ToneDexter Users -- How Would You Handle This Instrument?

[Steely Glen]

I recently acquired a 12-string Veillette Journeyman like the one below for an acoustic duo I'm in. It has a killer piezo/mag dual-source pickup in it so I'm trying to figure out if there's a way to use my ToneDexter with it or not. I have other options (Baggs PADI, for example), but before I added more gear to the load out, I wanted to see if there are any suggestions on how to use the TD with an instrument like this one that has very little actual acoustic voice.

[GuitarLuva]

Tonedexter is supposedly not compatible with magnetic pickups though people have reported getting them to work together. If I were you I would try putting your pickup all the way to the UST with no magnetic pickup and try creating a few wavemaps like that. I don't currently have any magnetic pickups as they're not my cup of tea but if I did I would certainly give them a go as well.

[Cellomangler]

A smidge of Money for Nothing thrown in for good measure? Very nice ! There's lots of experimenting I have yet to do with my Tonedexter which includes making wavemaps on solid body instruments, such as my Gibson Chet Atkins CEC classical nylon string. I would probably first start off close miking the strings as they sound acoustic on the solid body. Then I'd want to try some wave maps from other instruments, perhaps a 12-string with a capo on the 8th fret or a mandolin or mandalo. I happen to have these instruments but you might also find some wavemaps that others have created. There is so much experimentation that could be done and probably time wasted, but it would be cool to train the TD by plucking or strumming the upper register strings on an opened piano.
PS: I have an acoustic baritone guitar designed by Veillette but sold under the name Avante. It has a very unique body style.

[Brent Hahn]

Originally Posted by GuitarLuva

Tonedexter is supposedly not compatible with magnetic pickups...

On the other hand, in my FOH gig I've encountered several Tonedexter adopters who love it at home but can't make it do anything usable on a gig. Which doesn't mean they don't use it anyway. So I think we're in the early stages of discovery when it comes to that thing.

[GuitarLuva]

Originally Posted by Brent Hahn

On the other hand, in my FOH gig I've encountered several Tonedexter adopters who love it at home but can't make it do anything usable on a gig. Which doesn't mean they don't use it anyway. So I think we're in the early stages of discovery when it comes to that thing.

Yeah that goes back to the theme of "what works for one may not work for someone else". There's too many variables at play when it comes to acoustic amplification.

[Steely Glen]

Thanks for the advice, everyone. I'll likely create a wave map with a closeup SM81, as has been suggested.

I can always dial out the wave map and use 100% pickup signal, right? I think rolling the Character knob to CH0 (fully counter-clockwise) does that. If so, I may go that route. The pickups sound great together, so very little needs to be done to the outputted signal.

[jonfields45]

Originally Posted by Brent Hahn

On the other hand, in my FOH gig I've encountered several Tonedexter adopters who love it at home but can't make it do anything usable on a gig. Which doesn't mean they don't use it anyway. So I think we're in the early stages of discovery when it comes to that thing.

Tweaking a parametric EQ to reduce the body and top resonances (both in the 100-200 Hz range) did the trick for me using Cuki79's custom IRs. But my ToneDexter live issues were I think the same problem.

[SpruceTop]

Originally Posted by Brent Hahn

On the other hand, in my FOH gig I've encountered several Tonedexter adopters who love it at home but can't make it do anything usable on a gig. Which doesn't mean they don't use it anyway. So I think we're in the early stages of discovery when it comes to that thing.

+1! Although, it takes away many of the disadvantages of using a microphone, the ToneDexter, like the Fishman Aura, still introduces some microphone-like feedback-prone issues into live sound. We can play louder than when using a microphone but these mic-like resonances can make themselves heard when a certain volume level is reached in the current venue.

[guitarman68]

Originally Posted by GuitarLuva

Tonedexter is supposedly not compatible with magnetic pickups though people have reported getting them to work together. If I were you I would try putting your pickup all the way to the UST with no magnetic pickup and try creating a few wavemaps like that. I don't currently have any magnetic pickups as they're not my cup of tea but if I did I would certainly give them a go as well.

Very useful tip. That's where I would start at as well.

Magnetic: I have a factory installed Sunrise magnetic pickup in my Squareneck dobro and the Tonedexter wavemaps I created sound fine. Never tried a magnetic wavemap in a regular guitar , only SBT and UST, so I can't comment on this.

[phcorrigan]

I equipped my autoharp with a $7 piezo contact mic on the back, then built a wave map. It sounds much better than the autoharp through a mic. Buy from a vendor with a return policy (Sweetwater now carries the ToneDexter) and give it a try.

[Gordon Currie]

Originally Posted by Steely Glen

I can always dial out the wave map and use 100% pickup signal, right? I think rolling the Character knob to CH0 (fully counter-clockwise) does that. If so, I may go that route. The pickups sound great together, so very little needs to be done to the outputted signal.

Actually, I'm pretty sure that fully counter-clockwise still contains some Wavemap. Hopefully someone who knows for sure can post.

However, you could easily have one Wavemap slot that is empty and use that for bypass.
Or you can use the Bypass mode (press and hold Mute for a few seconds).

[guitarman68]

As far as I remember, only "bypassed" is complete free of wavemap content.