MiSi and Shadow Nanoflex

FromTheWayside

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Hi UU'ers -

In my search for uke nirvana, I have nit a slight roadblock. I have managed to narrow down my search to two potentital ukes (Kala Lacewood Tenor and Mainland Mahogany Tenor, for the curious), but both seem to have fairly similar feature sets. Both look good, both come set up, and both have built in electronics. Without commenting on the playability of either, he Mainland has the edge in the looks department (lacewood is stunning, but I've got to give it to the very classy rope binding and the slotted headstock (not availalbe yet, but soon...)). The Kala has the price advantage (especially with the included case), but I would rather spend a little extra and get the best product (assuming the more expensive product is better). This then, brings me to my last major sticking point between the two ukes: the electronics.

Does anyone have experience wither either the Shadow (specifically, with Nanoflex) or the MiSi (specifically, the type used in Mainland Ukes)? I've heard positive reviews of both, but never how the two stacked up against one another. The MiSi gets points for not requiring obstruction to the uke's body and for being seemingly easy to charge (provided you don't lose the charger). The Shadow gets points for having more onboard control. Which then, is better? Is there a major difference between the two, especially in studio or live performance settings?

Thanks!
 
The Mainland Mi Si has no battery compartment without the annoying (IMO) little bass/treble EQ faders. You plug a charger into the wall and the other end plugs into the strap button with a stereo 1/4 jack. In one minute, you're good to go for something like 16 hours. For EQ, I use a Boss pedal that gives me more shape anyway. The Kala TEM-E3 does have the built-in tuner, which is handy, and has a beautiful flame mahogany finish. I like the way the Mainland plays better, but that's just me - I actually like the feel of a Mainland over a Kamaka - just fits my hand better.
 
The Mainland Mi Si has no battery compartment without the annoying (IMO) little bass/treble EQ faders. You plug a charger into the wall and the other end plugs into the strap button with a stereo 1/4 jack. In one minute, you're good to go for something like 16 hours. For EQ, I use a Boss pedal that gives me more shape anyway. The Kala TEM-E3 does have the built-in tuner, which is handy, and has a beautiful flame mahogany finish. I like the way the Mainland plays better, but that's just me - I actually like the feel of a Mainland over a Kamaka - just fits my hand better.

Very true; I certainly can't take the fact that there are no batteries or compartments to mess about with for granted. Out of curiosity, do you use the Boss GE7? I'm curious because I want to get a beat on what's good, what's bad, and what's overpriced. If I end up going with the MiSi, I'll probably just run it through my amp (which has equalization knobs), or change the EQ virtually with my recording software...but I digress. The TEM-E3 is definitely a handsome uke, but I still think the Mainland is better looking. I dunno if they make a TEM-E3 in cutaway, but that's something I really don't want to budge on. If I had to rate them (purely on looks), I would say... Mainland > ASLAT (Lacewood Uke) > TEM-E3. Maybe it's different in person, though.

I'm curious though...does it sound any good? I guess it must, considering how many people seem to love Mainlands...
 
Don't know about the sound of the TEMs, but I do know I like the Mainland. Mine's a concert, though. And yes, the Boss EQ is the GE7. The way I use it is more for a lead tone with a bit of that level boost it has. I set the main tone thru the amp/PA EQs like you say, then step on the boss for solos. Next month I'll have a live vid up on YT so people can hear it the context of an actual gig. My band, Three Hour Tour, is opening for Aldrine and Barefoot Wahines (Salukulady's band) in Long Beach on Jan. 19th, so after that I'll edit out some songs for YT.
 
Don't know about the sound of the TEMs, but I do know I like the Mainland. Mine's a concert, though. And yes, the Boss EQ is the GE7. The way I use it is more for a lead tone with a bit of that level boost it has. I set the main tone thru the amp/PA EQs like you say, then step on the boss for solos. Next month I'll have a live vid up on YT so people can hear it the context of an actual gig. My band, Three Hour Tour, is opening for Aldrine and Barefoot Wahines (Salukulady's band) in Long Beach on Jan. 19th, so after that I'll edit out some songs for YT.

Ah, okay. In your opinion, could you could do without the pedal? Granted, you might not get that same lead tone, but it's not as though the thing would be unusable without an EQ pedal?

Also, congrats on opening for Aldrine! and Barefoot Wahines! That sounds amazing! Do you mean Long Beach California, by the way?
 
Yeah, I don't need the pedal, it's just there so I use it. I also have a couple other Boss pedals, chorus and reverb. The reverb is cool to have in smaller rooms, and the chorus is rarely used. The Mi Si is active, so a pre amp isn't needed. My amp is a Fender "The Twin" and the "normal" channel has the pull out pots on the treble & mids, so I can get all the shaping I need there. The PA's can vary from venue to venue, so the GE7 can be useful sometimes there, too. It's good to have the options, but it's not a must in most situations I've run into so far.

And yes, Long Beach, Cali. I forget about the NY LB sometimes. It's at DiPiazza's. There's a notice on the details in the Gigs & Shows section.
(BTW - HUGE stokage factor on the Aldrine appearance...:music:Wahines, too... never met 'em before!)
 
Yeah, I don't need the pedal, it's just there so I use it. I also have a couple other Boss pedals, chorus and reverb. The reverb is cool to have in smaller rooms, and the chorus is rarely used. The Mi Si is active, so a pre amp isn't needed. My amp is a Fender "The Twin" and the "normal" channel has the pull out pots on the treble & mids, so I can get all the shaping I need there. The PA's can vary from venue to venue, so the GE7 can be useful sometimes there, too. It's good to have the options, but it's not a must in most situations I've run into so far.

And yes, Long Beach, Cali. I forget about the NY LB sometimes. It's at DiPiazza's. There's a notice on the details in the Gigs & Shows section.
(BTW - HUGE stokage factor on the Aldrine appearance...:music:Wahines, too... never met 'em before!)

Mmm...okay. I like the idea of throwing a touch of reverb on my uke sound; it's kind of weird, but my home recordings just seem to sound a touch more "professional" when I add it in. I have yet to play through a PA, but that's something that I want to explore as well. So many options!

Since it's in LB California, there's a chance I might be able to go! The fact that it's on a Tuesday night is sort random for me, but that might be a good thing. I'm going to check the ad in the gigs section, and go from there...cool beans!
 
Hope to see you in LB! Usually, it's me on uke and Greg on steel drum, with a backing track of bass & drums/percussion (also played by Greg) thru a small PA. That set up works for corporate gigs, fund-raisers, small parties, etc, where they don't want to fork over a lot on entertainment. In those situations the amp is more or less for monitoring the uke, as the PA is out in front. We'll run the uke thru the PA with the backing tracks and get a good balance, and the reverb helps put it "in the pocket" with the drums and bass, which also has a touch a reverb, so there's a natural blend. The steel drum cuts thru it all, with no mic needed. For this gig, we'll have a "full" band, with stand up bass and a percussionist. In this case I'll lean on the amp a little more and use the PA to spread it out into the room. I'm not sure if the steel drum will get a mic, and it may get picked up from Greg's vocal mic - those things really carry - plus the room will likely still be a little empty for the first set anyway.
 
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Hope to see you in LB! Usually, it's me on uke and Greg on steel drum, with a backing track of bass & drums/percussion (also played by Greg) thru a small PA. That set up works for corporate gigs, fund-raisers, small parties, etc, where they don't want to fork over a lot on entertainment. In those situations the amp is more or less for monitoring the uke, as the PA is out in front. We'll run the uke thru the PA with the backing tracks and get a good balance, and the reverb helps put it "in the pocket" with the drums and bass, which also has a touch a reverb, so there's a natural blend. The steel drum cuts thru it all, with no mic needed. For this gig, we'll have a "full" band, with stand up bass and a percussionist. In this case I'll lean on the amp a little more and use the PA to spread it out into the room. I'm not sure if the steel drum will get a mic, and it may get picked up from Greg's vocal mic - those things really carry - plus the room will likely still be a little empty for the first set anyway.

Yeah! It's hard to say right now, between work and class, but I will definitely try and make it. Are you typically a 2-piece band (i.e. uke + steel drums + backing tracks)? Do you have any sound samples? It sounds like what you do is really cool. When you say "in the pocket," you mean that the drum sound mixes well with the other instruments, ya? Also, how many sets are you playing?
 
Yeah! It's hard to say right now, between work and class, but I will definitely try and make it. Are you typically a 2-piece band (i.e. uke + steel drums + backing tracks)? Do you have any sound samples? It sounds like what you do is really cool. When you say "in the pocket," you mean that the drum sound mixes well with the other instruments, ya? Also, how many sets are you playing?
Usually we do a two-piece act w/backing tracks, but this gig (one set) will have a stand up bass and a percussionist playing congas, bongos (I think), cajon, and maybe some other stuff.
Here's a couple of original recordings with uke/pans/backing track (we've since added real bass & percussion for an upcoming CD):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F02kXFK05nM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OIZqO756Mk8


This is our demo medley from our agent's site:

http://www.markwoodentertainment.com/audio/Three Hour Tour.mp3

As far as the "live" mix for the backing tracks, I like to put a little reverb on the uke when we play to backing tracks so it doesn't sound so dry, and fits in better with the recordings, which have a little verb on them - it kinda puts it all in the same "space" if you will.
 
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