| Author |
Topic: Fishman Jerry Douglas Aura Pedal question |
Bryan Bradfield
From:
Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada.
|
Posted 22 Apr 2015 6:03 pm |
|
| Is the Fishman Jerry Douglas Aura simply a modeling amp? In other words, if the Aura blend knob is pushed fully to microphoned image, would this make a simple acoustic guitar sound like a dobro? |
|
|
 |
Howard Parker
From:
Maryland
|
Posted 22 Apr 2015 6:08 pm
|
|
No. That's the short answer.
It requires a dry (piezo) dobro signal at the input to which the dobro/mic image is added.
Watch this excellent, detailed demo.
h |
|
|
|
Bryan Bradfield
From:
Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada.
|
Posted 22 Apr 2015 6:41 pm
|
|
| Thanks Howard. I've seen that video before, and I found that I strongly preferred the blend at 100% image, and that's why I asked the question. Based on my preference, I don't understand why the comparisons of the 16 settings are with the blend at 40% pickup. |
|
|
|
Howard Parker
From:
Maryland
|
Posted 22 Apr 2015 6:50 pm
|
|
Some folks like to have a bit of a dry signal at the output.
Different strokes. I always keep mine at 100%.
Rob is around. It's his demo. Maybe he'll spot the thread and comment. I think the video is very well done.
h |
|
|
|
Rob Anderlik
From:
Chicago, IL
|
Posted 23 Apr 2015 5:54 am
|
|
Bryan, the idea behind the video was to demonstrate the sound shaping capabilities to the Fishman Nashville Series pickup/Aura pedal. They are designed to work together which is an important consideration.
The reason I recorded the 16 different images with the blend at the 11 o'clock position (which I incorrectly refer to as 40% in the video) is because that's where it usually sounds best to me. The main thing is that the comparison of the 16 images be done at the same blend of pickup/image to keep everything consistent.
Hope this makes sense? |
|
|
|
Bryan Bradfield
From:
Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada.
|
Posted 23 Apr 2015 6:58 am
|
|
| Thank you Rob. The pedal was designed to work in conjunction with the specific pickup. The blend control being placed at the same position for each switch setting makes perfectly good sense for the demonstration. Where that blend control sounds best is quite subjective, as evidenced by the different preferences indicated by you and Howard. Nevertheless, I am looking forward to trying a Jerry Douglas Aura someday with different pickups and instruments. |
|
|
|
Rick Barnhart
From:
Arizona, USA
|
Posted 23 Apr 2015 7:12 am
|
|
_________________
Clinesmith consoles D-8/6 5 pedal, D-8 3 pedal & A25 Frypan, Pettingill Teardrop, & P8 Deluxe.
Last edited by Rick Barnhart on 24 Apr 2015 10:44 am; edited 1 time in total |
|
|
|
Howard Parker
From:
Maryland
|
Posted 23 Apr 2015 7:20 am
|
|
Fishman makes an Aura for multiple instruments, including dobro.
I'd recommend this for a pedal if you are swapping axes. It doesn't have the JD images but does have other dobro images.
I tried my JD Aura with other instruments and pickups. I found it to be totally unsatisfactory for my application.
ymmv |
|
|
|
Bryan Bradfield
From:
Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada.
|
Posted 23 Apr 2015 7:44 am
|
|
| I just read through the user guide for the Aura Spectrum, and found the bluegrass image bank for bluegrass instruments, including 6 images for resophonic instruments. This pedal appears to be a very versatile unit. I'm going to search for a demo for this pedal. |
|
|
|
Michael Brebes
From:
Northridge CA
|
Posted 23 Apr 2015 7:51 am
|
|
I've put a resonator with a McIntyre pickup thru the JD Aura and it sounded very good. Not quite as perfect as the Fishman pickup but very close.
_________________
Michael Brebes
Instrument/amp/ pickup repair
MSA D10 Classic/Rickenbacher B6/
Dickerson MOTS/Dobro D32 Hawaiian/
Goldtone Paul Beard Reso
Mesa Boogie Studio Pre/Hafler 3000
RP1/MPX100 |
|
|
|
Rob Anderlik
From:
Chicago, IL
|
Posted 23 Apr 2015 9:11 am
|
|
| Michael, just want to make sure I understand this correctly - you did the A/B comparing a resonator guitar with the McIntyre pickup and a guitar with the Fishman Nashville Series pickup through the JD Aura Pedal and the results were similar/close? |
|
|
|
Veit Doehler
From:
Hamburg, Germany
|
Posted 23 Apr 2015 9:51 am
|
|
Has anybody tried the Fishman PU/Aura combination with a Tricone? I could imagine that the PU insert might be fit into a tricone slot, but would it make any sense to use the JD (or any other) Aura pedal?
Thanks - Veit |
|
|
|
Howard Parker
From:
Maryland
|
Posted 23 Apr 2015 9:57 am
|
|
| Rob Anderlik wrote: |
| Michael, just want to make sure I understand this correctly - you did the A/B comparing a resonator guitar with the McIntyre pickup and a guitar with the Fishman Nashville Series pickup through the JD Aura Pedal and the results were similar/close? |
Speaking only for myself, I tried this exact A/B. The McIntyre barely had enough output to drive the pedal and it was much more prone to feedback at my performance levels.
h |
|
|
|
Howard Parker
From:
Maryland
|
Posted 23 Apr 2015 9:59 am
|
|
| Veit Doehler wrote: |
Has anybody tried the Fishman PU/Aura combination with a Tricone? I could imagine that the PU insert might be fit into a tricone slot, but would it make any sense to use the JD (or any other) Aura pedal?
Thanks - Veit |
The spider bridge inserts won't fit into a t-bridge.
I don't have any personal experience trying any tricone pickups with the JD Aura. |
|
|
|
Bryan Bradfield
From:
Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada.
|
Posted 23 Apr 2015 10:08 am
|
|
| I hope that I didn't open a can of worms, or controversy here. I am simply trying to understand how to achieve tonal changes and approximations, somewhat in the spirit of the use of a 7 band EQ pedal as a dobro simulator for pedal steel. |
|
|
|
Mark Eaton
From:
Sonoma County in The Great State Of Northern California
|
Posted 23 Apr 2015 10:10 am
|
|
| Rob Anderlik wrote: |
| Michael, just want to make sure I understand this correctly - you did the A/B comparing a resonator guitar with the McIntyre pickup and a guitar with the Fishman Nashville Series pickup through the JD Aura Pedal and the results were similar/close? |
Different pickup, but I have tried the old Fishman "donut" style pickup in conjunction with the JD pedal, and this pickup is considered to be pretty much on par with the McIntyre Feather, and though the JD pedal enhanced it somewhat, it still doesn't sound very good...at all. Call me a doubting Thomas, I'd have to hear the Feather with the Aura before i believe it gives good sound.
The pickup which most players considered the best on the market before the Fishman Nashville came along is the Schertler Basik, and one time when superb N.Carolina player Billy Cardine was out here several years ago after the JD Pedal and been released, we were putting his Schertler equipped Scheerhorn through its paces after his gig, and we both agreed that if he were going the plugged in route for the future, though the Schertler wasn't bad in the combination, to really do it right he was going to have to get the Nashville p'up installed.
Aside from being designed for use with the this particular pickup keep this in mind: the Aura system is designed to be used with a piezo pickup, which the Nashville pickup is. The others mentioned here in the thread are not.
Martin has many flattop acoustic guitars on the market now with onboard Aura systems, the pickup itself is an under-the-saddle piezo style, reasonably similar in technology though obviously not appearance to the Nashville dobro pickup.
_________________
Mark |
|
|
|
Mark Eaton
From:
Sonoma County in The Great State Of Northern California
|
Posted 23 Apr 2015 10:40 am
|
|
| Bryan Bradfield wrote: |
| I hope that I didn't open a can of worms, or controversy here. I am simply trying to understand how to achieve tonal changes and approximations, somewhat in the spirit of the use of a 7 band EQ pedal as a dobro simulator for pedal steel. |
I would hope that this is part of what the Forum is for - to be able to understand all this stuff. By its nature a thread like this could be considered can of worms material, but how else are people going to understand these things?
Going back to 2010, I was in the market for a new acoustic/electric guitar for playing out, and was intrigued by the new that year Martin Performing Artist series with the onboard Aura system containing 9 microphone images. I spent probably way too much time researching the ins and outs of the technology and in the meantime I have come across many, many folks who are confused as to what the thing is about. It is not modeling technology, and it will not make one's plugged in $300 Regal sound like a $7500 Beard Jerry Douglas Signature Limited guitar through the PA or amp speakers.
Excellent New England guitarist Harvey Reid wrote a fine but lengthy essay explaining the Aura technology. It is not the easiest thing to grasp, for me anyway - and if one is reading it in the morning some strong coffee is in order, but he gets it done:
http://www.woodpecker.com/writing/essays/fishman_aura.html
_________________
Mark |
|
|
|
Bryan Bradfield
From:
Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada.
|
Posted 23 Apr 2015 10:47 am
|
|
| I'll be reading that with tomorrow morning's coffee. Thanks Mark. |
|
|
|
Rob Anderlik
From:
Chicago, IL
|
Posted 23 Apr 2015 4:31 pm
|
|
| Great article on the Aura! Thanks for posting Mark! |
|
|
|
Stephen Cowell
From:
Round Rock, Texas, USA
|
Posted 23 Apr 2015 5:16 pm
|
|
I have the Aura system on my Martin guitar... basically, the Aura provides the difference between what the bridge pickup hears and what a studio microphone hears.
The sampling rig (used to create the Aura images) gets both the bridge pickup and the studio mic signals... it then determines what to add to the bridge pickup signal to re-create the sound heard by the studio mic.
Normally you'd set your blend at %50 to re-create what the sampling rig heard. My Aura has six different switch positions, corresponding to six different studio mic setups (Schoepps, Neumann, close-far, etc). I like position #3 the best, not sure what that corresponds to.
_________________
New FB Page: Lap Steel Licks And Stuff: https://www.facebook.com/groups/195394851800329 |
|
|
|
Michael Brebes
From:
Northridge CA
|
Posted 24 Apr 2015 7:17 am
|
|
| Rob Anderlik wrote: |
| Michael, just want to make sure I understand this correctly - you did the A/B comparing a resonator guitar with the McIntyre pickup and a guitar with the Fishman Nashville Series pickup through the JD Aura Pedal and the results were similar/close? |
The McIntyre pickup on my other resonator is the old style, pre-feather type and it has plenty of gain. It has much more weight to it than the feather pickup which probably lets it get louder without feedback. I still prefer the Fishman pickup but the other one works fine without any feedback problems.
_________________
Michael Brebes
Instrument/amp/ pickup repair
MSA D10 Classic/Rickenbacher B6/
Dickerson MOTS/Dobro D32 Hawaiian/
Goldtone Paul Beard Reso
Mesa Boogie Studio Pre/Hafler 3000
RP1/MPX100 |
|
|
|
Rob Anderlik
From:
Chicago, IL
|
Posted 24 Apr 2015 9:52 am
|
|
| Michael, that's great that you can get such a good sound out of the McIntyre pickup. I had one installed in my guitar many years ago. I think it was the McIntyre Feather so I guess that explains the different results. It was the best pickup available during those days (I'm thinking this was late 90's) but it was prone to picking up a lot ambient noise and I was never really happy with it. |
|
|
|
Bryan Bradfield
From:
Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada.
|
Posted 25 Apr 2015 7:48 am
|
|
| Thank you Mark Eaton for the link to the Harvey Reid essay. And thank you Stephen Cowell for distilling the Harvey Reid essay down to its bare essence. It all makes perfectly good sense. I will now not be trying to make a silk purse out of a sow's ear. |
|
|
|
Vladimir Sorokin
From:
Russia
|
Posted 26 Nov 2015 10:14 am
|
|
Hi fellow reso-pickers!
I have a Fishman Aura imaging pedal, similar to JD model, can I upload the JD images to it?
Thanks,
Vlad |
|
|
|
Howard Parker
From:
Maryland
|
Posted 26 Nov 2015 2:24 pm
|
|
No, The Douglas images are reserved for the Jerry Douglas pedal.
h
_________________
Howard Parker
03\' Carter D-10
70\'s Dekley D-10
52\' Fender Custom
Many guitars by Paul Beard
Listowner Resoguit-L |
|
|
|
