D-TAR Mama Bear Acoustic Digital Preamplifier for Acoustic Guitar at Gollihur Music - Double Bass, Upright Bass, String Bass Specialists

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Preamps and Processors: Preamplifiers

D-TAR Mama Bear Acoustic Digital Preamplifier for Acoustic Guitar

Manufactured by: D-Tar

Continental US - larger items may carry a partial shipping charge to AK, HI and PR

From $349.00

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D-TAR Mama Bear
Digital Acoustic Guitar Preamp

There's an old problem with amplifying acoustic guitars: most acoustic pickups tend to "oversimplify" the tone, removing the true acoustic sound of your instrument. The very cool Mama Bear preamp uses modern digital technology to overcome this problem. Using something called AGE^TM technology, Mama Bear takes your guitar into the digital realm, neutralizes the pickup, and then restores the natural body resonance. So this advanced preamp makes your acoustic guitar's pickup output sound more like your acoustic guitar's ACOUSTIC output.

With 16 different digital filter choices to neutralize the sound of your pickup, 16 amazing guitar sounds emulated from 16 amazing guitars, from parlors to super jumbos (for emulation of other classic guitar designs), plenty of output options, phase switch and mute switch, it's plain to see this is a high-end, professional unit (just like the rest of the DTAR line).

FEATURES:

16 different digital input filter choices to neutralize the sound of your pickup so the AGE^TM technology can "do its magic" based on a relatively uncolored input source.
The AGE^TM technology provides 16 incredible guitar sounds emulated from 16 amazing guitars, from parlors to super jumbos. It allows you to dial up the guitar that matches your guitar's body shape, or emulate other shapes for varied acoustic tones.
Input gain control allows you to tailor the input for minimization of noise or input overload when different pickups with different gain characteristics are used. Also has LED to indicated overload.
Hard-wire bypass switch to allow comparison of processed versus unprocessed sounds. LED alerts user when in bypass mode.
Output level control provides the ability to match output gain to next stage for best performance.
Balanced XLR output, for studio use with balanced-input mixing boards or direct board connection to live PA.
The Hi-Z input stage works with Piezo pickups, making this a great stand-alone preamp.
Chassis compatible with Equinox and Solstice.
Uses a +/- 12 volt supply for analog stages for outstanding headroom performance.
A Wet/Dry Blend Control so you can dial in exactly how much processed sound you want to mix in.
Ground lift switch for use with balanced-input mixing boards.
Phase switch can help reduce feedback in certain situations
Mute switch for quiet guitar tuning or elimination of live connection noises.

Additionally, you can check out this detailed post on the D-TAR User Forum, where Rick Turner describes in detail the guitars that were modeled for this unit.

The moment we got our first Mama Bear it had to be exercised. I'm not a guitarist (other than my old four string Gibson Tenor- does that count??), so I asked Mark to take it to his home studio and put it through its paces.

Mark Gollihur's take on the Mama Bear:
If I had to sum up the Mama Bear in one word, it would be tasteful. With perhaps a couple exceptions, each of the presets are fairly subtle, each imparting a different sonic character to your original signal. It's an extraordinary tool for both studio and live performers, as it gives you a varied lineup of acoustic guitar sounds (that not many people could afford to have different guitars to achieve). In a studio, this is great - and makes for a fairly "idiot-proof" way to acheive a palette of acoustic guitar flavors. The same could be said in live performance; getting the different sounds from one guitar is certainly more convenient than bringing several instruments to a gig!

And various models aside, the unit just made the acoustic guitar sounds more... well, acoustic. It really helps to temper that sometimes harsh undersaddle "sound" that so many acoustics have. With the "toys" that the Mama Bear offers, it's easy to overlook the fact that this may be its greatest asset. But popping the "bypass" switch in and out makes it pretty apparent - this is a pretty impressive box!

That said, it will not turn your $79 special into a Taylor, or make your piezo-bridge equipped Strat into a dreadnought - but it sure can improve it. However, the intelligence of having sixteen choices for the source as well as the output cannot be overlooked. It may be able to polish your turd (how shiny it gets will depend on the quality); if you have a good quality instrument and pickup system, it will definitely impress you!

From $349.00

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