Pickup/mic blender system

[Chip Booth]

I have been primarily a guitar player till I recently caught the mando bug. #I am wondering if anyone makes a blender style pickup/mic system for mandolin. #They are almost standard on decent acoustic/electric guitars but I haven't seen a system designed for mandolin.

[mandofiddle]

I don't know if they come pre-designed" for a mandolin, but... You can buy a pickup, and a mini-microphone, and have a luthier install it for you to a stereo end-pin jack. This is what I've done on my mandolin. I have a Joe Mills mini-condenser mic suspended on the inside of my mando, and a Fishman piezo bridge pickup. Both run to a stereo end-pin jack, and I use a Rane AP-13 rack mountable pre-amp to blend the signal. I'm happy with the results, though if I had it to do over, and had endless cash flow, I would have tested a bunch of piezo type pickups first. The piezo by itself doesn't sound that great, so I wonder if there'd be a better sounding piezo to match to the mic...

[mandroid]

Yamaha AG stomp designed its DSPs to emulate microphone sounds from a piezo signal. stereo out for the chorus depth is nice. has a 9v. phantom power thru TRS cable, and dummy (shorting)battery that can supplant onboard preamp power, if provided.

[John Flynn]

I have mixed a mike and a pizeo through a Boss AD-5 Acoustic Instrument Processor with good results. However, unless I am in a really high feedback situation, the mike alone sounds the best by far. Even at very decent volumes, I almost never have feedback issues.

[mandowilli]

I have a fishman system that has an bridge transducer and a crown condenser mini-mic that feeds into a preamp called an acoustic blender. The mini mic is phantom power provided by the preamp.
It is not a cheap rig, I think that I payed over 500.00 for it, but I am constantly receiving compliments on how authentic the sound is, and it provides me with total control over my ouputin any situation.
Another nice feature is that it has send and returns on the transducer, the mic, and one for the mix of the two. I use the transducer send out to a boss tu-2 tuner on the floor. The mute button on the blender kills the signal to the house, but not to the send, allowing me to tune in silence while the band plays on.
willi

[Lee]

I've used a Fishman Blender too and it's really a well thought out product. Fishman also makes a 20ft stereo cable. These aren't easy to find, but easily made.

[Chip Booth]

does the fishman system replace the existing bridge?

[mandowilli]

Yes it does but on mine I was able to use the existing base and just change out the compensated saddle portion that contains the transducer. The mini mic uses a violin type mount.

You can see it here.

http://www.shreveaudio.com/fishmanviolin.html

willi

[Chip Booth]

thanks for the link mandowilli, that looks like a great option

[Jason West]

I had a Rane AP-13 set-up with a custom LR Baggs piezo in the bridge and a crown mini mic. I was able to acheive an OK tone, but it was a real pain. I tried one of the pick up the world sound board transducers, extensively experimenting with placement. I ended up with better tone, more control, less feedback and a simpler system to adjust on the fly. Single source is so much easier. I was dealing with a lot of stage volume though. (drums, super reverbs, etc...) If the gig was more accoustic, I'd just have a mic on a boom in front of me for a bit of extra-volume during leads and for a bit of sparkle.

If I had to do it again....I'd go the Schertler route.

Jason