spinley - Posted - 10/20/2010:  14:36:27

Anyone used one or heard one of these yet
Stuart

janetdavismusic.com/gt-abs.html

jared8string - Posted - 10/20/2010:  15:23:45

One is on the way. I'll let you know after a test drive.

spinley - Posted - 10/20/2010:  15:41:54

Thanks I look forward to hearing from you. Where did you order yours?
Stuart

falconeman - Posted - 10/20/2010:  18:01:45

Looks interesting... correct link is

janetdavismusic.com/gt_abs.html

jared8string - Posted - 10/21/2010:  08:02:43

Directly from Gold Tone. I'm guessing it should be here tomorrow or Monday.

Jared

firelakekid - Posted - 10/21/2010:  20:13:19

Would their be an issue with feedback? I know that there are other brands/types of high quality clip on mics for acoustic instruments and though I have not tried any myself, I've read posts on different forums that feedback can be difficult in loud situations.

Emiel - Posted - 10/22/2010:  00:31:33

A mic like this picks up sound from the head only, none that comes out of the resonator.

3fingers - Posted - 10/22/2010:  12:19:32

I too am very curious about these clip on mics. The thought of being free to wander from the mic stand without being "plugged in" via a pickup is a nice one. The first thigthat comes to mind though is that I move in and out of the mic as kind of a volume control during other peoples breaks, harmony parts, etc and having the mic fixed a certian distance eliminates my ability to do this. I suppose with some trial and error I could use this and then step into a mic for the parts I want louder but then it kind of defeats the purpose. I mean I suppose I could adjust the volume of my playing by playing softer or harder but without having a dedicated soundman to adjust my volume up and down I just dont think it would work. Also I'm picking wth two bands one a semi-regional Gospel group and the other a local gospel group so a full time soundman isnt really in our future for the time being LOL. I also am kinda a traditionlist so the thought of rigging a volume pedal in the system after the preamp isnt to appealing. My wife whos our fiddle player , a couple months ago we were at a church and thier soundman used a lapel mic and clipped it onto her fiddle and she really liked that so she didnt have to be so aware of playing into a mic but its a little different situation.

Craig

Craig

Andy McC - Posted - 10/22/2010:  13:50:58

Craig

It comes with a control pedal to allow you to have 2 different volumes when playing lead and backup.

youtube.com/watch?v=0jWKYcpRAO...e=related

jared8string - Posted - 10/24/2010:  18:07:51

Craig, my opinion of clip on mics is that they allow me to play the banjo how I would naturally play when not plugged in. When I'm at a jam, I don't back up in order to reduce my volume. I play lightly to produce less volume, and then bring in more attack for leads. I enjoy the range in dynamics that come from the instrument when played softer or harder. Again, that is my opinion and preference. I know plenty of people who swear by "working the mic" and I play that way occasionally.

My main problem with clip on mics is the way they are attached to the banjo. I am interested to see how well the mic and gooseneck attachment works on the ABS. Plus if it performs and sounds like a 57 (as they are saying), the sound should be easy to dial in.

I'm still waiting for the mic to get in by the way...

Edited by - jared8string on 10/24/2010 18:08:24

Andy McC - Posted - 10/29/2010:  07:19:16

Hi Jared

I was just wondering if the system arrived.
I'm really keen to order, but I would appreciate your thoughts before I go and have one sent over to the UK.

Many thanks
Andy

pdbanjo - Posted - 10/30/2010:  07:23:37

I think all sound reinforcement equipment defeats really true acoustic music. That said, I have tried all types of sound reinforcement gizmos and all of them have good and bad qualities. Onboard pickups are the hardest to make sound like a real acoustic banjo and difficult to play with a good sense of dynamics. Lavaliers (clip-ons)are difficult to control feedback and harder to use when playing with dynamics. FYI, Bela has done away with that little specially designed mic on a goose neck that was part of a dual system that used an additional onboard Fishman type pick up. Both of those were blended and then run through an array of electronic effects that he tweeked to get an almost true acoustic banjo sound. The 5' tall rack of effects he used during those days were specifically designed for Bela in his attempt to get the sound he wanted by an engineer who used to work for Rayne amplification products, I believe. Further engineering has reduced the amount of gear he needs for his acoustic banjo but it still isn't a true acoustic sound. I'm sure, he records most all of his acoustic banjo tunes with ultra high quality studio mics. The best advice I can offer is to try different condensor mics on stage and record the gig from out in the audience so during playback you really hear what your audience heard. I can assure you, what they heard isn't the same as what you heard onstage with or with out monitors.
I have found a single mic to best represent the acoustic qualities of my banjos and sensitive enough to allow a lot of freedom to move about the stage. In a "good" room I can be heard clearly from 10' away and usually stand 1' away from the mic when I need to be upfront in the mix. In fact, with the banjo being the loudest and most cutting instrument in the band I can walk behind other instruments and be picked up clearly by their mics and with a single center stage mic I sometimes need to play behind the upright bass so that the banjo is not so overbearing and I don't own a souped up banjo either.
Sound reinforcement should be veiwed as what it is, "reinforcement" not a means to play louder especially for a banjo. It is already the loudest instrument in an acoustic band. Granted it can not compete with an electric guitar but there are banjos designed to be electric that can. If that is your goal, you should not expect an acoustic banjo to be something it was never intended to be.

Edited by - pdbanjo on 10/30/2010 08:29:15

jared8string - Posted - 10/31/2010:  16:31:59

Andy,

The mic is here. I have been super busy this week and I haven't been able to plug it up. I have mounted it on a couple of banjos though.

Structurally, it is super sound. The mic is incased in a rubber shock mount that should solve lots of noise issues I have experienced in the past with these sort of systems. The gooseneck is strong and stays well in position. Another feature that impressed me is how tough the input jack looks and feels. This thing is solid.

The way the mount is attached took a minute of fooling around with to get right. The mount obviously was not intended to be installed between the two hooks surrounding the thumbscrew (which is normally where I put these things). It can be placed there, but expect to have a bit of contact with the thumbscrew. Other than that, it should fit any rim with any bracket spacing.

The preamp is, well, a preamp. You can see the controls on the online pictures. It's in a nice Dunlop style housing and should hold up to the road. The carrying case helps keep all this stuff safe too.

I hope this helps. I'll do what I can to get this thing plugged up over a system soon.

Jared

Andy McC - Posted - 11/26/2010:  08:32:01

Hi Jared

I went ahead and got one sent over from the US.
I got to try it out the other night at an open mic. I had used it at home on a cheap portable amp, but it wasn't a fair test as my banjo can sound louder than the little amp. However, it definitely gave me the confidence to use it live.

Previously, I had used a cheap pick-up, so this was really good by comparison. It received excellent comment form what was a packed room. Although it didn't do much to improve my playing:)

All in all, I am very impressed by this piece of kit and I'll be using it again at all the open mic we go to.

Andy

Edit for spelling issues!

Edited by - Andy McC on 11/26/2010 08:35:31

Andy McC - Posted - 11/26/2010:  08:34:20

Oh, I meant to mention.
I didn't get to use the control pedal. I just set everything up high and left it to the sound guy. He knows what he's doing and I just played softer when in backup mode.