Fishman Aura Acoustic Blender

[SQUAREHEAD]

I just bought a Godin Flat Five X ...
(piezo, transducers, acoustic tones)
Nice guitar, nice tone.

Would a unit like this Fishman make
my live tone more lush and less dry
thru a PA?

Thanx for any help!

Keith

[texasdave]

Hadn't read up on this one, but it sure looks like it would... Looking forward to other comments on this unit. I generally run through a Raven Labs preamp or a Roland AC-60 (pointed at me for monitor and XLR'd to house) to give me a little final tweak, but if this thing works half as well as advertised, well...I guess I'll be out a couple hundred more bucks...

[Antz_Marchin]

It's a great system, will definitely give you a true acoustic tone elimiating that peizo buzz. I've only used it with a true acoustic Taylor/peizo so I can't comment on a non "true-acoustic" thinline Godin, but either way it will tame the peizo buzz to a more natural sound.

[SQUAREHEAD]

So...
Is this thing the best tool for a good live acoustic
type tone for the $500.00 range...??

Keith

[edgarallanpoe]

I have one and use it live. I couldn't be happier. As others have pointed out, I am not sure how this will work with your guitar. I am using it with 2 USA Breedloves and it is the most natural sounding unit I have ever heard. The nasty, nasal, quacking sound of the piezo is completely gone. My acoustic finally sounds like an acoustic guitar. I was having a major problem with feedback because we play large places and play at a decent volume. The Fishman blender system that my guitar have sounded like shit, and fed back like crazy. I was originally interested in getting the electronics in my guitars changed. The more I thought about it the less sense that made. I made more sense for me to use an outboard system like the Aura to shape the tones of my guitars. Your guitar is different, it doesn't really have an acoustic sound. It may sound wonderful, it may not. I would not buy it without trying it first.

[Johnny Raz]

I have one and use it live. I couldn't be happier. As others have pointed out, I am not sure how this will work with your guitar. I am using it with 2 USA Breedloves and it is the most natural sounding unit I have ever heard. The , nasal, quacking sound of the piezo is completely gone. My acoustic finally sounds like an acoustic guitar. I was having a major problem with feedback because we play large places and play at a decent volume. The Fishman blender system that my guitar have sounded like , and fed back like crazy. I was originally interested in getting the electronics in my guitars changed. The more I thought about it the less sense that made. I made more sense for me to use an outboard system like the Aura to shape the tones of my guitars. Your guitar is different, it doesn't really have an acoustic sound. It may sound wonderful, it may not. I would not buy it without trying it first.

I'm glad its working out for you -- how about some clips with and without the Aura?

[edgarallanpoe]

'm glad its working out for you -- how about some clips with and without the Aura?

Dude...I seriously couldn't be happier. It did take me some time to get my 12 string to sound natural. For some reason the 12 string setting are *way* too bright. But once you spend some time with the unit, editing is stupid easy. It helps that Fishman has my *exact* guitar as one of their downloadable patches... The Breedlove E.G. model. The bass on that patch was boomy, but 10 second of editing the patch and it was absolutely killer.

As soon as I have time to record some clips, I would be happy to post some.

[texasdave]

Hey Poe! Sounds like you've hit on a couple worthwhile points: (1) it does work as advertised, taking your Breedlove EG from quack to solid acoustic sound, and (2) the design of the unit is NOT to be a "Variax" modeling type unit, but rather to add/subtract/modify the incoming signal to provide the nuances of that particular guitar that a mic WOULD grab that a UST is not. Pretty smart approach... as you say, it makes your EG plugged in sound like your EG mic'd up.... it doesn't make your EG sound like 50 different guitars, nor was it the intent.

Now for the question of "what if I'm using XXXX with a UST," we still need to hear from someone who's been there... I have read enough to know that I'll probably wind up with one soon, and I have a Rowan Cimmaron that will be a good test case for the "what if I'm not using a traditional acoustic." One of the challenges I see is things like the Godin and others (Carvin AC175 for example) tend to have a little more sustain to 'em than traditional acoustics, and it'll be interesting to see if that's a curse in trying to use the pedal.

Sidebar to Poe: Glad the EG is still your buddy!

[edgarallanpoe]

Hey Poe! Sounds like you've hit on a couple worthwhile points: (1) it does work as advertised, taking your Breedlove EG from quack to solid acoustic sound, and (2) the design of the unit is NOT to be a "Variax" modeling type unit, but rather to add/subtract/modify the incoming signal to provide the nuances of that particular guitar that a mic WOULD grab that a UST is not. Pretty smart approach... as you say, it makes your EG plugged in sound like your EG mic'd up.... it doesn't make your EG sound like 50 different guitars, nor was it the intent.

Now for the question of "what if I'm using XXXX with a UST," we still need to hear from someone who's been there... I have read enough to know that I'll probably wind up with one soon, and I have a Rowan Cimmaron that will be a good test case for the "what if I'm not using a traditional acoustic." One of the challenges I see is things like the Godin and others (Carvin AC175 for example) tend to have a little more sustain to 'em than traditional acoustics, and it'll be interesting to see if that's a curse in trying to use the pedal.

Sidebar to Poe: Glad the EG is still your buddy!

I can tell you this Dave....

When I initially received the package I was *very* disappointed. I couldn't figure out why it sounded so bad. Turns out that I was using a setting designed for an OM model guitar and not my Breedlove. Once I figured out what I was doing I really unlocked its potential. You are right, it is NOT designed to make you XXXX guitar sound like an ##### guitar. That isn't what it does. If they don't have a patch for your exact guitar, you have to find a model that comes as close as possible. For instance, my 12 string is a Jumbo 12 with a Koa back and sides. There is nothing in the system like this. However, there is a mahogany version...so you get the mahogany version and tweak the EQ to approximate the tone of your guitar. Is it perfect? Nope. Is it damn good? You bet your ass. :rotflmaoAlso, the blend control is essential to really getting the best sounds out of this thing. You have the option of using 100% of the Aura sound and bypassing your guitars sound. This *might* be the ticket for the non-traditional acoustics, but I wouldn't look for this to be a magic wand that makes a Godin sound like an Olsen or Collings. JMHO.

[SQUAREHEAD]

So...

The Taylor K4 Preamp
The Yamaha Acoustic Stomp
The D/T Mama Bear

To get the most natural acoustic tone, the Aura is it?

Keith

[SQUAREHEAD]

One last thing.

I would hook up my rig this way with the Aura?

1 Guitar
2 Fishman Aura
3 T Rex delay
4 Direct Box to PA

Is this the "politically correct" (right) way?

I'm new at this "acoustic" stuff.

keith

[texasdave]

So...

The Taylor K4 Preamp
The Yamaha Acoustic Stomp
The D/T Mama Bear

To get the most natural acoustic tone, the Aura is it?

Keith

Actually Keith, "we're" still undecided as to whether the Aura is the right tool at all for the Godin... The focus of the tool is to make your XXXX guitar with a UST sound like your XXXX guitar mic'd, not to make any guitar sound like an XXXX guitar. There may be a "try and try again" solution, but I'd wait until someone gets to try it for your app... I'll probably order one this week to use with my Collings dread, and I have other guitars I can experiment with similar to your situation... if I was looking for an emulation then the Yamaha might be the more logical choice.........

[SQUAREHEAD]

Actually Keith, "we're" still undecided as to whether the Aura is the right tool at all for the Godin... The focus of the tool is to make your XXXX guitar with a UST sound like your XXXX guitar mic'd, not to make any guitar sound like an XXXX guitar. There may be a "try and try again" solution, but I'd wait until someone gets to try it for your app... I'll probably order one this week to use with my Collings dread, and I have other guitars I can experiment with similar to your situation... if I was looking for an emulation then the Yamaha might be the more logical choice.........

Ahhhhh!
Gotcha!

I have a friend with an Aura, so I think I'll borrow it next time he's in town and see what the outcome is. I don't care if the Godin sounds like a Martin D28 ... it already sounds wonderful. I just want to tweak the tone a touch and get a more natural acoustic tone with a little less Piezo presence.

Make sense?

Keith

[texasdave]

Yep! Maybe Fishman will add a "pure preamp" mode later on...it'd make sense... Yamaha Acoustic Stomp might be the easier choice w/ that guitar but maybe we'll all figure it out together...

[SQUAREHEAD]

Ok...

So, The order of the chain:

1 Guitar
2 Fishman Aura or Yamaha Stomp
3 T Rex Delay
4 Direct Box
5 PA

OR I can use the Fishman as a Direct box...

Right??

Thanx guys, for all your help here. I'm stupid regarding
acoustic stuff. Now ask me a Tube Amp question!! lol...
Keith

[texasdave]

Right. Either that chain or Aura as a direct box, but there's no effects loop so no delay...

...sorta woulda been nice of 'em to go USB instead of MIDI for the computer interconnect, too... Yamaha got that right...