this route?
3. Upgrade my preamp to the Baggs Venue. Would this be a substantial upgrade from the Para DI in terms of the degree of tone coloration?
4. Upgrade my preamp to the Fishman Aura 16. I've read that this works very well with the Active Element, but I'd hate to lose the DI, and don't like that this wouldn't work with my non Dread guitars.
5. Upgrade my preamp to the Fishman Aura Spectrum. How will this sound with the J-45, and with my other guitars equipped with the K&K minis? This thing is expensive...Is it a reasonable value for my situation?
6. Upgrade the pickup in my J-45 to the Baggs Lyric or Anthem SL. Opinions on these for my situation? Will the current end pin hole in the J-45 work with the jacks for these? Will the installation of these be fairly non-invasive?
7. Upgrade to some other pickup all together.
So, I'd like opinions on all these options. I guess my initial inclination is to go in baby steps instead of making huge changes and modifications at once. So, right now I'm leaning toward adding a second stage mic to either replace or blend with the Element.