MT2-O picup

[red7flag]

I have been playing in a Praise Band and would like to put in a pickup into my Collings MT2-O. Given a oval hole, is there a pickup that can spread across the hole, like some guitar pickups. Another option might be a K&K Mandolin Twin. Any suggestions? I will be plugging into a soundboard. Thanks in advance.

[mandroid]

not off the shelf, a Custom build 4 pole magnetic pickup can be a source of the signal..


You might be able to get a 'monkey on a stick' DeArmond pickup on eBay, they were made in the 50's

I like Schertler's passive Dyn-M sound board pickup, they come up on the classifieds, occasionally

{note the link at the top of the page, they are supporting this site financially}

they are such that you treat it like a dynamic microphone so it goes direct into the sound board.

temporarily attaches then comes off and stows in a swiss made Box.

K&K is one of the class of Piezoelectric sensors , a ceramic crystal solid wafer chip.


Shaken it generates the tiny electric pulse, that gets pre amped externally, then, amplified further by the line input on the board.. to the PA.

[Mandobart]

You can do a little searching and find a few dozen posts I've done on JJB pickups. I've put these in 4 oval hole mando family instruments. But - do you really need a pickup? A nice instrument mic will reproduce the sound better, but you (or someone there) needs to know something about live sound reinforcement. If you don't/can't/won't tame on-stage volume, main and monitor placement, etc., then you may need a pickup. If you're plugging into a standard PA you will need a DI or preamp too.

And yes, there are soundhole pickups that may fit. I started gigging with one in my F4 octave mando. But seriously there are so many different pickup types, mics and brands out there ranging from $20 to $500+ you really need to establish parameters (how much will you spend, how much will you play with it, how hard will you use it, how loud do you have to play, how important is faithful acoustic sound reproduction, how important is good sound, will you use any effects, are you willing to modify your instrument, other things I've forgotten) then spend some time researching. You can find people here recommending each of the many options out there.

[red7flag]

My initial OP question showed my ignorance in that I have little or no knowledge of what I am asking. I plan to play in a church with no affects. The main reason for the pickup is too many mics in the same area that are causing some feedback. We thought that direct impute from my mandolin would help relieve the situation and simplify the sound issues. I would prefer something that does not require any surgery on my mandolin like putting a new plug in my strap button. Mandroid you discussion of piezoelectric sensors confuses me more as that has no meaning to me, not that anything you said was not accurate. I guess I was looking for a simple solution and got more solutions than I can handle. Then there is the issue of pre-amp and where to go for that. I realize that I have asked a complicated question, but is there a simple answer that I can run with?

[Mandobar]

I am loathe to put a pickup in a mandolin. How about the Schertler DYN mics?

[red7flag]

I just got off the phone with Sweetwater who recommended a LR Baggs Radius M passive pickup. I am wondering if anybody has any experience with these?

[pops1]

This thread is right below yours talking about the Radius.

https://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/s...pre-amp-needed

[Perry]

I've been through many different pick-ups. Currently enjoying a K&K Twin through a Red Eye pre-amp and it works really well for the Kimble A5 it is installed in. I have Mix with a Schertler and that works well also but I have had and heard less then stellar matches with both of these pick-ups and some mandolins.

The short of is it you may have to try a few different types of picks-ups to get the best match.

I will say this; if you have to EQ the hell out of it to get a good sound it is not a good match. Good luck.

[Dave Sheets]

I use the Baggs radius playing in a contra dance band, it works well for me, no issues. With any of the onboard pickups you will probably want a pre-amp, a good pre-amp makes a huge difference in sound quality. I use a Radial PZ-pre, that works well for a bunch of different instruments and pickups, but there are a number of good pre-amps available, including some from Baggs. Search this site a bit for pre-amp recommendations.

I've used some really cheap piezo pickups in instruments, and they work fine with a good pre-amp.

[red7flag]

Would you recommend an installed pickup or an electric mandolin. Does an electric mandolin require a pre-amp?

[mandroid]

Piezoelectrics need a preamp with a relatively high impedance handshake.. 1 mega Ohm +
Baggs, JJB, fishman, schatten, etc. all use piezo chips.

As I said Schertler Dyn M are a contact microphone *, really loud
and the whole top becomes a microphone diaphragm

so then you get a mechanical feed back loop..

*AKG C411 is another.. condenser vs dynamic transducer..



but at modest monitor levels that shouldn't be an issue...
Really cranked up Rock&Roll levels, then a Solid body with a magnetic pickup is the tool.

lots of amps for electric guitars work .. a direct to sound board can go in the line level,
or a Direct Input steps the signal down to microphone levels..




they're not paying you, you are volunteering, so a less than fabulous sound should be adequate..

[IDK since it's tax time is your band time part of the church tithes, so in kind costs, can be a deduction?]

[5bassman]

When your playing for an "audience of one", the King, you definitely want to sound your best. I don't think anyone practices all week just to sound "adequate ". I've been playing bass in a praise band in a large metro church for 19 years, and even though we're one of the very few local large churches that don't get paid, it's my ministry and I want to sound my best. With that said I don't think you can go wrong with a LR Baggs Radius. I have one for my mandolin but haven't reached the level that I want to take it in worship with me yet. You can do the temporary install or install the output in your strap button hole. I bought mine lightly used here on the forum for $80. That along with a decent preamp will work fine.

[Mandobart]

...The main reason for the pickup is too many mics in the same area that are causing some feedback. We thought that direct impute from my mandolin would help relieve the situation and simplify the sound issues... I guess I was looking for a simple solution and got more solutions than I can handle. Then there is the issue of pre-amp and where to go for that. I realize that I have asked a complicated question, but is there a simple answer that I can run with?

There is no single simple answer for everyone. Do you really not have the time or patience to search and mine the excellent knowledge available on this subject here on the equipment forum? Then let me suggest this pickup. It is inexpensive, easy and non-intrusive to mount and I have used enough JJB pickup systems to attest to their quality and suitability. Add this preamp and a couple of instrument cables and you're plugging in for under $100.

[mandroid]

Yea Its ReHashing a topic repeatedly done.. Time to read the archives ..


piezo vs contact mics is it's own schism..

[almeriastrings]

I'd really recommend avoiding the Radius....

Pickups that go across the soundhole are magnetic - will sound nothing like your mandolin and will limit your string choice.

The simplest, and easiest to interface with variety of preamps/systems, are undoubtedly the K&K/JJB transducers. There are other types (AKG C411 and the Schertler DYN) but both of these cost more and have specific connection requirements that many will not be familiar with. The K&K (and JJB) are popular and most will be familiar with how to run them.

No pickup system will give you a 100% natural sound, or will do as good a job of revealing the subtleties of a fine mandolin as a microphone. At the same time, you will get more gain before feedback from a soundboard transducer.... so it is a trade-off. A kind of 'mid-ground' approach is a clip-on mic, such as an AT PRO35, ATM350 or DPA4099. Here you get the benefits of the sheer quality of a good condenser mic, but because it is used super-close, you also get more gain before feedback than is easily achievable from a stand-mounted mic. Horses for courses...

[Victor Daniel]

I have an Old Wave oval hole mandolin that I installed a K&K twin spot. The twin spot was recommended over the mandolin twin pickup for oval hole use and it is also less expensive than the mandolin twin. I also own a Radius and do not recommend it. It needs too much EQ to get it to sound right and has some ringing overtones that are difficult to deal with. I mostly use a clip on condesor mic and only rely on the pickup for loud "bar room" type gigs. As stated before you will need a preamp with most pickups.

[red7flag]

Another answer to the issue has raised it head. This is a "goose-neck" mini microphone going into a preamp. An example of this is the K&K Meridian system. Here is the link:
https://reverb.com/item/1658805-k-k-...Jerw_wcB&pla=1
Anybody have experience with this type of system?

As a follow up, we plan to try out a Sure 57 (pencil mic) this Sunday as a temporary fix. If successful, this thread may have been unnecessary. We shall see. In the mean time, I will continue to explore all possible answers and really thank all you mandogear heads for your advice.

[pops1]

The Shure mic will work, but a 58 may be a better choice as the 57 has more proximity. The Shure mic's are a close use mic so if you are close it will work fine and should help with feedback. I have never had problems with feedback micing a mandolin with a 58.

[almeriastrings]

If you roll off some of the low end (cut fairly hard below 196Hz) you may find the '57 does quite well. Really, it will be down to things like the proximity of monitors and gain before-feedback. Only way to know if it will work for you it to give it a try and see how things go.

[mandroid]

AFAIK It's same cartridge/capsule , 58 is a vocal mic by virtue of the ball so it wont slip out of your hand,

57 the capsule is closer to the end.. so it can be closer proximity, if you choose.

[Mandobar]

A lot of people recommend the SM81 also, which is a condenser mic and requires phantom power (generally powered through the board). I've been using an SM57 for about a year, especially at outdoor gigs or open mics. If you have a someone knowledgeable working the sound system you should be able to use a mic to amplify your mandolin.

If you are playing with electric guitars and bass, then you might look at getting an electric mandolin. You can run that into a small (electric guitar) amp, and then mic the amp. Lots of ways to do this. You just need to figure out what the best way is for your set up.

[red7flag]

A quick followup: the Shure 57 directly into the sound board worked perfectly last night. Problem solved. Thanks for all the input.

[Perry]

Nothing better then that!

[Mandobar]

Hard to kill an SM57.