I am in need of a Solid State Preamps to use on stage for a piezo mic on an
acoustic instrument so not to have a very low signal running in a 150 feet
snake. I was looking for something in the $100 - $200 range. I DO NOT want
any "tube" mics!! It seems that, in that price range, I only can have
"tubes" preamps... ridiculous.

Thanks in advance for any advice.

F.

Federico wrote:
I am in need of a Solid State Preamps to use on stage for a piezo mic on an
acoustic instrument so not to have a very low signal running in a 150 feet
snake. I was looking for something in the $100 - $200 range. I DO NOT want
any "tube" mics!! It seems that, in that price range, I only can have
"tubes" preamps... ridiculous.

You may not want a preamp at all... with a piezo device, you have a
very high-Z input.

Thanks in advance for any advice.

How about just using an active DI?
--scott
--
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."

You may not want a preamp at all... with a piezo device, you have a
very high-Z input.

Thanks in advance for any advice.

How about just using an active DI?
--scott

It's for a friend of mine. He is not a sound engineer.
The guitar is a wonderful sounding Martin with a cheap but wonderful
sounding piezo pickup. He sings too.
He is touring small clubs on its own and big clubs as opening act.
Since in the small clubs you often find Behringer mixers I thought it was a
good idea for him to provide a line level signal so not to use the mixer mic
preamp. I'd provide him with XLR to "balanced" Jack to patch the snake male
XLR to the mixer line input.
A two channels preamp could be a good choice too, he can use the second
channel for the vocal microphone.

The "best" low budget preamp I used it's the Presonus Tubepre.
http://www.presonus.com/tubepre.html
Since the tube in cheap tube preamps it's a fake (6dB?) I think I can have a
better preamp by choosing a solid state one. I hope the money that I "save"
from the tube can maybe used on a good transistor schematic
(w/transformer?).

F.

Federico wrote:

It's for a friend of mine. He is not a sound engineer.
The guitar is a wonderful sounding Martin with a cheap but wonderful
sounding piezo pickup. He sings too.
He is touring small clubs on its own and big clubs as opening act.
Since in the small clubs you often find Behringer mixers I thought it was a
good idea for him to provide a line level signal so not to use the mixer mic
preamp. I'd provide him with XLR to "balanced" Jack to patch the snake male
XLR to the mixer line input.

I can give you a DI design with an output hot enough to be almost
line level, but it requires phantom power.

The "best" low budget preamp I used it's the Presonus Tubepre.
http://www.presonus.com/tubepre.html
Since the tube in cheap tube preamps it's a fake (6dB?) I think I can have a
better preamp by choosing a solid state one. I hope the money that I "save"
from the tube can maybe used on a good transistor schematic
(w/transformer?).

I suspect at that price range you aren't going to get a whole lot to
begin with, even going solid state. Part of the problem is that you
are _still_ going to need a DI or some other high-Z instrument input.

Rane makes some instrument pick-up boxes that have a high-Z input and
a balanced line out, that aren't too bad.
--scott
--
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."

Federico wrote:
I am in need of a Solid State Preamps to use on stage for a piezo mic on an
acoustic instrument so not to have a very low signal running in a 150 feet
snake. I was looking for something in the $100 - $200 range.

About the only thing you'll get in that price range in the M-audio Audio
Buddy. It has a "guitar" input with 100k input impedance. I don't know
if that's high enough for your friend's piezo pickup.

http://www.m-audio.com/products/en_u...uddy-main.html

--
Anahata
-+- http://www.treewind.co.uk
Home: 01638 720444 Mob: 07976 263827

"Federico" wrote in message
. ..
You may not want a preamp at all... with a piezo device, you have a
very high-Z input.

Thanks in advance for any advice.

How about just using an active DI?
--scott

It's for a friend of mine. He is not a sound engineer.
The guitar is a wonderful sounding Martin with a cheap but wonderful
sounding piezo pickup. He sings too.
He is touring small clubs on its own and big clubs as opening act.
Since in the small clubs you often find Behringer mixers I thought it was
a
good idea for him to provide a line level signal so not to use the mixer
mic
preamp. I'd provide him with XLR to "balanced" Jack to patch the snake
male
XLR to the mixer line input.



I don't believe you'd be able to entirely bypass the mic preamp circuitry on
a Behringer just by going into the line input. You'd probably have to patch
into the insert return, unbalanced.You'd need a special cable for that too.

Predrag

Scott Dorsey wrote On 01/04/06 10:50,:

I can give you a DI design with an output hot enough to be almost
line level, but it requires phantom power.


Hey, if you're offering, I'd love to have your design. I need to build a couple DI's and I have
plenty phantom power to run them.

Just send schematics to: geoffarnold at hotmail dot com

Much thanks in advance!

--fletch

I don't believe you'd be able to entirely bypass the mic preamp circuitry
on
a Behringer just by going into the line input. You'd probably have to
patch
into the insert return, unbalanced.You'd need a special cable for that
too.


And I won't have EQ on that channel....

In article ,
(Federico) wrote:

I am in need of a Solid State Preamps to use on stage for a piezo mic
on an
acoustic instrument so not to have a very low signal running in a 150
feet
snake. I was looking for something in the $100 - $200 range.

Ultrasound DI Plus, runs off either 9v battery or phantom power
http://www.ultrasoundamps.com/diplus.html

Costs $99 plus $21 shipping to Europe from these people:
http://www.shorelinemusic.com/amplif...trasound.shtml
(which is where I bought mine).

"Federico" wrote in message
. ..
I don't believe you'd be able to entirely bypass the mic preamp
circuitry
on
a Behringer just by going into the line input. You'd probably have to
patch
into the insert return, unbalanced.You'd need a special cable for that
too.


And I won't have EQ on that channel....


I'm not sure you wouldn't. If I remember correctly, it's the same
configuration as on a Mackie. Insert point comes before the eq.

Predrag

LR Baggs Para Acoustic DI. It's a pretty good active direct box
designed EXACTLY for your described use. It has a 3 band semi
parametric eq on it as well. Can be powered by battery or phantom.
About $150 I believe.

Nate
www.natenajar.com

Scott,

actually I'd love to have that DI design too- I could use a good
project and it the end result would be useful as well!

Nate

Scott Dorsey wrote:

Federico wrote:

It's for a friend of mine. He is not a sound engineer.
The guitar is a wonderful sounding Martin with a cheap but wonderful
sounding piezo pickup. He sings too.
He is touring small clubs on its own and big clubs as opening act.
Since in the small clubs you often find Behringer mixers I thought it was a
good idea for him to provide a line level signal so not to use the mixer mic
preamp. I'd provide him with XLR to "balanced" Jack to patch the snake male
XLR to the mixer line input.

I can give you a DI design with an output hot enough to be almost
line level, but it requires phantom power.

The "best" low budget preamp I used it's the Presonus Tubepre.
http://www.presonus.com/tubepre.html
Since the tube in cheap tube preamps it's a fake (6dB?) I think I can have a
better preamp by choosing a solid state one. I hope the money that I "save"
from the tube can maybe used on a good transistor schematic
(w/transformer?).

I suspect at that price range you aren't going to get a whole lot to
begin with, even going solid state. Part of the problem is that you
are _still_ going to need a DI or some other high-Z instrument input.

Rane makes some instrument pick-up boxes that have a high-Z input and
a balanced line out, that aren't too bad.

This all sounds like a job for a Bagg's Paracoustic DI. It's in the
budget realm, too.

--
ha

Nate Najar wrote:

actually I'd love to have that DI design too- I could use a good
project and it the end result would be useful as well!

Ask your library for the March 1998 issue of Recording. If you don't
want to wait so long for them to scrape it up, call 303-516-9118 and
order a back issue.

It's a really slick design... two cheap switching FETs... you can get
almost all the parts from Radio Shack, even. And it sounds good. You
can probably find Monte McGuire's review of the design here in r.a.p
from some time back then.from some time back then.
Only problem is that since it's phantom powered, you can't break
grounds. But fine for studio use and great for anything where you
need very high Z and don't need a through.
--scott
--
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."

thanks i'll look it up!

On Wed, 4 Jan 2006 13:26:41 -0500, Federico wrote
(in article ):

You may not want a preamp at all... with a piezo device, you have a
very high-Z input.

Thanks in advance for any advice.

How about just using an active DI?
--scott

It's for a friend of mine. He is not a sound engineer.
The guitar is a wonderful sounding Martin with a cheap but wonderful
sounding piezo pickup. He sings too.
He is touring small clubs on its own and big clubs as opening act.
Since in the small clubs you often find Behringer mixers I thought it was a
good idea for him to provide a line level signal so not to use the mixer mic
preamp. I'd provide him with XLR to "balanced" Jack to patch the snake male
XLR to the mixer line input.
A two channels preamp could be a good choice too, he can use the second
channel for the vocal microphone.

The "best" low budget preamp I used it's the Presonus Tubepre.
http://www.presonus.com/tubepre.html
Since the tube in cheap tube preamps it's a fake (6dB?) I think I can have a
better preamp by choosing a solid state one. I hope the money that I "save"
from the tube can maybe used on a good transistor schematic
(w/transformer?).

F.



I have a wonderful sounding Martin with a not so wonderful Gold + Piezo. It
ain't bad if I'm finger picking, but put a flat pick on it and it's harsh and
clacky.

The best sound I've heard for my setup was some weird POS from yamaha, a
practice amp. and one of the Fender Acoustisonics amps. The latter was much
more expensive.

Have him try one of them.

Regards,

Ty Ford

-- Ty Ford's equipment reviews, audio samples, rates and other audiocentric
stuff are at www.tyford.com

"Ty Ford" wrote in message
...
On Wed, 4 Jan 2006 13:26:41 -0500, Federico wrote
(in article ):

You may not want a preamp at all... with a piezo device, you have a
very high-Z input.

Thanks in advance for any advice.

How about just using an active DI?


RNP has 2 mic pres (of course) with Hi-Z DI inputs. May be more than you
need, but would do all you want plus more very well...

geoff