Tweet
Got this little guy yesterday, $200 used on the 'bay. Before this I was using (and still own) the fishman pro platinum EQ, so that'll be my point of reference
First off, construction is solid--Aura uses a pop-in 9v system I'd love to see on every pedal ever, and the whole thing is basically made of metal and has good weight to it, so it feels pretty secure. One complaint I have is that the 16-way selector switch doesn't line up exactly with the numbers on the outside--small complaint, but I mean... come on
Ease of use? This is a good 2 day pedal. It has A LOT goin on, and some computer/USB stuff that you really do need to take your time with, which I'll get to in a minute. EQ section is maybe easier than on the pro platinum, but I prefer the pro platinum's EQ section because of it's 5 (6 band?) layout--it's more precise. Also this thing REALLY should have the Smooth filter from the Pro Platinum--that thing is subtle magic, and most every image is a little too spiky in the highs for my taste.
Sound? Well, okay, here's the deal, you're supposed to match the body style on the unit with the one you're using, and then select from the 16 images of that available. You can also download a bunch more in the "user preset" slot which I HIGHLY recommend because, well, a lot of these images are trash. In the normal "classical" section, there were only 2 I didn't absolutely hate immediately. After downloading and trying a good 16 more images, I found 3 more I liked, which means I'm pretty well set now, but had I not had computer/internet access at home this review would be way more negative. It's also a bit difficult to dial in the right amount of imaging (it blends with your normal signal) but i don't know how they'd fix this... bigger knob, maybe?
Also, it doesn't seem to give as much volume boost as the pro platinum. Small complaint, but worth mentioning. Built in tuner is nice, haven't gotten a chance to check out the anti-feedback feature but I'm in love with the idea (3 separate notch filters)
All in all, solid unit, definitely vastly improves the sound of undersaddle transducers. So, if you've got an acoustic guitar, and you're tired of the amplified signal sounding like wet rubber bands, this is definitely the pedal for you.
First off, construction is solid--Aura uses a pop-in 9v system I'd love to see on every pedal ever, and the whole thing is basically made of metal and has good weight to it, so it feels pretty secure. One complaint I have is that the 16-way selector switch doesn't line up exactly with the numbers on the outside--small complaint, but I mean... come on
Ease of use? This is a good 2 day pedal. It has A LOT goin on, and some computer/USB stuff that you really do need to take your time with, which I'll get to in a minute. EQ section is maybe easier than on the pro platinum, but I prefer the pro platinum's EQ section because of it's 5 (6 band?) layout--it's more precise. Also this thing REALLY should have the Smooth filter from the Pro Platinum--that thing is subtle magic, and most every image is a little too spiky in the highs for my taste.
Sound? Well, okay, here's the deal, you're supposed to match the body style on the unit with the one you're using, and then select from the 16 images of that available. You can also download a bunch more in the "user preset" slot which I HIGHLY recommend because, well, a lot of these images are trash. In the normal "classical" section, there were only 2 I didn't absolutely hate immediately. After downloading and trying a good 16 more images, I found 3 more I liked, which means I'm pretty well set now, but had I not had computer/internet access at home this review would be way more negative. It's also a bit difficult to dial in the right amount of imaging (it blends with your normal signal) but i don't know how they'd fix this... bigger knob, maybe?
Also, it doesn't seem to give as much volume boost as the pro platinum. Small complaint, but worth mentioning. Built in tuner is nice, haven't gotten a chance to check out the anti-feedback feature but I'm in love with the idea (3 separate notch filters)
All in all, solid unit, definitely vastly improves the sound of undersaddle transducers. So, if you've got an acoustic guitar, and you're tired of the amplified signal sounding like wet rubber bands, this is definitely the pedal for you.
Comment