BluesKing777 Posted August 26, 2015 Author Share Posted August 26, 2015 BK, Is it easy for right out of the box creating and using a simple Rezz-improved guitar tone, with one simple smart harmony when I "hit"? If so, I may want to use it Friday night (I get it Thursday), as the piezo quack and sound of my LG2-AE is something I wish sounded better. I could use my D35 with K&K, but it is way heavier for a 4 hour gig. Maybe sit through this video a couple of times...has more details - no driver permit until you pass the test after! So to get you TC Helicon 'Play Acoustic' operator licence, study this: BluesKing777. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BluesKing777 Posted August 27, 2015 Author Share Posted August 27, 2015 Ha Will test the machine trying some Mick with the TC Helicon in charge of doing Keith's backing vokes! [confused] I will have to take the gadget off my music stand where it has been for setup and to the floor...... Some TAB guitar books I ordered the other week from Amazon just arrived (week early too). I went to a local music book shop and came out with the Eagles Tab and Pink Floyd TAB but the rest of their wares were unknown to me! So online I ordered TAB books for Stones '50 songs for 50 years' with appendix TAB of legendary guitar parts supposedly and Stones "Singles Collection" TAB and while I was at it, I got TAB "Some Girls". I have an old book which is rubbish and a newer book also rubbish, but these look great! BluesKing777. Well, I had a busy day with work and honestly, when I sat down in my music room for a practice I just couldn't be bothered with gadgets so played an hour of my gorgeous old 0-17 - mainly having a run through of the abovementioned Stones 50 for 50 TAB book. Fantastic stuff and I assume it is accurate, but who knows? Found out I can do Ruby T with the capo on 3! Had a cuppa, and then grabbed the J45 and set the gadgetry a running....eek...lead or pickup crackling. Made a shemozzle of all of the connections changing the lead, running just the guitar lead to the TC...still crackling. Swapped leads...still crackling....swapped guitars...fine....oh oh oh, J45 pickup lead on the fitz. Turned it all off! The Princess and the Hound were both asleep in front of the teev just before, so I went back and turned everything on again and plugged in my Martin 000c-15e acoustic electric....no humm or crackles. Had great fun going thru Stones 'Cant Always Get What U Want' with 2 slightly detuned and drunk sounding backup singers from the TC, but couldn't lose one of them for the verse. It just sounded fab so I will work out how to lose the backup singer later or tomorrow, taking heart that Mick probably often thought the same ......... :lol: :lol: Probably a good reason not to take it to a gig yet! BluesKing777. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blindboygrunt Posted August 27, 2015 Share Posted August 27, 2015 The video you posted was much better than any of the others. And no, it wasn't because of the short dress. Looking forward to done stones stuff Ruby Tuesday capo 3 ?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BluesKing777 Posted August 27, 2015 Author Share Posted August 27, 2015 The video you posted was much better than any of the others. Ruby Tuesday capo 3 ?? Ruby T capo 3 just for me...... If I sang it in Am standard tuning, I had trouble getting the chorus to sit properly. Capo 3, all works. Depends on your voice..capo until ya find the truth! No recordings - you'll have to take my word that it was the best version I have ever done. BluesKing777. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BluesKing777 Posted August 28, 2015 Author Share Posted August 28, 2015 Check these two nongs demonstrating the gadget - worth a million: BluesKing777. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MorrisrownSal Posted August 28, 2015 Share Posted August 28, 2015 Groan. I got it today. I had about an hour of free time. This is not easy. Or I am a dope. I will need a day next week to sit down and learn this thing. Alls I want is some Body Rezz for the UST, and a simple high harmony. No idea how to get it. Anyway, the D35 will come to the gig after all. the K&K is so superior to the UST on the LG2. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jesse_Dylan Posted August 28, 2015 Share Posted August 28, 2015 Groan. I got it today. I had about an hour of free time. This is not easy. Or I am a dope. I will need a day next week to sit down and learn this thing. Alls I want is some Body Rezz for the UST, and a simple high harmony. No idea how to get it. Anyway, the D35 will come to the gig after all. the K&K is so superior to the UST on the LG2. It's hard learning new things, especially under pressure! Eventually I am going to have to learn to EQ for my Lyric, maybe learn to notch feedback, who knows what else--it's not a lot of fun for all of us. Don't be too hard on yourself! I agree that USTs sound bad, and I think the Element is probably the best of them! What does your friend you're playing with use? You'll probably go to all this work to sound decent, and he'll just plug a Fishman UST direct with flat EQ and rubberband the quack right out of you :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BluesKing777 Posted August 28, 2015 Author Share Posted August 28, 2015 Groan. I got it today. I had about an hour of free time. This is not easy. Or I am a dope. I will need a day next week to sit down and learn this thing. Alls I want is some Body Rezz for the UST, and a simple high harmony. No idea how to get it. Anyway, the D35 will come to the gig after all. the K&K is so superior to the UST on the LG2. Stop fiddling with all the bits, plug in your guitar and mic and listen quietly to this video!!!! Clearer than the sales video. True. The key parts to me are the talk about the presets they loaded for you. He starts at guess what.? Who woulda thought? Number One Preset! Then Number 2.....then 3. Don't be blinded by the amount of stuff and possibly some science - go to preset one, play and sing a verse, then step on the HIT button and it gives the extra voices for a chorus.... BluesKing777. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Priority Four Posted August 28, 2015 Share Posted August 28, 2015 I have a TC Helicon Harmony G Pedal which is discontinued. It does have a great reverb and compression. I keep it in my gear bag and use it every once in a while on stage. Mostly when the house sound is lacking. I've never performed with it using the harmony, but it is a hoot to play with. It has several harmony settings 1/3 high 1/5 low etc. My favorite thing to do with it is set it to 1/3 high and 1/5 high and play Eagles stuff. Seven Bridges Road is a really fun song. I have thought about using it to thicken the vocal on some stuff. You can dial the amount of harmony back to a point that it would not be obvious. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BluesKing777 Posted September 1, 2015 Author Share Posted September 1, 2015 Acoustic Guitar Magazine has a competition with the 2nd prize being one of the Play Acoustic boxes...too late, I have mine! http://www.acousticguitar.com/Win/TC-Electronic-TC-Helicon-Gear-Giveaway%20?utm_source=SilverpopMailing&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=AG_Weekly_MasterTemplate%20(9)&utm_content=&spMailingID=12202185&spUserID=NTE3ODY0NjY1NDYS1&spJobID=564012988&spReportId=NTY0MDEyOTg4S0 BluesKing777 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MorrisrownSal Posted September 1, 2015 Share Posted September 1, 2015 Circling back... I returned my Play Acoustic. There were too many things to plug into it, come out of it... Settings... and I'm just a caveman lawyer. It sounds great - as BK will attest... It's comes down to the fact that I have a day job, and when I play alone in my home office, or with a few friends acoustically with some vino, or even doing some new gigs and open mics, I just want something that is so easy. Frankly the 3 people in the bar at my last gig probably did not care too much about my specific acoustic tones... I think I just need to plug in straight to a nice acoustic amp, or into a PA through a simple DI. If I have to forego the many pairs of undergarments thrown at me on stage because my tone is perfect, Alas.... I shall have to make due. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BluesKing777 Posted September 1, 2015 Author Share Posted September 1, 2015 Circling back... I returned my Play Acoustic. There were too many things to plug into it, come out of it... Settings... and I'm just a caveman lawyer. It sounds great - as BK will attest... It's comes down to the fact that I have a day job, and when I play alone in my home office, or with a few friends acoustically with some vino, or even doing some new gigs and open mics, I just want something that is so easy. Frankly the 3 people in the bar at my last gig probably did not care too much about my specific acoustic tones... I think I just need to plug in straight to a nice acoustic amp, or into a PA through a simple DI. If I have to forego the many pairs of undergarments thrown at me on stage because my tone is perfect, Alas.... I shall have to make due. Seriously, use the return money to get a Fishman Aura Spectrum pedal. Just magic! I have the Spectrum, which if you look at the select knob in the pic, has all the types of guitars covered. So if you had a dread, go to dread...orchestra, jumbo, 12 string.....etc. You have all the sounds loaded to get close to your guitar, but the 'buffers' in the unit improve the guitar sound just being on. True! You can download other stuff to the User part later if you want and you can even get Fishman to record your special guitar and load that image on.....but I doubt it..... The BK on my "test recording' thread was through the Spectrum and then to the Helicon. Just a great sound, not exactly like the BK maybe, but a great sound live is a great sound!!!! It is a D.I. too....can also plug to your amp AND the D.I. etc. Ask EA if you don't believe me! http://www.fishman.com/products/view/aura-spectrum-di BluesKing777. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buc McMaster Posted September 2, 2015 Share Posted September 2, 2015 Frankly the 3 people in the bar at my last gig probably did not care too much about my specific acoustic tones... There's the thing with playing the bar scene live: most in attendance don't give a flip who you are, what you're playing or how good your sound is. You're background noise to their experience of hanging out, consuming alcohol and endlessly yakking with friends. There are a few that do pay attention and have a genuine interest in the entertainment. It's one of those you need to lock up with from the stage and play to............makes for a better performance. You go, Sal! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jesse_Dylan Posted September 2, 2015 Share Posted September 2, 2015 And there is always the L.R. Baggs Lyric, too.. :) Plug and play, from what I'm told. I will find out eventually! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BluesKing777 Posted September 2, 2015 Author Share Posted September 2, 2015 Well, I'm sorted! Gibson Blues King > Baggs Element that came with it > Fishman Aura Spectrum DI > TC Helicon Play Acoustic (love that name!) > whatever and whoever and their various PAs....... Key being to me, a basic pickup running to pre-amp and all the controls to help you get a sound and adjust.........and THEN > OUT. Then let them do their worst on the sound system - I have my sound sorted and also in my headphones, and what happens out the front is usually a shemozzle depending on the mood of the operator! BluesKing777. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BluesKing777 Posted September 8, 2015 Author Share Posted September 8, 2015 Me again! I have been fiddling with custom settings on the TC and have come up with a few that can be saved to a spare preset...plenty of those. So I was practicing a few Stones tunes solo and came up with a version of Wild Hosses - I have attempted quite a few versions over the years, but the combination of fingerpicking, capo on 3rd fret, vocals, machinery for sound and record and leads everywhere are just too much to handle at once! So I sing the verse while fingerpicking and just as I start the chorus, have to tap the 'HIT' button to start the backing vocalists Flo and Mo...but I just can't do all that and keep going with the chorus! Mental or physical block? Recording mission impossible! The proverbial pat the head while...... All fun though! BluesKing777. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jesse_Dylan Posted September 8, 2015 Share Posted September 8, 2015 I think it is just a darn lot to do all at once! I've never attempted to play Wild Horses and am not familiar enough with it to comment. However, I'm sure there would be a way to capture the essence. But, add in the pressures of recording, hitting pedals, harmonies, electronics... and that is another story. I can tell you one thing, though, it is probably great brain exercise to attempt! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BluesKing777 Posted September 8, 2015 Author Share Posted September 8, 2015 Well, in forum fashion there is only one answer to the problem!!!!! A New Guitar!!!!!! I don't think Gibson make one with Aura electricals anymore - a toasted J45 with Aura...hint, hint. But Big M do - new 00-15E has 1 3\4" nut and Aura electros - plug that guitar straight into the PA or my gadget - they had 2 at the shop near me that went by the time I read the ad.....hot stuff for fingerpickers: Next up the price list could be a D18 Retro with Aura - not sure I want buttons on the guitar top, but..: http://eddiesguitars.com/Martin-D-18E-Retro/ And the way further up the price is the Martin D35E 50the Anniversary full toasted Aura electro model.....phew! Soundhole Aura controls... The the other thing to try with the TC is...yuk....didn't like it but to get rid of half the leads everywhere - run it in ...yikes...MONO...Boring...but less plugging time. So gig ready - Aura guitar into TC with Mono setup!!!! BluesKing777. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BluesKing777 Posted September 10, 2015 Author Share Posted September 10, 2015 I think this is hysterical..... In the manual, 'humanizing' and 'portamento' and other settings are discussed for advanced harmony settings. This is part of what it says : Using high amounts of both Humanize and Por- tamento can make your harmony voices sound as if they’ve... well... been drinking... a lot. Small amounts are usually preferable. BluesKing777. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blindboygrunt Posted September 10, 2015 Share Posted September 10, 2015 'Portamento' itself sounds like a drink. I had 7 or 8 glasses of portamento and woke up in the hallway Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BluesKing777 Posted September 12, 2015 Author Share Posted September 12, 2015 'Portamento' itself sounds like a drink. I had 7 or 8 glasses of portamento and woke up in the hallway A few glasses of Humanize and I was in all kinds of strife! So I didn't try the Portamento. Rang a music shop this morning that advertised the only Fishman pickup in stock in the whole town, and now I ring because saying they have it on the internet can mean something else. Yes, they did and I was in the car, across the country to hook up to a freeway and 35 mins down that and same back and I now have a Fishman Neo D Humbucker soundhole pickup that I can put in and out any guitar I feel like playing! So through the Aura and the TC.....so far in and out of 2 guitars... BluesKing777. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jesse_Dylan Posted September 12, 2015 Share Posted September 12, 2015 A few glasses of Humanize and I was in all kinds of strife! So I didn't try the Portamento. Rang a music shop this morning that advertised the only Fishman pickup in stock in the whole town, and now I ring because saying they have it on the internet can mean something else. Yes, they did and I was in the car, across the country to hook up to a freeway and 35 mins down that and same back and I now have a Fishman Neo D Humbucker soundhole pickup that I can put in and out any guitar I feel like playing! So through the Aura and the TC.....so far in and out of 2 guitars... BluesKing777. Cool! How does the Neo D sound with the Aura? As good as an UST? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BluesKing777 Posted September 12, 2015 Author Share Posted September 12, 2015 Cool! How does the Neo D sound with the Aura? As good as an UST? I really like the Neo D already....passive so no batteries and the guitar lead is a skinny one I curled inside the guitar to case the guitar. But having the Aura Spectrum is the key and the only reason I bought the pickup. That magnetic sound without the Aura, to me, is horrible. I know a lot of people like it. Not me - I use it to add some electricity to my effects chain and then all kinds of things are possible. It is in the soundhole of my 1937 Gibson L-0 at the moment! The people that built the L-0 in 1937 would be staggered to see and hear it electrified through the Aura and the TC with harmonies and echo and and and. I have tried the Neo D and Aura with 5 different guitars now. I know the Guitar Fairies are watching me hover over a guitar on my lap with a screwdriver! I just used the same settings on all the electronica for now. Do the guitars sound like they do un-pickupped only louder? Nope - nothing like it. But it is a beautiful sound and more about getting to play a certain guitar with electricity... For now! You can plug the Aura into a computer via usb and download the images they have for many guitars to a 'User Image' section, but they don't have every guitar ever made. If you are finicky, you can get Fishman to record your guitar and make some images to download. One beef I have withh Aura Spectrum is it doesn't show you ExACTLY which image you have selected, like J45#3-4423154 or even a faves area. It has a little display for the tuner so he could have put something there. Probably a new Aura device is due anyway - I've had mine a fair while..... BluesKing777. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jesse_Dylan Posted September 13, 2015 Share Posted September 13, 2015 Yeah, that Spectrum has been around since what, 2008? They are due for a new one. Amplification of acoustic instruments is such a compromise situation. I think the L.R. Baggs Lyric is pretty darn cool. I am with you, though. I can't stand the sound of a magnetic pickup or an UST, or even an SBT. I am happy with the Lyric, kind of a compromise-type microphone for when one can't use an outside microphone. The other compromise is to mold the UST/SBT/magnetic tone, and I think the Aura does a good job there. I have found that with the Aura, or with the Anthem, I need to turn it all the way up... I know that wouldn't work in a stadium, but cripes, I am not playing stadiums, so really I should be able to get a decent sound. For years and years I just used whatever mic was hanging around to good (in my opinion) effect, but that doesn't cut it with a band. I think the Lyric should work with a band, but others say I am naive. :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BluesKing777 Posted September 18, 2015 Author Share Posted September 18, 2015 I have been experimenting with the Fishy Neo D in all kinds of guitars - very enjoyable but I have noticed something I didn't expect.....the soundhole pickup doesn't have any adjustment up and down and not all the soundholes are the same distance from the strings! My LG3 had strings touching the pickup as I played up the neck a bit.....my J45's pickguard is too close to the soundhole and if I put the pickup in the usual position, it is higher on that side and needs to be moved towards the bridge a bit.....etc...etc... My CEO7 is a bit lower and then not as loud. I also ordered a Fishman Blackstack to try....I have been talking about getting one since a 2011 thread. (tracking says it has landed in Chicago - hopefully not for the weekend!) BluesKing777. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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