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Hi members,
Interesting piece of gear for acoustic live and recorded sounds. You may have noticed that recording or playing directly from the output of an acoustic guitar with electronics can sound “rubbery” and unnatural. This pedal analyzes your guitar’s EQ and adjusts it to pristine recordings of exceptional guitars of the same type, ie. dreadnaught, orchestral, concert etc. It has direct output for an acoustic amplifier and DI output for recording. There are 16 sound “images” for each guitar type and thousands of imprints available to download. It has a blend knob, 3 band EQ adjustment and subtle compression on board. It also has an effects loop, tuner and input gain adjustment. It should allow you to get an amazing acoustic tone for recording or playing live without resorting to expensive mics. I saw it listed for $519 Canadian dollars.
It interests me because I have a nice Taylor acoustic that I find to be too bright and the idea of a beautiful recorded acoustic sound really appeals to me. Anybody have one of these?
John -
John why not treat yourself to a first class guitar your playing obviously warrants it and this is quite an expensive pedal. You wont always want to play an acoustic electrically but still will want the best tones. If you are able to buy into the best quality it is likely to be a sound investment, no puns intended. Obviously funds come into this big time and it may be prohibitive but nice Martins and Collins etc have a real presence of their own most especially when played acoustically. You might like to take a look at the line up here what a nice plan to invest some savings if possible in a top class instrument.
https://themusicemporium.com/collections/
JohnStrat -
Hi John,
That is quite a stunning line up of guitars.
I think I will try to trade or sell the Taylor toward a Martin. I love the fuller Martin tone. Still the Aura is an interesting option for recording although I suspect I’ll eventually opt for a nice pair of condenser mics. The money is not the issue, this is my main hobby and you may have noticed I have an interest in tone. I have acquired a lot of gear but am at the stage of refining things down to what I really like and use. I almost exclusively play my strat and use my Vibrolux amp with pedals and record via mic. I have my eye on a couple of really nice pedals and, potentially, a Victory V40 amp but don’t have the itch to chase every cool piece of gear anymore.
John-
Hi John
I have a friend who plays one of the D45 from Music Emporium a Cocobolo one. It is absolutely stunning and in a total class of its own. It was lots of doe but it has only increased markedly since purchase a few years ago and he declared to me that it is a world class guitar an ‘orchestra in a box’. He has actually recorded using one of Mark Knopfllers acoustics and has been a professional musician for much of his life so he knows what he is talking about. So if money is not too much the issue and you buy right into the top of the line, with some care it is possible to have one of the best guitars out there and ultimately have a good chance that it will gain value if kept carefully. The down side to that is that they do need to be treasured and are perhaps a liability in that regard. One only has to see and listen to Brian play his Martins to hear what they put out and really you can forget MP3. WAV is really needed to hear the beauty of these wonderful instruments. Music Emporium have some fine demonstration videos you might like to tune into a few to hear some of the best played. Here is a demo of a Cocobolo Martin and you can hear that there is oodles of tone coming over. Martin have now stopped using Brazilian rose wood and so the supply side is now fixed another consideration. Have fun if you can afford to lock the funds away you can have a wonderful experience.
JohnStrat
PS I see that my previous message had Collins which should of course have been Collings, sorry for the typo.
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Hi John,
That’s what my Martin Retro 00-15e has built in, the F1 Fishman Aura+ VT images, with 9 Aura “images” and 3 quick presets. I was quite surprised to see such electronics built-in in a Martin and that’s one of the reasons I fell for it. Naturally, the guitar itself sounds great with that desirable Martin woody mid-range tones and the recordings sound pretty close to the natural tone or at least closer than that of any other pickup I have tried.
I’m still learning all the sound options, it has image EQs, separate EQ for bass, mids and trebles, tone, phase, compressor, mic/pickup blend, anti-feedback, chromatic tuner, etc. And with all those available tweak options can be controlled with just 3 discrete multi-functional buttons on the side. It is quite easy to use once you figure them out.
I also like Taylor guitars but prefer the more mid-rangy sound of Martins. Alas, that Martin Retro 00-15e has been discontinued in 2018, I bought it in new condition second-hand on eBay – but there are other Martin models available with Fishman Aura electronics and thought maybe that could be something you would like rather than getting a pedal. I’d be curious to see what you’ll find and settle on 🙂
🎸JoLa
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Thanks, Jola. That sounds interesting. I came across this stuff via Angela Petrelli, a YouTuber guitarist who seems to be sponsored by Fishman. She does a lot of videos teaching popular acoustic songs. She’s good but if you think Brian talks a lot in a lesson you haven’t seen anything.
John -
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I guess I wasn’t done John. I agree with JohnStrat. Get A Martin. I had Taylors: 410, NS32CE,714CE, and 914CE and I git rid of all of them because of the brightness you talk about. When I think acoustic guitar tone, my ears are calibrated to the Martin Sound. They’ve got a Mojo you just can’t find in other acoustics. If you go out and test drive a few Martin Standard Series I’m sure you’ll find the sound you hear in your head. I’ve got my 000-28EC and my OM42 and I don’t even bother trying out other acoustics anymore. (I would love to try out a Martin 0000-36, but I’ve never had a chance). You would probably be happy with an OM Model. They are canons for their size. I’ve had D-28s and a D35 and my OM is just as loud or louder than the Dreadnaughts. The D’s have a little more bass, but the OM’s are more balanced.
The OMJM sounds great too, but has a different neck joint than the Standard Series.
I’ve played acoustic almost exclusively for the past 20 years, and I’ve never picked up one of my Martins and wished I had a different acoustic.
Now I’m done (I Think),
Go get a Martin and a decent condenser mic (or 2),
RalphRalph P.
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Almost done John. Here’s one of my recordings with my Martins. I did the lead part on the OM42 (panned slightly right). I don’t have the tech experience and recording experience you have, but I think I got a good sound just using the condenser mic. that came with the Scarlett 2i2. See if you like the sound.
Ralph
Ralph P.
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That’s a crazy good lead, Ralph, and rhythm. The Martin sounds great, I suspect there’s one in my future.
John -
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Hi John,
This is an absorbing thread to which I believe there is often no entirely satisfactory ending. We all perceive the ultimate acoustic sound differently depending on our tastes, opinions and ultimately the state of our hearing.
I tried out a Fishman Aura Spectrum Di a couple of years ago with my Martin D35 fitted with an LR Baggs Anthem pick-up. Unfortunately after carefully moving through the 16 sound images and adjusting the EQ, my aged ears were finding it difficult to appreciate the minor nuances. So, I didn’t make the purchase.
I do however believe in ‘quality in often equals quality out’ and there are many pedals and Di boxes to entice us but the Fishman Aura wasn’t for me.Richard
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I got to wondering how this pedal would enhance a piezo on a hollow body electric and there are some demo videos on YouTube showing that there is more warmth when the pedal is engaged with the piezo.
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On my acoustic (1963 Epiphone Cortez) I put a simple little California Lace pickup that captures the pure sound of the guitar, and for recording I use the ByPass on my Axe FX so there’s no interference with the pure natural tone going into Garageband. Or I can add a little reverb for a bigger sound.
When I played out I used a AER acoustic amp that cost a lot but again, it gave a pure version of the guitar, just added volume, so I could just slide in some double stops at the right time and they would just sing. And it can add a little reverb for a fuller tone.
I grew up with CF Martin as the gold standard for acoustics, but over time just prefer my little Epiphone.
I think guitars are very personal things, we spend so much time holding them in our hands, and touching them, and getting so much pleasure that I don’t think we can say this one is better than that one. It’s what feels best in your hands.
Same for electrics. There’s the famous story of SRV, played a thousand guitars, then in a music store he played a beat up old Strat and said, this is my guitar, that’s all he ever played after that. So it’s a personal thing; the guitar and the person finding each other.
And the pickups and amps and pedals, to me, are just there to add some volume or reverb.
Anyway, that’s the way I see it. Or hear it. -
I bought one to use with my electric violin and it is amazing. I have Taylor 6 and 12 string guitars and can play them through it as well. I like the option of trying different microphones at different distances, especially with the violin. I would recommend the Aura but you may want to play with it in the store before you purchase just to make sure it is what you are looking for. The other option is to try a good EQ box in with your guitar and see if you can subtly take out the brightness.
All the best with your quest for sound! -
Hi,
I own a Boucher Studio Goose dreadnought (Mahogany back and Spruce top) with Matrix Infinity piezo pickups. When I am completely alone on stage I tend to play unplugged and mike the guitar, but even in small gig conditions this quickly becomes unfeasible. In my experience even the best EQ cannot completely eliminate the piezo effect (at least not to my liking), so I bought myself a Spectrum Aura and I have never had any regrets. The Aura doesn’t specifically address any Bouchez guitars, but it is very versatile and you can really get a great sound with it, although it takes quite q bit of experimentation.
If you can’t mike your guitar properly and you have the money, I’d strongly recommend considering an Aura Spectrum.
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