MiniFlex 2 Mic

[darkbar]

I ripped out the preamp on my LV-09ce cos it rattled and I couldn't get it to stop no matter what I tried. I removed the under saddle wire and installed a new tusq saddle (sounds incredible unplugged). Without the preamp box I have a nice sound port on the top of the git. I've been using a Baggs M1 soundhole pickup, but am thinking of putting in a miniflex system. Is anyone out there using one of these and what are your thoughts?

[Michael T]

Simple K&K and matching preamp work just fine for me, I do prefer to mic but a good condenser on a stand seems problematic enough with out 2 on a guitar.

[unclrob]

I use a version of the mini its by GHS.Its a mic that is mounted to its own preamp that I velcro to the side of the guitar.I place the which is suppose to be place in the soundhole but I have it suspended over the end of the fingerboard.I also experimnting with a wireless headset mic and a lapel mic at this time.I've played about a dozen duo gigs with the GHS system and it was great cause my backup vocals could be heard thru the GHS,nice to play with just one mic and no stands.I've yet to see how the wireless setup works live.

[ST]

Hi unclrob,

Originally posted by unclrob:
I place the which is suppose to be place in the soundhole but I have it suspended over the end of the fingerboard.

I've been experimenting with this today. It sounds pretty good but I'm getting too much bleed from other sound sources and I'm not getting enough gain-before-feedback.

The quest continues.

If you want to listen in check this out <-- dBerch asked for recordings.

[unclrob]

Monitor position effects that.Plus It sound so natural that you can't tell until you push the volumn to feed back.Have someone else strum the guitar and listen in another room,its the better way to judge.

[ST]

Hi unclerob,

I found this:

http://www.bartlettmics.com/How_Mic_Placement_Affects_Tone.pdf

and if you don't feel like reading all the way through - here is the recommendation.

GUITAR. The Spark Microphone is near the low E string, halfway between the sound hole
and the bridge. Its spectrum is a fairly good match to the reference, so its sound is natural or hi-fi.

[attachment deleted by admin]

[unclrob]

I have tried the wireless lapel mic on the lower upper bout with desent results.With the mic in that spot I'd be hitting it with my arm.Its early still and I've only had 2  .I'll be reading it when I hit 4  .

[ST]

The microphone goes on the inside.

I put a microphone there (inside) last night. It's a lot less boomy than other locations I've tried. It's still a little boomy but better. (Say that a few times, "Boomy but better").

[unclrob]

Quote ST"I put a microphone there (inside) last night. It's a lot less boomy than other locations I've tried. It's still a little boomy but better. (Say that a few times, "Boomy but better"."

Not until I've had more  .

[1591rmb]

Hey, folks. I'm fairly new to the forum ... well, at least I haven't participated in a while. This thread caught my attention because I have a good bit of experience with the MiniFlex 2Mic. Hope some of this is helpful. 

Three things about the MiniFlex 2Mic:
1. It is much different in sound quality and feedback resistance than the original MiniFlex mic and/or the GHS version
2. Full disclosure: Ken Donnell, the creator of the 2Mic is a friend of mine. I often do graphic work for Ken.
3. On the other hand, I'm using the 2Mic regularly on live playing jobs and it's working out very well for me. Below is a short  I recorded from a gig about two weeks ago. I am blending the 2Mic with my Takamine pickup. The MiniFlex 2Mic is run straight into the board with some bass rolled off. The Takamine pickup is eq'ed to remove some mids and also with reverb. The mix is about 70%Miniflex/30%Takamine.

This recording is NOT off the board. I simply mounted a Zoom H2 handheld recorded on a mic stand and put it in front of one Bose 802 speaker. So as far as I can tell, this is what the audience heard. The gig was a reception for furniture buyers. Volume was about 6 on a 10 scale. I don't use floor monitors. I use a simple homemade in-ear (ear buds) system, so monitor feedback is not an issue.

One more thing: I loaned my Larrivee OM03R to my son whose Yamaha was in the shop. He is returning it to me in the next few days. Next week I can record a MiniFlex 2Mic demo with that instrument if you guys are interested.

RB

Comcast storageJT Thingy

[1591rmb]

One more thing, Darkbar. There's a MiniFlex 2Mic that allows a second pickup to be combined. Using a TRS cable the two pickups can be processed separately. I would think the MiniFlex plus your M1 would be a excellent combo. RB

The MiniFlex web site is MiniFlex Web sitewww.miniflexmic.com. The model I'm referring to is the Model 4.

[unclrob]

The main thing I'm looking for is a usable system that will work with an electric band.I have trully come to hate the sound of any of the picups systems out there.When working with just acoustic instruments I have no problem just using standard mic's.Using the GHS or one of my wireless rigs in that setup means a cleaner stage,no mic stands.My problem is that I also play with electric players who no matter how hard I beat them with a stick they just keep turning up,thus I'm forced to use pickups.Like I said I can't stand the tone no matter how much I drink.When I get over this flu thats had me slammed for the past week I'll check out the website,thanks 1591rmb.Oh ya I have a 20 year old one and the newer version of the miniflex.

[1591rmb]

Playing acoustic with an electric band and maintaining a decent sound is a challenge, to say the least. But you already know that, right? A couple of thought about that:

1. Have you visited Doug Kennedy's site, FingerPick Magazine. He did some insightful pickup tests several years ago. I'm still amazed at the sound he got out of the Baggs M1 processing it through a Digitech 2120, a unit that is no longer manufactured. However, his insights about equalization and processing are applicable to whether you have the Digitech unit or not.  I return to his site often when I get frustrated with pickups to be reminded of just how good a processed sound can be. Fingerpick magazinewww.fingerpick.com

2. Takamine. All things considered, it's difficult to beat the Tak pickup properly eq'ed. Very feedback resistant. When I'm doing a band gig, I use my Tak with the MiniFlex blended. Tak is now making three guitars at the bottom of their pro line with prices around $6-700. 

3. In-ear monitors. Even a cheapo rig is better than floor monitors and overcomes feedback problems to a large degree. Visit http://www.rolls.com/ This company makes some outstanding and inexpensive "personal monitor" products.

4. In a live situation with a UST, mag, SBT – all the normal kinds of pickups – eq is everything, IMHO. I use a 31-band stereo eq running the output of one channel into the input of the other. The whole thing is inserted into a channel of the mixer. This is something I learned from the Doug Kennedy site. Another alternative would be a parametric eq, but that gets even more complicated and I'm not sure if it's really any better. BTW, 31-band stereo eqs are very inexpensive these days, particularly used ones.   

rb

[unclrob]

Its kinda funny in a way,back in the 70's I played in what would have been called an art rock band I played and electric guitar thru a Super reverb,bass and bass pedels thru a Bassman one hundred and my 6 and 12 string acoustic thru a Shure SM57 and vocals thru a SM58 and didn't have as much trouble as I have today playing.We where a 5pc band with drums,keys,mainly lead guitarist.We found that if we set our monitors up high we didn't have to run them as hot and well back then we had one of those big knob Peavey boards and did just fine.Now you need more cr*p and more and I'm trying to get to less and less.