#16
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ToneDexters are in short supply at the moment... Otherwise it would be my recommendation.
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jf45ir Free DIY Acoustic Guitar IR Generator .wav file, 30 seconds, pickup left, mic right, open position strumming best...send to direct email below I'll send you 100/0, 75/25, 50/50 & 0/100 IR/Bypass IRs IR Demo, read the description too: https://youtu.be/SELEE4yugjE My duo's website and my email... [email protected] Jon Fields |
#17
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Aaron never claims to be the defintive end-all of everything, and is refreshingly clear about what he is doing and how he is doing it. As for other combinations like SBTs and the like, of course we would all like other people to produce even more free content for us!
Regarding the use of different mics, a variety of mics, including less expensive ones, have produced very good results according to self-reports here. I used a Rode NT1-A which is not nothing at $229 but ain't $1000 either. Anyway, a mic excerpt from the Tonedexter FAQ: A small diaphragm condenser mic is recommended. Large diaphragm mics can also work well, but may be more finicky about placement. Dynamic mics, such as common vocal mics, can yield usable results, though generally will not have as much high frequency information. Last edited by Chriscom; 01-24-2022 at 09:35 PM. |
#18
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Now that there are more IR options available I'm hoping to find one perfectly matched that was recorded from a similar guitar to mine (or directly from my guitar). I always felt a bit limited by the options on the Mama Bear. Most of the IR options were worthless to me and I only used a couple of them. When I bought it over 15 years ago it was great, but definitely lacked the flexibility of some of these new pedals.
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Olson SJ (Cedar & Indian Rosewood) Applegate SJ (Tunnel 14 Redwood & Madagascar Rosewood) Custom Lowden Style F50 (Sinker Redwood & Madagascar Rosewood) Custom MJ (Cedar & African Blackwood) Eastman E40 OM Taylor 816ce Builder's Edition Taylor GS Mini Mahogany Taylor T5 Koa “The secret of life is enjoying the passage of time.” –James Taylor Last edited by aschroeder; 01-24-2022 at 05:34 PM. |
#19
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I was deciding between the Tonedexter and the Optima Air. My reason for going with the Optima Air is the ability to load 3rd party IR's through the computer app. So if I'm not successful recording my own I could load other IR's not already on the unit.
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Olson SJ (Cedar & Indian Rosewood) Applegate SJ (Tunnel 14 Redwood & Madagascar Rosewood) Custom Lowden Style F50 (Sinker Redwood & Madagascar Rosewood) Custom MJ (Cedar & African Blackwood) Eastman E40 OM Taylor 816ce Builder's Edition Taylor GS Mini Mahogany Taylor T5 Koa “The secret of life is enjoying the passage of time.” –James Taylor |
#20
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Agree in that I don't feel most (any?) folks are making a purchase based solely on what they see and hear in a single video. It's just one piece of information. I think Aaron is super transparent about that. I for one am grateful for the information he shares and have learned a bunch just listening in.
I landed on the Optima Air after test driving a few. One thing I think that is being overlooked is that it is a very good sounding preamp by itself. Like others, I have ventured away from IRs, but I continue to use the NuX simply for its good preamp and excellent tone shaping. I have a Fire-eye Red-eye that sits in my case, as I feel the Optima Air sounds better and has more tone shaping tools. But they are both good. We split a lot of hairs here. But....from my view...so much of the stuff that is out there sounds really good. |
#21
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I think Aaron disclosed what he did, but don't think much discussion of different options were considered. I'm more concerned people would watch a single video and think the samples and opinions are universally agreed upon (settled). I love the fact we have tons of choices for IR units. It's a game changer for high end playing with top quality acoustics live…especially for acoustic soloists, or small ensembles. James May has been a great help. I have not produced any samples with similar quality with the small condenser mic over 1" capsule condensers. On the other hand, I've only tried a handful of small diaphragm mics (including my Peluso CEMC6 mics), and two medium diaphragm mics. I've used small diaphragm (10-12mm capsule), medium capsule (20mm capsule) and large diaphragm (26-28mm capsule). And I think the Rode NT-1 would be a great choice. I have not found any of my condenser mics to be finicky. The room/space I recorded in seemed more important than the mics I used. I placed them 14-18" off the neck/body joint aimed at the joint parallel to the body, or from about the 9th fret about 14" off the neck aimed toward the sound-hole, or about 11" in off the lower bout aimed slightly behind the bridge. Glad we are having the discussion… |
#22
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Thanks for the thoughtful and thought-provoking dialogue… I suspect serious players will weigh and consider options and not base their decisions on a single sample, experiment or review. The hard part in choosing is the lack of real-world examples of these units to try-out, hear or experiment with before purchasing. This is cutting edge new tech, and more units are showing up all the time. I already had been using a great working system in all my guitars for 15 years (K&K dual source with Raven PMB, DTAR Solstice, & Headway two channel external preamps). My addition of the ToneDexter to my gear was based on a dream at age 71 to see if I could get performance level, room filling acoustic guitar volume with studio quality sound in live situations. And I've accomplished that, and in fact it has exceeded my hopes. The ToneDexter V2 software update finally put it over the top. When the unit was new, I had to fiddle around to get the sound I wanted, and was using a sound hole plug to limit feedback. The addition of the new Notch controller (variable adjustment which allows one to knock down the resonant peak frequencies), and full mic recording on all post-Version 2 WaveMaps (which are more natural than before) made huge improvements for me. And I was already happy. I have not been using the Feedback Buster any more (it's still in the pick drawer if I need it). My last three outings were in challenging settings:
Not even a hint of feedback, and such a good sound in all three situations. It sounded like my Olson with me singing along. I drive the ToneDexter with my K&K Pure mini, but have left all the K&K mics in my 5 acoustics which have the dual source systems as a backup should something fail me in the ToneDexter realm. Hope this adds to the discussion… |
#23
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I first got an Aura system on a Martin Performing artist a few eras back - It sounds very natural and "mic'd" and it's easy to dial in - I got a used 000-18 and put an Aura Elipse pickup in it, same organic mic'd tone to the PA. The ability to mix Fishmans' modeled guitar samples with the guitar pickup makes for a very good live amplified tone - I started out on this modeling/Live mixed guitar sound way back with a Dear Mama Bear pre-amp - that still sounds great too but this Aura pickup system is much easier to use live - no extra box to carry around. The Tonedexter thing is something you make your own guitar modeled sounds with your guitar - I find it so much easier to have Fishman create them and just download them into the pickup, in the case of the Eclipse, in the Performing Artist guitar, Martin loads them in at the factory. Truly plug and play with minimal fussing around - I don't use electric guitar amp modelers for the same reason - rather play than program.
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#24
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The Eclipse also looks a bit heavy and big, relatively speaking, so I wonder if it would affect the unplugged sound I love so much. But I really don't know if the VT Enhance on my other one is any less intrusive. Tonedexter for now on the Sonitone! |