9/5/2023 0 Comments Yamaha nylon strings![]() ![]() ![]() My verdict? The nylon-string edition of the Atmosfeel system is even better than the steel-string version - more vibrant and more transparent. ![]() Sweetening the deal, the system I tested was installed in a Rodrigo y Gabriela signature-model NTX5 with special appointments designed for those two acoustic virtuosos, including a fingerboard that goes up to the 24th fret on the treble strings and a curvy cutaway that allows you to reach those ultra-high notes with ease. I’ve written about Atmosfeel before, and my previous experience with it in a steel-string guitar made me excited to hear how it would translate to the world of nylon. In addition, the Bass EQ knob has been replaced with a Treble knob, in acknowledgment of the fact that nylon-strings can often benefit from the greater clarity afforded by turning up the highs. As in the steel-string version, the sheet transducer captures the guitar’s higher frequencies and the mini-mic handles the lower ones, but the six individual piezo sensors in the bridge have been re-voiced to focus on the midrange. ![]() Because of the unique tonal characteristics of nylon-string guitars, the specs of the systems in those instruments had to be tweaked substantially. The Atmosfeel systems in Yamaha NCX5, NCX3, NTX5 and NTX3 nylon-string guitars operate the same way as the ones in the steel-string FGX/FSX Red Label models, but that doesn’t mean they are the same. What’s more, you can custom-blend the tones each device produces via three unobtrusive knobs on the left side of the instrument. What makes the Atmosfeel system so remarkable is that it combines three means of capturing the sound: a mini-microphone inside the guitar’s body, piezo sensors in the bridge, and a proprietary synthetic sheet transducer under the soundboard, each devoted to a particular frequency range. Perhaps the best solution for amplifying the sound of nylon-string guitars is to use a microphone, but besides the usual danger of feedback, you run the risk of boominess and overemphasis of the instrument’s lower frequencies, particularly when close-miking. Piezo pickups (which utilize crystals to generate the necessary electric signal) can work, but they have a tendency to sound unpleasantly trebly and harsh. A standard magnetic pickup cannot be used because the lack of metal strings means that there’s nothing to create a magnetic field with. But what if your taste in acoustic guitars leans more toward the warmer, deeper tones of a nylon-string? Well, you’re in luck, because Yamaha has recently added Atmosfeel to its upgraded NCX and NTX series of nylon-string acoustics - and that is something for lovers of guitar tone everywhere to celebrate.Īs has been discussed previously on this blog, amplifying any acoustic guitar in a way that actually sounds good is a difficult task, but nylon-string guitars present a special challenge. If you’ve had the good fortune of trying - or maybe even purchasing - a Yamaha FGX or FSX Red Label steel-string acoustic guitar, you’re probably already familiar with the impressively realistic sound of the Atmosfeel™ pickup and preamp system. ![]()
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