Headway EDB-1 – EQ-Direct Box

 

Headway…

Audiophile quality pickups for

just about every type of acoustic instrument.

…………………………………………………

Amplify Your Fiddle
in about 30 seconds…

What if…

You personally could install one of the best sounding pickups on the market today on your violin in about 30 seconds?

And…
What if you personally could do this without having to modify your instrument in any way?

And when the gig is over…
What if you personally could remove it yourself, store it conveniently in your case and be in the parking lot before the audience hits the exits?

Well now you can…
Just wrap the Band pickup around your instrument between the bridge and the tailpiece and then Velcro it to itself. Plug in and you are ready to play.

Ian Anderson
and the Sturcz Quartet,
equipped with
the Band!

A few years ago, back when we were part of Eastman Strings, we got a call from an old friend who used to play bass in the iconic British Rock band Jethro Tull. It turns out that Ian Anderson (Tull’s frontman) was looking to buy a mandolin and he asked me to bring a couple to a show here in Washington DC for Ian to try.

I arrived during the sound check and watched as the musicians and the sound guys tried desperately to coax enough sound out of the fiddle players instrument so it could be heard without causing all kinds of audio feedback.

When I met Ian backstage later on I suggested he give John Littler at Headway Electronics a call and have him send a sample of the new violin pickups for Tull’s violinist to try.

A couple of weeks later I got a call from Ian to say that this “new Band pickup thingy” was amazing. Apparently he was thinking of ordering enough pickups to electrify an entire string section to be used on a “Pops” tour in Europe where they were to be backed by various high profile orchestras.

We heard from Ian again just recently and he sent us a picture of himself and the “Sturcz Quartet” all equipped with “The Band”.

 

 

Headway EQ/Direct box:
How this little box is revolutionizing live performance for amplified upright bassists…

Bassists are raving about the Headway EDB-1 EQ/Direct box. To find out exactly how much they like it just head over to the very popular TalkBass online forum and type EDB-1 into their search engine.

Be prepared to spend some time because there are literally dozens of pages of discussion about how effective this box is for the gigging bassist.

In Europe it was described by “Double Bass Guide” as the “Swiss Army Knife” for bass amplification and live acoustic performance. Some players have even gone so far as to eliminate their onstage amp, opting instead to take a line out from the EDB-1 to a light and compact powered PA speaker as an onstage monitor, while sending the main signal from the EDB-1 direct to the front of house PA.

Small enough to fit into your coat pocket, comprehensive enough to handle just about any live performance situation and rugged enough to take a beating on the road, it consistently delivers audiophile quality sound – night after night.

Here are some of the reasons why DPA Microphones (one of the most respected builders of high end audio mics) recommends only this unit for live use with their specialized line of clip-on instrument microphones.

• Completely shapes the instrument’s sound with a five band interactive EQ.

• A switchable three way impedance range Switch, offers three tailor made settings including bass which will cut unwanted low end tones below the useable frequency range of the instrument. This effectively cuts body handling noise, unwanted resonances and bowing noise.

• Feedback and other resonance problems are solved by a very effective and broad ranging tunable notch filter and a Phase Reverse control.

• Inputs are via Mono Jack, Stereo Jack and XLR, via two Channels, which enable you to blend in an extra pickup or Microphone and you can plug into them via one or two standard mono 1/4″ jack cables, a 1/4″ jack cable plus an XLR, or a 1/4″ stereo jack cable.

• The Input Impedance Switches on each channel,allow you to optimise the voicing for any of the major pickup types. A huge amount of extra gain can be applied via the Gain controls and additionally by the Master Volume.

• Phantom power is also available to 1/4″ jack and XLR Inputs making the unit friendly for use with quality Condenser Mics like the DPA “clip-on” instrument microphones.

• Outputs are via a balanced XLR D.I. out and a 1/4″ line out Jack. The two outputs also allow you to split the signal between an Acoustic Combo amp for stage monitoring and a P.A. mixing board.for “front of house” sound

• If a ground loop is causing hum, you easily kill it by pressing the Earth Lift Switch.

• The unit can be mounted either on its rubber feet, attached to your belt clip, or mounted directly on a mic stand.

There isn’t a gigging  jazz, rock ‘n roll, rockabilly or folk upright bass player whose sound would not be improved by this unit. We have been told over and over again by bassists that the EDB-1 not only improved their sound, it solved problems that they thought they would always have in many live situations.

It truly is the “Swiss Army Knife” for amplifying just about any acoustic instrument. Wait till you hear how natural a violin or a cello will sound amplified through the Headway EDB-1.