Is RedEye the answer?

[zeeway]

My setup is an Emerald X20 through a K&K mini pickup to a Boss EQ7 to a Fishman Loudbox Mini...and I kinda like the sound...but I am not quite happy. I play with a Christian group in retirement/rehab places with medium size rooms - so I don't need super loud, but just like everyone else I would like the amplified sound to be more like the unamplified sound. So I was wondering: would a Redeye preamp/DI do anything for me?

I am guessing the RedEye has a circuit based upon a particular model of sound amplification that works for an acoustic guitar...is it like having a ToneDexter with only one model in it? That makes me think it is hit or miss, since it does not have much adjustment capability.

Would a RedEye help, or would it just be one more pedal in the chain?

[Al Acuff]

It's nothing like a ToneDexter. The RedEye is a clean transparent preamp that was designed to work well with K&K pickups. It does not color or enhance the sound.

K&K pickups are popular down in Austin and the designer worked with local musicians to develop the RedEye. It's simple by design so that you can plug and play. The EQ is limited but most folks find it adequate. The inventor is a nice fellow and I found him willing to talk on the phone and answer questions. Nice people. Good product.

[capefisherman]

I have owned and used a Red-Eye for about three years, probably 100 gigs in various size rooms. I have K&K pick-ups in all my guitars except a custom shop Martin that I just bought. That guitar has a Fishman in it and I was immediatley reminded how much I dislike those pick-ups (ordered a K&K which will be installed next week). My experience with Red-Eye is that they definitely improve the already good sound of the K&K, more so even than the K&K pre-amp, which I used for a time. With a Fishman? No. All it does is bring out the nasty qualities of the Fishman. FWIW, I almost always play through my ACUS OneforStrings 8 (which is astounding, far and away the best sounding acoustic amp I've ever heard and I've owned just about all the high end acoustic amps), sometimes through my Bose S1 when I do beach weddings where there is no power, sometimes through my Carvin AG 300 w/extension speaker when I have other players with me and we need to expand the vocal PA options.

Bottom line is this: the Red-Eye is simple but effective and I wouldn't consider doing a gig without it.

Gene
capecodacoustics.com

[jonfields45]

The Red-eye is a fine product but for your purposes it can not do anything the GE7 can not. ToneDexter is the best next thing for you to try. It is an astounding product.

[rmp]

no experience with the RedEye but the Tonedexter is the first acoustic pre-amp I bought and thought "Holy Molly, where ya been all my life?"

it is NOT plug and play, but.... the learning curve is not steep and it is worth the time to sort out the ins and outs, as they fit your environment (Guitars you own, Mics you will use to "train" the TD for each guitar)

The end result IMHO, it will more accurately capture and reproduce the sound of each guitar you intend to run through it.

I have a Taylor 514CE-NY with an ESN system. VERY difficult to get a good sound out of that, the Tonedexter's treatment to that guitar was pretty amazing.

IF the K&K and RedEye are a match by design tho, I'd be trying one.

[gfirob]

+1 for the Tonedexter. It is in another league.

[uriah1]

Tone Dexter may be like getting a rocket ship when
all you need is a car.

I love plug and play

Red eye (fire-eye) does that. Net neutral..sounds like a guitar
no messing around. Sounded good on baggs stuff and fishman..fyi

imho

[jay7347]

I was running a Baggs Venue DI on my combined acoustic/electric pedalboard. Next I tried the ToneDexter and just couldn't get it dialed in. Call it user error. I went to the Red Eye after hearing that it played nicely with K&K's which I have in both my acoustics. I have to say that at first plug in I noticed a dramatic difference in clarity from the Venue DI. My only complaint is the lack of a 9v plug option like everything else on my board. Yeah I run phantom power from my mixer at home, and go battery at church but wish I didn't have to remember to unplug the guitar input after every session to keep from draining the battery. I love the unit other than that 9v issue.

-jay

[ljguitar]

Originally Posted by zeeway

…So I was wondering: would a Redeye preamp/DI do anything for me?

Hi z

You have an SBT, so if you add the RedEye, that's all you'd need in average rooms.

It would likely sound better than the EQ7, because it is pre-EQed for average settings. Think of it like a point-n-shoot camera for sound. You don't get much control over the sound because those decisions were made for you by RedEye.

[Mandobart]

Originally Posted by capefisherman

My experience with Red-Eye is that they definitely improve the already good sound of the K&K, more so even than the K&K pre-amp, which I used for a time...<snip>....sometimes through my Carvin AG 300 w/extension speaker when I have other players with me and we need to expand the vocal PA options.

Bottom line is this: the Red-Eye is simple but effective and I wouldn't consider doing a gig without it.

Gene

Interesting experience. I use JJB piezo's (very similar to K&K) and play through my Carvin AG300 when I'm bringing the sound reinforcement. I use my RedEye when I play through a house or other player's PA. I've found using the HI Z feature of my Carvin makes any additional DI or preamp unnecessary and superfluous. The RedEye never hurts the sound, and its nice that the Carvin puts out 48 V phantom power to save the battery, but any one of my 20 JJB equipped acoustic instruments sound just fine straight into the Carvin. Not using the preamp and additional cable for it eliminates extra signal chain components, which is always a good thing for me.

[gfirob]

The OP's original request was "I would like the amplified sound to be more like the unamplified sound". Nothing does that better than Tondexter. It is a different technology, hardly a rocketship. The Redeye is pretty good at the old technology, but just not in the league of the Tonedexter at that particular task, to make "the amplified sound to be more like the unamplified sound".

If that is what you want, Tonedexter is where you should go, IMHO. If you don't want to spend the $400, well, OK, or if you don't want to put out any more effort, well, ok too, but if you want your amplified sound to be more like your acoustic sound, Tonedexter is the best way to that goal.

[zeeway]

Thanks for all those replies. All that info helps my quest for better sound...but on a budget. I do think a RedEye may be in my future.

[Finger Stylish]

I had a Loudbox Mini for a good while. I never could get the volume I needed at medium size venues and the EQ from the Mini is below average. I now use The Performer and the Artist as monitors behind me, and DI out to EV powered speakers. The EQ I get from the Fishman Boxes is more than adequate. The mini loudbox sounds like AM radio compared to it's larger brothers. The Loudbox Performer & Artist have been my PA set up for two years. No complaints!

[Monsum]

As someone who used the Red-Eye preamp with the K&K Pure Mini pickup I don't think this preamp will make any difference in your setup.
The Red-Eye is designed to provide clean, flat response, low noise preampfification without any bells and whistles for those who are happy with how their pickup sounds itself or for those who would use the effects loop to further tweak the tone using additional pedals.
Personally I don't think there is anything exceptional in the Red-Eye compared to other quality preamps.
If you are not pleased with the current tone of your K&K I would suggest the Tonedexter.
Here's what the maker of the Red-Eye says:

The preamp is just simply a very HiFi circuit. Flat response beyond the audio band, extremely low distortion, lots of headroom, and very low noise. There is no "trick" EQ or compression or anything else messing with the signal from the instrument.

[zeeway]

Originally Posted by Finger Stylish

I had a Loudbox Mini for a good while. I never could get the volume I needed at medium size venues and the EQ from the Mini is below average. I now use The Performer and the Artist as monitors behind me, and DI out to EV powered speakers. The EQ I get from the Fishman Boxes is more than adequate. The mini loudbox sounds like AM radio compared to it's larger brothers. The Loudbox Performer & Artist have been my PA set up for two years. No complaints!

Hmmm...now you are making me wonder if I should go for a bigger amp...indecision may or may not be my problem...