Violin pickups: LR Baggs or Barbera?

August 6, 2007 at 09:24 PM · oh, come on you guys!

i'm one of those who would like to hear some response to these type of questions but apparently this is an unplugged site. it seems as if the classical violinist play classical and the amateurs join bands get electric violins, pre amps and pickup systems. the violin can be used in so many music styles and yet i believe that you and i Timothy are a minority on this site.

i have only read about the baggs and it made me want one but i still haven't had enough money to try it out. there was another pick up question here that got some response though.

good luck in choosing the right one!

August 7, 2007 at 02:18 AM · Hear, hear, Sarah!

I agree. The fact that these kinds of pickups exist at all is a testament to the wonderful musical possibilities available to the violin.

So, what do the guys and gals of v.com think? :-)

August 7, 2007 at 02:32 PM · a little scroll down the page...

August 8, 2007 at 03:49 AM · Peter,

Thanks for directing me to Marty Jara's anecdote in a parallel discussion.

However, I was hoping for a more in-depth discussion from anyone who's tried either pickup :-)

September 9, 2007 at 11:20 PM · I've tried several types & makes of pickups over the last 35 or so years and I use L.R. Baggs pickups on two of my instruments. Get a good preamp. It really makes a difference.

September 10, 2007 at 01:02 AM · Having played with pick-ups (that do not compromise the structure of the violin) for 25 yrs., the best arrangement I've found is an Audio Technica condenser microphone. Attached to the back of the violin (with a small pad against the wood) the mic is held securely under a 1/8" rubberband stretched between the two bottom points. This setup gives you the true tone of YOUR violin. You WILL have to stay behind the PA speakers to avoid feedback.

September 28, 2007 at 07:39 PM · Hi Timothy,

I hope this is not too geeky or in-depth for you, but i've been performing on stage for years and this particular subject is one I have been obsessed with since I first plugged in. I have tried most of the equipment available from major brand manufacturers but have not had a satisfactory result with any. I need my violin sound to sound like a violin and LR Baggs, Barcus Berry, Barbera etc just do not provide enough tonal quality or control in the mid-range of the sound to produce that result. The Audio technica is a great budget mike, but the problem I ran into with that was when you play on a large stage with alot of noise going on or in a small venue with alot of noise it is not possible to get enough gain vs feedback to stay as loud as other instruments and the mix must be compromized to include the violin. I tried the very expensive DPA brand mic as well and was not very impressed with the tonal quality (quite honky requiring alot of eq), vs price and it also produced quite a bit of feedback.

The solution I found to my problems, for the connossieurs of electronically reproduced violin, is the Kurmann Soundpost. (www.soundpost.ch) I know many have tried this and failed to get the results they were after but I suggest it requires some expertise to equalize the pre-amp properly as it is quite precise and powerful. I still cannot find any pickup that can produce such a faithful tone at any level and can also be recorded as though it were a microphone. (Check out my recordings on myspace.com/oisinmcauley)

The positives of the system are: great pure tone and strength, cosmetically as good as it gets as it cannot be seen on the instrument, and it sounds like a violin.

Negatives: you won't be jumping around the stage with this system, the cable is rf antenna input, great looking but needs care to stay in one piece and not easy to find parts on the road.

Takes a little work to set up the eqs properly: this is where most people experience trouble with this system, it is a truly professional piece of gear unlike the simplistic junk churned out by major brands.

It replaces the soundpost of your violin and has a very neat button plug in outlet. The parametric eqs in the preamp are quite powerful and need to be set in a studio environment just once before you use it live.

With the soundpost pickup I use a Dtar Equinox Equalization unit which is up to almost any problem I come across in a live or studio situation.

(http://www.d-tar.com/equinox.shtml)

It gives me great control of the sound in any live situation and deals with any feedback issues. When the stage is not too large or I am in a studio, I also like to use a Neumann KM184 microphone. It is my preferred choice because it is versatile .

oisin mcauley