Which would you choose: piezo/mic or Schertler?

[WireBoy]

I had this question sort of buried in an earlier thread. #If one has to 'plug in', which option would sound better? #
#(the context would be church music with a couple of acoustic guitars and a piano and a choir. )

A. #a dual source system consisting of a piezo type pick up (fishman, baggs, etc) AND an on board mini mic (Crown, Countryman) #then to a dual source pre amp/mixer.

B. #A Schertler 'mic' pickup with a to mixer

C. #the Mcintyre 'feather' pickup and a preamp

D. #A mic on a stand for the mando. (This would be difficult- crowded conditions in the choir loft.)

Anyone have experience with these setups? or can compare them?

Mahalo for your input.

[mandoJeremy]

Just ask Bush or Mike Marshall! #Only "D." is going to sound good without a preamp and then you have to decide on the mic to use!

[mandoJeremy]

Also, how much do you want to spend? #I work in a high-end audio music store and we have installed 1.5 million dollar sound systems so it all comes down to the money! Do you want it to sound "good" or natural and great? You will spend money for natural because that is what technology has been after for years.

[John Flynn]

In my choir, used to run my Rigel pizeo into a Boss AD-5 Acoustic Instrument Processor, then into the PA board. It worked pretty well, probably about as good as a pizeo could get. But I decided to do some experimentation and I have come up with a solution that really works great for not much money. I got a Radio Shack vocal preformance headset microphone for about $50. I removed the headband assembly, leaving me with just the mike itself and the gooseneck. I developed an elastic/velcro system for termporarily mounting the base of the gooseneck on my tailpiece. I bend the gooseneck to have the mike "peeking" into the lower F hole, with about 1/2" clearance from the top of the mando. I run the mike output directly into the PA board. At first, I used both the pizeo/preamp and the mike in combination, but I found the best sound by far is with the mike alone. I have had no feedback problems and it is less hassle to set up. This rig has created a big improvement in my sound.

[Tbone]

I use a Schertler with no preamp or anything and it sounds killer. I just plug straight into the board and I love the sound. No thumps, no pick noise, no quacking, no nothing. I've found that the preamp colors the sound too much, and you actually get a pretty hot signal off that baby. I have the gain on my board turned all the way down - I almost have to hit the pad the level is so high.

A friend has a piezo/mic combo and I don't think it sounds very good at all. You still get the quacking from the piezo, and the mic doesnt sound too hot.

don't know about the feather. Or your situation with the mics, if there is a lot of ambient noise (drums, elec. instruments, horns) then you'll pick up a lot of that stuff (likely), or it will feedback.

I'm very happy with my schertler. It required no modification, you can use it on other instruments....

[Jim M.]

I've seen Chris Thile, Mike Marshall, and Evan Marshall use Schertlers, and they get a great sound out of them. If I was a pro, I'd go that way. Too expensive to me for the few gigs I do that I need to plug in. I like the McIntyre for my fiddle, I haven't been that happy with it for mando, too quacky. Pick-up-the-world sounds pretty good and is worth a look. It's in the same price range as the McIntyre.

[WireBoy]

Thanks everybody for your responses so far.

#i have a pick-up-the-world #27 on my Parsons right now. Its that little wire mesh strip. #i have it under the treble foot of the bridge and out to a carpenter jack and then to a Baggs ParaAcoustic DI. #It works ok, but it gets that thump and pick noise. also with the putw, the notes just seem to die, not much sustain.

Tbone sez schertler doesnt have these artifacts. #and it seems easy to use. #the down side is that it costs round $350. # i've never heard one. I was at NAMM last month, but missed the schertler booth. #Dang. #Where can i hear one?

And i have yet to hear a Mcintyre feather. #Where can i hear one of those?

I like jflynnstl's idea of a cheap on board mic. #Hey jflynnstl - does that mic need phantom power? #and what Radio Shack model was it?

last night at choir rehearsal, i tried just using the vocal mic (AKG c1000) we have set up between the 2 guitarists and me (move a little closer/play a little louder) that might work. #we'll give it a try on Sunday. I'll let you know how it worked out.

Mahalo again

[John Flynn]

It is Radio Shack 33-3012, $49.99. It comes with its own in-line power unit that takes a #357 watch battery, which will last many, many gigs if you remember to turn it off after each gig. BTW, the on/off switch is unfortunately not "silent." You will want to leave it on the whole gig, or you will get a big "pop."