Dear SD...New "Duality" Pickups vs Gus G/Blackouts Coil Packs, Fluence, RetroActives?

[Masta' C]

Dear SD...New "Duality" Pickups vs Gus G/Blackouts Coil Packs, Fluence, RetroActives?

Ok SD, what makes the new Duality set different than the Gus G Blackouts and the Blackouts "Coil Packs" combinations offered a few years ago or even the LiveWires and regular Blackouts?

How does the voicing compare to your other actives? Are there multiple voicings in each pickup?

Is this really just the Gus G set sold individually and without the ugly logo all over the coils? :18:

I can't tell you how many times SD has used the "best of passive and active pickups combined" line. Why should I choose these over Fishman Fluence or the new EMG RetroActives, which pretty much claim to do the same thing?

You know I love you, but you gotta throw me a bone here...info please?

 

[darthphineas]

Re: Dear SD...New "Duality" Pickups vs Gus G/Blackouts Coil Packs, Fluence, RetroActi

Re: Dear SD...New "Duality" Pickups vs Gus G/Blackouts Coil Packs, Fluence, RetroActi

looking forward to you getting a reply on this.

seems like there are a few unanswered questions on these, so maybe some info will be coming soon.

 

[Petie]

Re: Dear SD...New "Duality" Pickups vs Gus G/Blackouts Coil Packs, Fluence, RetroActi

Re: Dear SD...New "Duality" Pickups vs Gus G/Blackouts Coil Packs, Fluence, RetroActi

The deal with Duality is that whereas most other actives put the majority of the emphasis on the voicing of the preamp, these give you a more even relationship between preamp and coil, which means you can voice them a lot more organically. You get a lot more of the string content itself, and if you're a very touchy player like me that's an awesome thing. The voicing and method is different to the Gus G/BMP system and also easier to install for those whose guitars are already wired for actives.

 

[Silence Kid]

Re: Dear SD...New "Duality" Pickups vs Gus G/Blackouts Coil Packs, Fluence, RetroActi

Re: Dear SD...New "Duality" Pickups vs Gus G/Blackouts Coil Packs, Fluence, RetroActi

Actives are not new; yet no company has managed to explain to me why I *need* active pickups on a guitar (though I understood why I needed them on a bass without it being explained.)

When your product is described every five years as being "A new Active! Less obsolete and even more like a passive!" That marketing strategy works if you upgrade the product, but when the old model is still produced alongside, that gets really confusing.

I guess as a consumerist, I want to be told: "You need active pickups because ____ . This is a kick-ass active pickup that is unique because it does ____ ." But instead, even knowledgeable people are confused, and everyone else gets to use the ad copy as a thesaurus for "Revolutionary/Awesome."

Not saying that they aren't good pickups. But the promises and language distinguish the debate from the usual "Custom vs. Distortion."

 

[Masta' C]

Re: Dear SD...New "Duality" Pickups vs Gus G/Blackouts Coil Packs, Fluence, RetroActi

Re: Dear SD...New "Duality" Pickups vs Gus G/Blackouts Coil Packs, Fluence, RetroActi

The deal with Duality is that whereas most other actives put the majority of the emphasis on the voicing of the preamp, these give you a more even relationship between preamp and coil, which means you can voice them a lot more organically. You get a lot more of the string content itself, and if you're a very touchy player like me that's an awesome thing. The voicing and method is different to the Gus G/BMP system and also easier to install for those whose guitars are already wired for actives.

For one thing, I assume the preamp is back on the pickup itself like the regular Blackouts, EMGs, Livewires, etc. and uses the largely standard 3-pin quick-connect? (probably a smart move considering the BMP didn't take off as well as SD had hoped...don't get me started on why that was, ha ha!)

Is the Duality preamp still based on the Blackouts preamp technology? Or, when SD marketing states "a completely new architecture", are they referring to the preamp specifically?

Also, when you suggest more of the string comes through...I remember hearing that Blackouts were about 70% preamp and 30% pickup tonally (I could be off in my understanding here)...are you saying these are closer to a 50/50 split? Just curious.

How does the output compare to the o.g. Blackouts or other well known pickups like the classic EMGs or maybe the Mustaine LiveWires? Do these push the amp as hard as the Blackouts and BMP did? I loved the sound of the original Blackouts, but found the preamp output to be a bit over-the-top compared to the other actives I tried.

And the sales jargon mentions the ability to change voicings, magnets, etc. like a regular pickup. Was SD not able to do that on their other actives? Will you eventually be able to split coils using this new design? Are these constructed so that players can magnet-swap, etc to obtain different sounds? I'm a little confused

 

[Masta' C]

Re: Dear SD...New "Duality" Pickups vs Gus G/Blackouts Coil Packs, Fluence, RetroActi

Re: Dear SD...New "Duality" Pickups vs Gus G/Blackouts Coil Packs, Fluence, RetroActi

Oh yeah, and how exactly IS the voicing different from your previous offerings?

Thx

 

[RogerMexiko]

Re: Dear SD...New "Duality" Pickups vs Gus G/Blackouts Coil Packs, Fluence, RetroActi

Re: Dear SD...New "Duality" Pickups vs Gus G/Blackouts Coil Packs, Fluence, RetroActi

Oh yeah, and how exactly IS the voicing different from your previous offerings?

Thx

to the tune How Long Blues -
How long, baby how long,
Has that has that pickup been changin'?
[Chorus:]
How long,
How how long,
Baby how long?
Went to the web site, didn't see no change.
Down in my heart, I have an aching pain.
[Chorus]

 

[Masta' C]

Re: Dear SD...New "Duality" Pickups vs Gus G/Blackouts Coil Packs, Fluence, RetroActi

Re: Dear SD...New "Duality" Pickups vs Gus G/Blackouts Coil Packs, Fluence, RetroActi

Curious minds still want to know more about these pickups!!!

 

[baron55]

Re: Dear SD...New "Duality" Pickups vs Gus G/Blackouts Coil Packs, Fluence, RetroActi

Re: Dear SD...New "Duality" Pickups vs Gus G/Blackouts Coil Packs, Fluence, RetroActi

Typical active pickups for years were simply a very weak wound coil passive paired with a high output pre-amp encased in resin. These worked well but lacked the character and organic tones of the full wound big passive counter parts. EMG for years pretty much offered the same old active design for years. Duncan then had their version in the original blackouts which were more pickup than pre-amp.

The blackouts took a low to moderate passive pickup coil and paired it with a differential pre-amp, so that each coil was going into a separate pre-amp which had a different voicing. These were a great step in the right direction as you had more of the passive feel and tone with the benefits of the active.

EMG just came out with the Retro Active line, which is basically a moderate output full passive coil (real magnets, etc), with a neutral differential pre-amp. The tone is all pickup and the pre-amp is simply the boost and low impedance driver. I tried these in my EMG wired Eclipse and IMO these are by far the best EMG has ever made. Passive feel, response with the power and noise floor of actives.

My guess is the Duncan is going to be a similar take on this design. This opens up a bunch of possibilities, because they may make it possible to have active versions of the passive designs. Some will say this is no different than sending a passive into a line driver (LP-1 etc) I think the trick is to have enough boost but not over the top. EMG says on the Retro Actives, the pre-amp gain is very little as most comes from the pickup.

But interested in these Duality, because I may have a guitar or two that could benefit from them.

 

[darthphineas]

Re: Dear SD...New "Duality" Pickups vs Gus G/Blackouts Coil Packs, Fluence, RetroActi

Re: Dear SD...New "Duality" Pickups vs Gus G/Blackouts Coil Packs, Fluence, RetroActi

Curious minds still want to know more about these pickups!!!

no doubt, there are 3 threads in genpop.

Typical active pickups for years were simply a very weak wound coil passive paired with a high output pre-amp encased in resin. These worked well but lacked the character and organic tones of the full wound big passive counter parts. EMG for years pretty much offered the same old active design for years. Duncan then had their version in the original blackouts which were more pickup than pre-amp.

The blackouts took a low to moderate passive pickup coil and paired it with a differential pre-amp, so that each coil was going into a separate pre-amp which had a different voicing. These were a great step in the right direction as you had more of the passive feel and tone with the benefits of the active.

EMG just came out with the Retro Active line, which is basically a moderate output full passive coil (real magnets, etc), with a neutral differential pre-amp. The tone is all pickup and the pre-amp is simply the boost and low impedance driver. I tried these in my EMG wired Eclipse and IMO these are by far the best EMG has ever made. Passive feel, response with the power and noise floor of actives.

My guess is the Duncan is going to be a similar take on this design. This opens up a bunch of possibilities, because they may make it possible to have active versions of the passive designs. Some will say this is no different than sending a passive into a line driver (LP-1 etc) I think the trick is to have enough boost but not over the top. EMG says on the Retro Actives, the pre-amp gain is very little as most comes from the pickup.

But interested in these Duality, because I may have a guitar or two that could benefit from them.

it does seem like it's the Duncan company version of what EMG already released with Retro Active.... which seems to be a response to what Fishman is doing with the Fluence technology. the comparisons among all 3 are inevitable. doubt it will be long before people that have tried all of them will share their throught.

 

[thanaton]

Re: Dear SD...New "Duality" Pickups vs Gus G/Blackouts Coil Packs, Fluence, RetroActi

Re: Dear SD...New "Duality" Pickups vs Gus G/Blackouts Coil Packs, Fluence, RetroActi

Can this thing be split or put in parallel, or is it a one trick pony?