FISHMAN 3259 Powertap Earth Body Sensor with Soundhole Pickup User Guide
- June 6, 2024
- FISHMAN
Table of Contents
PowerTap EARTH BLEND
Welcome
Thank you for choosing Fishman. We are proud to offer you professional-grade
amplification products that will empower you to sound your very best. Please
read through this User Guide to familiarize yourself with the operation of
your PowerTap Earth Blend.
PowerTap EARTH BLEND
Pickup Voicing
The PowerTap Earth Blend has been carefully voiced to reproduce a balanced
string response. The PowerTap Earth Blend is voiced specifically for bronze or
phosphor bronze strings. If nickel electric guitar strings are used with the
PowerTap Earth, the lower wound strings will overpower the higher plain
strings.
Preamp
The PowerTap Earth Blend model features a miniature preamp, housed within the
body of the pickup. A low-noise circuit design preserves the pickup’s
performance in any audio environment. You can plug the PowerTap Earth Blend
into an acoustic instrument amplifier, an unbalanced input of a mixer, or a
direct box without signal loss or degradation. You may run cables up to 80’
(25m) in length without audible signal loss.
PowerTap Earth Blend
As part of the new Fishman Acoustic PowerTap™ series, the PowerTap Earth Blend
pickup system combines the superior performance and warm, transparent sound of
our Rare Earth Mic Blend with a new soundboard Tap body sensor. The result
delivers a new world of percussive performance elements and tactile dynamics
for guitarists of all styles. With the addition of Tap body sensor technology,
players can add new performance dynamics of Touch, Ambience, and Percussion.
POWERTAP EARTH BLEND
Battery Replacement
Remove the mag pickup from the instrument soundhole to access the battery bag
inside the guitar body. Remove the battery bag from the hook and loop patch
and bring it out through the soundhole. After replacing the battery with a
fresh 9-Volt, place the bag back on the hook and loop patch pressing firmly to
properly seat the bag securely to the patch. Replace the mag pickup in the
soundhole.
Blend Function – Microphone
The PowerTap Earth Blend model combines the humbucking magnetic sound-hole
pickup with a condenser microphone to provide a wide range of natural sounds,
adaptable to various playing situations. The magnetic pickup’s strength is its
articulation, high gain-before-feedback, and isolation from other nearby sound
sources. The microphone adds body and air to the sound to provide a rounder,
more ambient tone.
PowerTap EARTH BLEND
Rotate thumbwheel counterclockwise for full pickup Middle: 50/50 blend Rotate clockwise for full mic
POWERTAP EARTH BLEND
Blend Function – Tap Body Sensor
A second thumbwheel pot located in the soundhole acts as the blend level
control for the Tap body sensor. Turn the blending wheel clockwise towards the
bridge to add in the desired signal from the Tap body sensor.
PowerTap EARTH BLEND
Microphone Bass Switch
The Mic bass switch controls the low-frequency extension of the microphone.
When switched to the position pointing toward the treble strings, this control
will provide the fullest bass for mic-only applications or blended tones where
more mic bass is preferred. The alternate switch position (toward the bass
strings) rolls off the bass from the microphone to reduce the risk of low-
frequency feedback and facilitate playing at higher volumes. In this scenario,
the magnetic pickup becomes the primary source of bass.
PowerTap EARTH BLEND
Microphone Placement
The microphone is attached to an adjustable gooseneck that allows you to
position the mic in just the right spot to achieve your desired tone. Try
experimenting with microphone placement until you find a position you like.
Here are some suggestions to get you started:
To begin, move the blend control toward the treble strings (full mic).
A suggested starting position would be with the microphone capsule parallel to
the soundboard. Move the mic into varying positions until you find your
desired tonality. A small adjustment can give you dramatically different
sounds. Once you find a sound you like, blend in the pickup to taste. There is
no right or wrong position for the mic. Just experiment until it sounds the
way you like it.
Note: To avoid damage to the gooseneck and microphone connection, please
adjust the position carefully.
PowerTap EARTH BLEND
Stereo/Mono Output Options
The PowerTap Earth Blend provides multiple outputs and Blend options.
One Mono Cable using Primary Output Jack:
Plugging a mono instrument cable into the primary Jack (Closest to the top
of the instrument) accesses all three pickup signals blended to a mono output.
Use blend and level controls to achieve the desired mix of the three sources.
Two Mono Cables using Primary and Secondary Output Jacks:
Turn down the Body Sensor pickup level control to remove that signal from the
Primary jack and route it to the Secondary output jack. This will leave the
Mag/Mic Mix on the
Primary output jack. Adjust the blend control to get desired mag/mic mix. The
Body Sensor pickup signal can be adjusted separately offboard the guitar.
PowerTap EARTH BLEND
Stereo/Mono Output Options cont’d
One Stereo Y Cable or Adaptor and One Mono Cable:
To access all three pickup signals separately, turn the mag/mic blend control
all the way counterclockwise for full pickup. Next, turn the Body Sensor level
control all the way off. Plug a Stereo Y-cable or Y adaptor into the Primary
jack and an additional mono instrument cable into the secondary jack. This
will route the signals as follows:
Primary Jack Tip: Mag pickup
Primary Jack Ring: Microphone
Secondary Jack Tip: Body Sensor pickup
PowerTap EARTH BLEND
EU DECLARATION OF CONFORMITY CE
Hereby, Fishman declares that this PowerTap Earth Blend (494-000-841) is in
compliance with the essential requirements and other relevant provisions of
Directive 2014/30/EU. The Declaration of Conformity can be found at
www.fishman.com/support.
Fishman and Fishman Transducers are trademarks or tradenames of Fishman Transducers Inc. 513-300-302
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