Anyone use the Aura® Spectrum DI Preamp

[slide496]

Any thoughts about the Aura® Spectrum DI Preamp? I'd like to enhance the tone on several of my acoustics...

Thanks,
Harriet

[BluesKing777]

I bought one when they came out quite a few years back now. They are better than quacky guitar sounds, but you can have more success if you have a standard type guitar that they have sound images in their gallery for. ie, if you have a Gibson J45 or a Martin D18, the online Aura images to download are great, but if you have perhaps a 1935 Kalamazoo KG14 - no images available and you do a compromise image of trying the closest image. The system is getting a bit old now.

Recently, Tonedexter has been on the market and it enables you to make fabulous ‘wavemaps’ (sound images like Aura) of your guitar with a pickup by running a mic - Tonedexter makes the pickup sound more like the mic sound! My latest was my Waterloo WL14x with K&K Mini installed.......superb.


BluesKing777.

[Mbroady]

I picked one up a while back for my Rainsong. It was/is the only guitar I have with a UST. I use the included carbon fiber wave map. It was a definite improvement, but not the “end all - be all” of great sound. I do like having the compression and EQ.

I think the tonedexter (on paper) seems to be more versatile. Still have to give one a spin

[ljguitar]

Originally Posted by slide496

Any thoughts about the Aura® Spectrum DI Preamp? I'd like to enhance the tone on several of my acoustics...

Thanks,
Harriet

Hi Harriet

It certainly works best with under saddle pickups, and not so well with others.

Were I starting from scratch building an amplification system, I'd go with the ToneDexter. More flexible, and would work with every guitar regardless of pickup system.

[slide496]

Thanks for the interest and taking time to replying to the question -

I don't use compatible equipment or have a dedicated setup to use a Tonedexter reliably, and since I use lavalier, Bill Lawrence pickups except for one guitar I don't think I'd get good use from the Fishman product.

Perhaps I'll try to expand tonal qualities through the capabilities of my THRA...

Thanks for the replies!


Best to All,
H

[Mr. Jelly]

I ran a Martin CEO-7 with a K & K mini through one doing weekly shows and open mics. It was easy and awesome sounding. When I tried to run my Waterloo WL-S Deluxe with a K & K mini through it was not so good. The Deluxe sounds best going strait to my acoustic amp.

[slide496]

I am doing serious thinking about the Deluxe - or another of the Waterloos...I am not entirely settled on what I would want to use it for - slide or not, I'd probably mic it through my schertler so there are two different user experience noted

[Brent Nelson]

I purchased one to shape the sound of a 91 Guild Songbird (fishman ust equipped chambered body ..think Godin A6) in to something less harsh. It is fantastic. It has become my favorite and go to plugged in guitar. I don't believe finding a "match' matters at all. Just find one that works and that creates a sound pleasing to you. It really is great with my Guild. Not so good with my K&K equipped intruments. I use a BBE for those.

My two-cents.

[slide496]

Originally Posted by BluesKing777

I bought one when they came out quite a few years back now. They are better than quacky guitar sounds, but you can have more success if you have a standard type guitar that they have sound images in their gallery for. ie, if you have a Gibson J45 or a Martin D18, the online Aura images to download are great, but if you have perhaps a 1935 Kalamazoo KG14 - no images available and you do a compromise image of trying the closest image. The system is getting a bit old now.

Recently, Tonedexter has been on the market and it enables you to make fabulous ‘wavemaps’ (sound images like Aura) of your guitar with a pickup by running a mic - Tonedexter makes the pickup sound more like the mic sound! My latest was my Waterloo WL14x with K&K Mini installed.......superb.
BluesKing777.

Thanks for chiming in on this, Bluesking777, your first paragraph addresses some of my concerns about the Aura, none of my guitars are standard, they aren't in the same family of quality and respect as yours, but they are ladderbraced and I think you have an understanding of those types of guitars and work well with them - what ever you add it sounds great to me.

My Best,
Harriet

[guitaniac]

My main advice is that it works best with a Fishman Matrix or Prefix equipped guitar. That's because most of the stock sound images were created using Matrix or Prefix-equipped guitars.

My best success with the Spectrum was with a thin 00-size Cort guitar which was equipped with a Fishman pickup. It amplified very well with one of the Spectrum's OM sound images.

[martingitdave]

If you have a Fishman Matrix under-saddle, the Aura is a great pedal to experiment with. I got excellent results. If you have another brand or style of pickup, the ToneDexter is a better buy. But you’ll need a quality microphone to train the ToneDexter.