Best Violin Pickup

[losthighway]

Any fiddlers around here?

My band mate is an incredible violinist who has to tough it out in an Afrobeat band with three loud percussionists. Sometimes we play a stage with a really good PA and a really good live sound engineer and you can hear all the amazing textures her violin adds.

The rest of the time she is stuck bouncing between inaudible, and feedback city.

Anyone know a really good violin pickup that doesn't like to feedback and has pretty good tone? (don't worry we still use mics in the studio)

[Gregg Juke]

I was told by Jean Luc Ponty that basically, "violin pick-ups and microphones suck" (extremely edited paraphrase), and that the feedback is an issue with both. That has been my (limited) experience also, with recording and sound reinforcement for classical ensembles. So, a solid-body instrument could do wonders for your friend, if she were so-inclined...

That being said, I've always heard the string players (mostly bassists) say that Fishman pick-ups are the best and the de facto standard in that area.
If you can get hold of a catalog from a place called Cascio (Cascio Interstate Music; not the keyboard company), you probably will be able to check-out a bunch of choices.

GJ

[dfuruta]

The David Gage pickup is the best I've tried on cello, much better than the Fishman. But, really, there's no way that it's going to sound natural; the way that violin family instruments resonate sound is too complicated for a single pickup (or close mic) to capture accurately.

If your violinist friend is willing to do this to her instrument, I had a luthier put my pickup between the soundpost and the top of the instrument's body. The more normal location is under the bridge, but I think the sound is better on top of the soundpost. But, I've mostly stopped playing with amplification. Can't stand the sound of it...

[fossiltooth]

We're supposed to be doing a big shootout of these on Scientist soon. This reminds me to kick the writer in the butt and see what's up!

[joel hamilton]

I have a band with Carla Kihlstedt, who is a known quantity in the violin world... and aside from an electric violin, which is a whole other beast, the best thing I have seen is a small countryman lag mic placed in whatever spot the violinist feels is good. It is always a compromise, but I have heard that thing get really LOUD and work perfectly along side of loud drums and guitars and amps...

[apropos of nothing]

I've heard really good things about Schertler pick-ups, but they are also kinda spendy.

[DougK]

I suggest looking into dpa for live stuff:
http://www.dpamicrophones.com/en/Microp ... hones.aspx

[Andy Peters]

I have a band with Carla Kihlstedt, who is a known quantity in the violin world... and aside from an electric violin, which is a whole other beast, the best thing I have seen is a small countryman lag mic placed in whatever spot the violinist feels is good. It is always a compromise, but I have heard that thing get really LOUD and work perfectly along side of loud drums and guitars and amps...

I thought Carla used a DPA.

Whatever she uses, it sounds GREAT.

[joel hamilton]

I have a band with Carla Kihlstedt, who is a known quantity in the violin world... and aside from an electric violin, which is a whole other beast, the best thing I have seen is a small countryman lag mic placed in whatever spot the violinist feels is good. It is always a compromise, but I have heard that thing get really LOUD and work perfectly along side of loud drums and guitars and amps...

I thought Carla used a DPA.

Whatever she uses, it sounds GREAT.

You are right. I was thinking about the countryman thingy when I typed that. Carla uses a DPA lav. Yay. I win at the information highway.