For hammered dulcimer, patented passive pickup, Magnet Sandwiched Pickup (MSP) for musical instruments customer review site by microphone manufacturer 123sound.jp in JAPAN
Pro-player, Max ZT, using Magnet Sandwiched Pickup(MSP) for his hammered dulcimer
Pickup manufacturer, 123sound.jp, introduces an example using MSP microphone by Max ZT.
Review using MSP to his Hammered Dulcimer from Max ZT
In the video, the pickup is going in to the LR Baggs DI, and I have a pretty detailed EQ/notch going on.... I'm using the DI to try and take out that 250Hz area. In the video itself, i'm using the DI AND a condensor as an overhead mic. As of now, that is my favorite sound when playing live. So far it seems that using only the pickup/DI misses out on the air/brightness. So I add a condensor on top. It's likely about 50% of each depending on the room. But its SUPER helpful when playing live. I can now hear myself, I can now have it coming back through the monitors without fear of feedback. I do think there can be these improvements (like those that we're talking about), but even without any improvements, it is so far the best pickup that works for me.
-The photo from the video “House of Waters - Black Mallard (Live at Rubber Tracks)"
- The comments from Max ZT in US on March. 2017
Musician Biography
Max ZT
Lauded as the “Jimi Hendrix of Hammered Dulcimer" by NPR, and a "Force of nature" by NY Music Daily, Max ZT is an innovator of the instrument. Taking his roots from classical Irish folk music, Max has transplanted his compositional techniques to both Senegal, where he studied the Mandinko technique with the Cissoko griot family, and to Mumbai, India, where he received a grant to study under the great santoor master Pandit Shivkumar Sharma. His fresh perspective and bold experimentalism have been the backbone to beautiful, complex, and genuine compositions, while his unorthodox playing style has been a pioneering force in revolutionizing dulcimer techniques.
Max has enlivened the conceptual framework of traditional folk music by fusing multi-cultural roots and traditions to create a truly compelling sound.
Max ZT has shared the stage with some of the most influential international and national musical leaders of the century including Pt. Ravi Shankar, Jon Bon Jovi, Karsh Kale, Bela Fleck, Victor Wooten, Tinariwen, Jimmy Cliff, and more. With his eighth record released, he is, as Timeout NY states “A sight to behold."
MaxZT is based out of Brooklyn, New York, and in 2005, won the National Hammered Dulcimer Championship. He's recorded with a vast array of artists across musical genres, ranging from Victor Wooten, to The Goo Goo Dolls, to 2012 American Idol Phil Phillips, to Of Montreal.
Videos
Links
- from Max ZT website on Mar. 2017
Other
Examples using MSP
Magnet Sandwiched Pickup (MSP)
Pickup made with Neodymium magnets and piezoelectric element. The MSP positioning is patented and state-of-the-art. A positioning magnet and an additional magnet in the MSP device hold MSP's piezoelectric element in place.
Installation is simple. Because MSP is kept in place by magnets, musical instruments are not damaged or dirtied due to adhesives. The MSP is placed outside of musical instruments, so it can be installed without any through hole.
The sound emitted from the contact pickups depends on the attachment position. Easily mount or remove MSP on the fly, so the free movement of the positioning location allows the player to control sound output based on their preference.
Neodymium magnets, one within the MSP and an additional Positioning Magnet, push the piezoelectric element toward the soundboard. This provides louder and higher quality sound without the use of a pre-amp.