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| Hello to everyone,
I thinking of buying a guitar pedal preamp, with DI output. But I'm a little bit confused...
I have alredy on my own the Boss AD-8, which is a very good preamp. But I have noticed that suits better with my nylon Country Artist (with preamp Op24) than the steel string Ovations (Op24+ and Optima preamps) - perhaps the image of the nylon acoustic modeling on the Boss is closer to the natural nylon sound. Always was easier for me to make my sound with the nylon. The steel string always was difficult to produce a clean sound, with clear mid and mid highs.
So, I'm looking for something new, which will help me to produce a more natural sound with my steel strings.
I have noticed that Boss hasn't introduced something new (only the aged Ad-3 and AD-8), so aborted as an option. On the other hand, Fishman has a plenty of models, like Aura 16 or Aura Spectrum. Does anyone has any expierence in these models, or an expierence in a different model, which suits to the unique specs of Ovations? |
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Location: Utah | For an acoustic you want a natural uncolored sound. So you don't want an amp emulator. My son has a Fishman acoustic preamp with balanced output, which works fine as an active DI box. I am not at home so I can't give you the model number. Any good DI or preamp with an XLR balanced output should do the trick to give a solid acoustic sound through a PA system.
The Aura system gets great reviews, but be aware that it processes the sound to emulate a mic'd acoustic guitar. So it won't sound like your Ovation, it will sound like the guitar being emulated.
The Ovation OpPro Studio preamp contains a compressor and aural excitor. It is a superb solution for wood topped O's. I would look at a box/pedal which has those functions, or get a Studio from Al. If you buy the Studio preamp it will come with a new box to install in your guitar, which is super simple and quick to do if you have a kidney shaped preamp in there already.
The VIP preamp has the same kind of emulation of a mic'd guitar, but it is constructed using O/A guitars. The result is very very impressive, perhaps more luscious to listen plugged in with headphones than plain acoustic when I'm playing at home! So I would say I endorse the technology of the emulations, and the Fishman products also probably sound natural and very nice. But the Fishman just won't sound exactly like your O. |
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Location: SoCal | Hi Peter, What are your wants and needs... DI, tuner, effects, modeling? PeterPan - 2014-05-14 2:18 AM The steel string always was difficult to produce a clean sound, with clear mid and mid highs. So, I'm looking for something new, which will help me to produce a more natural sound with my steel strings. I follow the old saying, Less Is More. You have decent preamps in your guitars (you can always upgrade them if needed). What happens when you set everything flat and plug into a decent acoustic amp or PA... how do they sound going direct? If it's just a tuner and DI you're after, lurking inside Peterson's Stomp Classic, is an active DI circuit that came from one of their high end pieces. Yes, it's a "brick", but it is a great feature-loaded tuner/DI.  
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Location: Texas | Although mine is not as cool looking as Noah's. I use this |
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Location: SoCal | Jay, Yours is a tried-and-true workhorse. 
I've happily used one with my FD14 and '97C which lack preamp controls. Have you tried L.R.Baggs' Venue DI pedal? I have heard good things about Takamine's Acoustic DI. I have a collection of acoustic preamps. My favorites are D-TAR's Mama Bear and Solstice, along with the 3 top units in this rack. 
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Location: Texas | Noah, lol, your dog is definitely bigger than my dog! Heckuva setup. My baggs di has served me well for years. Love the size. Love the response that I get from it. The Venue, comparatively speaking is a monster, in size and price...but everything I have read about it screams keeper. I wonder if Tak built their DI+ in a quasi-proprietary manner to match their pre amps. I would think AL carrys them and could chime in on his opinion of them. |
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| FlySig - 2014-05-14 12:51 PM
If you buy the Studio preamp it will come with a new box to install in your guitar, which is super simple and quick to do if you have a kidney shaped preamp in there already.
FlySig, I have an Op24+ on my Elite Standard and an Optima on my collectors. Do you think that I can uninstall them and install the OpPro? I have to shape the body at the preamp area... is that possible? Can I make the change?
noah - 2014-05-14 2:46 PM
Hi Peter, What are your wants and needs... DI, tuner, effects, modeling?
For me, DI, tuner, a good EQ and effects are much closer to my wantings... modeling it's a welcome evolution effect but very complicated until you find your sound and I believe that doesn't suits to Ovations sound - for example Fishman Spectrum has too many modelings but only 1 (!) for Ovations... Am I wrong?
No I haven't tried it - but checking its specs I think that it's a good choice, better and LR Baggs Para DI.
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Location: Keepin' It Weird in Portland, OR | Peter Pan sez:
FlySig, I have an Op24+ on my Elite Standard and an Optima on my collectors. Do you think that I can uninstall them and install the OpPro? I have to shape the body at the preamp area... is that possible? Can I make the change?
It can be done... but not easily.
Both of those preamps are good... especially the Optima.
You got tuner, notch, 4-band EQ...
I don't understand the problem.
If you need added effects, there's a box for that. 
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Location: SE Michigan | I recently obtained a Behringer V-TONE ACOUSTIC DRIVER DI ADI21
http://www.behringer.com/EN/Products/ADI21.aspx
I have to say it's the best $30 I have ever spent on musical equipment. I am currently using the ADI21 with a shallow bowl Ovation with an OP-Pro. The ADI21 warms up the sound and eliminates most of the unpleasant piezo quack and other harsh pieizo related sounds.
I have tried NUMEROUS pedals, DIs and other assorted gadgets in an effort to warm up and clean up piezo equipped acoustic guitar sound. So far this little Behringer is doing the job better than anything else I have tried and for a surprisingly low price. |
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Location: south east Michigan | I agree.
I was there. |
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Location: Jet City | I actually use my Roland AC60 as both a preamp and di in my rig. I also have a Tak DI, but use it as a boost more than anything
Edited by Damon67 2014-05-15 12:08 PM
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Location: Utah | arthurseery - 2014-05-15 1:20 AM
Peter Pan sez:
FlySig, I have an Op24+ on my Elite Standard and an Optima on my collectors. Do you think that I can uninstall them and install the OpPro? I have to shape the body at the preamp area... is that possible? Can I make the change?
It can be done... but not easily.
Both of those preamps are good... especially the Optima.
You got tuner, notch, 4-band EQ...
I don't understand the problem.
If you need added effects, there's a box for that.
I agree. Someone here once did the change, but it involved surgery on the bowl. I would not recommend it, especially since there is nothing wrong with the Op24+ and Optima preamps. |
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| noah - 2014-05-14 2:46 PM
<p>Hi Peter, What are your wants and needs... DI, tuner, effects, modeling?</p><p>I follow the old saying, Less Is More. You have decent preamps in your guitars (you can always upgrade them if needed ). What happens when you set everything flat and plug into a decent acoustic amp or PA... how do they sound going direct? </p>
The high mids are not so clean (notes at 1st and 2nd string). I always cut (-4 or 5dbs) fq at 1KHz or 1.2KHz, but still are not so powerfull.
What I wanted to hear from you by this post, was your thoughts about the pedals you are using. We are agree that the modeling pedals in some way canceling the original acoustic sound of Ovations and gives a sound of others guitars. So, choices like Fishman 16 or Spectrum could be excluded.
I wouldn't like to change my Ovation's sound by this way. I love the real acoustic sound of the guitar and that is what I want to amplify to a PA. So my searching points to a pedal are closer to EQ, with DI, tuner than modeling. I'm not intersted in changing my preamps, because there is nothing wrong with them.
Of cource, Iwish I could have this! :-)
noah - 2014-05-14 7:36 PM
<p><img src="http://www.ovationfanclub.com/megabbs/photos/get-photo.asp?photoid=3497" border="0" /> </p>
Roland AC60 is great but is not a pedal (I would prefer it for home use), Behringer V-TONE is a cheap choice and looks really very good, LR Baggs Venue has 5 eq and seems that it is a great choice, thinking of the ability to control low and high mids.
Edited by PeterPan 2014-05-16 11:45 AM
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Location: SoCal | Interesting discussion. I've started playing my 1537 a lot lately (I always come back to it). I tend to use my 87C when I plug in because it has an OP Pro (don't try to do that at home) which gives a great plugged in sound. But I love the 1537. But even with the redesigned 2 knob electronics, you don't have as full control as with the OP Pro. That little Behringer might just do the trick. I'd like to get my sound from the 1537 to where I could par down guitars and just live with a few.
Thanks Brian.
Edited by moody, p.i. 2014-05-16 1:52 PM
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Location: Jet City | Maybe your whole problem with the AD8 is the modeling aspect.
Have you tried the AD3? That would in effect be the same as my AC60 but in pedal form. |
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Location: Utah | I've read great things about the Aphex acoustic Xciter. It is out of production now. XLR DI output plus 1/4" instrument out for an amp.
I have an Aphex Punch Factory optical compressor and really like it a lot. It doesn't do EQ so I think it wouldn't be your primary solution for what you're looking for. But, I do really like some compression on acoustic guitar for live performance. The Punch Factory has an XLR DI output. |
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| damon67 - 2014-05-16 7:17 PM
Maybe your whole problem with the AD8 is the modeling aspect.
Have you tried the AD3? That would in effect be the same as my AC60 but in pedal form.
I don't use more than 20 - 30% of modeling aspect with AD8. The sound after this percent becames more porewfull, but "dry".
I have tried AD3 when I was trying pedals and I decided to buy AD8 because of its more specifications (tuner, EQ, DI, memories etc)
What is compressor feature? Is it control the level of your instrument and keeps it stable, even you play smooth even you hard?
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Location: Utah | PeterPan - 2014-05-17 2:21 AM
What is compressor feature? Is it control the level of your instrument and keeps it stable, even you play smooth even you hard?
Yes.
It keeps your volume steady. It can also be used to increase sustain. A little bit of compression can make a live guitar sound much better.
The Aphex Punch Factory is an excellent stage pedal. http://www.musiciansfriend.com/amplifiers-effects/aphex-punch-facto...
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| Thank you FlySig - as I noticed, the only pedal from all we discussed at the previous posts which has compressor is the Fishman Spectrum...
Aphex is very difficult to found in Greece, and harder to test it... :-/ I'll make my searches.
Thank you all! |
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What guitar preamp?