| Author |
Comment |
RemRem
Registered User
Posts: 205
(6/24/01 4:41:02 pm)
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Barcus Berry
pickup
Anyone using this pickup? Or has used it? Is it better than the
Fishman?
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Ernie
Registered User
Posts: 67
(6/25/01 6:04:52 pm)
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Re: Barcus Berry
pickup
I used barcus-berry pickups on the almost 100 "Travielo" travel
cellos that I made before switching to making only the "Prakticello"
(same instrument but no electronics). Most Travielo purchasers found
the b-b quite satisfactory. But some people think the Fishman is
better. I hope that there will be replies on the subject from others
on this board.
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RemRem
Registered User
Posts: 206
(6/26/01 4:37:50 am)
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Re: Barcus Berry
pickup
I've read a review that said the Fishman pickup produces a lot of
background noise from bowing and fingering. I haven't heard that
about the Barcus Berry pickup.
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Caleb
Davison
Registered
User
Posts: 6
(6/26/01 1:06:30
pm)
Reply
|
Re: Barcus Berry
pickup
I have messed around with the Barcus Berry pickup with an acoustic
guitar with barely satisfactory results. One of the shortcomings I
found with it is that the pickup sounds best when it is tightly
connected to the face of the instrument. If it is at all "loose" the
sound is crappy. I have heard violinists playing with the barcus and
it sounds pretty good. It is the cheaper version of pickup than
something like a Zeta pickup system (which they don't offer for
acoustic cellos - they only sell electric cellos for around $2k).
The position on the face of the cello will also affect the sound
that the pickup gives. I feel that the Zeta is a superior pickup
system but is much more expensive - but also works with MIDI.
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Caleb
Davison
Registered
User
Posts: 7
(6/26/01 2:19:33
pm)
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Forgot to say
...
The Barcus pickup may be fine for what you are intending. If you
just want an electric signal coming from your cello that you can
amplify (and/or add effects to) that wont feedback too much then the
Barcus is probably your cheapest solution. However, if you want to
get the warm rich sound of the acoustic cello then the Barcus may be
unsatisfactory. It can have a papery (thin) sound that misses many
of the overtones that make up a great cello sound. You have to
experiment with the placement of the BB pickup to see what works
best. I have used an AudioTechica microphone (ATA120? around $225)
which is made for Saxophone that when clipped to the cello bridge
gets a more full acoustic sound - the problem is feedback. This may
be fine for recording situations but is less than ideal for playing
in amplified situations.
I also bought what I think is the
Fishman pickup for the cello. I had an upright bass dealer in NYC
install it. It has two transducers which sit between the little mans
fists and his knees (on the cello bridge). Professional upright
bassists use this (usually for Jazz playing). On the cello the bass
register sounds great while plucking - it sounds like an upright
bass. When bowing with this pickup it sounded terrible to me -
papery thin, missing all the overtones - both high and low.
The
search continued. I started playing violin (like a cello) and
decided to buy a Zeta violin for playing in amplified situations.
The violin cost about $800 but they threw in an amp (designed for
strings - 4 eq knobs) and a coda bow and case for about $1300 (Zeta
attic specials). I really like the electric sound - the acoustic
sound of this instrument is nice too. The sound misses some of the
overtones but it is the best pickup system for strings I have yet
tried - short of using really good mics in a studio setting (then
why get a pickup?). The Zeta pickup system has at least one
(possibly) two transducer mics per string embedded in their
proprietary bridge. Good luck finding your sound.
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RemRem
Registered User
Posts: 207
(6/26/01 2:59:46 pm)
Reply
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Pickups
etc.
Actually I don't want to use it on my 'real' cello. I need an
e-cello but the ones that are commercialy available are too
expensive for me. So I'm going to make me own e-cello.
|
 Steve
Drake
Registered
User
Posts: 372
(6/27/01 11:04:03
am)
Reply
Community Supporter
|
Re: Barcus Berry
pickup
Bridge pickups don't usually get a good sound by themselves,
although with a good preamp they can be useable. I like the L.R.
Baggs bass pickup - it works very nicely on a cello, although you
still need a good preamp.
A really good pickup that several
of us use is a McIntyre guitar body pickup. This attaches to the
front of the cello, below the bridge, and gets a really good sound
even without a preamp.
My MP3's
My Cello
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