Fishman Aura Spectrum-a review

[Gypsyblue]

I too am very impressed with the Fishman Aura system. Even owned and gigged with an Aura Dreadnought pedal for a while back when I had the factory installed Fishman under saddle pickup in my '96 Taylor 710.

Only thing I don't like is that it works best with undersaddle piezo pickups and unless I'm playing through an Aura I don't like the tone of those pickups.

And I think an under saddle pickup compromises the acoustic tone of a fine guitar.

I wouldn't put an undersaddle pickup in a fine guitar, but if you've already got a guitar with that kind of pickup then you've got to check out an Aura. They'll make that kind of pickup sound great!

GBC

[GibbyPrague]

Originally Posted by Goldenbird

I wouldn't put an undersaddle pickup in a fine guitar, but if you've already got a guitar with that kind of pickup then you've got to check out an Aura. They'll make that kind of pickup sound great!

GBC

Why on earth not ?

You've got a great guitar, why dont you put a great pickup into it ?

[Gypsyblue]

Originally Posted by TaylorPrague

Why on earth not ?

You've got a great guitar, why dont you put a great pickup into it ?

Putting an undersaddle pickup between the saddle (bone) and the bridge (ebony) reduces the ability of the saddle to couple the vibrations of the strings to the ebony bridge and to the guitar's top. Many players would not put a shim between their saddle and the bridge of a really fine guitar to raise the action for the same reason - instead they'd have a new and higher saddle made.

When I removed the undersaddle pickup from my Taylor 710 and replaced the old saddle with a new slightly higher saddle (higher to make up for the thickness of the peizo pickup I'd removed) the acoustic tone improved.

I like K&K Pure Western Mini pickups because they do not compromise the guitar's acoustic sound. The acoustic sound is more important to me than the guitar's electric sound.

GBC

[BoB/335]

Interesting last few posts concerning the saddle.

I bought a Collings D2H used with a Fishman Matrix II already installed. I think this guitar sounds great unamplified. I am now wondering how much better it could sound without the UST messing with the saddle response.

As far as the Spectrum goes, I like the amplified sound I get but it would be nice to rid the sound of the occassional quack I get when strumming heavier. I couldn't find the "magic" in the Spectrum. Hope to check out the Anthem someday soon. (But maybe I should get the Pure Western Mini???)

[GordonHLau]

Ever since I replaced the Dtar Wavelength with a Baggs Anthem in my Breedlove, I no longer use the Aura Spectrum. In addition to sounding a bit more natural, my fingers seem to be more in sync with what my ears are hearing with the Anthem compared to what I get when using the Wavelength/ Aura.

Still debating if I should keep it or not. Not for the Aura processing but just in case I need a preamp/DI for venues where I need to plug into their PA. The tuner and anti feedback may come in handy too.

Gordon

[Gypsyblue]

I didn't mean at all to rain the original poster's parade. Really!

I think the Aura system sounds great. I also think if a player already has an under saddle pickup in her guitar that she should consider running it through an Aura pedal or an Aura something-or-other!

I do feel that an under saddle pickup compromises the acoustic guitar tone of a really nice guitar at least slightly - and since my Taylor 710 is a really nice guitar (Englemann & Brazilian) the acoustic tone is more important to me than the electric tone so I didn't want an under saddle pickup in it and thus couldn't use the Aura system with that guitar.

GBC

[SpruceTop]

Originally Posted by BoB/335

Interesting last few posts concerning the saddle.

I bought a Collings D2H used with a Fishman Matrix II already installed. I think this guitar sounds great unamplified. I am now wondering how much better it could sound without the UST messing with the saddle response.

Hi Bob,

I truly believe a properly installed UST won't change the acoustic tone of your Collings to any degree that you would notice it. I've had UST pickups installed in several Martin HD-28 axes and couldn't tell any tonal difference. Of course, if you analyzed the wave-form graphs of before and after with a oscilloscope you would most likely be able to see some differences but hearing-wise, Don't Worry Be Happy!

Regards,

SpruceTop

[jimmy bookout]

Originally Posted by Goldenbird

Putting an undersaddle pickup between the saddle (bone) and the bridge (ebony) reduces the ability of the saddle to couple the vibrations of the strings to the ebony bridge and to the guitar's top. Many players would not put a shim between their saddle and the bridge of a really fine guitar to raise the action for the same reason - instead they'd have a new and higher saddle made.

When I removed the undersaddle pickup from my Taylor 710 and replaced the old saddle with a new slightly higher saddle (higher to make up for the thickness of the peizo pickup I'd removed) the acoustic tone improved.

I like K&K Pure Western Mini pickups because they do not compromise the guitar's acoustic sound. The acoustic sound is more important to me than the guitar's electric sound.

GBC

So, a metal pickup 1/32nds of an inch thick between the saddle and bridge compromises the sound while super gluing 3 metal discs to the bridge plate doesn't. Hmmm....I think we should agree to disagree on this one as I have never noticed any pickup affecting the acoustic tone of any of my guitars.

Jimmy

[GibbyPrague]

Come and play any of my two Gibsons and Furch which I use for gigs and all have fishman UST's ....you will notice there is aboslutely no issue with tone.

Many more important elements that effect guitar tone than putting a UST under the saddle.

Originally Posted by Goldenbird

Putting an undersaddle pickup between the saddle (bone) and the bridge (ebony) reduces the ability of the saddle to couple the vibrations of the strings to the ebony bridge and to the guitar's top. Many players would not put a shim between their saddle and the bridge of a really fine guitar to raise the action for the same reason - instead they'd have a new and higher saddle made.

When I removed the undersaddle pickup from my Taylor 710 and replaced the old saddle with a new slightly higher saddle (higher to make up for the thickness of the peizo pickup I'd removed) the acoustic tone improved.

I like K&K Pure Western Mini pickups because they do not compromise the guitar's acoustic sound. The acoustic sound is more important to me than the guitar's electric sound.

GBC

[GibbyPrague]

Originally Posted by Goldenbird

I do feel that an under saddle pickup compromises the acoustic guitar tone of a really nice guitar at least slightly - and since my Taylor 710 is a really nice guitar (Englemann & Brazilian) the acoustic tone is more important to me than the electric tone so I didn't want an under saddle pickup in it and thus couldn't use the Aura system with that guitar.

GBC

But in all fairness have you actually compared the tone of the exact same guitar with a UST and without ?

i.e did a credible experiment side by side, one after the other or you are just assuming there will be a difference in tone ?

[BoB/335]

Originally Posted by jimmy bookout

So, a metal pickup 1/32nds of an inch thick between the saddle and bridge compromises the sound while super gluing 3 metal discs to the bridge plate doesn't. Hmmm....I think we should agree to disagree on this one as I have never noticed any pickup affecting the acoustic tone of any of my guitars.

Jimmy

That's good to know that I don't have to throw my Collings to the dogs.

[mutantrock]

Originally Posted by BoB/335

That's good to know that I don't have to throw my Collings to the dogs.

I makes some since to me there could be a subtle difference in tone but perhaps only a dog could hear it

[Michmoore1956]

I play acoustic guitar on a church worship team. While running my signal through the Pa, via Fishman Aura Spectrum, my sound man said my signal was way to hot. So much so that, even at my lowest volume settings, I was overwhelming the rest of the band to the extent that he could not where his headphones. Can Anyone shed some light on this situation? Is there some internal output setting I need to crank down or is it an inexperienced sound man? Any help will be greatly appreciated.

[Michmoore1956]

Originally Posted by jimmy bookout

I took part in the Fishman Aura Spectrum beta test program (thanks again to Joe Barbieri and Dave Fournier) and now that the unit is offically announced, here's my review of it. The Aura Spectrum answers the main reason I never bought an Aura pedal before, even though I had tried them and liked them a great deal. I use 2 guitars (and an ukulele!) on a lot of gigs, a Collings 000-2H and a Ted Ramsay Classical, both guitars have under saddle transducers only. The thought of plugging and unplugging 2 different boxes didn't have much appeal. The Aura Spectrum combines all the other Aura Image pedals into one (Dread, orchestra, nylon,etc) with 16 images per guitar type. It differs from the other Aura Image pedals in that it has 3 bands of EQ, a very well executed feedback control that truly gets the offending note without killing everything around it, phase, tuner, blend (Spectrum/Pickup level), trim, compressor, and volume. It looks similar to other Aura pedals, just bigger. It is very well built with 1/4 inch and XLR out, FX loop, and can be powered by battery (1-9V) or AC. Also, the 3 EQ controls have a detent at 12:00 (Flat) which is helpful. Also, all the controls move with a nicely damped feel to them (like the controls on my wife's Audi!).

And the sound: For all of us that have been playing and attempting (?!) to amplify acoustic guitars (in my case, 20+ years), this box is the ticket. When I got the Aura Spectrum from Joe, I sat in my livingroom and plugged in (Centaur Acoustic P.A. amp) and started experimenting, one guitar at a time. My method was to set the trim level for the guitar, set the guitar type (Nylon, concert, etc), set EQ flat, set the blend all the way to the right (5:00 if you will) so that I am getting the Aura Spectrum only with no pickup tone (we all know what piezo pickups sound like!), set the compressor at 12:00 and then start with Image #1. I had pad/pen and made notes on what I liked or disliked about the particular image, and then moved on to the next one. After the first round, I had a smaller list of images and repeated the process again, and on and on until I had a winner. This process took about an hour per guitar, and I played the same tune each time. At this point, all that's left is a little tweaking of EQ (on all my guitars,I ended up Flat on High/Low and a little out on the Mid on one of the steel strings, the other guitars are all flat. I find Fishman's recommendation on Blend levels to be spot on, which are 10:00 (or about 60% pickup, if that makes sense) in live situations and anywhere from 12:00 (50/50 Spectrum/Pickup) to all the way up (5:00) (all Aura Spectrum) when recording. This pedal, for me, is the Answer I have been looking for since I started blowing (throwing) money away on pickups/preamps/effects/etc 2 decades ago. I could have that Monteleone Radio Flyer for all the money I spent! The first time I used it live, Tom, my pal and playing partner, looked over at me and said: "After all these years, that's what a plugged in acoustic guitar should sound like". What the Aura Spectrum does for a nylon string guitar is amazing. It gives the trebles great presence and definition, eliminating the "tubby" sound (especially the G string), the basses sound natural and NO quack. On a steel string, the trebles get that shimmer without, as Leo Kottke calls it, "jang and tingle", that tinny, junky sound that I used to deal with by taking ALL the treble out on the preamp and the board. The basses sound like your guitar sounds (go figure) and again, the duck is dead. All in all, this box is the deal, IMO.

There you have it, a great box and very well thought out. I highly recommend you try one out when you can.

Jimmy

I play acoustic guitar on a church worship team. While running my signal through the Pa, via Fishman Aura Spectrum, my sound man said my signal was way to hot. So much so that, even at my lowest volume settings, I was overwhelming the rest of the band to the extent that he could not where his headphones. Can Anyone shed some light on this situation? Is there some internal output setting I need to crank down or is it an inexperienced sound man? Any help will be greatly appreciated.

[Michmoore1956]

Originally Posted by jimmy bookout

I took part in the Fishman Aura Spectrum beta test program (thanks again to Joe Barbieri and Dave Fournier) and now that the unit is offically announced, here's my review of it. The Aura Spectrum answers the main reason I never bought an Aura pedal before, even though I had tried them and liked them a great deal. I use 2 guitars (and an ukulele!) on a lot of gigs, a Collings 000-2H and a Ted Ramsay Classical, both guitars have under saddle transducers only. The thought of plugging and unplugging 2 different boxes didn't have much appeal. The Aura Spectrum combines all the other Aura Image pedals into one (Dread, orchestra, nylon,etc) with 16 images per guitar type. It differs from the other Aura Image pedals in that it has 3 bands of EQ, a very well executed feedback control that truly gets the offending note without killing everything around it, phase, tuner, blend (Spectrum/Pickup level), trim, compressor, and volume. It looks similar to other Aura pedals, just bigger. It is very well built with 1/4 inch and XLR out, FX loop, and can be powered by battery (1-9V) or AC. Also, the 3 EQ controls have a detent at 12:00 (Flat) which is helpful. Also, all the controls move with a nicely damped feel to them (like the controls on my wife's Audi!).

And the sound: For all of us that have been playing and attempting (?!) to amplify acoustic guitars (in my case, 20+ years), this box is the ticket. When I got the Aura Spectrum from Joe, I sat in my livingroom and plugged in (Centaur Acoustic P.A. amp) and started experimenting, one guitar at a time. My method was to set the trim level for the guitar, set the guitar type (Nylon, concert, etc), set EQ flat, set the blend all the way to the right (5:00 if you will) so that I am getting the Aura Spectrum only with no pickup tone (we all know what piezo pickups sound like!), set the compressor at 12:00 and then start with Image #1. I had pad/pen and made notes on what I liked or disliked about the particular image, and then moved on to the next one. After the first round, I had a smaller list of images and repeated the process again, and on and on until I had a winner. This process took about an hour per guitar, and I played the same tune each time. At this point, all that's left is a little tweaking of EQ (on all my guitars,I ended up Flat on High/Low and a little out on the Mid on one of the steel strings, the other guitars are all flat. I find Fishman's recommendation on Blend levels to be spot on, which are 10:00 (or about 60% pickup, if that makes sense) in live situations and anywhere from 12:00 (50/50 Spectrum/Pickup) to all the way up (5:00) (all Aura Spectrum) when recording. This pedal, for me, is the Answer I have been looking for since I started blowing (throwing) money away on pickups/preamps/effects/etc 2 decades ago. I could have that Monteleone Radio Flyer for all the money I spent! The first time I used it live, Tom, my pal and playing partner, looked over at me and said: "After all these years, that's what a plugged in acoustic guitar should sound like". What the Aura Spectrum does for a nylon string guitar is amazing. It gives the trebles great presence and definition, eliminating the "tubby" sound (especially the G string), the basses sound natural and NO quack. On a steel string, the trebles get that shimmer without, as Leo Kottke calls it, "jang and tingle", that tinny, junky sound that I used to deal with by taking ALL the treble out on the preamp and the board. The basses sound like your guitar sounds (go figure) and again, the duck is dead. All in all, this box is the deal, IMO.

There you have it, a great box and very well thought out. I highly recommend you try one out when you can.

Jimmy

I play acoustic guitar on a church worship team. While running my signal through the Pa, via Fishman Aura Spectrum, my sound man said my signal was way to hot. So much so that, even at my lowest volume settings, I was overwhelming the rest of the band to the extent that he could not where his headphones. Can Anyone shed some light on this situation? Is there some internal output setting I need to crank down or is it an inexperienced sound man? Any help will be greatly appreciated.