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AG Sensor Clarity Pickup System is the result of an intense eight year research and development programme into musical instrument pickup, sensor technology, and manufacturing techniques. It represents the pinnacle of innovation in magnetic pickup design which heralds a paradigm shift in the tonal quality, dynamics and response usually expected from magnetic pickup devices.
The AG Sensor Clarity Pickup System has been developed using advanced materials, precision electronics, nanotechnology and 21st century manufacturing techniques together with extensive listening tests and field trials combined with computer aided design and simulation to bring you a new experience in pickup versatility and performance.
The AG Sensor Clarity Pickup System has unique characteristics that are immediately noticeable right from the moment you start playing. It reproduces every subtle nuance of a player’s style and expression and allows the tonal response of your instrument to shine through with an unrivalled clarity.
AG Sensor Clarity Sensors are designed to have a smoother and much wider frequency response than other pickups, both active and passive. This allows them to reproduce more detail and harmonics which translates into a much clearer and more open sound with greater dynamic range.
The design of the signal generating component of the AG Sensor Clarity Sensor incorporates a specially developed nanomaterial composite which provides a conduction path for the induced signal current caused by the changing magnetic field when the string vibrates within it. This couples to an external screening envelope on the sensor to provide electromagnetic screening of the sensor body.
Particular attention has been paid to the design of the electromagnetic sensory element in order to provide a tailored magnetic field that reduces the interference with the vibrating strings, commonly known as ‘string pull’ in traditional pickups. A carefully selected, advanced neodymium iron boron alloy is used to provide a deep magnetic field within the sensor body. This magnetic alloy also demonstrated the clearest sound during listening tests. The field is also even across the magnetic width, avoiding the drawbacks associated with pole pieces when bending strings. The reduction in interference with a vibrating string means it can vibrate longer before energy dissipates and the sustain dies away. The total magnetic field strength experienced by the strings has been carefully balanced and optimized to provide an excellent signal to noise ratio from the specially designed sensor precision preamplifier within the sensor body.
The Chameleon Preamp Module is a dedicated voicing module for AG Sensor Clarity Sensors. This module has been developed using the latest in ultra-low noise semiconductor components and amplifier circuit design techniques. The excellent wide bandwidth performance and signal to noise ratio has been achieved while maintaining a low current draw from the circuit. Specially selected passive components have been used in order to achieve maximum performance of the system.
The Chameleon Preamp Module offers unique tone shaping capabilities accessible by a rotary switch. The effect that this switch has in different positions is that the sound is tailored to replicate different types of standard pickups commonly found in different instruments. It works by altering the transfer characteristics of the AG Sensor Clarity sensors, and offers much wider variations in tone and feel than can be produced with a standard set of pickups and a conventional tone control.
The improved detail, dynamics and tonal transparency of AG Sensor Clarity pickups works excellently with all styles of music. The increase in performance is such that all styles of music can gain from the advances made by AG Sensor.
These advances made by AG Sensor Clarity pickups also work with nearly all amplification and signal processing systems. In fact, our extensive field tests failed to show any system that did not display the vast improvements that we expected. With simple amplification systems such as vintage style valve amplifiers, a quantum leap in the response to the touch, feel and dynamics of the players’ playing style is offered.
Modern digital audio processing has enabled users to tailor the sound in a huge variety of ways with enough computer modelling power to make your instrument sound like anything from a trombone to a startled sheep. However, the humble magnetic pickup has remained largely unchanged, and has prevented the exploitation of the full potential of these systems. Some modern effects processing offers the facility to change the tone as if changing the pickups in the instrument. This approach ignores some of the fundamental drawbacks inherent in other pickups, their in-built tonal characteristics, and the effect it has on the final sound regardless of how sophisticated the processing is. With The AG Sensor Clarity Pickup System, this now changes.
To sum up, the AG Sensor Clarity Pickup System provides a much improved sonic foundation that will improve the final sound of any amplification, effects and processing subsequently used, for any musical style, and in any situation.
AG Sensor Clarity Pickup System is available as a complete kit that is customer tailored for individual instruments. This system comprises of the sensors (which are customer specified), Chameleon Preamp Module, Volume Potentiometer, Volume and Tone Knobs, a basic wiring kit and a battery clip, plus instructions.
AG SensorTM ClarityTM Sensors are available in a wide variety of case formats. The sensor element remains the same in each case format with the only exception being the magnetic width which provides options for different numbers of strings as in 7 and 8 string instruments. They are also available in a wide range of colours to facilitate customization of your instrument.