# Microphone on Electric Mandolin

A large portion of what I'm doing when I play rhythm mandolin is percussive: the sound of the pick hitting the strings. After listening back to the [comparison between my electric and acoustic mandolins](https://www.jefftk.com/p/acoustic-vs-electric-mandolin), this is the thing I find most lacking in the sound of the electric. What's interesting, however, is that I don't really notice this when playing at home. I realized a few days ago that it's hearing the electric mandolin acoustically that makes the difference, because the pickups are not really capturing these pick sounds. And if I can hear it acoustically, I can fix it with a microphone!

I made some recordings, and I really like the sound I get when I mix a little external microphone into the main sound from the pickup. I also really like that this means when I run the pickups through distortion or a [talkbox](https://www.jefftk.com/p/playing-with-a-talk-box) the crisp sound of the percussion is unaffected.

[![](https://www.jefftk.com/condenser-mic-clipped-to-electric-mandolin.jpg)](https://www.jefftk.com/condenser-mic-clipped-to-electric-mandolin-big.jpg)

Here's what it sounds like, recorded on an AudioBox VSL1818. The clip-on mic is an Audio-Technica Pro-35. In cases where I recorded the same thing last time, I've included the acoustic version for comparison. I've also included [EvanY's EQ-matched versions](https://www.lesswrong.com/posts/2Gn6NC6gNSkmFh3qg/acoustic-vs-electric-mandolin?commentId=DmTSwsNkEq8HrprrR) from last time.

Overall, I feel like this is a huge improvement for chords and other percussive things, while it doesn't have much of an impact on melody either way.

##### Chords

( [pickup only mp3](https://www.jefftk.com/mandolin_comparision_2_pickup_chords.mp3))  
[![](https://www.jefftk.com/mandolin_comparision_2_pickup_chords.png)](https://www.jefftk.com/mandolin_comparision_2_pickup_chords-big.png)  
( [dual mp3](https://www.jefftk.com/mandolin_comparision_2_dual_chords.mp3))  
[![](https://www.jefftk.com/mandolin_comparision_2_dual_chords.png)](https://www.jefftk.com/mandolin_comparision_2_dual_chords-big.png)  
( [acoustic mp3](https://www.jefftk.com/mandolin_comparison_acoustic_chords.mp3))  
[![](https://www.jefftk.com/mandolin_comparison_acoustic_chords.png)](https://www.jefftk.com/mandolin_comparison_acoustic_chords-big.png)  
( [Logic EQ-matched mp3](https://www.jefftk.com/mandolin_comparison_electric_logic_chords.mp3))  
[![](https://www.jefftk.com/mandolin_comparison_electric_logic_chords.png)](https://www.jefftk.com/mandolin_comparison_electric_logic_chords-big.png)  
( [Pro-Q EQ-matched mp3](https://www.jefftk.com/mandolin_comparison_electric_proq_chords.mp3))  
[![](https://www.jefftk.com/mandolin_comparison_electric_proq_chords.png)](https://www.jefftk.com/mandolin_comparison_electric_proq_chords-big.png)  

##### More Chords

( [pickup only mp3](https://www.jefftk.com/mandolin_comparision_2_pickup_more_chords.mp3))  
[![](https://www.jefftk.com/mandolin_comparision_2_pickup_more_chords.png)](https://www.jefftk.com/mandolin_comparision_2_pickup_more_chords-big.png)  
( [dual mp3](https://www.jefftk.com/mandolin_comparision_2_dual_more_chords.mp3))  
[![](https://www.jefftk.com/mandolin_comparision_2_dual_more_chords.png)](https://www.jefftk.com/mandolin_comparision_2_dual_more_chords-big.png)  

##### Percussive

( [pickup only mp3](https://www.jefftk.com/mandolin_comparision_2_pickup_percussive.mp3))  
[![](https://www.jefftk.com/mandolin_comparision_2_pickup_percussive.png)](https://www.jefftk.com/mandolin_comparision_2_pickup_percussive-big.png)  
( [dual mp3](https://www.jefftk.com/mandolin_comparision_2_dual_percussive.mp3))  
[![](https://www.jefftk.com/mandolin_comparision_2_dual_percussive.png)](https://www.jefftk.com/mandolin_comparision_2_dual_percussive-big.png)  

##### High Riff

( [pickup only mp3](https://www.jefftk.com/mandolin_comparision_2_pickup_high_riff.mp3))  
[![](https://www.jefftk.com/mandolin_comparision_2_pickup_high_riff.png)](https://www.jefftk.com/mandolin_comparision_2_pickup_high_riff-big.png)  
( [dual mp3](https://www.jefftk.com/mandolin_comparision_2_dual_high_riff.mp3))  
[![](https://www.jefftk.com/mandolin_comparision_2_dual_high_riff.png)](https://www.jefftk.com/mandolin_comparision_2_dual_high_riff-big.png)  
( [acoustic mp3](https://www.jefftk.com/mandolin_comparison_acoustic_high_single.mp3))  
[![](https://www.jefftk.com/mandolin_comparison_acoustic_high_single.png)](https://www.jefftk.com/mandolin_comparison_acoustic_high_single-big.png)  

##### Low Riff

( [pickup only mp3](https://www.jefftk.com/mandolin_comparision_2_pickup_low_riff.mp3))  
[![](https://www.jefftk.com/mandolin_comparision_2_pickup_low_riff.png)](https://www.jefftk.com/mandolin_comparision_2_pickup_low_riff-big.png)  
( [dual mp3](https://www.jefftk.com/mandolin_comparision_2_dual_low_riff.mp3))  
[![](https://www.jefftk.com/mandolin_comparision_2_dual_low_riff.png)](https://www.jefftk.com/mandolin_comparision_2_dual_low_riff-big.png)  
( [acoustic mp3](https://www.jefftk.com/mandolin_comparison_acoustic_noodles.mp3))  
[![](https://www.jefftk.com/mandolin_comparison_acoustic_noodles.png)](https://www.jefftk.com/mandolin_comparison_acoustic_noodles-big.png)  

##### High Melody

( [pickup only mp3](https://www.jefftk.com/mandolin_comparision_2_pickup_high_melody.mp3))  
[![](https://www.jefftk.com/mandolin_comparision_2_pickup_high_melody.png)](https://www.jefftk.com/mandolin_comparision_2_pickup_high_melody-big.png)  
( [dual mp3](https://www.jefftk.com/mandolin_comparision_2_dual_high_melody.mp3))  
[![](https://www.jefftk.com/mandolin_comparision_2_dual_high_melody.png)](https://www.jefftk.com/mandolin_comparision_2_dual_high_melody-big.png)  
( [acoustic mp3](https://www.jefftk.com/mandolin_comparison_acoustic_sandy.mp3))  
[![](https://www.jefftk.com/mandolin_comparison_acoustic_sandy.png)](https://www.jefftk.com/mandolin_comparison_acoustic_sandy-big.png)  

##### Medium Melody

( [pickup only mp3](https://www.jefftk.com/mandolin_comparision_2_pickup_medium_melody.mp3))  
[![](https://www.jefftk.com/mandolin_comparision_2_pickup_medium_melody.png)](https://www.jefftk.com/mandolin_comparision_2_pickup_medium_melody-big.png)  
( [dual mp3](https://www.jefftk.com/mandolin_comparision_2_dual_medium_melody.mp3))  
[![](https://www.jefftk.com/mandolin_comparision_2_dual_medium_melody.png)](https://www.jefftk.com/mandolin_comparision_2_dual_medium_melody-big.png)  
( [acoustic mp3](https://www.jefftk.com/mandolin_comparison_acoustic_delaney.mp3))  
[![](https://www.jefftk.com/mandolin_comparison_acoustic_delaney.png)](https://www.jefftk.com/mandolin_comparison_acoustic_delaney-big.png)  

##### Low Melody

( [pickup only mp3](https://www.jefftk.com/mandolin_comparision_2_pickup_low_melody.mp3))  
[![](https://www.jefftk.com/mandolin_comparision_2_pickup_low_melody.png)](https://www.jefftk.com/mandolin_comparision_2_pickup_low_melody-big.png)  
( [dual mp3](https://www.jefftk.com/mandolin_comparision_2_dual_low_melody.mp3))  
[![](https://www.jefftk.com/mandolin_comparision_2_dual_low_melody.png)](https://www.jefftk.com/mandolin_comparision_2_dual_low_melody-big.png)  
( [acoustic mp3](https://www.jefftk.com/mandolin_comparison_acoustic_tamlin.mp3))  
[![](https://www.jefftk.com/mandolin_comparison_acoustic_tamlin.png)](https://www.jefftk.com/mandolin_comparison_acoustic_tamlin-big.png)  

I'm happy with this, and while this doesn't get the sound of the electric to where I would leave the acoustic behind on a [Free Raisins](https://www.freeraisins.com/) gig, I think it will help [Kingfisher](https://www.kingfisherband.com/) mandolin sets a lot.

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