another mando - mic option I just found....Bartlett

[Traveling Tracks]

http://www.bartlettaudio.com/collect...s/mandolin-mic

Very affordable....Bruce is well known in pro audio.
Seems to be worth checking out.

[mrmando]

There's one on the Boston CraigsList if you want to save a few bucks.
http://boston.craigslist.org/gbs/msg/4883443329.html

[Darren Bailey]

Just checked out a video of one in action on Youtube and it did sound very natural. I'm quite tempted by this. I've contacted the maker on Facebook about postage. Anyone else have any experience with this make?

[Ben Cooper]

Sounds nice

[almeriastrings]

Discussed not long ago...

http://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/sh...g-Bartlett-Mic

[Barry Wilson]

Anyone ever played with these? http://apexelectronics.com/downloads...om_apex565.pdf

I just went to the music store and the one guy plays banjo. It is for my banjo but might be able to figure a way to test on the f mando too. He said it worked good on his banjo as it was easy to clip on and handles high spl. price was decent. I guess I need to use a channel with phantom power

[almeriastrings]

The Apex is a "tribute" to the AKG C500 series...

Like most Apex mics, it is good value. I would rate the AT PRO 35 and ATM350 higher, though, not only on account of their better capsules but because they have much better shock mounts and even a degree of wind-shielding, which does make a difference in outdoor gig situations. Having used used/tested quite a few of these mics, from various sources, the best value in my opinion is the Superlux PRA383D . This is another..um... "tribute", this time to the AT PRO35/ATM350, but it is a very close "tribute" and works well. There is a version with XLR beltpack which is available at silly cheap prices in Europe, but which seems hard to find in US for some reason.

Given you can get an AT PRO35 for only $130 in the US, though, I personally would bypass the "tributes" and get the real thing.

[Barry Wilson]

thanks almeriastrings. I figured you would have tried them

ya the pro 35 was $100 more for me so almost double (and they had to order one in). I might go that way for mandolin. you can never have enough mics. if it is decent for banjo lol... going to test it out today and see. I do have some foam air filters from rc cars that are tiny and would make a wind screen

[Barry Wilson]

I had to return the mixing board I picked up in January as the phantom power was not working... I hooked the mic up to my zoom r24 though and it sounds pretty decent. the capsule does have a rattle if you shake it so have to be watching gain levels. But it sounded decent for what I paid. I might clip it to my vocal harmonizer (mounted on mic stand) and use it for all the instruments since the height is good

[PaulD]

I'm late to this thread, but I came across it because I'm doing my anal-retentive pre-purchase research... I can't afford to buy and reject multiple pickups and I've got several gigs coming up that will benefit from my not being tied to a mic.

I hadn't stumbled across the Superlux PRA-383 prior to its mention below so I took a look. I haven't experienced this or the Audio Technica Pro35 (which I've been leaning toward), but it looks to me like the Pro35 is the better bargain if you need to plug into XLR. The Pro35 can be had off Amazon for about $130 with a mini-XLR to XLR+power adapter and free shipping. The Superlux site sells them for $88 for the mic, $33 for the adapter, and probably $22 for shipping. If one doesn't need the adapter or can find the PRA-383 with free shipping then I guess it's the better bargain.

So now I'm down to Pro35, LR Baggs Radius, and my friend Tom at Local Music (SLC, UT) likes Pick Up The World. The clip on mic concept would allow me to try it on both mando and fiddle, but I've been warned that they can pick up the fiddler's breathing. Another friend uses the K&K Meridian setup but I don't see that for less than $300 so it's out of my price range for now.

[almeriastrings]

but it looks to me like the Pro35 is the better bargain if you need to plug into XLR. The Pro35 can be had off Amazon for about $130 with a mini-XLR to XLR+power adapter and free shipping.

Unless you can find a better price in the US... I agree, though strangely, you can buy the Superlux (with XLR adapter) for only €57 (US $60!!!) all inclusive in Europe....why it is so much cheaper, I have no idea, as usually such things tend to be cheaper in the US.

http://www.thomann.de/gb/superlux_pra383_d.htm

All of these mics are immeasurably nicer sounding than the Baggs Radius in my opinion, even the cheapest of them. No contest at all.

The PUTW transducers are piezo based, so all normal cavaets apply to those.

The Meridian Pro is fine, good sounding, though you can get very (very) similar results by creating your own blend. I've used AKG C411 + AT PRO 35 via a Headway EDB-2, or taken a standard piezo transducer (with impedance matching pre) and blended that with a PRO 35 or ATM350 into two channels of the desk. This is actually even more flexible, as you get two "full" channels of EQ and FX sends. Very easy to set up, no extra fancy gear required.

[foldedpath]

The clip on mic concept would allow me to try it on both mando and fiddle, but I've been warned that they can pick up the fiddler's breathing.

That's not a major problem in my experience, but it does require a little "microphone discipline" from the fiddler. It's worth it for the vastly better sound with a mic on fiddle, compared to any contact pickup.

In a former band, I used an Audio-Technica ATM350, and then later a DPA 4099 on our fiddler. At first, we did have a few issues with things like coughing, but you just have to train yourself to pull the fiddle away if you cough or sneeze. If you aim the mic capsule down and close to the bass F-hole for maximum volume from the instrument, and use a mic with a built-in mini windscreen like the Pro 35, ATM350, or DPA 4099, that also minimizes breath noise.

Also, remember to pull the fiddle away before making onstage comments to other band members, if you don't want the audience to hear what you're saying! That actually worked to advantage for us, because our fiddler was blind, and he could address the audience by talking into the fiddle mic, without having to locate an external vocal mic.