Tonedexter thoughts...

[fiddle fever]

In the last 6 months, I've been on acoustic-electric journey, due to an increase in acoustic gigs. I've been using a Tonedexter (TD) preamp for the last 4-5 months. Like many on the forum, I do feel like the tonedexter truly is a different/unique approach to preamping...a game changer!

The acoustic duo (sometimes trio) that I play in is getting more and more gigs and these gigs are in bigger venues with more people, which is great. But...I'm having difficulties managing my volume with the tonedexter. I think getting a round, "mic like" sound is easy with the TD. The challenge is when the volume has to go up! Example, last weekend I had a gig where I had to turn up my banjo. I've had a trained banjo slot in my TD that I've used from day 1 (trained with a Shure SM81). I really wasn't able to up in volume without feedback, which was frustrating and limiting to me. I've had similar situation with my guitar.

I wondering if I'm alone with this problem and need to do things differently with my training or live rig setup?

What would be great is a TD training videos (for example the video could show different mic placement relating to different desired volume out levels).

If I'm also creating a wish list, could Tonedexter create a small condenser mic for the TD? There's seem to be 10,000 different small condenser mics in the world, so that's a little challenging. I hear sound clips of some super pro players using the Tonedexter, but what isn't discussed in too much detail is their mic placement, mic brand, training environment (pro studio? or someone basement??) etc... all of these things are in important!

[Gordon Currie]

Do you know where the feedback came from - mains or monitors?

Did you try the notch filter at all?

I just purchased a Tonedexter but have not had the time yet to play with it. Having used piezo + mini-mic systems for 30 years I am looking forward to this.

It occurs to me that this essentially is like a virtual microphone in just the right place, but like a real microphone used live, you are going to be dealing with feedback above certain volumes and with certain positions relative to mains/monitors. So even though you gain a quality increase, and also retain the freedom of movement of an internal pickup, one may have to think about feedback solutions in a way that hasn't been needed for years.

(As an audio engineer, I know nothing can equal a nice mike with expert placement. Yet, as a performer, I can't go back to the days of being rooted to a mike.)

[Petty1818]

Originally Posted by fiddle fever

In the last 6 months, I've been on acoustic-electric journey, due to an increase in acoustic gigs. I've been using a Tonedexter (TD) preamp for the last 4-5 months. Like many on the forum, I do feel like the tonedexter truly is a different/unique approach to preamping...a game changer!

The acoustic duo (sometimes trio) that I play in is getting more and more gigs and these gigs are in bigger venues with more people, which is great. But...I'm having difficulties managing my volume with the tonedexter. I think getting a round, "mic like" sound is easy with the TD. The challenge is when the volume has to go up! Example, last weekend I had a gig where I had to turn up my banjo. I've had a trained banjo slot in my TD that I've used from day 1 (trained with a Shure SM81). I really wasn't able to up in volume without feedback, which was frustrating and limiting to me. I've had similar situation with my guitar.

I wondering if I'm alone with this problem and need to do things differently with my training or live rig setup?

What would be great is a TD training videos (for example the video could show different mic placement relating to different desired volume out levels).

If I'm also creating a wish list, could Tonedexter create a small condenser mic for the TD? There's seem to be 10,000 different small condenser mics in the world, so that's a little challenging. I hear sound clips of some super pro players using the Tonedexter, but what isn't discussed in too much detail is their mic placement, mic brand, training environment (pro studio? or someone basement??) etc... all of these things are in important!

What pickup is in your banjo? It could be that the pickup itself is feedback prone.

[fiddle fever]

I come from the "chained to the mic" musical upbringing, which is why I purchased the Tonedexter. The pickup on my banjo is a schatten, which is good, solid banjo pickup, in my opinion. I played around with the phase switch tonight and I feel like that made a difference. I don't play banjo on this weekend gigs, but I'll give it another go! I may be asking too much as far as wanting to be able to crank my acoustic instruments and still sound mic'd!!

[Petty1818]

Originally Posted by fiddle fever

I come from the "chained to the mic" musical upbringing, which is why I purchased the Tonedexter. The pickup on my banjo is a schatten, which is good, solid banjo pickup, in my opinion. I played around with the phase switch tonight and I feel like that made a difference. I don't play banjo on this weekend gigs, but I'll give it another go! I may be asking too much as far as wanting to be able to crank my acoustic instruments and still sound mic'd!!

I really like Schatten pickups but a lot of them are SBT based designed. I looked at the banjo and it seems to be a similar design. I think the issue is that, that pickup can feedback when turned up. Have you tried cranking the volume of the pickup without running through the tonedexter to see if it is in fact the pickup?

[fiddle fever]

Petty, I think of the schatten (SBT) as the K&K pure mini for banjos...if that makes sense. I do get more volume with straight pickup, which I may have to go back to the training process with my tonedexter OR I may be "maxed" on my stage volume using the schatten.

Anyone using a different banjo pickup with a tonedexter? Ok, I think that may be a separate thread question?!?

[midwinter]

Huh. I ran JJBs in my banjo and never had any issues with the TD at high volumes.