iRig Acoustic Stage Pickup

[drathbun]

I just ordered an iRig Acoustic Stage pickup. It should be here next week.

 

Just a short time ago, I had three acoustics with pickups; a J200 Standard (Fishman Ellipse Aura), Taylor 814ce (Taylor Expression II) and a Martin 00017sm (LRBaggs iBeam - installed myself).

 

Now, having sold the J200 Standard when I acquired my SJ200 Golden Age and sold the Taylor and the Martin to acquire my Martin 000-28vs, I'm without a top guitar with a pickup. Since both the Gibson and the Martin are vintage models, I was hesitant to install any kind of invasive pickup system. The soundhole pickups that have the cord running out of the soundhole and not through the body are pretty much crap IMO.

 

That's when I noticed this new system from iRig. I don't think you can ever judge a pickup from online commercials and YouTube videos but at $129 Cdn, I thought it was worth a try. What I like about it is that I can put it on either of my guitars without altering them at all.

 

[scriv58]

looks interesting for sure

[Jinder]

I'll be very interested to hear your thoughts on it Drath!

[drathbun]

I'll be very interested to hear your thoughts on it Drath!

 

I'm going to do an audio test by running the iRig through the left channel and my Rode M5 condenser mic through the other and A/B'ing the difference. Should be interesting.

[Murph]

Cool.

 

Keep us posted.

[Buc McMaster]

I'll reckon that this pickup system can sound pretty good..........I'll also reckon results will vary from instrument to instrument, some quite good, others no so much. I wonder if the microphone is somehow isolated from the attachment clip......I should hope so, to reduce feedback, which I suspect is a problem anyway to some degree since they did go to the trouble of including a feedback suppression circuit in the preamp......with a BIG red button to boot! I suspect this would work quite well for the solo/duo acoustic performer(s) but might be trouble when on stage with an electric bass present (that heavy low end drives the hell out of an acoustic box)........the location of the microphone would preclude use of a sound hole feedback buster.

 

Do give us a report!!

[drathbun]

I'll reckon that this pickup system can sound pretty good..........I'll also reckon results will vary from instrument to instrument, some quite good, others no so much. I wonder if the microphone is somehow isolated from the attachment clip......I should hope so, to reduce feedback, which I suspect is a problem anyway to some degree since they did go to the trouble of including a feedback suppression circuit in the preamp......with a BIG red button to boot! I suspect this would work quite well for the solo/duo acoustic performer(s) but might be trouble when on stage with an electric bass present (that heavy low end drives the hell out of an acoustic box)........the location of the microphone would preclude use of a sound hole feedback buster.

 

Do give us a report!!

 

I'm fascinated by this as well Buck. I think a soundhole feedback buster would not be necessary here as the mic is picking up the vibes from the top and should not be affected by the loop of vibrations returning to the guitar like a microphonic, in the body type mic or even a bridge plate pickup might be. I know my iBeams were always very prone to feedback.

 

The tech info from IKMultimedia says the iRig Acoustic Stage pickup uses a "MEMS" microphone. They don't say if it is a capacitance or a piezo MEMS mic, but they are pretty cool devices.

 

Basic Principles of MEMS Microphones