So you
just laid out a couple of grand for a top-of-the-line acoustic
that you plan to use onstage. If you perform solo or don't move
around too much, you can probably get away with a good stand-mounted
mike, But if you're in a band, you'll need a high-quality pickup
system - most likely a saddle pickup plus internal mike or a
soundhole/saddle-pickup combo - and a good preamp/mixer to blend
and EQ the transducer signals. The Pendulum Audio SPS-1
stereo preamp system ($1,095) is the latest addition to this
New Jersey based company's line of audio products (Pendulum introduced
the first rackmount acoustic preamp in '88). The SPS-1 is a single-rackspace
unit designed to be used with just about any configuration of
pickups, internal or external mikes, and onboard preamps. Its
front panel features two channels, each with independent input-gain
attenuation, overload LEDs, three stages of fully parametric
EQ, and an in/out switch for instant comparison of flat and EQ'd
sounds. The EQ's overlapping frequencies are a smart ideal. The
low range covers 35 to 880Hz, the mid 180Hz to 4.2kHz, and the
high 840Hz to 19kHz, so you can, say, grab the low band to notch
out annoying boom and still boost the upper low end with the
mid band.
The SPS-1
features a pair of pan pots that permit you to place your pickups
anywhere in the stereo field, a master-level control, and a phase-reversal
switch for controlling feedback. A pair of LEDs indicate the
active effects loop and when all outputs (except the tuner's)
are muted. A footswitch is provided for both of these functions.
The front panel monitor section sports a level control, phase
reversal switch,, monitor-input switch (stereo mix or pickup-only
for feedback control), and a 1/4" stereo headphone jack.
The rear panel
houses each channel's XLR input, phase reversal switch, external
mike switch and gain control, 48-volt phantom-power switch, 1/4"
pre-EQ line-in jack, mono effects send/return jack (for effects
needed only on one channel, such as compression or additional
EQ), and 1/4" TRS-balanced direct-channel out. Channel 1's
input-mode switch allows you to send the mike and pickup signals
into channels 1 and 2, or combine them in channel 1, thus freeing
up channel 2 for an external instrument or vocal mike. Other
rear-panel details include a true stereo effects loop and a switch
that offers a choice of series or parallel effects. There's also
a pair of 1/4" monitor outs, dual XLR master outs, and ground-lift
and power switches.
The Pendulum's
unique endpin preamp modules provide studio-quality buffering
and stereo mixing at a point as close to the pickups and/or mikes
as possible (one module is included with the SPS-1). The module
plugs directly into your guitar's endpin jack and come in single
pickup, mike and pickup, and two pickup versions. Additional
single-source modules run $125; dual-source versions are $165.
The latter feature a balance control for the pickup and mike
(or second pickup), a master volume, and two recessed gain trimmers.
It connects via a special screw-on XLR cable (included) that
also supplies the device with power from the rack unit.
We auditioned the Pendulum SPS-1 using a rich-sounding Mossman
Tennessee flat-top fitted with a Duncan Sadducer piezo saddle
pickup and a crown internal mike. We also had a new Guild D40C
cutaway tricked out with a Bartolini 3A soundhole pickup and
a Joe Mills internal mike. We ran the Pendulum's output to an
SSL 4000E board and listened to the results through Tannoy System
8 and Westlake Audio monitors.
In this setting,
the Pendulum's sound was impressive, to say the least. Its sonic
transparency allowed not only the personalities of our guitars
to shine through (no generic acoustic sound here), but also the
character of the individual mikes and pickups. Preamped through
the Pendulum, the Guild's Joe Mills mike sounded beautifully
crisp and detailed, and by itself the Bartolini 3A was warm and
jazzy. This combination of magnetic pickup and mike yielded incredibly
rich, articulate and accurate acoustic tone. Our Mossman also
sounded very good initially, but during the course of our testing
we had a chance to speak with Counting Crows axman and Pendulum
user David Bryson, who suggested rolling the highs off the Duncan
to reduce harshness, and reducing the Crown mike's low end for
more volume before feedback. After dialing the SPS-1's EQ appropriately,
we saw Dave's logic: the Mossman's superb warmth and woodiness
was retained, yet we still had the punch and clarity necessary
to cut through a loud band. At all times, it was a snap to get
exactly what we wanted from the SPS-1, and that says a
lot about the care and attention that's gone into this unit's
design.
Bryson's only
quibble concerned the module's vulnerability is some live situations
- remember, you've got an object about half the size of a pack
of cigarettes extending from your endpin jack. Pendulum's floor-mounted
and internal units are worth considering if you're a certified
acoustic thrasher. Each provides the same mixing/buffering functions.
However, the internal module requires phantom power (which means
you can't plug the instrument directly into a tuner), and the
remote module necessitates a sound-degrading length of cable
from the pickup and/or mikes. All modules are compatible with
any mixing board that provides 48 volt phantom-power capability.
The Pendulum
SPS-1 is an elegantly designed and superbly flexible acoustic
preamp. Its ultra-transparent sound, studio-quality EQ, and advanced
features have made it the choice of players such as James Taylor,
Phil Keaggy, Leo Kottke, and Bob Weir. Courtesy of its high-quality
mike preamps, the SPS-1 can also be used with a DAT or multi-track
recorder as a stand-alone stereo mike preamp/EQ for instruments
or vocals. At $1,095, the SPS-1 is way more expensive
than a Fishman Blender or Rane AP13 - both fine-sounding units
in their own right - but its $900 less than Rane's MAP33. In
short, if you wish to wring the last drop of tone from your amplified
acoustic and can live without MIDI, the SPS-1 is an ideal choice.
We'd like
to thank Gary Brawer Stringed Instrument Repair (San Francisco,
California), Paul Robinson at Different Fur Studios (San Francisco,
California), Howard Johnson, Mark Slagle, and David Bryson for
their assistance.
