PowerTap Earth Body Sensor with Soundhole Pickup Review

Great Combo Pickup, Very Convenient

For fingerstyle players looking to use a mag/SBT combo, this is probably the most convenient choice as it has an onboard preamp and the ability to play in mono or stereo. The next most convenient option would be the Dimarzio Black Angel but you have to purchase those units separately and they will have to be blended with an outboard, 2-channel, preamp. In my opinion, this unit sounds… read more better than the Black Angel Mag & Piezo but everyone's opinion and taste will differ. However, in regards to simplicity to sound, this is real hard to beat. I previously used the Rare Earth Blend and rather liked it but the mic was more finnicky and prone to feedback. The PowerTap soundboard piezo is much more stable than an internal mic and, in my opinion, a better tone. When run through my Zoom AC3, I found a 50/50 blend sounded best, if not maybe 60% Tap to 40% mag. However, it really shines when you split the two signal and EQ to taste. When run through my Zoom L8 mixer/recorder, I cut mids and treble on the mag and left the Tap flat. This allowed the mag to enhance the lows without adding much of the "magnetic strings" sound to the treble. This is the "ideal" arrangement but the mono blend works very well in most live settings. Overall, this is a really good system and easy enough to install (I did it myself). I would like to see this available with the Fishman Blackstack mag as well, for those who prefer the "Sunrise" sound and adjustable pole pieces, but no complaints about the Rare Earth PowerTap. Great value.

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