K&K preamps for K&K pickups..Better than others?

jimmy bookout · #1 07-23-2010, 01:53 PM

All,
I have a K&K Pure Archtop pickup in my Eastman archtop (2 transducers) that I am plugging into a Fishman Aura Spectrum (NO blend used). The K&K does not sound good through this setup, very mid range heavy (even with all the mid cut out on the Fishman) and lacking in dynamics (I play through PA, not a guitar amp). I am not close to knowing anything about such things as input impedence etc, however, in looking at the specs of K&K's preamps, the input impedence is 1 meg ohm verses 10 meg ohm for the Fishman Aura Spectrum. Again, these are just numbers to me, but they are wildly different, so....HELP!

Jimmy

jimmy bookout · #2 07-23-2010, 02:23 PM

Thanks to the mod who moved this, I wasn't thinking and put it in general.

Jimmy

Herb Hunter · #3 07-23-2010, 03:06 PM

It is my understanding that the Pure Archtop pickup consists of a pair of soundboard pickups. The Fishman Aura's processing system is intended for pickups that respond to string vibration rather than soundboard vibration so even if you the there is no impedance mismatch, the Aura will not work well what I understand the Pure Archtop pickup to be.

Duncan121 · #4 07-23-2010, 03:33 PM

I have used both kk guitar pickups and kk accordion pickups thru many preamps and always found them sound better with the kk pre...not sure why technically but that's been my experience.

Michael T · #5 07-23-2010, 03:33 PM

Get the matched K&K ( I suggest the XLR using a PA, I do too, no amp). You can just run to the board too without the preamp and EQ from there (they are plenty hot for that) but it's better with preamp.

jimmy bookout · #6 07-23-2010, 03:43 PM

As a follow up, the Eastman has an Armstrong magnetic pick up and the K&K Pure Archtop, both wired to a stereo jack. I use a Pick UP The World endpin preamp, which has volume/gain controls for both pickups so you can blend the signals and then has a mono cable out. For whatever reason (old age?), I had never tried just the PUTW preamp without the Aura Spectrum. Well, I just did (no Aura), and Herb, I believe you got it right. The guitar sounds 100% better. Even though I was using NO image on the Aura, it still was adding loads of mid to the sound, which I never realized because...I never tried it. I am still going to try out the K&K Pro (2 input) preamp one of these days just for the heck of it.

Jimmy

kramster · #7 07-23-2010, 03:56 PM

I have a few K&K Minis installed and the Pure XLR and the Progression (2 tuber thingy with built in Pure Pre first stage) do help quite a bit in some cases for sure.