Fishman Matrix Infinity Mic Blend Reviews

[mondoslug]

I picked one up & installed it in a Bourgeois Rosewood/Sitka Dreadnought.
This guitar's last two pickups have been a Baggs Dual Source(Ribbon/Joe Mills) & Baggs Lyric. I installed it myself since I knew the drilled hole was already there from the previous Ribbon & a Natural One way before that.

First, everything's already connected which is nice except for the actual pickup which you connect by unscrewing the end pin preamp module and sticking the two wires in the correct places. There is alot of stuff though, it's a rig no doubt. The Volume/Tone & Mic Blend controls are larger in real life than I thought they'd be and the attached double sided tape that's included is lacking IMO. I had to improvise with some other tape/velcro for the Vol/Tone control, not done with that yet. It's only a small triangular area that actually sticks to the top but it's supporting a larger encasement kinda hanging off of it. Anyway, you'd have to see it. I guess it depends on your guitar, bracing & how clean the surface is. Others have had no issue mounting it...I just think that including an extra piece of tape or two wouldn't hurt. Hey, how about some installation notes while you're at it? I like the feel of the controls though, very smooth.

Sound, it sounds good, real good I think. Yeah, there is the underlying dreaded UST Piezo but it's a good base I think. It's solid sounding, very full. Several tones available. I believe the mic/piezo is totally discreet so you can go full on to full off with either if you want(insert maybe try a ToneDexter again). I don't think the acoustic tone has been affected much but there's so many variables that it's hard to exactly tell.

Wires are everywhere, cable management doesn't exist yet because I didn't tie anything down, wanted to make sure I had it installed correctly first. The action's a bit high now because it was really low from pulling the ribbon and just wanted to see where it sits first after putting in the Matrix. I might bring it in to have it tidied up. Anyway, it's fat sounding. I'm comparing it here against a D-18 w/Anthem SL which sounds pretty nice plugged in & a Collings OM-2H w/K&K which sounds pretty horrible plugged in.

I like it, it's pretty large & present sounding. I think it's all there - add EQ & blend mic/piezo to taste. I've been listening through a Loudbox Fishman Mini but ya know you hear the guitar acoustically at the same time so you can't tell exactly unless you playback through a looper or something - which I did. I've also plugged it directly straight into Pro Tools via an Isa Duo. I find value in checking things out going direct, I realize there's no sound system, air, room, etc. and a pickup might sound horrible going direct yet translates well on a gig live. I think there's a correlation though, if it sounds terrible going direct I'm thinking you're off to a bad start. I went in mono & also split it out. I guess a 2 channel pre is back in my future. Waaah.

I might hate it by next week though, we'll see. Thanks for listening!

[Petty1818]

Good initial review! I noticed the exact same thing with the volume and tone control module. Only a small portion sticks to the under side of the sound hole and the rest just kind of sticks up without anything to rest on. I agree more tape should have been supplied. Mine is actually solid right now with the tape that was included but for how insanely professional the packaging was, I thought more tape would have been nice.

[mondoslug]

Thanks, I probably could have done a better job of sussing out the volume/tone control thing. I ended up taking it in today to have my "work" cleaned up and also shave down the saddle. Excited to get it back.

[Zandit75]

Originally Posted by mondoslug

I picked one up & installed it in a Bourgeois Rosewood/Sitka Dreadnought.
This guitar's last two pickups have been a Baggs Dual Source(Ribbon/Joe Mills) & Baggs Lyric. I installed it myself since I knew the drilled hole was already there from the previous Ribbon & a Natural One way before that.

First, everything's already connected which is nice except for the actual pickup which you connect by unscrewing the end pin preamp module and sticking the two wires in the correct places. There is alot of stuff though, it's a rig no doubt. The Volume/Tone & Mic Blend controls are larger in real life than I thought they'd be and the attached double sided tape that's included is lacking IMO. I had to improvise with some other tape/velcro for the Vol/Tone control, not done with that yet. It's only a small triangular area that actually sticks to the top but it's supporting a larger encasement kinda hanging off of it. Anyway, you'd have to see it. I guess it depends on your guitar, bracing & how clean the surface is. Others have had no issue mounting it...I just think that including an extra piece of tape or two wouldn't hurt. Hey, how about some installation notes while you're at it? I like the feel of the controls though, very smooth.

Sound, it sounds good, real good I think. Yeah, there is the underlying dreaded UST Piezo but it's a good base I think. It's solid sounding, very full. Several tones available. I believe the mic/piezo is totally discreet so you can go full on to full off with either if you want(insert maybe try a ToneDexter again). I don't think the acoustic tone has been affected much but there's so many variables that it's hard to exactly tell.

Wires are everywhere, cable management doesn't exist yet because I didn't tie anything down, wanted to make sure I had it installed correctly first. The action's a bit high now because it was really low from pulling the ribbon and just wanted to see where it sits first after putting in the Matrix. I might bring it in to have it tidied up. Anyway, it's fat sounding. I'm comparing it here against a D-18 w/Anthem SL which sounds pretty nice plugged in & a Collings OM-2H w/K&K which sounds pretty horrible plugged in.

I like it, it's pretty large & present sounding. I think it's all there - add EQ & blend mic/piezo to taste. I've been listening through a Loudbox Fishman Mini but ya know you hear the guitar acoustically at the same time so you can't tell exactly unless you playback through a looper or something - which I did. I've also plugged it directly straight into Pro Tools via an Isa Duo. I find value in checking things out going direct, I realize there's no sound system, air, room, etc. and a pickup might sound horrible going direct yet translates well on a gig live. I think there's a correlation though, if it sounds terrible going direct I'm thinking you're off to a bad start. I went in mono & also split it out. I guess a 2 channel pre is back in my future. Waaah.

I might hate it by next week though, we'll see. Thanks for listening!

Originally Posted by Petty1818

Good initial review! I noticed the exact same thing with the volume and tone control module. Only a small portion sticks to the under side of the sound hole and the rest just kind of sticks up without anything to rest on. I agree more tape should have been supplied. Mine is actually solid right now with the tape that was included but for how insanely professional the packaging was, I thought more tape would have been nice.

When I installed my system doing the build of my guitar, my Instructor suggested a small dab of CA glue on the double sided tape before fixing it inside the soundhole. They have not moved even a bee's appendage since then.

[mondoslug]

Originally Posted by Zandit75

When I installed my system doing the build of my guitar, my Instructor suggested a small dab of CA glue on the double sided tape before fixing it inside the soundhole. They have not moved even a bee's appendage since then.

Hey thanks for posting, yeah that was suggested in the installation doc I found online but I never did do that.

[mondoslug]

Hey me again...

So, played a gig with it, okay not exactly.

The gig: Drums, upright bass, dobro, mando/singer, acoustic/singer & myself on acoustic...so it ain't solo & it's kinda loud, like on the second floor of a rowdy club on Lower Broadway, downtown Nashville loud, with an electric band going at the same time underneath you on the first floor.

I sound checked with my D-18/Anthem SL which is pretty solid. Then I tried my brand new installed in a Bourgeois Dread, Matrix Infinity Mic Blend...sounded horrible through the Fishman Platinum Pro EQ, just so bright & I didn't feel like messing with the EQ, I bailed quickly and didn't play it that night. I was prepared to pull it when I got home.

I have a prehistoric Fishman Blender here at the house & that's the key, gotta have a two channel sumthin sumthin to get the most out of it. It sounds pretty good here, so I haven't bailed on it yet but I also haven't played live with it yet either so...to be continued!

[JackB1]

Anyone still using this pickup and if not, why did you dump it?

[Petty1818]

Originally Posted by JackB1

Anyone still using this pickup and if not, why did you dump it?

I feel like there are a lot of reasons already posted for why people dumped it. Is there something in particular that you want to know? Kind of sounds like the mic is just a feedback issue so if you play quiet environments, it’s probably great. On a loud stage there are better options.

[Zandit75]

I've now had mine installed for 2yrs.
Still can't fault it. No issues, faults, or bad sound.
I can't recommend it highly enough.

[JackB1]

Good to hear. Do you play gigs with it and if so, what size are the venues. Only issue I’ve read about is feedback but I can’t get an idea for how loud you have to be for it to be an issue. I play solo gigs at a moderately low level, so I’m not sure if it will be an issue for me.

Originally Posted by Zandit75

I've now had mine installed for 2yrs.
Still can't fault it. No issues, faults, or bad sound.
I can't recommend it highly enough.

[Zandit75]

Originally Posted by JackB1

Good to hear. Do you play gigs with it and if so, what size are the venues. Only issue I’ve read about is feedback but I can’t get an idea for how loud you have to be for it to be an issue. I play solo gigs at a moderately low level, so I’m not sure if it will be an issue for me.

Yep, prior to the Covid lockdown, I was getting very regular gigs at bars, restaurants, and undercover markets. I actually have my first paying gig tonight at a local brewery. I've played there once before, and it is quite a large open room, with cement floors, and high roof.
Zero issues with feedback, however I only have the mic blended in around 25-40%.
I currently play through a Boss Acoustic Singer Pro amp, and have had no complaints from listeners, except for being too loud in some areas. I've just created another post regarding Line Array PA's, and about to pull the trigger on a new system.

[JackB1]

Still can't understand why this system isn't more popular? Heard someone with this installed in a 000 Martin the other night and it sounded great. Very full sounding. You have the best piezo pickup in the Matrix and you can add in a little mic to it to take away a bit of the quack. Seems like a great system for gigs. If you compare this to the Anthem, the Anthem has the Baggs Element as the piezo, which is the backbone of the system. I feel like the Matrix is far superior to the Element.

[Petty1818]

Originally Posted by JackB1

Still can't understand why this system isn't more popular? Heard someone with this installed in a 000 Martin the other night and it sounded great. Very full sounding. You have the best piezo pickup in the Matrix and you can add in a little mic to it to take away a bit of the quack. Seems like a great system for gigs. If you compare this to the Anthem, the Anthem has the Baggs Element as the piezo, which is the backbone of the system. I feel like the Matrix is far superior to the Element.

I am sure it is popular enough, just maybe not here. It's not a new or revolutionary system either. Fishman have been making this same style of pickup for years. I had the Ellipse Matrix Blend back in 2005, which is basically the same exact system as the new Infinity Mic Blend.

With that said, the Matrix is a good UST, but definitely not the best piezo pickup. I don't think there is a "best", but I would say a SBT piezo will always beat out a UST for natural tone. It's also not unique to any other UST out there and they all sound pretty much the same. I have tried the Element and Matrix and despite some subtle tonal differences, they are basically the same.

Glad you are liking it though. I will admit that I was tempted to try one, but I never really liked my Ellipse Blend as the mic either didn't add what I wanted or would feedback.

[JackB1]

Originally Posted by Petty1818

I am sure it is popular enough, just maybe not here. It's not a new or revolutionary system either. Fishman have been making this same style of pickup for years. I had the Ellipse Matrix Blend back in 2005, which is basically the same exact system as the new Infinity Mic Blend.

With that said, the Matrix is a good UST, but definitely not the best piezo pickup. I don't think there is a "best", but I would say a SBT piezo will always beat out a UST for natural tone. It's also not unique to any other UST out there and they all sound pretty much the same. I have tried the Element and Matrix and despite some subtle tonal differences, they are basically the same.

Glad you are liking it though. I will admit that I was tempted to try one, but I never really liked my Ellipse Blend as the mic either didn't add what I wanted or would feedback.

Yes not much changes quickly in acoustic pickups land. Seems like the Anthem has been the best option for 20 years now with nothing really challenging it.

[mondoslug]

Originally Posted by mondoslug

I picked one up & installed it in a Bourgeois Rosewood/Sitka Dreadnought.
>Snip<
I might hate it by next week though, we'll see. Thanks for listening!

Not quite next week but...yeah I hate it, I'm pulling it.

Fa la la la la......