boss ad-5

[yianni]

hey guys,

i was wondering what your thoughts were regarding the boss ad-5 against say the bbe acoustimax sonic maximizer. I know the boss is an older unit but which of the two would be more favorable for a full rich sound.


thanks!

yianni.

[Panagiotis]

Why do you need either? If you are going for a clean, rich, warm bouzouki sound, all you need is the following:

1. good preamp (preferably with eq)
2. good amplifier
3. good speaker
+4. good effects processor

These BBE units and the like are really designed to doctor up a sound that's already pretty messed up. I don't actually like the BBE sound on bouzouki...or much of anything really, maybe bass drum or electric bass, and even then, in moderation. Check out this thread:
synthesimusic.proboards85.com/index.cgi?board=bouzouki&action=display&thread=1150176624

Best,
P

[thanosm]

Hi guys. Aside from my usual rig ... I have a Boss AD-5. Why ? Because sometimes i have to go and play somewhere with no set up time , and I have to be able to just plug in and play. The AD-5 is a relatively cheap unit which really doesn't produce a bad sound with an emg-pickup and a decent monitor. I would rather have the cheesy digital reverb on the AD-5 than relying and being at the mercy of a screwed up soundman, that has a dry sound approach. If I add a tube eq to it ... I can actually get a rich sound. Additionally, it has both a magnetic and a piezzo input which means that I can plug my violin into it at the same time as my bouzouki. Its really important here in Greece when playing in different settings with no set up time to be able to totally control your sound ... without having excess equipment to carry. Sometimes I have to go to a magazi with a singer ....when the gig has already been in progress for 2 hours...jump on stage and be ready to play in 3 minutes. The Ad-5 is a cool unit for these situations. When I go to a gig here in Athens with set up time , I take my rack. But when I go to play at a panigiri 4 hours away ... after work and I arrive just in time to play .... the AD-5 is my saviour. In conclusion, different circumstances can warrant using an all in one unit like the AD-5. Plus cost is an issue. Equipment is really expensive here in Greece.

[adonis]

Sounds like a handy little unit.
I have a couple of non-bouzouki questions for Thanos ...
Does the AD-5 provide a reasonable sound for your violin?
Also, what pick-up system do you use on your violin?

[Panagiotis]

I guess the Ad-5 is not really an aural enhancer like the BBE. It sounds like it's a valuable tool for a quick easy setup. I like the Yamaha Acoustic Magicstomp. It has great effects and eq and is a great sounding preamp. It's another great all-in-one type of unit.

P

[thanosm]

adonis said:

Sounds like a handy little unit.
I have a couple of non-bouzouki questions for Thanos ...
Does the AD-5 provide a reasonable sound for your violin?
Also, what pick-up system do you use on your violin?

I use a Barcus Berrey bridge transducer(transducer is built into the bridge) There are better transducers out on the market but they are more expensive, unavailabe in Greece. The BB sound still remains the "standard" here in Greece. Both Koros and Hatzopoulos are still using this transducer. Additionally I use a small amount of delay, which does not come from the AD-5, and a good old Boss Octaver.
I get a better sound on the violin with the AD-5 than I do with the bouzouki. And it is way better for the violin than the Barcus Berrey preamp which is built for the transducer. More than reasonable I would say. There is a microphone distancing simulation feature on the unit that takes away most of the unwanted edge/scratch. Something that you just have to live with if you are playing with the BBerrey preamp.

When amplifying a sensitive instrument like the violin,
Your first concern of course should be your amplifier and speaker. Without decent speaker and clean amplification, sound will suffer no matter how efficient the AD-5 is.

[adonis]

Thanks for the info Thanos!