Soundhole Mics

[Phishmonkey]

Are they worth buying? I've heard that they can feed back badly, but I also heard that they can provide a more true sound than piezos. It'll be a while before I can afford one cause I'm buying a new electric this summer. How much should I be willing to spend when I do have the money? The ones on MF were around $80 but I dont know if they were any good.

[strat_predator]

 

Originally posted by Phishmonkey Are they worth buying? I've heard that they can feed back badly, but I also heard that they can provide a more true sound than piezos. It'll be a while before I can afford one cause I'm buying a new electric this summer. How much should I be willing to spend when I do have the money? The ones on MF were around $80 but I dont know if they were any good.

 

 

It seems to me that it'd be easier to just mic yourself with a normal mic; it'd probably be a better quality mic than some sound hold mic anyway. You'll also have a mic that you can sing into.

 

There's that nice looking MXL Condensor Mic (900 or something) that is $70 at MF, I believe.

[min7b5]

I think they can add something that might otherwsie be missing from something like a soundhole pickup, but on thier own it's not so exciting.

 

The K&K Mini is far and away the most (external) mic like pickup I've used. I personally think it would be money much better spent.

[AtomHeartMother]

 

Originally posted by min7b5 I think they can add something that might otherwsie be missing from something like a soundhole pickup, but on thier own it's not so exciting. The K&K Mini is far and away the most (external) mic like pickup I've used. I personally think it would be money much better spent.

 

 

Do you have a link? I might be interested. Do you have to do any modifications to the guitar (e.g. holes)?

[hrhodes3]

I like the pizo sound of a classic fishman 4 give edge

[jackwr]

Originally posted by AtomHeartMother Do you have a link? I might be interested. Do you have to do any modifications to the guitar (e.g. holes)?

https://ssl4.westserver.net/kksound/purewestern.html

[min7b5]

 

Originally posted by AtomHeartMother Do you have a link? I might be interested. Do you have to do any modifications to the guitar (e.g. holes)?

 

 

Sure:

http://www.kksound.com/purewestern.html

http://www.shorelinemusic.com/amplification/kk.shtml

Easy to install. Just need to put in endpin jack. No hole in the side, etc.

 

I use the Pure Westren Mini in my Santa Cruz OM. I just go into a MXR 6 band EQ Pedal to hit a few frequencies, and then into one or two amps. It's the best sound I've ever had. Very much like using a nice mic, but without the problems.

 

For the record I have used: Several Fishman Rare Earths- Blends and Humbuckers, Baggs M1, Baggs Ribbon, Sunrise, B Band, Timberline.... Nothing comes close to the Mini

[sdelsolray]

Internal mics work great if it is part of a dual source system and if you have separate eq controls over the mic signal before it is blended or mixed. A parametric eq is much better than a graphic eq in this regard.

 

Absent either condition, an internal mic doesn't work very well. As an example, there are several pre-made "dual source" systems that blend the mic and pickup together before any eq is available. Users of these systems often say, "The mic is too boomy", "I can barely dial in any mic because of feedback" or "The mic clouds up the sound." Well, it's not surprising simply because there is no eq available for the mic before it is blended. These pre-made systems are simply of poor design and give internal mics a bad name. Avoid them.

 

In this larger context, an internal mic adds something no pickup can provide (and vice versa). The goal of a dual source system is to have the whole greater than the sum of its parts. This will occur provided the proper gear is in place and the settings are optimally configured.