6
Introduction
Congratulations! You have purchased the finest preamp system for
acoustic instruments available today. But you already know that, so we
won't bore you with the details. Suffice it to say the sound quality and
versatility of the SPS-1 are unmatched, both on stage and in the studio.
Since most of you would rather plunge right in and give it a listen, rather
than read a novel, we've taken a different approach to explain how to use the
SPS-1. If you're already technically savvy, you can head back to the
Condensed Operating Instructions that precede this introduction. It is a
capsule description of the main features of the SPS-1, and describes what all
the buttons and knobs and jacks do in their simplest form. It should get you
up and running immediately. If you need more information, or would like to
learn about some of the less obvious things you can do with the SPS-1,
read on.
Pickup Combinations - A Primer
Since we've been in the business of putting together preamp systems
for acoustic instruments longer than anyone else, we've come across most of
the configurations that players would like to use with their instruments. The
bottom line is that nearly everyone wants something different, and needs a
different approach to achieving it. For that reason, we've tried to incorporate
as many features as you're likely to need both now and in the future. Since
most players find that one pickup can't do the entire job, the SPS-1 is
designed specifically for blending a pickup with something else, be it
another pickup, an internal mic, or an external mic. What combination you
choose depends a lot on your playing style - flatpicking or fingerpicking,
playing solo instrumental music, accompanying vocals, or playing with
other instruments at high sound pressure levels. Even whether you play in
small clubs or with a concert sound system. The choices you make also
depend on whether you're playing live or in the studio. Here are a few of the
most popular combinations, and why people use them.
Two External Mics
The faint of heart need not apply! If you're a purist, and you're playing
solo guitar in a studio environment, this is the combination you're most
likely to use. However, it requires a pair of high quality condenser mics, and
a great sounding room. Since the SPS-1 has two studio-quality mic
preamps, parametric EQ and stereo output, it's the ideal preamp for going
directly to DAT or digital multitrack. Perfect for recording you solo record
yourself. No one would think of using this combination live, however, and
expect to be heard. Unless, of course, you're doing a classical concert in a
great European hall.
Pickup + External Mic
This is probably the ideal combination for solo acoustic
performance, when you're looking for a good representation of the sound of
your instrument but want some control over how 'woody' your guitar will
sound. In most cases the pickup will be some sort of string-sensitive device,
either a saddle or under the saddle piezo (that's pee-ay-zo folks, not pee-zo or
pie-zo) transducer or a magnetic soundhole pickup. Some work better than
others, some are easier to install, and some are just awful! The idea here is to
use the pickup to provide the direct 'in-your-face' sound of the vibrating
string, and combine it with the ambient sound of the wood vibration the
external mic gives you. By varying the blend between the direct and ambient
sound, you can get a very reasonable representation of your instrument. You
can use more pickup in a very lively room, and more mic in a dead room. By
using a single pickup or two pickup Preamp Module in one channel of the
SPS-1, and an external mic in the other, you can have complete control over
this blend on stage. Many players find that piezo transducers flatter light
fingerstyle playing, but are harsh when the strings are hit hard. The best
magnetic pickups, on the other hand, don't fold up when played hard, but are
too 'round' sounding for players who prefer that 'brash' piezo sound. The
choice is up to you.
In addition, most studio recording of acoustic instruments also relies
on using these two sound sources. During mixdown you can establish the
blend of pickup and mic that gets the guitar to cut through the mix.
The downside is that you have to have to stay glued to one position
for the mic to be effective. And, you can't use this setup with high stage
levels or in a band situation, since both feedback - and more important -
leakage of other instruments into the mic, will present major problems. Mic
selection and placement will often help solve some of these problems, but
not in all cases, or even in all rooms.
Pickup + Internal Mic
This is currently a hot combination, since it gives you the benefits
of an external mic, and you can move around. There is a price to be paid,
however, since a mic inside a guitar will never sound as good as a mic out in
front of your guitar. It may come pretty close, and in many cases it works
very well, but it's still a compromise. After all, it's is a mic in a box. All
that said, it works quite well in many applications, particularly for solo
players or groups where the stage levels are low. The problems encountered
with external mics, namely feedback and leakage, are also problems here.
Feedback problems can usually be cured by keeping the mic out of the stage
monitors, which the SPS-1's monitor output allows you to do. Leakage,
however is another matter. The mic is in a resonant box with a hole in it,
which acts as a 'magnet' for low frequency sound, particularly
