Tone Dexter

[Dave Bagwill]

Here is the inimitable Doug Young demonstrating a new (to me) device. I think it's a real improvement.

[John Parchem]

Pretty cool idea. You would need to be carefull to train in a room that gives good characteristics as that is what a lot of the change was from where he had the microphone. That is sort of need, it would be better if you could store multiple training sessions so that you could have recording from different rooms while recording.

[Dave Bagwill]

You can store a lot of the training sessions - he did not say how many, just that there are a lot of slots open for storage.

[John Parchem]

It is a fun looking device and at its worst it is a full function preamp.

[Dave Bagwill]

For guys who are fussy about acoustic tone, and play amplified to an audience, I think this could be a real game-changer. Probably too soon to tell. I'd like to see some big name guys start using it.

[John Parchem]

I think the comparison would not be between pickup and learned processing. I think the comparison would be between a preamp with the learned program vs the pickup into a preamp with a DSP with good acoustic processing. Basically whether the learned program is generally better than what you can set or select on an amp with a DSP.

[Dave Bagwill]

Right. And the fact is that people listening to a performance just want to hear good MUSIC - be it a Lowden or something that came over the Great Wall of China.

Proof - the various blind guitar tests on youtube. Scott Grove did one with 6 guitars, price range $6500 (Taylor 914) to $179 - all-laminate Washburn. In between was a Martin at $2k, an Ovation at $1k, and something else.

His listeners voted. The Washburn came in first for many, thought the Taylor got some first-place votes as well.
And the Washburn had a ton more bottom-end than the Taylor. The WB had a picture of Gene Simmons on it. ;-)

I myself liked the Washburn. Lots of variables, yes to be sure - but they were all played into the same mic during the same time period, and had the same strings.

The Taylor was a beautiful cocobolo instrument, and really shiny, but did not have the 'wood' that a few of the others had.