Mic and Equipment for playing live

Helloooo, I’ve just joined a band called Pagen Sword and they are a folk/metal band. It was my first time in rehearsal last week and I have a mandolin with a pick up built in when I bought it but I feel that it’s quite weak and doesn’t give me the tone or clarity that I was expecting. Can someone recommend a solution, either recommend a Mic or any other information that would enable me to cut through a metal band. What effects would you use if any and what do I look for in a pre-amp? I have a helix line 6 floor that does a good job for a pre.

Thanks in advance for the advice.

Also, I need to be walking around the stage, so I won’t be able to sit behind a mic.

I believe piezo pickups, if that's what you have, need to go through a DI box before PA or amp. But you need to describe your signal chain to get the best answer from folks more knowledgeable than me.

My brain immediately went to “solid body electric.” I have a Baggs Venue pre that has worked well for me in a praise band setting, but that’s nothing like the volume you’re competing against…

https://reverb.com/item/7449193-mandocaster-black
:cool:
NFI

+1 with everyone who's saying solid electric. If you are metaling, you need something cool and cool looking. Buy this, so I don't have to (NFI)
https://reverb.com/item/59681207-196...ctric-mandolin

Yea, if it's an acoustic mandolin with a pickup installed, you're probably going to get feedback when the volume is turned up. That's where you're better off with a mandolin designed to play with loud amplified instruments. I'd vote for a solid body electric mandolin.

Some acoustic instruments will work if you cover the sound holes and put a sponge under the strings on the tailpiece side of the bridge. In other words, mute the acoustic mandolin to death. Might work. Probably do need a pre-amp though.

If high volume is your friend, feedback is your enemy.

Whatever you're going to use, you might consider going wireless if you're walking around on stage.

Don't forget your earplugs. Be safe!

Solid body is one answer. Eastman El Rey is another. No volume issues there.

Here is another vote for a solid body electric. I use an Ibanez Mandobird VIII. I also use effects pedals when necessary. An accoustic with a pick-up isn't going to cut it for you.

Helooo Damo, My company, Headway Music Audio has long produced pre-amplifiers with a Range Switch or pot ( high pass filter), which has a Mandolin/Violin setting, which rolls off below 200Hz, below the bottom string and makes a huge difference in clarity and freedom from feedback, boom or body handling noise. There are many other features including 3 and or 5 Band EQ, Tuneable Notch Filter, Phase Reverse, Ground Lift, Send and Return, Balanced D.I. Out and Line Out etc. The models are EDB-2 H.E and EDM-1 H.E or predecessors such as EDB-1 & EDB-2 going back 15+ years. We manufacture in the UK and Poland and have sold thousands of these. We supply these at one price including airmail Worldwide from : www.headwaymusicaudio.com

We also do a very low feedback mandolin pickup in HE5/M.FEQ, active with Fixed EQ for Mandolin, but it requires a bone saddle fitted and these are popular in the UK and parts of Europe. The sound is extremely natural, even and clean, but direct, loud and problem free, needing little or no EQ and works into virtually any impedance at line level. You could use these in a hard rock band. I appreciate that this approach will not suit everyone, but the sound is 1000% better and more natural than other options for mandolin at high volumes, such as solid body instruments, although I appreciate that a minority of people will like their sound.

I have played Mandolin, Mandola and Bouzouki in two Folk Rock Bands that are no longer around, including with a Paul Hathway slim bodied Electro Acoustic Guitar, converted to short scale Celtic Bouzouki. It had Active Headway Under Saddle Piezo and a medium powered passive rails H/Bucker with Nickel strings. I thought this sounded a lot better amplified than a solid.

Hi Don, you can have an acoustic Mandolin that does not feedback right up to rock band stage volumes in the Headway HE5/M.FEQ, active with Fixed EQ for Mandolin including a 3 stage high pass filter to cut handling noise, clunks and feedback powered by 9v battery ( internally or using phantom power) , but it requires a bone saddle fitted and these are popular in the UK and parts of Europe. The sound is extremely natural, even and clean, but direct, loud and problem free, needing little or no EQ and works into virtually any impedance at line level. You could use these in a hard rock band. I appreciate that this approach will not suit everyone, but the sound is 1000% better and more natural than other options for mandolin at high volumes, such as solid body instruments in my opinion, although I appreciate that a minority of people will like their sound. I have gigged these and the Octave Mandola/Bouzouki version + Mandocello in two past Folk Rock bands in the UK and once toured on the continent. John of Headway

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Bill McCall

I believe piezo pickups, if that's what you have, need to go through a DI box before PA or amp. But you need to describe your signal chain to get the best answer from folks more knowledgeable than me.

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Piezoelectric pickups have a high output impedance - in the million ohm (megohm, Mohm) range. Many amps and PA's have an input impedance in the 1000 ohm (kilohm, kohm) range. If a preamp or DI is not used to correct this mismatch, the amplified volume and tone will suffer.

I've used several preamps - the cheap but effective ArTube and Behringer ADI21, the K&K Pure, a Baggs Mixpro (for my dual source archtop guitar) and the Redeye. All work, but I like the RedEye best.

When I plug into my Carvin AG300 acoustic amp with HI Z (high impedance) selected I don't need a preamp at all.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Bill McCall

I believe piezo pickups, if that's what you have, need to go through a DI box before PA or amp.

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Many, I note, reading, mistake what a DI Direct Input Box does - it steps Down,
like an electric guitar to a mic level signal impedance
say you have a stage 'snake' that's all mic inputs ... to the house soundboard...

I think you want to call for a Preamp... Piezo preamps handshake with that kind of output,

Baggs often gets mentioned their PA-DI. it offers a 2 in one Preamp to a 1/4" output, & the DI with an XLR output..
an up then a down in the same box

:popcorn:

I think this is a good discussion regarding preamps and DI boxes.

https://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/e...eamp-or-DI-box

You can get a DI box only or a Preamp/DI box from a variety of manufacturers.