MJJS Posted November 22, 2015 Share Posted November 22, 2015 I have a Fishman original pickup for my DB. My current strings are not completely smooth and so a lot of 'finger movement' is detected by the pickup. Do other Fishman users get this? Is the 'Full circle' a better choice, or do people feel that a mic solution is a better way to go? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beer of the Bass Posted November 22, 2015 Share Posted November 22, 2015 Is that the BP100, the one that with the two discs that are held on to the top of the bridge with clips? What are you plugging it into? These pickups are known for their treble emphasis which will bring out finger noise, though it will be made worse by plugging it into a bass amp with too-low input impedance. It can be improved to some extent by using a dedicated preamp, though even with that a lot of bassist struggle to find a sound they like with the BP100. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
surdopickups Posted May 12, 2016 Share Posted May 12, 2016 I recommend magnetic pickups whit very low impedance Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bassace Posted May 12, 2016 Share Posted May 12, 2016 Oh do you? Mag pickups can work well for some applications, in fact I've got a mag on my ply bass and it's easy to get an instant acceptable sound without much fuss. And the rockabilly guys particularly like them. But you'll find plenty of DB players who prefer the articulation and tonal discrimination of a piezo pickup inspite of the extra preamp required in a lot of cases. And a mic if you're prepared to take even more trouble. From your TB name am I to assume that you have a connection with a mag pickup flogger? In which case it would be good to know so the other guys on the forum can make up their own minds re the validity of your recommendations. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dad3353 Posted May 12, 2016 Share Posted May 12, 2016 (edited) [quote name='surdopickups' timestamp='1463050676' post='3048063'] I recommend magnetic pickups whit very low impedance [/quote] These can only work at all on certain types of string. No good for gut, for instance (no ferric content...). Just sayin'. Edited May 12, 2016 by Dad3353 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beer of the Bass Posted May 12, 2016 Share Posted May 12, 2016 [quote name='surdopickups' timestamp='1463050676' post='3048063'] I recommend magnetic pickups whit very low impedance [/quote] Umm, would that be because you make and sell magnetic pickups with very low impedance? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
surdopickups Posted May 12, 2016 Share Posted May 12, 2016 since a person builds pickups, whatever he says is viewed with suspicion or as a form of hidden advertising of its products.I'm sorry but mine was just a comment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spencer.b Posted May 12, 2016 Share Posted May 12, 2016 I wouldn't say a mic is the answer to string noise, the realist pickup has very little top end so it may suit your bass if you're after a darker amplified sound, what strings are you using? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
randythoades Posted May 13, 2016 Share Posted May 13, 2016 I also have the Fishman BP100 and quite like the finger noise it picks up(sounds more authentic somehow) and particularly for recording where I will take a feed from the Fishman, mic and magnetic pickup and blend my mix until I get the right balance. Rehearsals and live though I use magnetic pickup (either Kent Armstrong or Krivo,depending on which bass I use) and in the mix you can't tell it is a mag pickup, just clean and quiet bass at much higher volume than I can get the same basses with piezo pickup. One thing I have found with the fishman too that it is very sensitive to where you place the contacts (certainly on my bass anyway). Moving them a couple of millimetres up or down or closer to the centre makes quite a difference. So have a play around. Also the amp makes a difference too. I couldn't get the sound I liked at all through my electric bass rig (Ashdown ABM or Hartke HA3500) but sounds nice and smooth through Paul Jones D200. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
geoffbassist Posted May 13, 2016 Share Posted May 13, 2016 I've tried the original Fishman and Full Circle and much prefer the Full Circle. I would love to be able to use a mic with my amp, but I find it too much hassle so go with the Full circle and am pretty happy with the results. I do always use a mic to the front of house whenever possible though. I've not noticed any problems with finger noise from the Full Circle. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
timbass Posted May 18, 2016 Share Posted May 18, 2016 Each to his own I suppose. It is definitely a tricky business amplifying a DB, but when it's right, to my ears it sounds much better than an EUB. They tend to sound like big bass guitars. I've used an AKG 411P contact microphone and a Kent Armstrong (custom made to fingerboard profile, thanks Aaron) magnetic pickup for about 18 months now. I mix them through a Bose Tonematch mixer (convenient 48v feed for the condenser mic). I like the sound, for me it is closer to the sound of an un-amplified instrument. I tried piezo pickups and 3 different pre-amps but despite lots of experimental work did not like the sound. Now I get less feedback than with the piezo setup and a fatter, rounder sound because of the mag pickup. Depending on the level of amplification and which PA is being used I sometimes have to use the notch filter to reduce a resonant frequency and to actually reduce the 40 - 100 Hz signal that can sometimes be overpowering and produce feedback transmitted through wooden stage floors and the end-pin. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fatback Posted May 26, 2016 Share Posted May 26, 2016 A lot of love on here for the Full Circle. Worked more or less out of the box for me. I've got it paired as a just-in-case with a mag but never had a problem . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoeEvans Posted May 26, 2016 Share Posted May 26, 2016 I started off using a mic, thinking that the kind of low-volume gigs I'm doing would be fine like that. I used a Sennheiser e608, which I had anyway; the sound was great at lower volumes and for recording. However, recently I had a gig where I was getting terrible feedback problems - a big low vibration with the whole body of the bass getting involved. So I've bought a K&K Bass Max which so far sounds very good. It's a less natural double bass sound, but I actually prefer that for the sound of the band - it has more middle and top end in it, which cuts through a bit better, whereas the natural sound of my bass is very, very deep and bassy. We recently did some recording and in the mix I ended up taking about 15db off everything under 200hz because there was so much volume down there that it boomed everything else out. So for the near future it will be K&K Bass Max for live, and the mic plus the Bass Max for recording, or Bass Max and a condenser mic on a stand if I ever happen to do any isolated recording of just bass, rather than full-band sessions. That said, I think if I wanted a really good natural live DB sound I might invest in a Troll, which look fantastic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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