Fishman Aura Dreadnought Imaging Pedal

This is a little addendum as I've already submitted a review for this product. Since then, I've had some issues with the unit that have changed my rating. Ratings for Ease of use and sound quality remain unchanged. It's the reliability where the numbers are different.

Still sounds good. Keep going down to the next category.

One issue with this pedal is that as far as batteries, it's a thirsty little puppy. Sucks up the juice. So I plugged a generic wall-wart adapter because I didn't have another 9 volt handy. No light or sound, so I switched polarity immediately. Light comes on but no sound. Turns out that the pedal has a protective diode that keeps the motherboard from frying in case someone like me plugs it in the wrong way. Had to send it back to the manufacturer. Which leads me to the next box...

Outstanding. I called up the 1-800 number and was connected immediately to a live customer service rep (in this country, no less). I explained the situation to him, sent the unit out and had it back within a few weeks. Kudos, guys!

Seriously, for a pedal this expensive, it should be able to withstand idiots like me who plug their pedals in backwards on a regular basis. I think I have plugged every one of my pedals in the wrong polarity at least a half a dozen times with no ill effects. Of course we're talking old fashioned analogue pedals. With the exception of my Digitech RP-80, I've never had a high tech digital modeling or "sound imaging" pedal before. I'm not sure if power supply issues are common with these things, but I've honestly never had a problem in the same way with say, my DOD 250 pedal.

Fishman advocates using their dedicated external power supply, which I always though was a way of grubbing for more money, but if you want to avoid the same mistake, potentially, you may want to purchase their adapter. Just to be on the safe side.

Because of the power supply issue, I'd have to drop the rating for the pedal down, but to the companies credit, because of how they handled it, they still have a loyal customer.

Volume, blend and image selector knobs with a side trim pot. Couldn't get any easier.

I use this unit with 2 different acoustics, my trusty old Penco and a newer Oscar Scmidt with an UST and built in preamp. The Penco has a Dean Markley Pro-mag soundhole PU. The Aura handles the low output from the Dean Markley like a champ, buffering the signal so that it actually sounds decent going into the amp even without the effect kicked in. It improves the sound slightly, but where this unit really shines is taking the output of the UST on the Schmidt and turning it into a believable acoustic sound. It was like magic. The only reason I give this unit a nine on sound is because it couldn't do the same for the soundhole pickup, which Fishman advertised the unit could do. That, not so well.

Built like a tank. Brushed stainless case, heavy as a brick. Probably could handle being dropped out of a five story window.

Never dealt with them.

I play mostly acoustic material a la Dan Fogelberg, James Taylor, America, etc. in a 4 piece band, and am still playing the Penco I learned on 35 years ago. I needed something that would allow me the freedom of NOT using a microphone onstage as I've had too many bad experiences with sound guys who didn't know how to mix 2 guitars and 4 voices. This has improved my sound immeasurably in rehearsals and will undoubtedly do the same in the live situations we have coming up later this month. Images 7 and 13 are the ones that most realistically reproduce the instrument, but any image improves the sound of the UST. I'd have to save a bit to get another if it were stolen as it is by far the most expensive pedal I've ever bought, but it is worth every penny.