NEW PICKUP for my ukes, tenor guitars, and banjos.

(Date:  April, 2007) -- The Core Mics are fantastic, but the mandolin transducer pickup built by Schertler and imported from Switzerland is the absolute best ( http://www.schertlerusa.com ).  I have been on the lookout for something that would not produce feedback like the Core mics do when pushed too much to the bassy side of the signal.  I have found them to be what I had been looking for.  But, as I was talking with Pinto Bennett's mandolin player, Brett Dewey, he clued me in to the Schertler transducer pickup as the answer to his amplification problems.  Brett is a damn good mandolin player along with being a very thoughtful and intelligent technician.  After listening to his licks for over a year, I finally bit the bullet and conferred with him regarding his system.  I am providing you with information that can also be found on the Schertler Web site as an incentive to look into this product more studiously.  The only drawback is that they ain't cheap - probably the most expensive pickup on the market.  But, I look at it this way, with about a dozen acoustic instruments that do NOT have any form of pickup, the DYN-Series Mandolin Pickup does the job for ALL of them.  Since I cannot play but one instrument at a time, changing from one instrument to another is a piece of cake taking literally only seconds to accomplish.  If I spread the cost across 12 instruments, that only comes to about $40 per ax, cheap under any circumstances.  The following information is directly from Schertler's Web site:

DYN-Series Electrodynamic Contact Transducers

The acoustic electrodynamic transducer from Schertler is patented worldwide. The heart of the transducer is a coil which moves through a decoupled magnetic field to create a voltage differential, delivering a true response to the acoustic vibrations of the instrument’s body. Schertler DYN-Series transducers provide a sound that is exceptionally “acoustic” in nature, a pickup quality until now thought impossible to produce. The sound is close to that of a studio microphone, but without the on-stage problems of bleed or feedback.

Learn more about DYN for:

Read Steven Stone's review of DYN-M for Stereophile’s Guide to Home Theater titled 'Does Schertler Make the World’s Best Mandolin Pickup?'

Read Downbeat Magazine's review of the DYN-P.

 

DYN-Series transducers can be used in a variety of applications, from home recording to live performances, encompassing all types of music and musical playing styles where the utmost in accurate acoustic reproduction is required.

DYN-Series transducers are possibly the soundman’s best friend. In the past, there has been a notable difference between studio and live sound reproduction. Schertler’s acoustic transducers have bridged this gap by providing much more realistic, studio-like sound reproduction on-stage. The difference is appreciated by musicians and fans as well.

Signal isolation when using microphones in live situations is probably the most daunting challenge for audio engineers. With Schertler DYN-Series transducers, isolation is no longer a problem, providing a simple yet elegant solution to eliminate bleed and feedback on stage.

DYN-Series transducers have a low-impedance, balanced XLR output. Easy to install, they provide extremely fast response to instrument vibrations as well as accurate reproduction of the instrument’s characteristics.

As contact microphones, Schertler electrodynamic transducers deliver extensive headroom, smooth dynamics and accurate attack response, all which combine for a “musical” solution to any live situation.

Imagine the possibilities. For example, being able to “mic” an orchestral string section and integrating it into a heavy metal theme. The strings now have a strong, well-defined presence in the mix, at levels competing with the lead guitar if desired.

Schertler DYN-Series transducers permit maximum flexibility in stage layout and use of available space, allowing a wide variety of instruments to work in close proximity without the problems posed with traditional microphones.

Feedback

The practical use of a solid-state transducer for live applications depends on the elimination of feedback and bleed. Microphones faithfully transmit sound but often cannot overcome either of these problems. For years, an attempted solution was a combination of microphones and piezo pickups. However, this resulted in a twofold problem: poor piezo sound on one hand, and microphone feedback and bleed on the other.

Schertler DYN-Series transducers deliver “microphone-quality” sound with significant resistance to feedback. (Of course, ANY acoustic instrument, given its light frame, will eventually resonate in response to very loud speaker output).

Applying the Electrodynamic Transducer

The application and use of Schertler DYN-Series transducers is extremely simple and safe. Special inert adhesive putty is provided to mount the pickup to the instrument body. The best location for your sound is quickly found through our indications or through experimentation with placement.

The balanced, low impedance output reduces the risk of hum and radio frequency (RF) interference, even with long cable runs. The XLR connector allows direct connection to mixing desks or preamplifier inputs. For additional control of level and tone, the Schertler PRE-AII preamplifier is perfectly matched to the DYN-Series.

DYN-Series transducers are expressly designed for mandolin, violin, viola, cello, double bass, guitar, harp, piano (including grand piano) and many ethnic or “world” instruments.

The DYN-Series by Schertler allows musicians total freedom of movement while isolating the instrument from surrounding signals. There can be two people on stage, or twenty, and DYN-Series transducers will deliver needed headroom and dynamics.

Violin and Viola

The Schertler DYN-V Electrodynamic pickup is ideal for the player seeking the faithful reproduction of a studio microphone without the problems of feedback and bleed. The DYN-V is the most natural and neutral acoustic transducer on the market today, perfect for jazz or orchestral applications.

Acoustic Guitar

The Schertler DYN-G Electrodynamic pickup is ideal for the player seeking the faithful reproduction of a studio microphone without the problems of feedback and bleed. Mounted to the top of the guitar, the DYN-G is the most natural and neutral acoustic transducer on the market today, perfect for classical, jazz or orchestral applications.

Mandolin

The mandolin. An instrument to get passionate about. More and more musicians are finding that the mandolin can be integrated into a variety of music styles, and when amplified correctly, even take center stage. The Schertler DTN-M makes things extremely easy by not only reproducing the sophisticated mids and highs of a mandolin, but does so with extreme feedback resistance and ease of use. Just ask Chris Thile of Nickel Creek.

"I’ve always wanted a pickup that could reproduce my mandolin’s tone accurately. The Schertler DYN-M and PRE-AII combo is the best I’ve ever heard." - Chris Thile, Nickel Creek

Harp

The DYN-H has characteristics that allow the use of the harp in situations previously thought impossible.

Ethnic Instruments

The Schertler DYN-E Electrodynamic Transducer, for virtually every imaginable acoustic instrument used in the creation of World Music. For Chinese harp, kalimba, birembao, Indian sitar and so on, plus an endless variety of percussion instruments, the Schertler DYN-E delivers natural acoustic sound.
 

 

If you consider that the instruments mentioned above are similar in many ways to the instruments I currently own, the DYN-Series pickup is the puppy for me.  BUT, don't take my word for it, go online and look for a dealer in your area.  Take your instrument to that dealer and have him temporarily attach a DYN-Series Schertler to your instrument and become a believer yourself.  What's to lose, eh......