Percentages

[Billy Packard]

I've always used onboard pickups. Actually the very first was a mike mounted inside my mandolin. The convenience is what has held the most appeal for me, plug and play. The K&K's that I'm currently using are sooo sensitive to any kind of bump or movement. They also require a preamp so while the sound is acceptable it's not the same as the mandolin unplugged.

I'm wondering what is the percentage of performers that use outboard mikes verses onboard pickups.


Billy

billypackardmandolin.com

[Bill McCall]

Your issue seems to be the driver for the new Zeta mandolin., ie, acoustic, amplified but no boom. I expect that percentage will grow.

[PVia]

I love the KK I have in my Bourgeois dreadnaught and I've used an ATM35 for my mandolin, when needed.
Sometimes I use the ATM along with the KK for guitar...Punch Bros and Sean Watkins used these mics extensively for a long while.
The mic requires phantom power, so a preamp of some sort would be needed.
My take on this subject has always been, "How loud do you need to be?"
If you need to be cranked, you are not going to get the fidelity that you're expecting.