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Double Bass Yamahiko Double Bass Pickup

#981
crd said:
Sounds great! Thanks for sharing. Is that a 50/50 balance between the left and right piezo? The phase switch is kind of magic... I wish that could be accomplished with a cable.
Click to expand...


Thanks so much!

Yeah it’s a 50/50 split. I thought about a blend after I had already sent the PCB off to the fabricator. There were a few things that I didn’t think about cause I was so focused on making sure the primary functionality was there. That’s why they call it prototyping!

I might be able to live with it as is, but I have a hunch I’ll redraw the circuit before summer to include more blending options. I definitely want to be able to blend the mic and the pickup.
 
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#982
So the more I play with this preamp, the more I like it on the Yamahiko. Still working on dialing it in, but I've gotta say that pickup plays very very nicely with the new preamp. I've already done another revision to my circuit and I'm going to add discrete input gains to each channel. Plus each channel will have an option to add a mute. Should get the new boards in a couple of weeks.

In the meantime I'll keep playing with this version and finding the tones I like.

Here's my current favorite settings... Gain knob is set to 11:00, Master Level set to 1:00. Channel 1 phase 180, Channel 2 phase 0. Treble flat and bass set to 2:00. Only this I added is HPF set to a cutoff of 80Hz. Should have rolled off the lows a bit more, but it sounded good through the cab... only noticed the heavy low end on the recording.

 
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#983
I think I finally found the "Magic Sauce" that I've been wanting. I pondered some of the suggestions made here concerning my phase/buffer circuit and threw it into a Hammond enclosure with a DIY Particle Accelerator from @Sushi Box FX . I can't even begin to describe just how wonderful it sounds, the Particle Accelerator circuit is nothing short of magic! I think I might even like it a little bit more than my Underground Accelerator for Double Bass.

Played a gig yesterday to test it out and I was very pleased. The guy on Tenor Sax, who is also an absolutely amazing bass player commented that he liked it as much as his EBS Stanley Clarke preamp.

I played the first set with just the Yamahiko, then on break I decided to add the bridge mounted ribbon mic. Both sounded great. The nice thing about the ribbon was the ability to capture those nice little acoustic nuances that aren't always reproduced by a piezo. However, I wouldn't be mad if I could only use the Yamahiko.


Some sorta fancy shots of the build-


Buffer Phase Top.jpg

Buffer Phase back side.jpg



And a couple of pics from the gig. I added a mic flange to the bottom so I could mount it on a mic stand. Kept it in arms reach this way for on the fly changes... plus it kept it off the floor so horn players didn't step on it.

I really like the compact footprint this offers, plus the Yamahiko really shines when used this way.

Buffer Phase Gig.jpg
Buffer Phase on mic stand.jpg
 
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#987
Okay, interesting discovering. Changing the adjusters definitely changed my phase relationship between the two feet. It was no big deal to get it feeling right again with the Felix but interesting none the less.
 
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#989
just a thought...

IIRC... Mr Yamaya told me (granted this is 30yrs ago so I could be off, not to mention my awful Japanese :roflmao:) that by adjusting the wheels (on the two connector pickups) by 45º/90º/etc you can adjust/'tweak' the phase and response of each wheel when "bridged together" in series.

Now with the "4 connector" models, this may NOT be the case anymore, but any adjustment/change could affect the response. (...Or maybe the bridge just 'seated' better after the adjustment?)
 
#990
Earl said:
Can you explain more what you did?
Click to expand...

Karl Kaminski said:
just a thought...

IIRC... Mr Yamaya told me (granted this is 30yrs ago so I could be off, not to mention my awful Japanese :roflmao:) that by adjusting the wheels (on the two connector pickups) by 45º/90º/etc you can adjust/'tweak' the phase and response of each wheel when "bridged together" in series.

Now with the "4 connector" models, this may NOT be the case anymore, but any adjustment/change could affect the response. (...Or maybe the bridge just 'seated' better after the adjustment?)
Click to expand...

Previously, I had always turned my wheels a whole turn up or down so I used the same connectors on each feet. I took my bass in for it's seasonal adjustments and my luthier changed the adjusters a quarter turn either way so I had to switch which connectors I was using. Itt definitely seemed to change the phase relationship. Previously, I always kept the G foot flipped 180 degrees on the Felix. To get the sound I was used to I changed that channel back to zero. Not a complaint; I just though it was interesting... For context, I run both wheels through a TRS cable that splits the channels at the Felix. I couldn't be happier with the sound.
 
#991
I'll also throw it out there for those who have been using the Yamahikos for a while. the connectors and coax cable do/can wear over time if you're removing or switching things around. —I only noticed that my cable went bad after several gigs where part of the set my level dropped. (granted my setup is really old... but still sounding great!:thumbsup:)

Im coming from years of single Eside pup use (and occasionally 'bridged' G>E>TS jack) and about to experiment for the 1st time with the TRS connection myself, curious to see what a split signal will produce.
 
#992
Karl Kaminski said:
I'll also throw it out there for those who have been using the Yamahikos for a while. the connectors and coax cable do/can wear over time. —I only noticed that my cable went bad after several gigs where part of the set my level dropped. (granted my setup is really old... but still sounding great!)

Im coming from years of single Eside pup (and occasionally 'bridged' G>E>TS jack) and about to experiment for the 1st time with the TRS connection myself, curious to see what a split signal will produce.
Click to expand...
Good to know. I take it on off for every gig and have kind of worried about the tiny connecting wire.
 
#996
I played last night for 3 hours on the stand. Yamahiko made my tone much...clearer! Best way I can describe it. Just glorious!
The A in 1/2 position on my G was always swallowed up. The same man set up the bass, so this was a bit of apples to apples.
I didn't have to work as hard to get notes to speak. I am not a machinist, but the wheels, (even the wheel without the element) appear more substantial in mass, and my bass sounded better both acoustically and with the pickup plugged in.
The drummer asked if I turned up more than normal...I'm actually the same or a touch lower. I am very happy so far.
 
#997
For as long as I have used the Yamahiko I have never been happy with the way it makes my E string sound very unnatural, almost too deep. The A somewhat as well. Granted this is on my 7/8 Juzek with the 'subwoofer'. HPF can help but by the time the E sounds better the rest sound too hollow. Using just the G side is better but not great. I have mostly been using the Stat B lately and digging the non-piezo vibe.
 
#998
Earl said:
For as long as I have used the Yamahiko I have never been happy with the way it makes my E string sound very unnatural, almost too deep. The A somewhat as well. Granted this is on my 7/8 Juzek with the 'subwoofer'. HPF can help but by the time the E sounds better the rest sound too hollow. Using just the G side is better but not great. I have mostly been using the Stat B lately and digging the non-piezo vibe.
Click to expand...
Are you using the dual sensor setup?

Once the fine folk in this thread led me down the phase swapping and blending each pickup foot pathway I've never been happier with my sound. Of course I still tinker... but that's due to my own deep seated neuroses and desires.
 
#999
Hasty said:
Are you using the dual sensor setup?

Once the fine folk in this thread led me down the phase swapping and blending each pickup foot pathway I've never been happier with my sound. Of course I still tinker... but that's due to my own deep seated neuroses and desires.
Click to expand...
Dual with output from treble side, dual with output from bass side, just G side, just E side, just depends as I tinker also haha!
 

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