USER GUIDE AURA PRO RETAIL

Welcome

Thank you for making Fishman a part of your acoustic experience. We are proud to offer you the nest acoustic amplication products available; high-quality professional-grade tools to empower you to sound your very best. We are condent Aura Pro will both enhance and inspire your music making. Please note that the Aura Image Gallery features described in this User Guide do not apply to factory-installed OEM product.

Image Chart

Once you upload Images into your Aura Pro, use this chart for quick reference. Image # Instrument Name Microphone Mic Distance

Fundamentals

To experience the benets of Aura, install the Aura Image Gallery CD on your computer then upload Images into the Aura Pro preamp. Flip open the preamp and connect the included USB cable to the side of the preamp.

USB mini jack

Quick Start
Before you begin, set the controls as shown: 1. Plug in Use a -inch instrument cable. 2. Tune up Set Play/Edit switch to Play. Press Tuner button. When engaged, Tuner mutes the output. Press again to exit Tuner. 3. Select an Image Raise the Volume and use the Image switch to browse the Images. 4. Blend in pickup Turn Blend control left to mix pickup with Image.
5. Pickup tone Set Play/Edit switch to Play and adjust tone controls. 6. Image tone Set Play/Edit switch to Edit and adjust tone controls. Move switch back to Play to lock Image tone. 7. Control Feedback If feedback occurs, push Phase switch. If feedback recurs when you change your location, press switch again. Push Anti-Feedback button once. Turn up Volume, then either dampen the strings while tapping the body, or play the troublesome note until the lter eliminates feedback. Note: Aura Pro is a programmable preamplier. To restore factory defaults, see page 16.
Plug in the guitar, and the Aura Pro switches on. To conserve the battery, remove the instrument cable from the guitar when the system is not in use. The LEDs in the tuner display ash once at power-up to tell you the preamp is on.

Low Battery Indicator

When the Battery LED ashes once every three seconds, you have approximately 1.5 hours before the battery is exhausted. Change it at the next opportunity. When the Battery LED ashes every half a second, the battery is practically spent and should be changed immediately.
With the Play/Edit switch set to Play, depress the Tuner button to turn the circuit on and off. This digital chromatic tuner accommodates all standard and alternate tunings and mutes the output when engaged. It can also be activated without an instrument cable, in which case it will turn itself off after 90 seconds. Note that the tuner is calibrated to A = 440.

Controls

Image Your Aura Pro can be loaded with four Images that you select using the Aura Image Gallery software. Volume For the cleanest noise-free sound, set the Volume as high as possible without causing your amp or mixer to distort. Blend Use the Blend slider to set the balance between the pickup and the Image.
Tone Controls & Play/Edit Switch
The Play/Edit switch lets you EQ the pickup and Image(s) independently. Pickup EQ Move the Play/Edit switch to Play and adjust the Bass, Mid and Treble controls. Switch to Edit and the preamp retains the pickup EQ settings, disengages the pickup tone controls and enables Image EQ. Return to Play and the preamp holds the pickup EQ settings until the Bass, Mid or Treble controls are moved (regardless of the current position of the controls). Programmable Image EQ To EQ an Image, move the Play/Edit switch to Edit. The # LED ashes to indicate Edit mode. Move the Blend slider to Aura, select an Image and adjust the tone controls. You can program EQ for each of the four Images: simply select another Image and adjust the controls. Switch to Play and the preamp retains the Image EQ settings, disengages the Image tone controls and enables pickup EQ. Go back to Edit and the preamp holds the Image EQ settings until the Bass, Mid or Treble controls are moved (regardless of the current position of the controls). 11

Phase Switches

Phase (global) Use the Phase switch to improve bass response at low volume and suppress feedback at high volume. Push the Phase switch in and out and leave it in the position most pleasing to your ear. If feedback occurs, push the switch again. Relative Phase (pickup phase) To change the character of your blended sound, you may wish to change the phase of the pickup relative to the Image. There is no best position for Relative Phase and where you set it is a matter of personal taste. 1. Center Blend slider and switch to Edit. The # LED ashes to indicate Edit mode. 2. Push the Tuner button to toggle the relative pickup phase. 3. To exit Relative Phase, move the Play/Edit switch to Play. You can program different Relative Phase settings for each of the four Images. Select a different Image and repeat above procedure. 12 = default.

Anti-Feedback

Use this search-and-destroy Anti-Feedback lter in addition to the Phase switch. 1. Push Anti-Feedback button once. The letter F in tuner display will ash. 2. Turn up Volume, then either dampen the strings while tapping the body or play the troublesome note until the feedback begins. The automatic lter will identify and eliminate the feedback. The circuit will hold this offending frequency in memory until you push the Measure button again. To turn the circuit off, push and hold the Anti-Feedback button for ve seconds.

Battery Replacement

Pull the small tab at the top of the Aura Pro toward you. The body of the preamp will swing out, revealing the battery compartment. Observe the polarity marks on the battery compartment and install a fresh 9V battery. See page 15. We recommend a lithium battery for extended battery life. 13

Input Trim and VU Meter

Adjust this set-and-forget control to accommodate the dynamics of your playing style. When you set Input Trim to the optimum level, you can play strongly without distortion and play quietly without hiss. To Set the Input Trim: Unplug the guitar and pull the small tab at the top of the Aura Pro toward you. Locate the small circular potentiometer on the right side of the preamp. To turn on the VU meter, move the Edit/Play switch to Play and plug in the guitar while holding the Anti-Feedback button for two seconds; release when the G lights. The pitch LEDs (two arrows and a circle) will now display the input level of the preamp. Play the instrument strongly and watch the LED display. Use a small screwdriver to raise or lower the trim control so all three LEDs ash occasionally with hard strumming. To exit the VU meter, push the Tuner button. 14

Restore Factory Defaults

1. Unplug the guitar and move the tone controls to the center detent position. 2. Move the Edit/Play switch to Play. 3. Hold the Anti-Feedback button, plug in the guitar and press the Tuner button within two seconds. 4. When the Tuner D LED ashes, release the buttons. Factory Reset is complete when the D stops ashing and Aura Pro returns to normal operation. Defaults: EQ for all four Images reverts to at. Relative Phase settings return to default state. Anti-Feedback frequency is reset to 100Hz.

Electrical Specications

Digital Signal Path: A/D, D/A conversion: Signal Processing: Typical in-use current consumption @ 9VDC: Typical 9V lithium battery life: Typical 9V alkaline battery life: Nominal output impedance: Recommended load impedance: Input Trim gain range: Maximum output level (onset of clipping): Baseline noise: Dynamic Range: Bass control: Midrange control: Treble control: Anti-Feedback: cut depth: 24-bit 32-bit 18mA 54 hours 27 hours 1k Ohm 10k Ohm and up -6dB to +6dB +5dBV -92dBV 97dB 12dB @ 90Hz 12dB @ 1kHz 12dB @ 6kHz 13.5dB
The specications and information in this manual are subject to change without notice. 17

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513-300-150 Rev E 3-10

AURA PRO INSTALLATION GUIDE

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Read Me First!
Installation of this product is a straightforward procedure, but we recommend this job only if you are an experienced repair technician.

Requirements

Saddle Slot: Minimum saddle slot length: 2.775 (70.48mm) Maximum E to E string spacing at saddle: 2.5 (63.5mm)

Preliminary

1. Widen the endpin hole to 1532 (11.9mm) to accommodate the endpin jack. 2. Drill a 332 hole (2.4mm) in the saddle slot for the pickup wire, no less than.100 (2.5mm) from nearest string. Install the pickup per Acoustic Matrix installation instructions. Location Before you cut the cavity on the side of the guitar, choose a compatible location: Pick a location that allows the preamp to swing freely without bumping into the internal braces. The preamp housing requires at least 11116 (4.3cm) clearance inside the guitar. Position the preamp on the flattest convenient surface on the side of the instrument. The flattest and most comfortable location is usually at the upper bout, just above the instruments waist and well below the shoulder (figure 1). Note that when the bezel is fastened to the side, it will bend just enough to conform to the curves of most standard instruments. To help prevent cracks and provide structural support for the preamp, we recommend reinforcing the mounting area with thin veneer before you cut out the cavity.

Figure 1.

Figure 2.

Installation

1. Once you select the mounting location, affix the template and cut out the cavity. Use a #45 (.082, 2mm) drill for the screw holes. 2. Install the endpin jack per Switchjack Installation Instructions. 3. To access the input, open the trap door on the back of the preamp chassis (figures 2, 3). Figure 3.
4. Fasten the pickup wires to the terminal block (figure 4). The signal wire goes to the terminal marked IN and the shield wire goes to the GND. Tighten the screws on the block to secure the wires.
Sound Image upload Install the included Aura Image Gallery software on your computer. Open the preamp compartment and connect a mini-B USB cable between the preamp and the computer (figure 6). Follow the onscreen instructions to upload Images.
Figure 6. Figure 4. 5. Loop the pickup wire to the right and press it into the slot on the edge of the chassis. Snap the trap door shut (figure 5). Place the preamp in the cavity. Input trim adjust Unplug the guitar and open the preamp compartment. Locate the small circular potentiometer on the right side of the preamp (figure 7).
Figure 7. Figure 5. 6. For easy access installing the screws/mounting brackets, swing the preamp open. Insert the mounting screws in their holes. Reach inside the soundhole and fasten the screws to the mounting brackets with a #1 Phillips driver. Snap the four covers in place over the screw heads. 7. Secure the wires inside the instrument with the supplied adhesive backed clips (figure 1). Clean the mounting surface with an alcohol wipe or a cotton swab moistened with rubbing alcohol. 8. Swing the preamp open and install a fresh 9V alkaline or lithium battery. To turn on the VU meter, move the Edit/Play switch to Play, hold down the Tuner button and plug in the guitar. The Tuner display will flash. Play the instrument strongly and watch the Tuner display. Use a small flat-head screwdriver to adjust the trim control so all three LEDs flash occasionally with hard strumming. To exit the VU meter, push the Tuner button.

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514-300-002 Rev A 6-07