Baggs M1 Issue

btaylor · #1 03-19-2019, 12:58 PM

A bandmate of mine has an LR Baggs M1 soundhole passive pickup that I picked up for him used off of the forum along with a Para DI. For some reason, when it is plugged into our mixer at church, no signal is sent to the mixer. We have tried 3 different AUX cables from the pickup to the DI and nothing. We also tried plugging it into my Para DI that my working guitar is plugged into and nothing. To top it off, when we plug his guitar into a small mixer and then run the line out to the stage input for the church system, it works! Does anyone know why it would work using a small mixer as a DI and not when plugging it into the PADI? Any help would be appreciated.

Nymuso · #2 03-19-2019, 01:35 PM

Does it have the original cable or an aftermarket one? If it’s a three conductor cable, that could cause a problem in some inputs.

btaylor · #3 03-19-2019, 03:55 PM

I believe the original cable was the only thing it didn't come with, so the cable is aftermarket for sure.

archerscreek · #4 03-19-2019, 05:29 PM

I went through something halfway similar in that my Rare Earth Blend had such a low output that I had to crank my Platinum Stage pre/DI and use the 12dB volume boost just to get barely enough gain to be heard through certain amps and spreakers while others I had no problem with it. But when I plugged into a mixer I had plenty of volume with tons to spare in anything.

The particulars are enough to give me a headache but basically the mixer has a lot more gain built in which better matches higher end equipment like pro and semi pro gear. You can read up on +4 and -10 levels and all that stuff if you want to know how it all works.

archerscreek · #5 03-19-2019, 05:32 PM

Here's a good read.

https://www.sweetwater.com/insync/un...ls-audio-gear/

lschwart · #6 03-19-2019, 07:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by btaylor

A bandmate of mine has an LR Baggs M1 soundhole passive pickup that I picked up for him used off of the forum along with a Para DI. For some reason, when it is plugged into our mixer at church, no signal is sent to the mixer. We have tried 3 different AUX cables from the pickup to the DI and nothing. We also tried plugging it into my Para DI that my working guitar is plugged into and nothing. To top it off, when we plug his guitar into a small mixer and then run the line out to the stage input for the church system, it works! Does anyone know why it would work using a small mixer as a DI and not when plugging it into the PADI? Any help would be appreciated.

How do you have your own pickup to PADI rig set up, and when you plugged his pickup into your PADI rig, did you do it the same way you do, or did you use one of those 3 AUX cables? I assume the AUX cables are 1/4 TS to !/4" TS cables, and your bandmated hasn't had his M1 set up with an endpin jack. Do you use an M1 in your rig or some other pick up? Also: did you try adjusting the gain/trim control on either PADI? The passive M1 is a somewhat quiet pickup and it may need a higher setting on the gain. Note also that the older PADI units had the gain control on the inside, so if both of the ones you're using are the older ones, you'll need to open the units to adjust the gain.

On the other hand, something may be wrong with the M1! Or you got 3 bad cables in a row!

Louis

btaylor · #7 03-19-2019, 07:55 PM

I have a Taylor with ES2....plugged into my PADI, straight into the church system. His pickup with cable does not work plugged into my working rig, sends no signal at all to the church mixer. When he plugs into a small mixer of mine, then runs the line out to the church PA direct box, it works...I think we plugged my small mixer through his PADI, so the PADI is fine. Also, he said his pickup with cable works fine through his fender electric amp. So to summarize:

His M1 works when:
Plugged into his Fender Reverb 212r amp
And when plugged into my 4 channel mixer then run out of it to his PADI, then from the PADI to the channel from the church PA

Doesn’t work when:
He plugs into his PADI, then runs to the channel on the church PA
Or uses a working Auxiliary cable (verified by using it with my iPad)

This situation seems so weird to me....I’ve never had an issue like this before

lschwart · #8 03-19-2019, 08:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by btaylor

I have a Taylor with ES2....plugged into my PADI, straight into the church system. His pickup with cable does not work plugged into my working rig, sends no signal at all to the church mixer. When he plugs into a small mixer of mine, then runs the line out to the church PA direct box, it works...I think we plugged my small mixer through his PADI, so the PADI is fine. Also, he said his pickup with cable works fine through his fender electric amp. So to summarize:

His M1 works when:
Plugged into his Fender Reverb 212r amp
And when plugged into my 4 channel mixer then run out of it to his PADI, then from the PADI to the channel from the church PA

Doesn’t work when:
He plugs into his PADI, then runs to the channel on the church PA
Or uses a working Auxiliary cable (verified by using it with my iPad)

This situation seems so weird to me....I’ve never had an issue like this before

And when you go into either of the two working PADIs with his M1, turning up the gain control on the PADI has no effect? If so, that is strange, given that the pickup seems to be working into other inputs.

When you tested the cable with your iPad, did you plug it into the two PADIs? If not, try that. It might be a fluke problem with the 1/4" end of the cable and the input of the PADI. Sizes can vary a little and maybe this one doesn't make the connection?

Just shooting in the dark.

L.

btaylor · #9 03-19-2019, 09:07 PM

I did not try the gain...actually, IDK what his gain is set on. I will check that out and see. My ES2 has hardly any gain and gets good signal. When I used my iPad aux cable, I believe I tried it straight into the same DI that my iPad was running into. I THINK I also tried it into the PADI.

RockerDuck · #10 03-20-2019, 06:15 AM

On passive low gain pickups, a preamp works best. The mixer has microphone preamps to push the signal, and a gain input control. That's why a passive pickup works best in a mixer. The pad di has a gain control, but no microphone preamp. You would certainly need to turn up the gain alot to bring up the volume. On a side note, I have two Taylor guitars with ES2, you can turn the volume to 75% and it matches the output of my loud Martin ust.

lschwart · #11 03-20-2019, 06:30 AM

Just for the record. I've used a passive M1 for years--many of those years with a PADI. While the pickup is quiet compared to other passive pickups I've used, it certainly didn't need an especially high gain setting on the PADI. It was always fine a little past noon. Raising the pole heights will increase the output and give you more mag sound as compared with the top-sensing sound of the pickup. I tend to like slightly lower pole heights for a more mellow sound.

On my Radial PZ-Pre, with the "PZ boost" switch engaged (a fixed gain boost), it still needs about 2:00 on the channel level control to match other passive pickups, which are OK somewhere between 10:00 or 12:00.

Louis