Anybody tried an AURA pedal with a Crowdster?

[Pietro]

I got a buddy that's going to lend me his to check out. I've heard good and bad about the Aura, but the good is INSANE good...

Anybody have any experience?

[pipedwho]

I had one, but I couldn't find a model for my guitar that I felt did the Aura justice. I haven't used the smaller pedals, but the original one has the capability to download 'images' from the Fishman site. I'd start looking to see if there are some models that seem similar to the Crowdster.

(Fishman lets you send the guitar in to create a super-accurate image, but I think this would be more appropriate for a full bodied guitar. A thinline would be 'imaged' to sound like a thinline - which is probably not exactly what you're after.)

The Aura is different from something like the DTAR Mama Bear in that it is trying to 'make your guitar plugged in sound more like your guitar miced'. The Mama Bear on the other hand is attempting to change the sound of your guitar into something 'more full bodied and realistic'.

For my setup, the Mama worked much better than the Aura - although I've heard the Aura sounding better than the Mama with someone else's guitar. So it is really an experimentation thing. I'd definitely try both with the Crowdster before dropping any cash.

Oh, and don't forget to post back here with your results as you progress. :)

[Pietro]

Yeah, I'm sure you have to monkey with the controls. No way to create an "image" of the Crowdster.

Currently I'm using a yamaha AG Stomp which is no longer available, but with that I'm getting a REALLY good sound, it emulates a miced guitar with whatever you plug into it, and I can even record with it if the sound is in a mix with other guitars. I'm just diggin' the possibility of the Aura it it's better.

I'll be expirimenting with it the next week or so and will let you all know.

[ryman150]

I use an Aura... played a Gibson jumbo through one for "I Wonder" the other night with Kellie Pickler on the CMA awards. I stuck the video on my MySpace page...


www.myspace.com/ryanochsner (www.myspace.com/ryanochsner)

Sound quality isn't top notch online, but gives you a sample of what an Aura does. I try to use it subtly. I think it does warm things up and make a plugged in acoustic sound somewhat more natural. It is easy to make it too "tin" sounding or hollow. Just have to find a sweet spot.

[JohnnyBeck]

Very cool Ryman! Hey if you know of any need for lead or incredible rythm players... both of my other guys that play with me have mad skill and are single and looking to play on the road a little more. One of my guys has his Master's in guitar performance from Roosevelt in Chicago. He's friggin awesome on acoustic or electric.

anyways... congrats to you on your journey bro!

later,
j

[Eric Pykala]

Hey Ryman, loved your playing with Kellie the other night. Yeah,
I actually noticed that lonely six-string in with the longhair strings. Rock on bro!-Eric

[getgo]

I run my Crowdster through a Pendulum SPS-1 and I really have never had a better plugged in live acoustic sound. I tried the Mama Bear and didn't like how mid rangey all the settings were. Rick Turner has stated that he often shoots for the mids in his acoustic guitar builds so I have to wonder if some of that preference made it's way into the Mama Bear.

[Pietro]

I'm going to test the Crowdster+ with a POD X3 (Yes, I know most of you don't like modeling, but a few of us do) and the Aura next week. I'll post my findings... for posterity if nothing else.

btw, my Crowdster+ is about to celebrate it's first birthday in my stable, and it is still as amazing as ever. Usually new "stuff" gets "old" eventually... I'm not sure this guitar ever is going to get old. I marvel at it every time I open the case, even though I didn't play it this weekend (I needed mostly electric... I play the C+ when I need mostly acoustic).

Thanks again Tom and all you TAGers!

[mr. j]

for live use I switched from my Boss AD5 to (don't laugh)... this-
http://pic40.picturetrail.com/VOL264/2072330/4019436/288048409.jpg

[Janine Doubly]

I have tried the big Aura with a Crowdster. I found it to be very cool. I never tried to get the Aura to "Mimic" the Crowdster, but saw it as a way to get some modeling done by using the piezo output of the Crowdster. This is probably not the Aura's intended use, but I think it works very well in this manner. In fact, I liked just running the Aura without ANY of the piezo signal and enjoyed tweeking the different models and various mics and mic'ing angles. I personally thought it was VERY realistic and although there is a slight bit of latency, it is a nice way to get a "mic'd acoustic" tone while playing a super comfy and more ergonomic stage guitar, which of course, the Crowdster is!!! I say try it. I've even had decent results using an Aura with a piezo output from a Power bridge, even though the G string sounds a little off.

[Pietro]

So, I have just started to mess with the new POD with the Crowdster (don't like the user interface ONE LITTLE bit... of the POD, not the Crowdster) but I completed my test of the POD X3 last night. I'll post my Aura findings when I get around to it.

It sounded GREAT with three of my guitars when it was just me. When I played with the band (with the TAGW Crowdster)... it was just horrible in the mix. Just horrible. It's possible that if I spent some time tweaking it I might get it to sound good in band situations, but the interface is SO klunky, too many buttons to push to change basic things. The Wah doesn't really let you go all the way "trebly" and the switch on the Volume/Wah pedal is just too sensitive (Yeah, I think you can adjust that, but since the thing is so darn hard to program and doesn't sound good with the band to start with... why bother...)

So then I switched back to my ToneLab SE (electric side) and my Yamaha AG Stomp (acoustic) and plugged the Crowdster back in. Simply glorious. The whole band was relieved.

The POD X3 Live goes back in the box. I'm sure it's good for somebody... just not me...