dimarzio posts thier D activator neck and bridge models

[j.arledge]

taken from dimarzio.com

bridge model dp# 220

Active humbuckers have a distinctive sound - powerful, clean, open-sounding, with excellent harmonic overtones and very tight lows. The down side for many players is that they also sound cold, have limited dynamics and run out of headroom when played hard. And of course, they need batteries. In 2006 we took a close look at the most popular active neck and bridge humbuckers to see if we could capture all of the good qualities and eliminate the disadvantages. The D Activator™ neck and bridge models are the result. They have the same loud yet clean sound as the active humbuckers players are familiar with, and killer harmonics. They also respond instantly to hard or light pick attack. In a word, they rock. And they don’t need batteries.
Recommended For: Bridge
Tech Talk: An interesting fact about the most popular active bridge pickups is that they aren’t incredibly loud. Instead, they have a strong, focused attack that hits the amp very hard and makes them ‘feel’ more powerful than they actually spec out to be. This is an important characteristic that we needed to capture with the D Activator™ bridge pickup. We also wanted to avoid the limiting effect that can occur with active pickups when they are played hard. Our pickup is passive with a lot of headroom, and it responds quickly and accurately to changes in pick attack. A hard pick attack doesn’t cause the signal to flatten out, and picking more softly or rolling the volume control down lets the sound clean up naturally.

neck model dp # 219

Active humbuckers have a distinctive sound - powerful, clean, open-sounding, with excellent harmonic overtones and very tight lows. The down side for many players is that they also sound cold, have limited dynamics and run out of headroom when played hard. And of course, they need batteries. In 2006 we took a close look at the most popular active neck and bridge humbuckers to see if we could capture all of the good qualities and eliminate the disadvantages. The D Activator™ neck and bridge models are the result. They have the same loud yet clean sound as the active humbuckers players are familiar with, and killer harmonics. They also respond instantly to hard or light pick attack. In a word, they rock. And they don’t need batteries.
Recommended For: Neck. Can also be used in bridge position
Tech Talk: There’s a big difference between a pickup that sounds bright and one that sounds thin. A thin-sounding pickup will be brittle on the highest frets and empty-sounding in the mids and lows. The D Activator™ neck model doesn’t do this – both the wound and plain strings remain tight and bright up the neck, and very well balanced. This allows the D Activator™ neck model to function well in both longer scale bolt-ons and shorter scale, set-neck guitars. It also makes for a good bridge pickup if you want a sound with a lot of snap and power.

[ZOMB13]

I would like to try these, they sound very interesting.

[frankfalbo]

There seems to be a few other threads about these but I'll post here. They're basically dual resonance ceramic buckers. They don't fall under the Airbucker patent, probably because you wouldn't air a ceramic magnet, especially if you're going for high output with low dc resistance.

The Super 2 is a good example of a ceramic neck pickup, so now imagine it's got mismatched coil windings and regular poles and you're just about there. When it comes to the bridge, you're probably looking at somewhat of a ceramic Norton or Fred.

It's Dimarzio's next logical step. They've done mismatched coils with Alnico, with and without Airbucker technology, now they're doing it with ceramics. A few years back we would have rejected these as cold and sterile. We'd say that there's no sweetness from the Alnico, and that the ceramic makes the attack brittle and harsh. Now they say "A hard pick attack doesn’t cause the signal to flatten out" and "They also respond instantly to hard or light pick attack" so go figure. These things go in cycles. In 1987 we would have killed for these. In 1996 we would have crucified them.

It looks like a regular sized magnet. I would have expected they'd have to use the larger Super Distortion sized magnet to get those output levels, but what do I know?

Personally from what I know, late 2007 and 2008 should launch a big pickup development era, filled with innovation and new thinking. These are the current "hot topic" but by 2008 this "hyperactivated, hyperdynamic humbucker" class will be a pretty crowded field. Those of you without the budget right now, don't worry. There's more on the horizon.

[quik]

Very informative and interesting post, Frank. Thanks.

[jaxadam]

Originally Posted by frankfalbo

so now imagine it's got mismatched coil windings and regular poles and you're just about there. When it comes to the bridge, you're probably looking at somewhat of a ceramic Norton or Fred.

So are you talking about a ceramic unbucker basically?

[frankfalbo]

Sort of, but the term "unbucker" is used by Lindy Fralin to describe two coils wound with the SAME gauge wire, one hotter than the other. When Dimarzio flashes that patent number, it means they're using two different wire gauges. So there's more sonic variation between the two coils. This creates the wider frequency range they talk about, and it also prevents the pickup from having a strong spike in a certain frequency range. There's less overlap in frequency spikes between the two coils. To me, most of the time that makes the pickups bland and uninteresting. The Fred & Steves Special are some exceptions. They have some frequencies in the mids and highs that just rip out of the guitar. But the Zones, Nortons, Breed, etc all have a bland, somewhat softer tone overall. I've owned all of them too, so it's not like I'm dissing them, it's just the natural byproduct of the dual resonance design. I actually like an "unbucker" better, where you have two coils that are roughly the same makeup, but one is overwound vs. the other. Then some familiar vintage frequencies can still gain some traction, and you still get the sonic expansion from the mismatched coils.

The best way to think of a humbucker is not "Coil A + Coil B" but rather "Coil A x Coil B" They multiply eachother rather than combine. So less sonic overlap between the two coils = less exponential spikes in the tonal character across the frequency range.

[jaxadam]

I have a duncan with one coil wound with 43 gauge and one coil wound with 42 gauge, and it really has quite an interesting character to it.

I am definitely going to check these pickups out, considering I'm a big fan of actives anyway.

[-Rhaab]

these sound nice, I would like to hear a sample,
which dimarzio really needs to work on, they should do something like duncans and have sound clips, except plays different types of riffs for different styles clean and distorted

[jm1681]

I can't find these anywhere and I need one stat

Interesting...

http://www.musik-schmidt.de/osc-schm...ducts_id=20866

Stock pickups for some new Ibanez models perhaps?

[j.arledge]

Originally Posted by jm1681

I can't find these anywhere and I need one stat

Interesting...

http://www.musik-schmidt.de/osc-schm...ducts_id=20866

Stock pickups for some new Ibanez models perhaps?

yes there are a few new models with the pickups in them that is why i found it interesting dimarzio posted thier info and will sell them as a part of thier regular line .

[Drow Swordsman]

I'm guessing the cost for these aren't that much! After all, the non-Prestige VBT700 has them in it!

I also think it kind of says something if Ibanez is putting straight up brand name pick-ups on their Korean's and licensed (or worse) on the Prestige's!



Either way, they sound interesting...

[Roadstar]

very cool answer to those cold EMGs but i will be sticking with
more vintage sounding pups like the PAFs just becuase i do not like that much
output jolting from my guitar
I like the power and drive to come from the amps ala old EDWARD VANHALEN

[jm1681]

Something I found with EMG is that I really liked the attack. Razor sharp response with a clear cutting high-end and just enough of everything else. DiMarzio claims to have recreated all of these traits and then some.

As soon as I find a bridge model D-Activator, I'm doing it.

[j.arledge]

Originally Posted by jm1681

Something I found with EMG is that I really liked the attack. Razor sharp response with a clear cutting high-end and just enough of everything else. DiMarzio claims to have recreated all of these traits and then some.

As soon as I find a bridge model D-Activator, I'm doing it.

yeah i like how clear the emg active models are , but they are sorta blan clean and i just dont like the 81 clean .

i really hope dimarzio did these right , if so i gotta say hells yeah i'll be buyin some.

[jm1681]

Originally Posted by j.arledge

yeah i like how clear the emg active models are , but they are sorta blan clean...

Precisely.

I always said if I could get an 81 with a "soul", it'd be my ideal pickup.