AKGPro Audio C411/L High-Performance Miniature Condenser Vibration Pickup with Mini XLR Connector,Black

The photo is showing the inside of my kora (west african harp-lute) where I had to sand and use wood glue to attach this thing to the underside of the bridge.It's so convenient that it just requires phantom power to use. My Pickup The World pickup (the thing that looks like a piece of silver gum next to the AKG 411) requires at least 1 ohm hi-z input to use which isn't always ideal.I experimented with placement for about 5 hours and found the place I like best. One inch, 30 degrees, just the slightest movements make a gigantic difference strangely. The sound is definitely not a microphone but is clear and extremely low noise. Actually much lower noise than my Pickup The World pickup (must be because it's a microphone not a contact mic). No quacking or artifacts, but not the warmest sound ever like a really great microphone placement. I wasn't expecting it to sound as good as it does though. When you combine the two pickups L and R you get a phenomenal stereo sound. I highly recommend this if you are recording or experimenting with your sound.They really ought to ship this with some thick double sided tape instead of the horrible black putty. I used 3M outdoor mounting double sided tape and it worked very well - easy to cut down to the right size.

This thing doesn't get enough love. Sounds great on most acoustic instruments. There is a sweet spot on your instrument for this pickup and it might take a while to find it. For my violin it's right behind the bridge on the body under the G string. I'd recommend starting there on a violin, placing it perpendicular to the bridge. I removed the original casing on mine (not recommended) and rewired it into a smaller enclosure, but i'm not sure it improved the sound quality.I don't know how the tone of the AKG C411 compares to the technologically similar Ischell pickup (over twice the price) or the Schertler Basik (similar in price). All three are contact condenser microphones. The Ischell gives you a little EQ control. The AKG is the most affordable.Here are a few things to know about it before buying:The AKG C411 requires phantom power. The output can also be a little hot for cheaper preamps.You will most likely need to EQ this pickup, preferably using an eq with sweepable midrange to remove some of the boxiness in the sound. On my violin, I usually need to notch out a little near 600 Hz, and sometimes around 300 (this may have more to do with how your top plate is tuned). Then there are the normal fiddle unpleasantries in the high mids you should deal with.EDIT (7/10/2017)Ok I've been using this pickup regularly for over two years and the cable where I wrap it around the chin rest is starting to wear out so I'll probably be buying another one very soon. Since the initial review we've seen the release of the Behringer X-AIR series of mixers. The XR12 and the new Midas MR12 is the perfect preamp/direct box for something like this if you really want to control your sound. Not only does it give you all the EQ and effects you'll need, it allows you to blend another source like a mic with this pickup. The AKG C411 blended with a small microphone mounted in the right place has allowed me to get very very close to achieving the sound I want.

I saw this recommended for mic-ing a kora on a sound-tech's forum, and thought I'd try it out for a range of unusual acoustic instruments that don't play loud. I pressed this on my calimba (thumb piano) and got great results right away. The pickup is usable at a variety of locations with great sound quality. At the most resonant place on the calimba sound board, I dialed the phantom-powered mic input of by Zoom R16 back a to about 60%. On a less-resonant spot, setting the gain to 90% got the right input level. I know I know I should be quoting gain in dB, but I'm not there yet. Anyway, it's nice to know that I can get a low-noise, richly toned contact-based pickup from different parts of the instrument. I got great results from the Audio-Technica Pro 35 clip-on mic, but this is sound pressure based mic that did have some feedback issues in my personal, wearable-PA setup with speaker very close to mic. I'm hoping the AKG contact mic may eliminate feedback issues since it won't pick anything up from my wearable PA speaker output.The packaging (includes sticky-gum mastic for attaching the mic) is great, especially the no-frills but tough and well-made zipper envelope/purse for the mic.

I play the Sitar and the Surbahar and have had issues with ways to amplify the instruments. Upon recommendation I bought a C411 and was astounded at the quality and ease , with no feedback issues through my P.A. I immediately bought 2 more for all my instruments. The sound is true and rich without the nagging trebly bite of most transducers , I also tried the mic out on my dobro and mandolin with equally great results.. Very happy and recommend to anyone ,but with confidence ...Note: Uses Phantom Power