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Double Bass Impedance Mis-match?

S

statsc

Apr 23, 2010
1,004
1,491
Burlington, VT
#1
I'm using a Fishman Full Circle pick-up plugged into a ToneDexter plugged into an Acoustic Image Ten 2 amp. Do I have an impedance mis-match here? If so, how would I correct it? What change in the sound should I expect?

Thanks for your expertise!
 
#2
Try sending the Tonedexter the signal from the FX loop. (plug the pickup into the amp first) ...I had Rick at AI put a 10mohm buffer in my amp...several years ago he switched to the lower 1mohm imp that the ToneDexter has...so it may not make any difference. The FC likes a higher Imp. What to expect from a higher imp input? Lower bass less piezo quack, thicker more acoustic tone.
All things that will make the Tonedexter sound better. Remember that the TD does not replace the sound of your pickup with that of a mic but alters it to sound more mic like. In other words, how the pickup sounds coming into the unit effects how it is going to sound going out the other side.
I think 5mohm is minimum for that and similar pickups.
 
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#3
flatback said:
Try sending the Tonedexter the signal from the FX loop. (plug the pickup into the amp first) ...I had Rick at AI put a 10mohm buffer in my amp...several years ago he switched to the lower 1mohm imp that the ToneDexter has...so it may not make any difference. The FC likes a higher Imp. What to expect from a higher imp input? Lower bass less piezo quack, thicker more acoustic tone.
All things that will make the Tonedexter sound better. Remember that the TD does not replace the sound of your pickup with that of a mic but alters it to sound more mic like. In other words, how the pickup sounds coming into the unit effects how it is going to sound going out the other side.
I think 5mohm is minimum for that and similar pickups.
Click to expand...
So plug the pick-up into the Return of Ch. 1 of the Ten 2, the Send of Ch. 1 into the input of the ToneDexter, and the output of the ToneDexter into the regular Ch. 1 input of the Ten 2?
 
#4
flatback said:
All things that will make the Tone dexter sound better. Remember that the TD does not replace the sound of your pickup with that of a mic but alters it to sound more mic like. In other words, how the pickup sounds coming into the unit effects how it is going to sound going out the other side. I think 5mohm is minimum for that and similar pickups.
Click to expand...

Agreed, 10 Meg Ohm setting has concensus for being the best “set it and forget it” piezo input impedance, there are exceptions. The EAP
(which apparently is a “contact piezo”) sounds better between 2.2 and 5 Meg Ohms. I think the input impedance needs to be paired with a great preamp. Acoustic Image, Grace Designs, and Headway all have both.
 
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#5
no, plug the pickup into the front end of the Clarius and use the FX send and return as the input and output of the TD. Then you can blend your preamped pickup with 100% TD using the FX blend on the Clarius....I think the Clarius is the same as the Focus (which I have)
 

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