Best Preamp for K&K Pure Mini passive?

[niktjac]

Welcome to the forum for the first time. Greetings from Poland!

The topic has long since expired, but I would like to refer to it.
I have Martin D35 with the K&K attachment and I am currently using Orchid Muting DI directly for PA equipment. I am in favor of the simplest solutions on the stage, but of high quality. Recently, browsing the Internet, I found the American company Sonic Nuance, which produces Di-Box with a built-in tuner powered by Phantom:
https://www.sonicnuance.com/product/tdi/

Someone may have used this equipment? It's not too loud about this di-box on the Internet. On the company's website there is a link to a positive review of this equipment in use with an acoustic guitar (also from K&K):
http://www.bluegrassguitar.com/reviews/TDI.html

Maybe someone used this Di-Box and can share their impressions?

[rschultz]

Would an EQ pedal be a good preamp for a passive K&K? Probably a parametric EQ, some way to notch the low mids and shelve the low end.

[guitaniac]

One of the best players in our area uses a Boss GE-7 (1Mohm input impedance) to buffer, boost & EQ his passive Pure Mini equipped old archtop guitar. It can provide 15db of gain or cut with the gain/trim slider, but I’m thinking it might be difficult to be precise with that little slider.

[rschultz]

Originally Posted by guitaniac

One of the best players in our area uses a Boss GE-7 (1Mohm input impedance) to buffer, boost & EQ his passive Pure Mini equipped old archtop guitar. It can provide 15db of gain or cut with the gain/trim slider, but I’m thinking it might be difficult to be precise with that little slider.

Yeah I was thinking about the ParaEQ, but it doesn't have a master volume. But the GE-7 does! I did a Monte Allums mod to that once way back (since sold). My problem frequency on my K&K guitar is 160 Hz, so I'd have to use both the lower sliders (100, 200), and it doesn't have a HPF. But yeah, in a pinch it is a handy utility.

[alohachris]

Aloha,

I feel that the best preamp match for the world's most popular SBT pickup - K&K mini - is the one that provides the best available parametric EQ, tone & room control.

To my ears that's the Grace Design Felix 2. My favorite all time is the Pendulum SPS-1, (discontinued). Both work great with just the K&K alone & especially well with a dual-source system.

I wouldn't use any other preamps for a live gigging signal chain. None of the one's commonly mentioned above provide the depth of control, quality of EQ, bypass capabilities, incredible acoustic tone & room control (feedback) plus other features in any type of room. Class A electronics too. So, If you're playing out regularly, you need a Felix 2. Small imprint. Best results!

And it's a great dual-channel studio mic preamp too if you want to record & have the potential for professional results.

Check it out.

alohachris

[Mking]

Originally Posted by ljguitar

Hi Rmz

We do mixing for others, and have an array of preamps…all of which produce great results (despite what some claim are mismatches). My opinion is there is no Best preamp option, but if you are going to buy it and give me an unlimited budget, I'd choose one of a small handful.

All of these provide tone adjustment and varying levels of Direct Box output…

• Baggs ParaDI
• Fishman Platinum Stage and Pro
• The old Fishman Platinum preamp (and the Sliver too)
• UltraSound - UltraDI and Ultra-PDI
• K&K's array of belt pack and standalone external preamps
• Behringer ADI 21 ($29 and it sounds and works great)
• Baggs Venue (great DI and preamp)
• ToneBone PZ - many of the same features as the Baggs Venue
• Headway preamps including the EDB-I or EDB-II

Depending on your needs, and your budget, these are all flexible and adjustable. If I were mixing sound at a gig and the guitarist showed up with a K&K Pure mini and any of the above, we could quickly and easily build a good house sound.

And of course there are the custom built Grace, and Pendulum preamps which are high dollar but great single source preamps. Also Avalon which build high end preamps as well.

The FireEye series are pre EQed to average situations, and offer no solution for difficult venues. Their tone control is pretty much locked down.

This is not a fully comprehensive list, but it's the typical preamps available. Some have to be bought used since they are no longer made, and I'm sure there will be others showing up all the time as it's a need which people like to have room to explore with.

I loved a video Doug Young posted several years back of half dozen acoustic players and their rigs and how they all got a solid acoustic sound on stage, yet the rigs were very different from each other.

That's the way I feel about K&K and preamps. Any preamp helps a Pure Mini sound better than no preamp, and some preamps are just more useful than others when it comes to adjustability and output options.

I'm always working with PA systems and often with stage amps, so I can use a simple preamp and run it through a passive Direct Box to provide ¼" and XLR out, or if they are built in, I like it better.

Hope this adds to the discussion…oh my handful of choices is money is not an object?

• Grace single channel preamp
• Fishman Platinum Stage (I own one of these)
• Baggs Venue - like a ParaDI labeled in plain English, and built like a tank.

I would love to use the Venue DI but I just can’t seem to completely dial out the nasal mid sound. I have the K&K pickups in my J-45 and use an Ultrasound acoustic amp. I have been thinking of buying a Grace Design BiX acoustic preamp. Help!

[keith.rogers]

Originally Posted by Mking

….. I have been thinking of buying a Grace Design BiX acoustic preamp. Help!

You do need to use the cable “adapter” to get the BiX impedance match (same system ToneDexter uses). Haven’t heard one but I, too, am curious. I have one guitar with a JJB and I’d like to have something that gave a better match for it, but could also work with my other guitar that has the Anthem. (Wish GD had out that toggle into another external dip-switch!)