which preamp?

ramone

ramone

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hey y'all,

I bought a Pono AT a few months ago and really like it. sounds wonderful acoustically. I opted for the Pono passive pickup so I could try recording it as well. when I checked it out through a Line 6 Spyder 2 amp, it sounded a little brighter than expected even after adjusting the tone controls. I was wondering which, if any, preamp folks are using to get the best tone from their ukes. is it asking too much for a guitar amp to work well with our little friends? I know tone is very subjective. what I'm looking for is the tradition ukulele sound, just amplified a bit. any advice or suggestions? all ideas are welcomed!

thanks,

ramone
 
All of my Kanileʻa have Fishman passive pickups, which I run through an LR Baggs Venue DI. Great tone!

~Michael
 
ramone said:
....passive pickup so I could try recording it as well.... .....it sounded a little brighter than expected even after adjusting the tone controls.....
Click to expand...

Ramone, if you bought a uke with a passive pickup thinking it would record electronically what you hear acoustically, you may be disappointed no matter what preamp you try.

If you want to record the pure acoustic sound of your uke, you might want to think in terms of a good microphone in a good room.

Piezo pickups have a characteristic "bright" or "thin" sound.
A preamp should help buffer the signal and drive your guitar amp a little better.
Tone controls help, but only up to a point, as you found out.

IMHO the reason for a pickup on a uke is to be able to use effects pedals, play amplified without feedback, etc.

Just my two cents. Good luck.
 
thanks for the replies.

Dave, I have a AKG Perception 220 mic but I was hoping for a more straight forward way of recording the Pono. I knew that piezo pickups tend to be bright but what I didn't know is just how bright they really are. :p I've looked at the LR Baggs unit mentioned above and a few others, I guess I should bring the uke to the store and see how they work together.
 
L.R. Baggs Para/DI is my favorite preamp. Not cheap, but built like a tank. It's a preamp, parametric EQ and direct box all in one unit. I prefer a good mic for recording and when I can live. Sounds much more natural.
 
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As a former Nashville recording guy, I'll say that if a player walked into a studio and asked where they should plug in their acoustic guitar, they'd probably get fired on the spot. Piezo pickups sound unnatural; the only way to record an acoustic instrument with good results is to mic it. Even a cheap mic is better than an expensive pickup and preamp when recording. I would go as far as to record electric uke parts (stuff I want pedals on) dry, through a mic, and then re-amp it later with the effects, because those pickups even make "electric" uke stuff sound crappy.

For live playing, I'm sure most of the Fishman, L.R. Baggs, etc., stuff sounds fine.
 
I got the one that agrees to arbitration first, and she keeps everything she brought into it, and I keep everything I brought into it. Works for us.
 
Curly Koa said:
As a former Nashville recording guy, I'll say that if a player walked into a studio and asked where they should plug in their acoustic guitar, they'd probably get fired on the spot. Piezo pickups sound unnatural; the only way to record an acoustic instrument with good results is to mic it. Even a cheap mic is better than an expensive pickup and preamp when recording. I would go as far as to record electric uke parts (stuff I want pedals on) dry, through a mic, and then re-amp it later with the effects, because those pickups even make "electric" uke stuff sound crappy.

For live playing, I'm sure most of the Fishman, L.R. Baggs, etc., stuff sounds fine.
Click to expand...

Curly Koa, thanks for adding your input, I truely appreciate you sharing your knowledge! the recordings I want to make are mainly for my own enjoyment, certainly nothing I'd ever think of releasing. I doubt I'll get fired for anything I attempt! :biglaugh: I'll try using my mic again to see if I can improve the quality of recording. one of the things that bothered me was the amount of ambient noise that was being recorded along with the uke. I have a pc set up in my basement and all kinds of noises come through (a/c, people walking around upstairs, etc). that was the main reason I wanted to try to recording using the pickup. it's hard to tell everyone to stop their normal activities because I'm in the middle of a 'session'. sound proofing is not really an option, this is more or less just a hobby of mine. I guess I was looking for a shortcut to getting a better recording. :uhoh: thanks again!
 
I was quite disappointed when I installed a pickup in my uke as well. And it was a really good one. The sound isn't just right. Ramone, you could instead invest in a good directional mic. Or one of those little clip-on microphones for the uke. I'll see if I can find the thread where someone posted a link to them. It would be good to hear Curly Koa's opinion about them.
 
I have the right size cigar box an plan on installing a 5 band eq/pre-amp made for a guitar with both instrument and mic inputs, tuner. Chinese generic version of ???, but less than $20. If it works well, will post a review
 
I see what Curly Koa is saying, I mean how could I not? But OTOH, must of the decent pickups nowadays aren't THAT bad either. If I wanted to record acoustic, I agree that I'd rather use my crappy not-sensitive-enough Blue Snowball or one of my crappy dynamic mics. But but but, if it's an effected out sound, why not just plug in? If the amp and pedal combined are any good you should be able to dial in a sound you're after. Like what if I wanted chorus in stereo? Easier to do that just plugging in. Yeah if someone is listening to the song with HD800s and a tube amp, then I'm in trouble, but most people are using stock earbuds anyway.

At least I know I wouldn't be fired outright.... but for not being able to PLAY the guitar. :D
 
again, thanks for all the replies!

Fermin, I hadn't thought of the option you suggested. hopefully somebody (Curly Koa?) can share their experience with this type of mic.

PhilUSAFRet, good luck with your project! please let us know how it turns out.

meanwhile, I placed a bid on a LR Baggs Para Acoustic DI, so wish me luck! I do intend on playing with friends so the LR Baggs will definitely help with that. the last few times I got together with my friends, the poor little guy could hardly get a word in!
 
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