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Joined:
November 2003
Posts: 56
Location: Edmond, Oklahoma | From a review: "Each of Fishman’s six different pedals is designed to work with a specific type of guitar. The available pedals are Dreadnought, Concert (for 0 to 00-sized guitars), Orchestra (for OM to auditorium sizes), Jumbo (for larger guitars), Nylon, and 12-String. For best results, Fishman recommends choosing the pedal that most closely matches the body size of your guitar."
Question: Can anyone tell me which of the six pedals would be the best match for an mid-bowl Ovation guitar? Say, in particular, a Folklore LX? I'd guess a "Concert."
Then, any ideas on what Aura model (if any) might be good for a solid-body piezo equipped guitar? |
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Joined:
February 2002
Posts: 5750
Location: Scotland | I Tried them when I was demo-ing for G-band at Frankfurt this year. I took my Viper along to the Fishman booth because I was interested to see what would happen with a solid-body acoustic. I tried the full range of the new stompbox style Auras and while they pretty much did what they claim, which is make a piezo sound more like a mic'd guitar, I prefered the straight piezo tone I get from my gear. I guess if I played mostly rhythm guitar with 1st-position chords or played solo acoustic guitar they'd be fine, but for what I do I decided to pass. |
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Joined:
May 2005
Posts: 486
Location: North Carolina | Paul, what's the difference between the $350 model vs the $200 models targeted for specific instruments? |
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Joined:
February 2002
Posts: 5750
Location: Scotland | The cheaper pedals have fewer images. Also the images on the original Aura can be changed to correspond with specific instruments by downloading files from the Fishman website. Also it has the ability to store and recalll patch settings for specific instruments |
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Joined:
January 2002
Posts: 14127
Location: 6 String Ranch | I've got some of these and like them.
I put a pickup in my Collings C-10 and got the concert box.
I've ordered pickups for two more guitars and have the corresponding boxes ordered. What I like about them is they are small. I plug the guitar into the box and it sits on a music stand in front of me and from there it goes through the house PA. I have a volume control on it and can dail in how much "Blend" I want. In reality, only the volume gets used, that's all you really need.
I have the big box too but it needs to be on the floor. The little one on the music stand works well and helps to hold the words sheet down so they don't blow away with the overhead fans.
Got mine from Elderly. |
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Joined:
May 2005
Posts: 486
Location: North Carolina | What is the difference in function between the "big box" and the little ones that seem to be directed toward different body types? That whole thing has me confused. |
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Joined:
February 2002
Posts: 5750
Location: Scotland | Their function os pretty much identical. The big box has more features, a lot more images and is updateable. So no matter if you change instruments, or use a number of instruments at the same time, the original Aura pedal will be able to deal with it. The smaller boxes are optimised for specific body sizes/instrument types. |
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Joined:
January 2006
Posts: 2120
Location: Chicago | I own the original Aura and have even downloaded some specific Ovation files ("sound images") to make a better match. All-in-all it is better for open chords and open-string work. In the upper register, and for aggressive lead work it is weak. I agree with PT: it's better to work with your piezo as is. In fact, I'm ready to back off ALL post-Aura DSP (I've tried the Aura, the Zoom A2IU, the Yamaha Magicstomp). Perhaps best to just go with a little reverb, perhaps a shade of chorusing, good EQ. Finally it's WHAT you're playing through that's half the instrument. My old Legend sounds pretty good through a BOSE L1 and just a bit o reverb..... |
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Joined:
January 2002
Posts: 14127
Location: 6 String Ranch | The big box also has a tuner and feedback squasher. I have yet to learn how to do all that. The little ones are plug and go, my kind of technology.
Fishman comes up with the images from micing a guitar with all different mics which really give a wide range of sound. He showed me when I was visiting last summer. So what you get when you play is the guitar pickup sound going out and it gets split in the box and one goes straight out and the other gets flavored by whatever mic choice you've made(call it image. You get to choose what blend you want of these.
I remember Glen Campbell and Carl Jackson telling me back in the early 70's that the best way to record was to take the Ovation and plug it right in to the board and then also mic it and run that to a separate channel and then mix the two for a bigger fuller sound.
If I understand Larry Fishman correctly, that's just what these little boxes do, but in a live situation. Now how well they do it and how you like the sounds is a whole nuther matter. I like setting #3 on the Concert box and about a 50/50 blend and run the volume about 70%. |
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Joined:
September 2003
Posts: 9301
Location: south east Michigan | Last nights “Folkin Friday” open mic started with a Fishman rep giving a lengthy demonstration. He talked about being able to compensate for rooms with high ceilings or lots of carpeting or any other variation. He went on about the seven hundred and some different images that are available. Then he let the audience ask for specific combinations like…. “Let me hear at Taylor 614 with Nupinbluper(?) mic. He would then fiddle with his laptop and bring up the requested sample. Near the end he said,
“Let me show my favorite examples”.
“First here is a Martin D-28”
‘oooooh” says the crowd.
“Now here’s a Gibson jumbo with a rose wood back and sides.”
“aaahhh” says the crowd.
“Now… just to show you how this system can model even a BAD guitar, here is an Ovation Celebrity.”
“eeeewwww” says the crowd.
“Isn’t that just awful???” “Doesn’t that make you want to put cotton in your ears???”
When I a little agitated my leg starts to jump. Pam put her hand on my knee and said, “Easy Brad… easy”.
Maybe I shoulda been a good little monkey-boy and said something. If the “request” part of the demo wasn’t over I would have asked if he had any Adamas images. I did intend to have a private word with him later but he was out the door right after he was finished.
Paul Huber, the store owner, felt it necessary to come over, put his hand on my shoulder and apologize for the “crack on Ovation”. “We’ll just have to educate him on the Adamas line”, he said. |
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Joined:
January 2002
Posts: 14127
Location: 6 String Ranch | Bang! Bang!
Shoot him too. |
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Fishman Aura Pedals - Tried any?
