|
Bridge and Top Piezo Transducer Pickups Most pickups used on violins are made from piezoelectric material. When amplifying the lower strings on a violin or viola, the sound from piezos can be very beautiful. There is a range on the upper strings where a certain poor tone or "quack" is apparent though. This trait is made worse when you connect a piezo to an amp without using a pre-amp. The three common placement sites are in the bridge, attached to the bridge and attached to the body internally or externally. (A soundpost containing a piezo element has also been produced.) Mics and piezos can be used in combination with good results. The mic provides high-end sparkle and the piezo’s the low-end sound avoids boominess and feedback. Separate EQ settings for each are preferable, if possible (basically: turn down the treble control on the piezo channel and reduce the bass on the mic channel.) A suggestion from a Usenet post: "If you can tap the body of your electrified instrument with your thumb, and it sounds like ZZ Top's kick drum, you need to dump some more low end." Issues in Using a Pickup When is it best to use one? It’s a matter of opinion. If you’re playing in an all acoustic group consider using a mic. A violin with a pickup in an acoustic folk group or acoustic gypsy swing ensemble sounds wrong to me (if the other instruments are mic'd). It kills the instrument blend, and I think a mic sounds better. Pickups will change the sound of the instrument, and maybe that’s what you want. I like to use a pickup/amp in jazz groups to "fatten" the sound to a saxophone-like tone. Its possible to further change the sound of the instrument using electronics, and this will be discussed below. If you play "high energy" music with a drummer it will generally be hard to get enough volume with only a mic. (This is not true in every case though.) The feedback phenomenon can also be a problem with pickups. If high pressure sound vibrates the violin’s top plate, the pickup will send the signal to an amp. In the next sections, I’ll discuss "attack" and "decay" characteristics, which will vary with pickup placement and type. This refers to the amount of time it takes for the signal to reach the amp and other dynamics factors. The differences in this characteristic will have a major effect on phrasing notes on the violin. It’s a matter of personal preference. The pickups with a fast attack tend to make me phrase more like Jean Luc Ponty (though I don’t normally play that way.) Recommended Piezo Transducer Pickups *The Barbera bridge (~$450 range) contains a piezo element
for each string. It gives a rich and beautiful
*Baggs makes a standard size bridge (right) with a built-in
piezo for ~$150. In my opinion
it is the best unit for capturing amplified "acoustic" violin sound from the bridge. It gives a well balanced sound between all strings, and features a shielded cable. The Baggs sounds good w/o amplification too, but installation/carving can be tricky. Have
a professional do it. Highly recommended. 
*Fishman designed its piezo (pictured left) to slide into one of the
slots on the edge of the bridge. This is an elegant solution, it
can be easily removed when you want to play acoustic. At its best
it sounds as good as any piezo, but I had problems in my many
years of using one. Fishman suggests attaching it on the E string
side of the bridge. Its harsh sounding there. Under the G string
was better but the resonance favors G. The sound was inconsistent
from day to day, maybe because of the bridge, humidity, the pickup’s
spring etc. I also broke the wires several times by removing and
replacing it in the bridge.
A friend suggested turning the pickup in the slot (so that the wire is not parallel with the bridge) for a good sound. *Barcus Berry--I used to use one when it was the only
violin pickup of its type available in the 1970s. It gave a distinctive
sound, but I believe the Baggs or maybe McIntyre to be a better
choice. *Zeta manufactures three different kinds of bridges, each with a unique sound. They are designed for use with the Zeta violins and are options on other electric violins, but may not be available separately. The Jazz series bridge has dual piezos per string in a rigid bridge. It is optimized for use in a MIDI system, where pitch tracking requires a pure tone, so getting a usable acoustic sound may require considerable electronic processing. The Strados bridge has composite fingers supporting dual piezos per string, and produces a pleasing electro-acoustic tone. The E-series bridge utilizes dual piezos in a maple bridge, is designed for use on a hollow body instrument, and produces the most acoustic sound of the three. ZETA Music 2230 Livingston Street Oakland, CA 94606 Phone: (800)622-6434 Zeta website 
A pickup by K&K Sound Systems Violinissimo (pictured left) looks interesting. Haven't heard it though. K&K Sound Systems site
*Ithaca String Instruments, makers of the innovative NV electric violin, sells their Aceto/Violect pickup separately. The top of the bridge is a high quality violin bridge, while the bottom contains two piezos. Ithaca String Instruments website *Olivier Pont makes a removable piezo pickup which is popular in France. 8, rue Bachaumont, 75002 PARIS FRANCE *McIntyre McIntyre has a piezo (~$100) which attaches to the
violin body which I haven’t heard. It has gotten some good
reviews. Attaching a piezo to the body has its strengths
and weaknesses. It may offer a smoother, "warmer" sound
compared to a bridge unit, as the body acts as a filter and adds
its own complex resonance. The "attack" characteristics are slower
than with bridge piezos. On the other hand, it may be more prone
to feedback if onstage sound levels are high. Electromagnetic Pickups *Bowtronics sells both high and low impedance magnetic pickups.
The technology is similar to the pickups used on electric guitars.
Other Pickups *Schertler of Switzerland makes an electrodynamic violin transducer that uses a moving coil in a magnetic field. The transducer is mounted to the violin body with putty and the cable terminates in an XLR connector. They also make an electrostatic transducer said to be ideal for high volume situations. Schertler website *Pick Up The World sells a violin pickup using a new piezo tape technology. |
electric violin sound. Their range of bridges vary from solid for
rejecting feedback, to featuring carved cut-outs for more interaction with the violin
top. The piezo elements are located near the strings, which makes
for a fast attack, but it can't be played acoustically. The Barbera is often used by builders of solid body
violins. Highly recommended.
The Bowtronics (@~$150) sounds good through a PA and is very immune
to feedback. I can't get a good clean sound through an amp though.
This problem could probably be solved with a preamp, but I haven't
found a suitable one. (The preamp Bowtronics sells doesn’t
help much.) Magnetic pickups only read the vibrations of strings,
and this can contribute to a somewhat "canned" sound.
The Bowtronics has a very fast attack and great articulation of
notes--its fun to play. Move the bow slightly and you’ll
get a big sound through the PA. A volume pedal is probably needed
for dynamics, and volume pedals can be frustrating to use. Precise
placement on the instrument is critical for tonal balance and
an even volume, and you must use steel strings. If the violin’s
neck angle is too low, it will be impossible to attach. I use
the high impedance Bowtronics mostly for being heard over "heavy"
drummers. I suspect this pickup is at its best through very powerful amps with lots of "headroom".
