What does this do? Zoom AC-2

[DC-Choppah]

I play a Gypsy jazzz style acoustic guitar in a big band and use a Bigtone piezo bridge pickup and run it through a preamp and into a Fishman acoustic guitar amp. It sounds good. My preamp needs to be replace though so I am looking for a new one and got a recommendation to try this Zoom AC-2.

If I replace my acoustic preamp with this Zoom AC-2 (https://www.zoom-na.com/products/guitar ... ic-creator) what the heck is that going to sound like?

So, I am trying to figure out what this box is. It is not one of those acoustic simulators I think. You know the ones where you get a fake acoustic guitar sound out of your electric, but then also sound just like everybody else too!

Meanwhile this AC-2 claims to preserve the acoustic guitar sound. Hmmm. I mean how does it know how it is supposed to sound? How does it know the sound of my Gypsy Jazz guitar?

Is it playing samples? Or just doing some kind of EQ or something?

Anybody messed around with this box or have any opinion about it?

[Wonks]

No real idea, though I'd imagine it's doing the same as some of the Fishman units do, and probably using a mixture of EQ and compression (or maybe expansion) to remove some of the normal piezo quirks and make it sound more natural. The selector lets you chose the type of guitar you're playing (rather than what you'd like to sound like), so hopefully one of the settings will get the amplified sound similar to the acoustic sound. Of course it all depends on your existing guitar pre-amp and how good (or bad) a job it does of making your guitar sound like it does acoustically.

I'd imagine they'd have some pre-set EQ curves, with a number of EQ bands and the software tries to match the input sound in each band to that of it's model. I'd imagine that these days they've also got polyphonic pitch detection so it compensated for whether a note is low or high.

It's a digital pedal, so there's going to be some processing latency involved, but the specs give no processing delay figures.

If you are looking for a pre-amp/DI box then I think it would certainly be worth trying it out if any local stores have them.

[Sam Spoons]

I think Wonks has it covered.....

But, I have an Aylward Selmer Style guitar with a BigTone passive bridge. It sounds remarkably good straight into an AER Compact 60 or a PA or Reaper via my X32 and an Orchid Micro DI.

I suspect the reason the BigTone works much better than most USTs is that it isn't a UST in the conventional sense but the transducer is potted into a cavity in the bridge. Normal USTs rely on the pressure between the bridge saddle and the bottom of the bridge slot squeezing the piezo transducer and I believe this pressure is what causes the notorious 'piezo quack'. On the Alyward though the transducer is not under any pressure and definitely doesn't exhibit any 'quack'.

I have a B-Band (supposedly a ribbon capacitor) active UST on my Emerald X7 which is less 'quacky' than most but there is still that pressure. When I dig in (which I do a lot TBH, just my style I guess) it does get a little harsh but the offset soundhole doesn't allow the fitting of a Fishman Rare Earth (my preferred acoustic guitar pickups).

[DC-Choppah]

Thanks for the info guys. Good to find another Gypsy jazzer out there too. I have not been able to find one of these Zoom AC-2 to try yet.

BTW The instrument I use is this: http://www.djangobooks.com/Item/altamira-m01f

It is one of the loudest acoustic guitars. Still not enough for a big band without an amp though.

When I got it, I had to have the 'dot' on the 10th fret moved down to its proper position at the 9th fret though!!

I tried many piezos and they all sounded bad. But the Bigtone is wonderful!!

I am leaning to getting this guy instead for a new preamp.
https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/VMProPZRD

I wanted a volume pedal anyways so this looks great. All in one unit. I think the Fishman amp has all the eq and reverb and feedback protection I need.

[Aled Hughes]

These do look interesting, and I'll be looking to try one out when I can. I have an acoustic with a piezo pickup, a double bass with a magnetic pickup, and the band uses an acoustic with a magnetic pickup as well, so if it sounds good it would be very useful indeed. A handy tool in the box when I'm doing sound for other acts too.

[DC-Choppah]

OK, I found one of these to try and it is pretty good but does not have custom sounds, so no Gypsy Jazz available. But then I tried this, and had to have it.
https://www.fishman.com/products/series ... di-preamp/

The Fishman Aura has software that lets you load other guitar images in and they have Gypsy jazz. It sounds great! Like having a microphone, but no feedback. Very cool!

So now I have the Aura and the Mission volume pedal too which is great for an acoustic with a piezo pickup. Love it!

The zoom version has a much smaller and more limited pallet of guitars then the Fishman Aura and no 'use images'.