Kevin K
Sep-01-2017, 2:16pm
Does anyone use the Fishman Aura Spectrum with their mandolin pickup setup? What settings do you like the best? Pleased?
almeriastrings
Sep-02-2017, 1:25am
Tried it with a K&K equipped F5 and a couple of mandolin 'images' (profiles) from the Fishman 'library. My impression was it was nowhere near as effective or useful as it is in taming undersaddle transducer 'quack' and 'fizz' on guitar. In that role (guitar) it can really do a good job (especially fingerstyle). Any improvement on mandolin with a soundboard transducer was marginal at best. It would probably make more impact if you have a really bad sounding bridge pickup... but I was not able to test that. Every transducer and instrument is different, so you just have to play around until you get a result you like. Needless to say, even in the best case scenario a decent mic will leave it in the dust.
kjbllc
Sep-02-2017, 6:30am
I was not impressed for the price, I think a couple of foot pedals would do the same thing. for a specific intrument, and again for guitar which most pedals are made for it probably works well.
saltybrian
Sep-05-2017, 4:05pm
Yes, I use it. I have an Eastman 515 with a Fishman m100 bridge pickup. The pu is pretty good, though a bit 'brittle' on the E strings into most non modelling DIs. It's definitely a smoother closer-to-a-mic sound with the Aura than without. I use the fully modelled sound, but it's in the user section and I'd need to check which preset it is when I get home from holiday this weekend. I like the eq and the compressor too. As far as I can tell, no other preset works with my mando, though the full DI sound is pretty good too, for any instrument I play(also use sometimes for guitar w rare earth and OM w headway snake ust). The tuner is hopeless.
All that said, it's not a total game changer - I sometimes leave it home as it's very bulky, but that's the only reason I'd leave it out.
I've had well documented problems trying to electrify my really nice mando (Hilburn A5), and it didn't help make any of the pickups I tried on that sound any better - baggs radius, schertler dyn, almuse custom, schatten, k&k, unbranded Chinese dot, lace sensor, Thomann magnetic thing, fishman m100 (didn't work for this one), aka c411, MI-SI.... man, I've spent a lot on pickups!
Bottom line - it's a difficult instrument to amplify and what works for one may or may not work on another. Same probable applies to the Aura insofar as its modelling qualities go, but it's a good Di with nice eq and compressor.
HTH