# NPUD: DiMarzio D Activator 8 vs. Lundgren M8 (with Clips)



## simonXsludge (Jul 28, 2011)

I wasn't fully satisfied with the Lundgren M8 in my customized Ibanez RGA8, and since I'm a full on DiMarzio guy when it comes to my sixers, I wanted to give the new D Activator 8 a try, to see if i'd like it better, than the M8. So here's two clips, the first has been recorded a while ago, with the Lundgren, while I've re-recorded the other one today, with the new D Activator 8. They are bounced from the same project with the very same settings. Check them out here:

Lundgren M8 vs. DiMarzio D Activator 8 on SoundCloud







just a qucik hipstamatic shot, there is no moss on my guitar. 


The Lundgren always seemed a little to shrill for me, especially when playing through my live setup. The D Activator seems to have a little more output, but less high end and maybe a little more midrange, which is nice. Overall it sounds fuller and not as harsh as the M8. I havn't given it a proper test drive through my live setup, but will do so this weekend.

I will let you guys know if I like the DA8 better, than the M8. I guess I will, but we'll see. I have the feeling, that Soundcloud is altering the sound a bit, my mixdowns sound more different to each other, than those uploads on Soundcloud. Oh well...anyhow, enjoy!

Before I forget: I'm trying to get rid of the Lundgren now, you might want to hit me up, no?!


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## Infamous Impact (Jul 28, 2011)

I like the DA8's more.


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## mountainjam (Jul 28, 2011)

Were both pups in the track or just the d8?


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## Infamous Impact (Jul 28, 2011)

mountainjam said:


> Were both pups in the track or just the d8?


2 separate tracks.


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## mountainjam (Jul 28, 2011)

Infamous Impact said:


> 2 separate tracks.



Thanks, ill have to listen again.
edit-yeah, didn't see the track below it.


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## DavidLopezJr (Jul 28, 2011)

DiMarzio wins for me.... YAY FOR MY WALLET! ^_^


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## MetalGravy (Jul 28, 2011)

I am embarrassed to admit that I don't hear a difference.


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## TimTomTum (Jul 28, 2011)

Dito.


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## jrg828 (Jul 28, 2011)

the lundgren cuts better


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## simonXsludge (Jul 28, 2011)

MetalGravy said:


> I am embarrassed to admit that I don't hear a difference.


It really comes down to the fact, that Soundcloud is kind of messing up the tone when bounced in different tracks. On my computer, the guitars in the DA8 track sound louder and fuller, while on Soundcloud the M8 track seems louder to me. I am gonna try and bounce those files into one track and i hope, that it makes the differences more evident.


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## Spaceman_Spiff (Jul 28, 2011)

DA8 for sure...it sounds rounder and fuller...and cuts through well. I have a DA7 set and I love it...But when I had an M7bridge pu it was a bit too bright...(plus the DA is soooooo much cheaper)


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## HighGain510 (Jul 28, 2011)

jrg828 said:


> the lundgren cuts better



Yeah that's the same impression I got from the clips, the DiMarzio sounds good but the M8 cuts through that mix like a well-sharpened knife!


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## simonXsludge (Jul 28, 2011)

HighGain510 said:


> Yeah that's the same impression I got from the clips, the DiMarzio sounds good but the M8 cuts through that mix like a well-sharpened knife!


well could be, man. the DA8 is rounder and fuller and that is something i was missing, when playing the M8 through my live rig, where it sounded too cold to me. i guess you either love it or hate it.


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## anne (Jul 28, 2011)

I'm also having trouble hearing a difference. So much fuzz.


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## Xiphos68 (Jul 28, 2011)

Lundgren is better (imo).

But the Dimarzio sounds good too.


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## astm (Jul 28, 2011)

Lundgren sounds with more presence, DiMarzio sounds with more gain. Both seem to be great and the riff is great though!


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## JaeSwift (Jul 28, 2011)

I told you my opinion but I really love the DA8's. They gave a lot of fullness to my Swamp Ash RGA/D 8 which it was in much need of.

They really are amazing pickups and the best I've tried for 8 strings yet (though I've only tried EMG's, Blackouts and a BKP C-Bomb, not counting the Lo-Z's which are the most horrible pickups ever).


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## ExhumedShadow (Jul 28, 2011)

Da's are more focused,, tight sounding, therefor better.
Nice tune as well.


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## Mehnike (Jul 28, 2011)

The m8's sound tighter and clearer to me. DA8's remind me of the famous sso-praised blackouts. Too boomy for me, which I guess is caused by their higher output.

Internet + sound = subjective lies. Subjective lies up the wall and back, fifty times.


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## MistaSnowman (Jul 28, 2011)

jrg828 said:


> the lundgren cuts better


 

^This


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## signalgrey (Jul 28, 2011)

Lundgren seems to punch a bit more and seem more crisp overall. I wouldnt say shrill on this recording but very very crisp.

the DA8's seemed a bit more loose. 

To each their own but i like a nice crisp pickup.


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## Goatfork (Jul 28, 2011)

M8 for sure.


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## SYLrules88 (Jul 29, 2011)

hmmm, in this clip the lundgren does sound a little tighter. but as you said, you used the same settings, so im sure with a slight bit of tweaking the d-activator could be tighter. dont get me wrong, it was still plenty tight enough!

mind sharing exactly what you did to get that effect at :15 and :23? anytime i try and do something like that, it ends up sucking and not sounding like i want it to.

also, shortly after i post this im sending you a PM about the lundgren


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## TheBotquax (Jul 29, 2011)

SYLrules88 said:


> hmmm, in this clip the lundgren does sound a little tighter. but as you said, you used the same settings, so im sure with a slight bit of tweaking the d-activator could be tighter. dont get me wrong, it was still plenty tight enough!
> 
> mind sharing exactly what you did to get that effect at :15 and :23? anytime i try and do something like that, it ends up sucking and not sounding like i want it to.
> 
> also, shortly after i post this im sending you a PM about the lundgren



I might be completely wrong, but it sounds like the clip is using the Dblue glitch vst, it's free and really awesome, but not compatible for mac.


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## vansinn (Jul 29, 2011)

Thanks a lot for the comparison clips 

I listened on a laptop through AKG IP2 plugs, and couldn't hear any differences..
It's possible I'd hear diffs through my RME and either Beyer DT770 cans or Mackie 624 monitors.

The point being, at least as I see it, that apart from what the player may feel, it seems unlikely it'll matter much which of those pups are used both live and on a finished recording, intended to be played on ordinary hifi gear.
I did read the notes on how Soundcloud may have altered the clips, which may cloud the differences enough to be unnoticeable (to my ears).


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## simonXsludge (Jul 29, 2011)

SYLrules88 said:


> mind sharing exactly what you did to get that effect at :15 and :23? anytime i try and do something like that, it ends up sucking and not sounding like i want it to.


i was just sliding the pick up the string towards the bridge and then i cut out pieces. see:







i guess this is the macgyver way of doing it. no further effects used. 




vansinn said:


> it seems unlikely it'll matter much which of those pups are used both live and on a finished recording, intended to be played on ordinary hifi gear.


i agree that it won't make a huge difference for the overall sound, but being guitarists we all know that small things can make us feel way more comfy with one or another piece of equipment, while the difference between them does not have to be huge. i have yet to check it out playing live this weekend and can say more about it then.


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## unclejemima218 (Jul 29, 2011)

I like the Dimarzio more. Just sounds clearer IMO.


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## Konfyouzd (Jul 29, 2011)

MetalGravy said:


> I am embarrassed to admit that I don't hear a difference.


 
I barely hear a difference either. It might be one of those things like how you can't hear or feel certain bumps unless you're driving the car...?


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## -42- (Jul 29, 2011)

As far as I can tell the only big difference is that the Lundgren crunches more and the DiMarzio is more defined.


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## DavidLopezJr (Jul 29, 2011)

Is it just me or does it seem like the DA-8 is voiced after the M8? People have also said that the DA-8s sounds similar to the Cephrus pickups a lot and those are also modeled after the M8's.


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## Dayn (Jul 30, 2011)

Cheers for the comparison. I can hear a difference... but I'll be buggered if I can articulate what I'm hearing. Regardless, I think both are awesome.


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## Krucifixtion (Jul 30, 2011)

Seems to me if you are on a budget the D8 is def a good choice, but after listening a bunch of times I personally like Lundgren better. If you really listen to those parts where you are hitting the open F un-muted it's got a bit more lively of a sound and cuts more.


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## guy in latvia (Jul 30, 2011)

The D8 sounds boomy and muddy while the M8 sounds very clear and cuts through with ease. Im going to say it is because of the brightness, mahogany tends to be pretty dark, and imo needs more brghtness to cut through better.


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## Peteus (Jul 30, 2011)

Both sound good to me, I think I preferred the Dimarzio however, I think I would want to hear some more stircaro riffs to hear the precision between the two. Which one feels more natural to play and for pinch harmonics are either of them better at doing them?


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## demigod (Jul 30, 2011)

Why not include the Seymour Duncan's in this? They're not passive but from what i hear they sound a lot like lundgrens.


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## Sepultorture (Jul 30, 2011)

i actually slightly prefer the Lundgrens a bit more


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## Guamskyy (Jul 30, 2011)

I like both of them, but the lundgrens had more of a high mid and presence sound to it, while the DA8s had more low, boomy sound. That doesn't mean you can't make the DA8s sound like a lundgren though, though I'm pretty sure both these pickups have a tight low end too.


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## simonXsludge (Jul 30, 2011)

So I played the DA8 through my live rig tonight and liked it a lot, way better than the Lundgren actually. It has a huge midrange and cuts through very well. Everything I disliked about the Lundgren, especially its harshness, is solved with the DiMarzio.

I just want to remind everyone, that I spent quite some time to tweak the sound to my liking, when first recording that M8 bit back in the day and didn't re-tweak for the DA8 _at all_, so i think the lack in presence some of you are making out in the clip can easily be tweaked away.

Anyhow, everyone likes different stuff and I prefer the DA8 to the M8, I feel more comfortable with it and I'm happy I decided to give it a shot instead of staying with the Lundgren. So yeah, I can only recommend it.


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## anne (Jul 30, 2011)

Yay, a win for reasonable prices.


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## leandroab (Jul 31, 2011)

MetalGravy said:


> I am embarrassed to admit that I don't hear a difference.



Me neither.

So I guess Dimarzio wins cuz it's cheaper


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## trickae (Jul 31, 2011)

Perhaps before you sell the Lundgrens - give them a chance by EQ'ing your amp to find the sweet spot. You may see you'll need to adjust the gain from what you usually use for dimarzio's to reach the ideal clipping point. 

I used to be an absurd gear junkie until I heard my guitar teacher play 'for the love of god' note for note and at the right speed - on a guitar with rusty strings, egg slicer action, with stock Dimarzio IBZ pickups on an original 1980 Ibanez RG550 (read thick wizard neck). He acheived the tone straight out of a second hand 1998 Hiamp valve amp (whose heard of that brand?!?). 

Guess you can take my advice with a grain of salt - since I still blow most of my salary on custom guitars and gear


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## simonXsludge (Jul 31, 2011)

trickae said:


> Perhaps before you sell the Lundgrens - give them a chance by EQ'ing your amp to find the sweet spot. You may see you'll need to adjust the gain from what you usually use for dimarzio's to reach the ideal clipping point.


I've actually had the Lundgren for about a year and wasn't really able to tweak it to that certain point, whereas the DiMarzio is just where I want it already, at least when playing through my live rig.

So why would I want to go back to the M8, when I like my new DA8 better?


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## SYLrules88 (Aug 1, 2011)

shitsøn;2593688 said:


> i was just sliding the pick up the string towards the bridge and then i cut out pieces. see:
> 
> 
> 
> i guess this is the macgyver way of doing it. no further effects used.


 
damn, almost sounded like there was a phaser on it. im def gonna try this sometime this week. sounded sick!

good luck selling your M8! since money is a big issue with me right now, ill have to pass on buying yours when i could probably end up getting both bridge and neck DA8s for the price it would ultimately cost me to get your M8.


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## mattchristensen (Aug 1, 2011)

Not much of a difference. 
The lundgren sounds a little more on the mid side and the dimarzio is a little more on the treble side.

The dimarzio has more grit.

The lower strings on the lundgren are just a little bit clearer but the higher strings are about the same tonality wise.

Just my two cents.

You should throw a BMP in there with a 18v mod and see what happens.


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## orakle (Aug 1, 2011)

also, the DA8 sounds much better for soloing


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## 7stringsofdestruction (Aug 3, 2011)

for how similar they did sound DA8 for sure just cuz of they price difference. but then again ive never figured out way people would pay so much for a pickup when there are plenty under the $100 mark that will sound just as good with the right amp and guitar setup. just my two cent


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## Jaketsnake94 (Aug 3, 2011)

IMO the change in sound doesn't justify spending around 150 more fore a pickup only a hair better. The OP said they were the same exact settings in both clips. If you tweaked the DA8 a hair i bet none of us would be able to tell the difference. Both are amazing clips!


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## Jaketsnake94 (Aug 3, 2011)

Nothing like posting the same exact thing as the person did before you


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## AcousticMinja (Aug 3, 2011)

They both sound awesome. You know, if you recorded them left and right together, i think they'd blend pretty damn well in an overall mix. I guess I'd choose the DA8 over the M8 simply because my amp is bright, but overall, the Dimarzio definitely gives it a run for its money


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## Anonymous (Aug 3, 2011)

I couldn't hear a great difference, but the DA8's seemed to have a little more "umph" to them


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## Alimination (Aug 4, 2011)

Yeah, I think the Lundgren are more tight, but to be honest there isn't any drastic difference between the two. I think at the end of the day it comes down to money you know?

If it was me, I'd probobly save me a couple hundred bucks and get me the dactivators, and use the rest to buy some other nifty gear. Dimarzio made some great pickups for a great price. Especially when competing with the Lundgren M8.


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## wannabguitarist (Aug 4, 2011)

I can't really hear much of a difference on my laptop . Good to see an affordable passive option though.



trickae said:


> with stock Dimarzio IBZ pickups on an original *1980* Ibanez RG550 *(read thick wizard neck)*



Just thought this was funny


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## simonXsludge (Aug 10, 2011)

I put the Lundgren up on eBay.

Lundgren M8 Bridge Humbucker 8 String Meshuggah Djent | eBay


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## BrandonARC (Aug 11, 2011)

Ordered mine today. Gonna compare them to the bkp 8 string aftermath


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## Marv Attaxx (Aug 13, 2011)

shitsøn;2611985 said:


> I put the Lundgren up on eBay.
> 
> Lundgren M8 Bridge Humbucker 8 String Meshuggah Djent | eBay



Holy crap!
A M8 for 79,99 bucks, located in Germany and I missed it 
Congrats to the buyer, that's a steal


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## simonXsludge (Aug 13, 2011)

na, he's been buying it out for more. that's just the highest displayed bid.


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