comparison: magnetic sound hole pickups

[guitarman68]

Hi folks,
here is what I worked on this evening after receiving a Mojotone NC-2 for trial:
I compared it to the magnetics in my locker which are Sunrise, K&K Double Helix and Mimesis Kudos. In part one I compare the four pickups only, in part two I add internal mics and blend pickup and mic 60 / 40.
Maybe it can help decide if you are in the market for a magnetic. Keep in mind that nothing sounds worse than a recorded pickup. They all sound better through a P.A. system, acoustic amp, active monitor. And they all sound different, so my vid may help to hear the differences.

https://youtu.be/8mBHerByXzc

[BuzzTurner]

Robert what a great job! It's tough to do comparisons but the playing and level matching was excellent, thank you. I moved to Sunrise pickups well over twenty years ago and honestly I was not crazy about the magnetic pickup sound at first but it proved much easier to work with on stage. Your point about a magnetic pickup direct into a recording is also important. The blending with a good condenser offers the advantages of both. Nice work!

[guitaniac]

Thanks for making these comparisons. Interesting stuff.

Off the top of my head, I’d say that I like the pure mag Helix sound the best. What I really need to do, however, is to make a note of when the fingerpicking sections start so that I can skip from mic fingerpicking to mag1 fingerpicking to mag2 fingerpicking, etc. I’ll have an easier time making comparisons that way.

My first thought regarding the mag & mic comparisons is that I’m glad the Fishman Rare Earth Blend has a switch which allows the user to choose between a mic signal with a rolled off bass and a mic signal with an “extended” bass. The rolled off bass may be necessary for a blend at high volume, but at moderate volume a 50/50 blend with an extended mic signal bass sounds better to my ears.

[Marshall]

I liked the Mimesis. does it have to be a stereo-out to mix the Mag & the Mic?

[guitarman68]

Originally Posted by Marshall

I liked the Mimesis. does it have to be a stereo-out to mix the Mag & the Mic?

Yes, it's like you described. It doesn't have a blend wheel like the Fishman Rare Earth or a mic volume wheel like the Mojotone NC-2. So you would use a Y-cable (stereo from the pickup to two mono to whatever you plug in to, but you'll need two inputs).

[deejayen]

It's a great demo, thanks! I'll need to listen again on a better system, but first impressions with a cheap one-sided headphone are that I prefer the Mojotone.

It might have its own thing going on, but I think it would be quite workable for my style, and perhaps it displays fewer of the acoustic pickup artefacts than the others.

Robert, which soundboard transducers do you use\prefer? Edit: I've just seen your video of soundboard transducers. On first listen with the same headphone, I think the James May one might be my favourite of those, or possibly the Dazzo. The Mojotone would presumably be a simpler install, though...

[guitarman68]

Originally Posted by deejayen

Robert, which soundboard transducers do you use\prefer? Edit: I've just seen your video of soundboard transducers. On first listen with the same headphone, I think the James May one might be my favourite of those, or possibly the Dazzo. The Mojotone would presumably be a simpler install, though...

Thank a lot !
Dazzo and UltraTonic are the most consistent and best (natural while being pretty feedback resistant) sounding SBTs IMO. No EQ needed in my guitars: Blazer & Henkes HD18, 1964 Gibson J-45, 1941 Gibson J-35, 1956 Martin 018
K&K can sound great in one guitar but overly boomy and hard to tame even with sophisticated EQ in another guitar - only a ToneDexter or IR in general can help. I really like it in my 1951 D18 (no IR necessary, no EQ).
I would use Schatten HFN only in super resonant and bass heavy guitars - sounds great in my Altman Super SS2+ (Mr Altman's take on a Gibson AJ), again no EQ needed.

[SimplyLuo]

Great video! Which do you personally prefer or feel the most confident using?
By the way, how do you even order a Mimesis Kudos? It's disappeared from the Vanden website. Just reach out to them?

[guitarman68]

Thanks a lot !

Personally I do not like that amount of weight that the Sunrise adds to the guitar, although it sounds great. The Mimesis Kudos would be my favorite, but the Mojotone is pretty close. The K&K Double Helix is also a great sounding unit and I used it with very good results but always added a mic signal.
When I ordered the Mimesis Kudos three years ago it wasn't't any problem and I even had some communication with Mike Vanden about a custom circuit. He was very kind and responsive. I would contact him via email and ask if the Kudos is still available.

[Marshall]

I keep wondering how the Skysonic Pro1 would compare. I do like the Mag by itself better than a Mojotone and a Fishman Rare Earth I've tried. And it has a SBT and Mic to mix in onboard. One single mono output. Plug and play.

[SimplyLuo]

my impressions after some more listening:
Pure mag:

1. Sunrise
2. Mimesis
3. K&K
4. Mojotone

Had a hard time deciding between the Sunrise and Mimesis Kudos, but I think the Sunrise edges out a win. Not a fan of the Mojotone NC-2 - it sounded nasally compared to the others.

mag with mic:

1. Sunrise + DPA 4061
2. K&K + DPA 4061
3. Mimesis Kudos
4. Mojotone NC-2

I'm liking whatever difference the DPA 4061 is making compared to the internal mics of the Mimesis and Mojotone.

I had a Sunrise in the past but it dampened my guitar's un-amped sound enough that I sold it. I remember it had some trouble picking up fifth fret harmonics - do the other mags have this problem as well?

How heavy is the Mimesis compared to the Sunrise?

Thanks again for the video... it's given me a lot to think about haha. Leaning toward the Mimesis + DPA 4061 combo now.

[guitarman68]

Thanks for detailed listening !

Yes, that DPA4061 adds something the others lack, that covers exactly my impression, love that mic (don't you tell my partner).
The Mimesis adds less mass to the guitar compared to the Sunrise, heavier than the Mojotone and K&K though. I can give you exact weight in 10 ten days or so when back home again.

[SimplyLuo]

Unfortunately Mike Vanden is no longer making the Mimesis Kudos!