Tonedexter

[tmg145]

Who is using a tonedexter here? I've just begun and wow, by far the best sounding DI of all time. Previously I was using a red-eye.

[MontanaMatt]

I'm a full convert! It's way better than any other options, less a microphone.
Prior to that I was into Triton BigAmpPeizo
Welcome to the future!

[colorado_al]

+1. Love it for live sound!

[hucklebilly]

Who is using a tonedexter here? I've just begun and wow, by far the best sounding DI of all time. Previously I was using a red-eye.

I just got one a few weeks ago. In a word: astounding!

I've tried pretty much everything else (except the red eye)--I've got an Anthem in my guitar which sounds pretty good and I used to have a dual source set up with the mandolin, but I got tired of EQing two sources so the plug-and-play promise of the Tonedexter enticed me. What bothers me most about the soundboard transducer I have in the mando is the pick and handling noise. When I move my hand on the neck it's amplified and every note has this very heavy attack from the pick which drives me crazy. With the Tonedexter this miraculously disappears. The tone is just unbelievably mic-like. When you alternate between the raw pickup signal and the wave map it's like night and day. It's not a subtle difference to me. I've messed around with a few mics in different positions and found a wave map I really like. I thought I'd want to experiment with some really high-end mics but it sounds so good as it is I might not bother. As it stands now I have a sound I love from the Tonedexter, no feedback worries, and a nice boost function. Haven't gigged with it yet, but I'm very excited about the prospects.

[RustyMadd]

Who is using a Tonedexter here? I've just begun and wow, by far the best sounding DI of all time. Previously I was using a red-eye.

Yes, but is it really THAT much better than a RedEye enough to justify it's exorbitant price tag?

[RustyMadd]

Who is using a Tonedexter here? I've just begun and wow, by far the best sounding DI of all time. Previously I was using a red-eye.

Yes, but is it really THAT much better than a RedEye enough to justify it's exorbitant price tag?

Edit: I guess for $400, it seems to be a knock out, a home run, etc. Guess I should consider one as well.

[hucklebilly]

I'd be curious to hear tmg145's comparison between the RedEye and the Tonedexter.

[colorado_al]

Yes it is. I played with the Fire-eye Red-eye and loved it. It is my go-to recommendation for anyone looking for a good DI.
My recommendation for anyone looking for a great DI (and who is going to gig enough to cover the cost) is the ToneDexter.

[MontanaMatt]

If you gig, and don’t want your piezoelectric to sound piezoelectric, it is unequivocally worth it, and I look forward to future iterations of this technology.
I reiterate, welcome to the future!

[hucklebilly]

That's it! No matter how good the piezo, it still sounds piezo to me. Tonedexter solves that problem. (And no matter what the future holds, the current iteration is pretty impressive.)

[MontanaMatt]

Yes, but is it really THAT much better than a RedEye enough to justify it's exorbitant price tag?

It’s cheap for pro gear. Dpa 4099 is more $$ than the TD +radius .

[MontanaMatt]

Yes, but is it really THAT much better than a RedEye enough to justify it's exorbitant price tag?

Edit: I guess for $400, it seems to be a knock out, a home run, etc. Guess I should consider one as well.

TD also has latching mute switch, tuner, sweepable notch filter, treble and bass gain adjust, variable boost switch, and can store “images” for all you instruments (32 storage locations), and can blend between raw pickup and mic wave map.

[pops1]

I would like to hear it with my mandolin. Thru the FireEye my mandolin sounds like my mandolin sounds. I don't know if it is the instillation of my pickup, it is different than most K&K's, or just that I am not playing loud enough to make it go into a pickup sound. Louder piezo is a different sound than quieter.

[colorado_al]

I would like to hear it with my mandolin. Thru the FireEye my mandolin sounds like my mandolin sounds. I don't know if it is the instillation of my pickup, it is different than most K&K's, or just that I am not playing loud enough to make it go into a pickup sound. Louder piezo is a different sound than quieter.

If you're content with your current sound, I'd keep it as is. When you get a chance to try the ToneDexter, check it out and see if you like it.
The Fire-eye is a great piece of gear and produces a sound that is far and away better than most other setups out there. It is also much simpler than the ToneDexter. I personally like my sounds better from the TD, but if I had to switch back to the FE for a night, I wouldn't mind it too much.

[MojoDaniels]

I just read the explanation on their website and this is fascinating. I’d love to hear one. I wonder if the wave map technology could be used to build IR’s for acoustic instruments.
Unfortunately I don’t know enough about IR’s and how they are made, but the concept behind this thing is genius.

[colorado_al]

I just read the explanation on their website and this is fascinating. I’d love to hear one. I wonder if the wave map technology could be used to build IR’s for acoustic instruments.
Unfortunately I don’t know enough about IR’s and how they are made, but the concept behind this thing is genius.

My guess is that the ToneDexter does some sort of Fast Fourier Transform of the incoming sound on both the mic and the pickup and subtracts them, resulting in a model of the difference in frequencies. Then it reverses the process with playback from the pickup, adding back the difference with a reverse FFT. In order to do this real-time with no audible delay requires fast processing and sampling and an efficient algorithm. It also requires the pickup to be used in order to supply the input for the reverse FFT to be added in.

[tmg145]

I'd be curious to hear tmg145's comparison between the RedEye and the Tonedexter.

The red-eye is outstanding, but TD removed the pick attack thud I was resolving with fine tuned compression that was tedious. TD is money well spend for the discerning mandolin player. I love it and can not imagine my performance without it. I just uploaded the High frequency data today and it blew me away.

[Josh Levine]

Is it easy to setup. Like somebody that doesn't understand what ya'll are talking about?

[MontanaMatt]

Is it easy to setup. Like somebody that doesn't understand what ya'll are talking about?

Very easy, with concise directions.
It is involved, but intuitive once you use it a few times.

[colorado_al]

I don't think it is that easy to setup. If you want an easy solution, go with the Fire-eye. It will take you a few hours and some patience, and a few microphones to get the ToneDexter setup well.

[MontanaMatt]

It's as easy as; set up mic, plug in pickup, plug in headphones, adjust a few levels, stomp on the buttons, let the computer work, evaluate results...repeat with different mic, or mic placement. Easy peasy by my book. Way easier than running a sound board, or playing the mandolin.

[colorado_al]

It isn't going to be easy for someone who says

Is it easy to setup. Like somebody that doesn't understand what ya'll are talking about?

[MontanaMatt]

It isn't going to be easy for someone who says

I assumed they were addressing fast Fourier yada yada, and impulse response filter thingy

In contrast to the option of sending your instruments to Fishmann for a custom patch for the Aura system, it’s simple and kinda foolproof for the user. I got it done with my three year old son present and “helping “

[Br1ck]

Keep in mind you will want high quality mics to get the best results. Plus some knowledge of mic placement.

I haven't used my Red Eye since I bought my Sunnaudio Stage DI, a really great sounding circuit.

[Kevin K]

I've been using a ToneDexter for awhile now and have always been impressed. Very nice unit and proud user for both mandolin and guitar.
It's easy to use and the sound I get has received many compliments. It's a game changer for certain.