Friendly reminder [Voiceprint content]

YamahaGuy · #1 09-18-2023, 02:57 PM

As the proud owner of both a Taylor 324ce and an LR Baggs Voiceprint DI, I was hoping for "perfect" plugged in tone. My results were less than stellar.

My friendly reminder [to Voiceprint owners]:
Don't be afraid to re-create a Voiceprint patch for a particular guitar.

When I first created the patch for my Taylor, there were lots of things going in, my phone was not well placed relative to the guitar, and the whole process was rushed.

Yesterday I had a wide open stage. Nothing around to bother me. I had a good place to set my phone and proceeded to create a fresh Voiceprint for the 324ce. I made it. It sounded pretty good. I went back and EQd it. Better. I went back and did a bass boost and voila! I am super satisfied now with the plugged in tone.

So before you give up on a guitar or the Voiceprint [[and I imagine the same is true for the Tonedexter too]], try making a fresh patch.

guitaniac · #2 09-18-2023, 03:57 PM

Hi YamahaGuy,

Didn't Yamaha have a bunch of pickup systems which provided IRs for the same model of guitar that the system was mounted in? If you've owned one of those guitars with a model-specific IR system, I'm wondering how that compared with your Voiceprint results.

thirdie2002 · #3 09-18-2023, 10:41 PM

I’m also playing a Taylor, specifically the 314ce and AD22e through the Voiceprint DI. Here are my settings that i found best with my use.

The ES2 already sounds great through the Bose S1 Pro but with the Voiceprint it translates the character of these guitars through the speaker. I’m doing a 25% blend and putting a HPF at 250 Hz and a LPF at 10k Hz on the Voiceprint EQ.

The HPF at 250 Hz is inspired by the Anthem crossover by letting ES2 handle frequencies 250 Hz and below. I found a 25% blend is best for my use without loosing the clarity and attack of the pickup while getting all the midrange character from the Voiceprint.

I also do not like how the Voiceprint handle the high frequencies hence the LPF at 10k Hz.

The Master EQ, I typically adjust to taste in the venue.

guitaniac · #4 09-19-2023, 02:13 AM

Hi thirdie,

I saw an approach similar to this (inspired by the Anthem crossover) being presented on the LR Baggs Voiceprint Forum, except that player was using a 50/50 blend at the time of his post. Was that you, or someone with a similar idea?

Caleb (Baggs Forum moderator) has mentioned that the Voiceprint’s anti-feedback control is very helpful in dealing with feedback and excessive muddiness in high volume settings, irregardless of what percentage of the Voiceprint IR is being used in the pickup/IR blend. Have you personally encountered any high volume situations where the anti-feedback knob has been helpful this way?

thirdie2002 · #5 09-19-2023, 05:38 AM

In a full band 25% is my usual set blend. If it’s an acoustic session, sometimes I increase the blend up to 40%. But so far, I havent played volumes that had me feeding back that’s why I leave the anti-FB disabled. If I do need to quickly notch something out manually, I have the LR Baggs Session notch filter.

guitaniac · #6 09-19-2023, 06:20 AM

Thanks for the response, thirdie. Nice pedal board.

John Bartus · #7 09-19-2023, 08:37 AM

I can't echo enough what the original poster said. I own both a Tonedexter and the Baggs Voiceprint, and the advice is so spot on. Don't be afraid to experiment with different positions of your iPhone for the Voiceprint, and with different microphones and mic positions on the Tonedexter.

It's taken me more than a few tries with every guitar I've created an image for, and there's no such thing as a one-mic-placement-fits-all solution. Experiment until you find the right sweet spot for your guitar!

thirdie2002 · #8 09-19-2023, 09:51 AM

Agree. If I have the time, I have yet to explore the advance tools which is also available in Voiceprint creation.

Petty1818 · #9 09-19-2023, 10:04 AM

Honestly, I can't get over the noise the VP makes. It's not a quiet device by any means and I have seen this reported by numerous users. I emailed Baggs and they all but confirmed that noise is introduced. With that said, I never found the IR's to be all that useful. Very thin highs and overbearing bass.

YamahaGuy · #10 09-19-2023, 01:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by guitaniac

Hi YamahaGuy,

Didn't Yamaha have a bunch of pickup systems which provided IRs for the same model of guitar that the system was mounted in? If you've owned one of those guitars with a model-specific IR system, I'm wondering how that compared with your Voiceprint results.

The A series had SRT and now SRT2. The Voiceprint adds a layer of presence and clarity that the only way I can think to describe it is like taking a picture with an old 110 rectangle camera vs taking a picture with a model DSLR camera then zoom in [or listen more closely] and observe the difference. SRT models are good. The Voiceprint "cleans" it up a discernable amount to my ears.

Gordon Currie · #11 09-19-2023, 03:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by YamahaGuy

So before you give up on a guitar or the Voiceprint [[and I imagine the same is true for the Tonedexter too]], try making a fresh patch.

Great reminder! It is definitely the case with ToneDexter as well.

Just putting up a microphone and going through the 90 second training does not guarantee a good result.
I've sometimes gone back and forth 4-5 times, retrying with small changes.

A good result is worth doing it right.

guitaniac · #12 09-20-2023, 08:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by YamahaGuy

The A series had SRT and now SRT2. The Voiceprint adds a layer of presence and clarity that the only way I can think to describe it is like taking a picture with an old 110 rectangle camera vs taking a picture with a model DSLR camera then zoom in [or listen more closely] and observe the difference. SRT models are good. The Voiceprint "cleans" it up a discernable amount to my ears.

Thanks for the comparison. I’m a bit fascinated by Yamaha’s electronics and have noticed that demos of the APX1200 (with onboard IRs created using three different mics) sound better to me than demos of the APX600 (with a more conventional preamp). I was wondering if a player could get even better results using the Voiceprint or ToneDexter with the much less expensive APX600. Your answer suggests that it’s quite possible.

I’m also curious about Yamaha’s claim that their proprietary UST, which employs six individual crystals, is more effective than the currently fashionable piezo film USTs. It certainly seems possible that the Yamaha UST might provide better balance and string separation.