I have 2 on the way.
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Lightning Boy Audio Thread
- Thread starter HoochfromP
- Start date
Jazzdogg
Less barking, more wagging!
It reflects the impedance of the input device upon its output. The 2020 is designed to operate properly with high impedance sources such as instruments and effects. The exact impedance is proprietary information.
I’ll definitely be getting 2 on the next run. Spent my gear budget already for this half of the year and have no regrets there...but I definitely see 2 of these in my future and then I’ll be all set. That’s what I’m telling myself today anyway...and now I’m posting as a friendly reminder to myself. 
Bingo. Most people don't know this about transformers. The input impedance of any passive, transformer-based DI is influenced by what it's connected to.
- John
Jazzdogg
Less barking, more wagging!
Thank you. I should have asked a more specific question: Is the input impedance high enough to plug a piezo pickup directly into the device without adversely affecting tone?
The way I'm understanding this, the transformer does not change the impedance of what is input into it. If you bypassed the transformer, and just plugged the piezo pickup into whatever you're plugging it into now, inserting the transformer would act the same impedance wise.
Piezo pickups generally have a very low output impedance. Much lower than the magnetic coil pickups of electric instruments. I think if anything the 2020 would be exceedingly transparent in your proposed scenario, due to the low source impedance. It becomes more colorful as the source impedance increases, which is why humbuckers and split coil pickups will create more harmonic mojo than single coils. If you’re looking to add some color to your signal and your signal is a simple piezo pickup with no preamp, there are better solutions for you than a 2020. I think you should start with a preamp and then if you want the 2020 color, place it after the preamp.
Jazzdogg
Less barking, more wagging!
Thank you! So, this shouldn't be the first device "seen" by a double bass equipped with piezo pickup; these typically respond well to an input impedance of about 10 megohms as I understand it.
Modern thinking about impedance is that the input impedance of the receiving device should be at least 10 times greater (although 5x is generally considered acceptable) than the source impedance to yield the flattest frequency response with the least amount of coloration. The 2020 is a different animal since its not really a “device” by that school of thought. It simply reflects the input impedance upon the output. However, it does react differently depending on the source impedance. IMO it will not give you much as a first device in your scenario. In your circumstance I think it would be far more usable after an active device, such as a preamp.
If truly your pickup has a 1M Ohm (or an insane 10M) output impedance, which I highly doubt, you would experience a substantial amount of tonal coloration.
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I want to follow up on the “suggested” input impedance of 10M Ohms. I believe such a crazy high number was chosen to improve the damping factor. As I said, piezo pickups generally have a very low impedance. Usually, its well under 1K Ohms. A major issue with piezo pickups is their self resonance often lies in the audible spectrum. Having a very high input impedance on the first device in line can dampen this resonance, which should give a more pleasing sound.
Jazzdogg
Less barking, more wagging!
Jazzdogg
Less barking, more wagging!
As a double bassist whose instrument is amplified via a Piezo pickup, using pre-amps, DIs, and bass amps with high input impedance made my basses sound subjectively better; no doubt due the effects of resonant Piezos.
I infer from your reply that the sound improvement at various input impedances is analogous to listening to a phono recording with, and without, RIAA phono EQ.
You've given me a lot to think about. Thank you!
@lightningboy How and/or how much does the impedance of whatever is AFTER the transformer make a difference? I feel like using a 2020 going into my Focusrite Scarlett audio interface was negligible. But, going into the front end of my amp or into my Broughton P15 tube DI it was very noticeable.
I think its less important than the source impedance. To be honest I need to do more testing to confirm the effects of the input impedance of the next device. Preliminary testing suggested it was negligible. The technical data provided by Focusrite for the Scarlett indicates the line input is 10K Ohms, but it does not specify the instrument input impedance for the built in DI. I can only assume the two are the same in this case. The price point also lends to this assumption. If that is true, I highly recommend using an external DI box into the mic input. The results will align more with your expectations. Regardless, I think you’ll appreciate the sound of a good DI anyway.
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I've been pushing the 2020's. I'm still experimenting with different preamps, and while its not the same, I switch my active basses to passive and run Bass > Dual Range Boost > 2020 > preamp > 2020. Its awesome.. Right now, I'm liking how buttery the SD gets with just a bit of saturation around it
I ran into a similar issue with a PreSonus.. After reading Mike's reply I decided to try my HXS as an interface instead. I put a 2020 in the fx loop (its the blurry light blue block in parallel path B) to test things by switching the 2020 on and off and moving it around in the signal path. The effects, and amp models especially, benefit more than I expected from having transformers in the loop.. But, I found that adjusting the impedance ranging from 10k to 1M Ohm in the HXS made a difference. I was hoping to use the 2020 going into the DAW and as long as I use either the HXS, a DI, or even in front of an OCSD, then out to the Mic/Instr input of the interface it works like I'd hoped!
Thank you! I was curious about its use in the FX loop and experimenting with the impedance settings from the HXS. That's exactly what I was going to use the 2020 for. Already wanted one of them...but now
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Just to make sure I understood - have you tried the 2020 before and after the HXS and/or the OCSD? If so how did that compare to it in the HXS loop?
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