K&K Trinity Review... just WOW!

PANDAPANDELO · #1 03-30-2021, 04:10 PM

I have been fighting a lot to find a nice acoustic guitar pickup for my HD28. I've tried a lot of them, like the M80, HFN, M1 Passive, Anthem...

The last one was the Dazzo, and it sounded really great (I guess it was the 60 model), but I made a mistake in the installation and I screwed it up. So now I tried a more "foolproof" pickup installation with the promising K&K Trinity. As Joe Coker said, "with a little help from my friend" AlohaChris, I put my hands in the Trinity System, and WOW! It sounds just GREAT!

I had a little time with it, and I haven't played a lot with the EQ and blending settings on the K&K Preamp, but I am extremelly happy with it! One thing I would probably change is the amount of Mids in the Pure Mini (I'd probably set it lower than it is in the video below), and maybe use more microphone and less Pure Mini.

There's a lot of talking, but since I speak in portuguese, maybe you guys would like to learn a new language! And, if you don't, there's subtitles on it!

I compared the K&K Trinity sound with my u87ai. I set it a little higher than the guitar fretboard, in front of the 12th fret, pointing at the 14th fret (my HD28 is too fat for the soundhole pointing), and about 15cm from the guitar. The K&K Trinity was... well... inside the guitar! Ha!

I hope you guys like it! Please, let me know what you think, and if you'd change something in the EQ or blending.

If it won't bother you, please, consider subscribing to my YouTube channel as well!

https://youtu.be/ju2kKsVV_I0

AeroUSA · #2 03-30-2021, 04:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PANDAPANDELO

I have been fighting a lot to find a nice acoustic guitar pickup for my HD28. I've tried a lot of them, like the M80, HFN, M1 Passive, Anthem...

The last one was the Dazzo, and it sounded really great (I guess it was the 60 model), but I made a mistake in the installation and I screwed it up. So now I tried a more "foolproof" pickup installation with the promising K&K Trinity. As Joe Coker said, "with a little help from my friend" AlohaChris, I put my hands in the Trinity System, and WOW! It sounds just GREAT!

I had a little time with it, and I haven't played a lot with the EQ and blending settings on the K&K Preamp, but I am extremelly happy with it! One thing I would probably change is the amount of Mids in the Pure Mini (I'd probably set it lower than it is in the video below), and maybe use more microphone and less Pure Mini.

There's a lot of talking, but since I speak in portuguese, maybe you guys would like to learn a new language! And, if you don't, there's subtitles on it!

I compared the K&K Trinity sound with my u87ai. I set it a little higher than the guitar fretboard, in front of the 12th fret, pointing at the 14th fret (my HD28 is too fat for the soundhole pointing), and about 15cm from the guitar. The K&K Trinity was... well... inside the guitar! Ha!

I hope you guys like it! Please, let me know what you think, and if you'd change something in the EQ or blending.

If it won't bother you, please, consider subscribing to my YouTube channel as well!

https://youtu.be/ju2kKsVV_I0

It sounds FANTASTIC (as I assumed it would)! My only concern would be feedback when using it for anything other than a livestream.

PANDAPANDELO · #3 03-30-2021, 05:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AeroUSA

It sounds FANTASTIC (as I assumed it would)! My only concern would be feedback when using it for anything other than a livestream.

The nice thing of it is that I can use It with a feedback buster or reduce the Mic in the blend. A lot of possibilities with it. I need to mess with the eq and blending options a lot more, and I know I will find a nicer tone with it.

aaronmarkson · #4 03-30-2021, 06:07 PM

It sounds great. Well done on the review!

ljguitar · #5 03-30-2021, 07:00 PM

Hi Rodrigo

What a great demo and review.

To add, sometimes when I'm using my K&K Trinity rig, and I'm using a feedback suppressor, I will need to reverse phase on the mic so it sounds identical to the way it does without the big-black-plug.

When I've used my belt pack preamp, there is no phase reverse available, I can adjust it to compensate for the change in sound.

Your samples and comparisons were great…thanks for all the hard work!! Welcome to the world of sounding more natural when playing live.

Petty1818 · #6 03-31-2021, 07:14 AM

I always thought this system sounded amazing. The problem is the mic and feedback. I know at one time, Andy McKee used this system but eventually ditched the mic. If I was playing intimate shows, I would absolutely grab this system.

AeroUSA · #7 03-31-2021, 07:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Petty1818

I always thought this system sounded amazing. The problem is the mic and feedback. I know at one time, Andy McKee used this system but eventually ditched the mic. If I was playing intimate shows, I would absolutely grab this system.

I agree. I don’t think it’s necessarily hard to find a pickup that sounds natural. It’s hard to find a pickup that sounds natural and doesn’t feedback at stage volume...

PANDAPANDELO · #8 03-31-2021, 08:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AeroUSA

I agree. I don’t think it’s necessarily hard to find a pickup that sounds natural. It’s hard to find a pickup that sounds natural and doesn’t feedback at stage volume...

I'll make some tests with it on the next week. I'll mess around a little more with the EQ and Blend amounts, to find an even more natural sound (I know I can work on that and make better), and I'll also try the phase switch with soundhole cover that ljguitar talked about. Then, I'll play inside my LITTLE (really little) apartment, playing with my K10.2 in a stage volume. I don't have a band with me to try it with a band, but I'll sure test it's feedback resistance with stage volumes in a solo and bad room situation.

I'll let you guys know!

Ah... just don't forget that it can be used ONLY with the Pure Mini, in the worst scenario. But I do believe that it can be blended at least a little amount of mic to add that airiness that's missing on the Pure Mini. Maybe 20/80% ratio. I'll try it and I'll talk about this experience around here!

James May · #9 03-31-2021, 11:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PANDAPANDELO

I'll make some tests with it on the next week...
Ah... just don't forget that it can be used ONLY with the Pure Mini, in the worst scenario. But I do believe that it can be blended at least a little amount of mic to add that airiness that's missing on the Pure Mini. Maybe 20/80% ratio. I'll try it and I'll talk about this experience around here!

I suspect you'll find that even with low or no mic dialed in, you'll still have feedback problems with the K&K sensors on your bridge plate. The more resonant the guitar, the more of this problem you'll have.

Nicely done demo!

Cuki79 · #10 03-31-2021, 11:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AeroUSA

It sounds FANTASTIC (as I assumed it would)! My only concern would be feedback when using it for anything other than a livestream.

Agree it sounds great. I think Rodrigo's plan was to buy the Grace Design Felix2. With the Felix 2 you can use the HPF to remove the feedback frequency...

PANDAPANDELO · #11 03-31-2021, 12:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cuki79

Agree it sounds great. I think Rodrigo's plan was to buy the Grace Design Felix2. With the Felix 2 you can use the HPF to remove the feedback frequency...

That's exactly the plan, Cuki! K&K Preamp to blend and send the blended signal to one of the Felix channel, and use the other channel for the vocal microphone. I think I'll make it work pretty nicelly. A good EQ (specially with HPF) will save my butt! Hahahahhaha!

Cuki79 · #12 03-31-2021, 12:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PANDAPANDELO

That's exactly the plan, Cuki! K&K Preamp to blend and send the blended signal to one of the Felix channel, and use the other channel for the vocal microphone. I think I'll make it work pretty nicelly. A good EQ (specially with HPF) will save my butt! Hahahahhaha!

I would use the Felix to blend.

guitarman68 · #13 04-02-2021, 02:02 AM

Sounds great - fine demo! Congrats !
I used my K&K Trinity up to 50/50 mic dialed in, using a K8.2 for personal monitor. But yes, it heavily depends on guitar and stage volume. Dazzo and Ultratonic give me more headroom before feedback.

PANDAPANDELO · #14 04-02-2021, 07:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by guitarman68

Sounds great - fine demo! Congrats !
I used my K&K Trinity up to 50/50 mic dialed in, using a K8.2 for personal monitor. But yes, it heavily depends on guitar and stage volume. Dazzo and Ultratonic give me more headroom before feedback.

Do you use it with a feedback buster?

PANDAPANDELO · #15 04-02-2021, 06:35 PM

I just wanted to say that I have messed with the EQ a lot today, and even with the feedback buster. It did changed the sound for my ears. Subtle, but did changed. Added more mids and lost a little of bass. But I did what ljguitar told me (used the phase switch in the preamp) and it was just like it was without the soundhole cover! Wow! I'm even happier with it now!