Rant: active pickups

Arcy

Strummin' in the Rain
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*grumble* *grrr* *snarl* *grumph*

I have four instruments with active pickups.
I have four instruments with dead batteries.

I thought I finally had time to finish off a recording for Seasons before Sunday ended, but no batteries means no sound to the audio interface, and no sound means no recording, and no recording means no video. Again. By the time I can get out, get a battery, and get back my quiet-time recording window will be gone. Missed it again.

Almost makes me want to go all Pete Townshend on 'em.

*grumph*
 
(And yes, I have a microphone. No point in derailing a good rant with details. Nor do I know how to use it well enough to get a good instrument recording)
 
I agree completely. In the bass guitar world, which is where I do my playing out, I stopped buying basses with active pickups a few years ago, for exactly that reason. I only use passive basses now. In the ukulele world, I haven't yet had to deal with pickups, but if I do, I will look for a passive one. I'm assuming there are passive pickups out there. Meanwhile, you might want to work on using that microphone. I use a mic when I play double bass (aka upright bass, string bass).
 
I keep spare batteries and strings in my gig bag just in case. Saved mah arse many ah time! Remember, they only die or break at important events...
Batteries take up a lot less space than a pre amp. Just saying. You have to carry extra batteries and strings, it is just something you have to do.
 
There are such things as passive ukulele pickups. Brüko will optionally fit one for example. Personally I'm tired of all the hoops you have to jump through to eliminate the piezo quack, so I'm trying an iRig Acoustic Stage (which takes AA batteries).
 
I have one uke with an active pickup. I never leave the battery in it.
That's a sure way to let the preamp eat it, like almost overnight.
Take the battery out after you play, stick it in your case, it will last a lot longer.
 
@ Jim Avery. You are right about the piezo quack, but if you turn down your amp, and line out into the PA system, the quack can be minimized. You can use your amp as a monitor nearby.
 
This amp works without battery. It is very loud, I just need to attach it to the back of head stock with Velcro.

 
This amp works without battery. It is very loud, I just need to attach it to the back of head stock with Velcro.


must work great when you sing "Can't You Hear My Heartbeat"
 
To prevent the batteries for an active preamp from dying prematurely, pull out the amp cable, actives automatically turn on the preamp when the cable is plugged into the instrument, but I don't like having to do that all the time, so I've had on/off switches installed. I also keep rechargeable batteries ready at all times. I prefer to adjust volume and tone on my instrument and not have go over to the amp.


This is Michael Kohan in Los Angeles, Beverly West near the Beverly Center
9 tenor cutaway ukes, 5 acoustic bass ukes, 11 solid body bass ukes, 9 mini electric bass guitars (Total: 34)

• Donate to The Ukulele Kids Club, they provide ukuleles to children in hospital music therapy programs. www.theukc.org
• Member The CC Strummers: YouTube: www.youtube.com/user/CCStrummers/video, Facebook: www.facebook.com/TheCCStrummers
 
Get a MiSi pick-up. Active. No pre-amp needed. No battery needed. Rechargeable. Uses an LR Baggs undersaddle element. $120 - $160. The new MiSi Trio Air is a combo undersaddle & MEMS microphone, battery free, but more money $$$.
 
(And yes, I have a microphone. No point in derailing a good rant with details. Nor do I know how to use it well enough to get a good instrument recording)

Hey, I'll go rant for rant with you.
I detest the sound of inbuilt piezo pickups with a passion. If you don't want to sound better than that then why would anyone bother listening to you play?
Take the opportunity to start using the microphone.
/rant

There, was that a good rant?
 
My first few ukes didn't have a pickup. I purchased a Dean Markley Acoustic Guitar Pickup. It attaches to the body with putty. I've used it from time to time and it works just fine. The putty dried up so I attach it with tape. I only use it on my older beater ukes. I payed $70 for it.
 
I know that pain. I hate the feeling that the battery might die mid song. Some people change the batteries quite often so they don't run out.

I've got passive and active pickups in my ukes. Still not sure which I prefer. Passive are nice since it never dies and you have more sound-shaping options.

For active, you have to always have backups, but that portability is nice, too.
 
Get a MiSi pick-up. Active. No pre-amp needed. No battery needed. Rechargeable. Uses an LR Baggs undersaddle element. $120 - $160. The new MiSi Trio Air is a combo undersaddle & MEMS microphone, battery free, but more money $$$.

The Mi-Si acoustic trio is an excellent option and very dependable, the Trio Air has some mixed reviews.
 
Thanks for letting me whine :)

You are all, of course, correct!

99% of the time I use the preamp it's just for the tuner. 82% of the time it's going into the looper pedal. 87% of all statistics are made up on the spot. This weekend was the first time I've tried recording off of the pickup, and I didn't think to unplug before hanging up the night before. *grumph*

With the perfect storm of bad timing, my gig bag with spare batteries and iRig was at the office not home, and the giant Costco brick of 9Vs was gone. If I were thinking straight I probably could have cannibalized one from the mini-amp. A pre-amp isn't a bother to carry since I'd pretty much only use it at home. I do need to learn how to use the microphone, but so far my results have not been good.

I have a passive pickup for the uke I'm building, and the next uke I buy will likely have a MiSi (hon, in case you're listening: it's not currently on the radar).
 
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