Your favorite pickup paired with Bose Tonematch processing

bdjansen · #1 11-17-2018, 04:32 PM

I’ve got a new Bose L1C that I’m really enjoying. I’ve also got an acoustic that doesn’t have a pickup that I was thinking of putting one in. So I’m looking for suggestions of pickups that you think pair especially well with the Bose Tonematch processing. I really don’t know what the Tonematch is doing exactly to the signal, I just think it sounds good.

Does the K&K pure mini work well into the Bose? Does it work well into the Bose without an additional preamp or outboard eq?

jimmorgan · #2 11-18-2018, 05:56 AM

The inputs on the Tonematch mixer are around 1megohm, so they should be suitable for most passive piezo pickups.

Tonematch "processing" is really just an eq preset. You can accomplish the same thing with the mixer's parametric EQ and a little bit of time, so I wouldn't buy a pickup just to go with the mixer. I'd look for a pickup that you think sounds good, and it should work fine with the system.

Edit: Hey sorry, just saw that you are talking about the presets built into the L1C and not a Tonematch mixer in general. Please disregard the above, except that a passive pickup should plug into a L1C just fine.

Murphy Slaw · #3 11-18-2018, 06:29 AM

I just got an L1-Compact the other day, but haven't gone direct into it very much because I play multiple instruments some of which have no pickups and require 2 mics most of the time (vocals/instruments), so I'm simply mic'ing the guitar as well with a Yamaha mixer.

However, when I have it sounds mighty fine with the LR Baggs in my J-15. I also own a Rosewood/Ebony J-45 with a Fishman pickup but haven't experimented with it yet, but I'm sure it will be just fine.

I also bought an S1-Pro and feel like the J-15 sounds better through it with the tonematch turned off, but I haven't really put a lot of time in it because, like I said MOST of the time I will probably just mic the guitar as well. The beauty of the S1-Pro is that it will take 2 mic's without needing a mixer.

The L1-Compact is a lean mean tone machine.

Best of luck.

meb · #4 11-18-2018, 01:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jimmorgan

Please disregard the above, except that a passive pickup should plug into a L1C just fine.

My experience is different.

I cannot get the volume level from my passive Black Angel direct to the L1C
loud enough to be comfortable for performances without a preamp/mixer.
If I do I am borderline fighting feedback. If I recall, the feedback starts
about 2:00. I have not had to try this is a while. I will retest it when I get a
chance. Even with the T1 mixer, I always feel the need for a preamp with
my BA. I have no idea how the BA output level compares to a k&k.

I use my active Schertler AG-6 if I don't have room for a preamp.
ymmv.

ghostnote · #5 11-18-2018, 07:56 PM

I have a passive Baggs M1 that I use on different guitars, and it sounds great into my L1C. Usually it's in a Yamaha LL16, but it also goes into my Martins from time to time. I also have a J45 with the stock active Fishman electronics - also sounds really good.

Pnewsom · #6 11-19-2018, 04:27 AM

My M1 sounds very good straight into the Bose Compact. It sounds more balanced and natural than through it than any other pa or amp I have tried so far.

I should mention that I don't use the M1 that much these days, as I have found happiness playing an Archtop guitar straight in with a floating Johnny Smith mag pickup.

meb · #7 11-19-2018, 06:30 AM

ghostnote and Pnewsom----In 'clock terms', what volume level are you at
on the L1C with your M1 passive? for normal use? at feedback levels?
I have an M80; I will put it in passive mode and see if I get a
different result from my Black Angel. It seems my results are the outlier
on mating pickups with the L1C. Thanks.

ghostnote · #8 11-19-2018, 10:48 AM

I like mine loud. Not feedback-loud, but past 12:00 somewhere. Honestly, I haven't looked at the volume level in months - I set it where I liked it quite awhile ago and just left it there.

lkingston · #9 11-19-2018, 12:13 PM

What kind of player are you? A strummer? Finger Style? Accompaniment? Backing vocals? How loud do you play? How much amplification do you tend to use?

I play jazzy fingerstyle with no nails and a mag/mic combo works best for my style, but different pickups are optimal for different kinds of playing.

Pnewsom · #10 11-19-2018, 12:36 PM

I'm mostly flat pick, but not just straight strummimg. I often run the instrument input of the Bose Compact at 2 o'clock or more. With an SM58 in the mic input, I will seldom go past the 1 o'clock setting, but it will be plenty loud.
I more or less approach the point of feedback, and back things off just a bit.

meb · #11 11-19-2018, 12:45 PM

Thanks for the info. I re-tested a few pickups direct to the L1C this
morning. The M80 in passive mode did fine until 12:00 then sounded fuzzy/overloaded If turned louder.

The Black Angel had about the same output level as the M80 at noon,
but I was able to go louder i.e. to 1:00 or before any perceived overload
In other words the BA could play louder.

I got the same SPL level from my active Schertler AG-6 at 11:00 as the
passives at noon. The AG-6 started sounding overloaded about 11:30.

Could the L1C just be hitting its limits in all cases?

On a lark, I put in my Martin GPCPA5 with the undersaddle F1 Analog
pickup. It maybe was able to produce a little more volume, but was
clearly inferior the the other guitar/pickup combos.

I apologize for the semi sidetrack here. I think the moral to the OP is
as lkingston is going.....just make sure you get a great pickup for your
style and preferences.

Good luck.

Pnewsom · #12 11-19-2018, 03:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by meb

Thanks for the info. I re-tested a few pickups direct to the L1C this
morning. The M80 in passive mode did fine until 12:00 then sounded fuzzy/overloaded If turned louder.

The Black Angel had about the same output level as the M80 at noon,
but I was able to go louder i.e. to 1:00 or before any perceived overload
In other words the BA could play louder.

I got the same SPL level from my active Schertler AG-6 at 11:00 as the
passives at noon. The AG-6 started sounding overloaded about 11:30.

Could the L1C just be hitting its limits in all cases?

On a lark, I put in my Martin GPCPA5 with the undersaddle F1 Analog
pickup. It maybe was able to produce a little more volume, but was
clearly inferior the the other guitar/pickup combos.

I apologize for the semi sidetrack here. I think the moral to the OP is
as lkingston is going.....just make sure you get a great pickup for your
style and preferences.

Good luck.

How big of room are you testing in? Once a space is over saturated with sound things tend to get mushy.

I gig a lot with my Compact, and I generally to run out ability to stand the volume being near it before it runs out headroom.

It was magnificent at a gig yesterday. The venue was a big 100 year old Anglican Church with a high arching wooded ceiling. I ran an SM58 mic and my upright bass with a passive Underwood pickup straight in, no mixer. The bass was set at 2 o'clock, and the mic at noon. The format was a jazz quartet. Perfect!

dcopper · #13 11-19-2018, 03:55 PM

My K&K equipped guitars sound great into the tone match on the S1.

meb · #14 11-19-2018, 09:51 PM

[QUOTE=Pnewsom;5894912]How big of room are you testing in? Once a space is over saturated with sound things tend to get mushy.

I did the tests in my upstairs practice room which is about 11' x 17'
that opens into another room of similar size. I am sitting about 6' away
from the L1C.

Pnewsom · #15 11-20-2018, 07:20 AM

With my Compact I notice that the volume doesn't come on all that strong until you get to 12o'clock, past that it ramps up pretty fast and gets more ballsy sounding. Louder than that, I need to move the position of the speaker forward so that it almost beside me to avoid feedback and ear ache.