K&K Trinity pickup

zohn

I have the standalone UST-only version in my Canteri, and am very chuffed with it, so I got myself this combo with a mic and fitted it in my new guitar.

It was quite an involved installation with the UST being glued to the bridge plate (working through the sound hole), but it worked out ok.

I did a preliminary test in my acoustic amp and it sounds great. The two sources are fed into separate channels of the belt-clipped pre-amp with a stereo cable, and then with a standard 1/4" mono jacked cable out to the amp/desk. That way both channels can still be controlled seperately on the pre-amp.

Next I need to do fine adjustments with the pre-amp in a PA.

I love the natural sound of it, and the mic adds that 3rd dimensional magic that only a mic can provide.
The bonus with this rig is the battery is in the pre-amp outside the guitar.

Bob-Dubery

I've heard good things about the K&K systems.

Questions:
1) Do you have to use the K&K pre-amp?
2) Can you flip the phase on the mic?
3) Where is the mic situated?

guitarboy2828

How easy is it to mix the two channels on the preamp? Is it something that can be done when the guitar is all strung up and ready to play? or does it have to be done during a setup or something?

zohn

@ Bob:
1) No you don't - I can use it with my Ultrasound DI plus but only the UST's will work - I believe the circuitry with the mic combo is dedicated to this specific pre-amp.
I believe Roy is planning to use a K&K UST with some other mic via a DTAR Mama Bear or Solstice.
2) There isn't a switch on the outside - maybe on the inside, I'm not sure.
3) The mic sits next to the sound hole - I wanted to stick it to the popsicle brace, but its profile isn't flat, so I stuck it to the upper-bout of the sound board close to the kerfing at the outer rim - it works well there.

Paul E wrote: How easy is it to mix the two channels on the preamp? Is it something that can be done when the guitar is all strung up and ready to play? or does it have to be done during a setup or something?

Paul, there is a volume control for each channel on the outside of the pre-amp for blending the mix. In addition when one opens the pre-amp one can adjust the eq of each channel separately with a supplied screwdriver like with the Baggs I-mix.

guitarboy2828

Oh wow, that is sweet!! Great to have that ability live. Will have to check out some youtube's of that set up! ?

Bob-Dubery

I use the Baggs Dual Source, which has some similarities to the system that zohn describes here. Supposedly the Dual Source has been superceded by the Baggs Anthem, but Mark at McGibbons surprised by asserting that the Dual Source was still the better system. Not as quick to install, and much more fiddly, but the fiddlyness mean that if you took some time you could find a really sweet spot whereas with the Anthem the EQ on the mic and the mic position is all fixed. Fixed, granted, in positions and settings that are quite well thought out and work pretty well for most guitars, but once you can move the mic around and once you have some kind of EQ on it you can, with some patience and experimentation, find the really sweet spot for your guitar.

There used to be a little Baggs belt clip amplifier that would allow you to blend two pickup sources and had a mono output. Same size package as the Gig-pro.

zohn

Correction for what it's worth: When I mentioned UST's (Under Saddle Transducers) I meant AST's (Acoustic Soundboard Transducers). Technically they are UST because they're glued to the bridge plate under the saddle, but they react to soundboard vibration like AST's. - flip, now that sounds confusing doesn't it? :-[

guitarboy2828

Zohn, are K&K just your personal preference over LR Baggs, or do they offer something baggs don't? I now have Baggs on both my acoustics, absolutely love them. Just wondering if k&k is just a personal choice or if they sound different, price difference, different style, etc?

Ray

zohn wrote: Correction for what it's worth: When I mentioned UST's (Under Saddle Transducers) I meant AST's (Acoustic Soundboard Transducers). Technically they are UST because they're glued to the bridge plate under the saddle, but they react to soundboard vibration like AST's. - flip, now that sounds confusing doesn't it? :-[

Well I'm hearing all this and I've always thought that the K&K Western Mini was a SBT but what the heck. Did you install this with the same sort of jig as for the pure western?