Sennheiser MT04 pickup through powered speaker

[mikeguymusic]

Hello Technical Minded Ones!
My accordion had this pickup system installed by my local dealer, and despite being simple to operate, it's been a tricky one to get the hang of over the last couple of years, with highly differing output and apparent 9-volt battery loss or something similar.
I'll readily admit to being not the most technical minded player, so my first question to anyone with knowledge is, when I plug it into a powered speaker the level is very low, virtually non-existent. When I take it into the dealer, he plugs it into his guitar amp and it works fine.
I know this is something to do with the output being like a guitar, although it is powered by 9-volt battery.
So I'm guessing that maybe I need to put it through either an active or passive DI and then out into a powered speaker.
Could that work?
All ideas welcome!

 

[fjsys]

I have the same system, factory installed, in my victoria.

Honestly I have never tried to plug directly into a powered speaker. My setup always goes into either a small mixer (a cheap 4 channel behringer) or through a Roland kc-110 that I use as a monitor.

From what you have described I would assume that I would probably run into the same issue and have often thought that I would need some type of pre-amp if I ever needed to gig more than I do now.

Sounds like a DI would do the trick.
Sorry cannot be more help, but thanks for giving me something else to research. (I had never heard of a DI)
Ben

 

[debra]

The input of a powered speaker is not made for a microphone. Even though the pickup in your accordion uses a 9 volt battery it is just a microphone. The pickup uses electret microphones that need a dc voltage to operate.
The type of pickup you use probably has three microphones on the keyboard side (and one on the lefthand side). With three microphones you will still be able to hear which notes are closer to one of the microphones and which are further away. I prefer the Microvox system which is external (nothing to be installed inside the accordion). The Microvox 420 has 4 microphones. I mount it on an aluminium bracket at 2 to 3 cm from the righthand side cover, for an even better balance between all the notes. This works very well, but it too is a microphone, not suitable to be plugged directly into a powered speaker.

 

[BobM]

Id go for something like this, http://www.thomann.de/gb/behringer_xenyx_502.htm

It will give you the inputs for your box, and a spare mic input, handy if you need one in the future. I assume that the output socket on you instrument is a jack?

BobM.

 

[fjsys]

That is the one that I use. It has a couple of problems, but nothing too serious.
the issues that I have with it are that it doesn't have any power switch, so you have to unplug it.
the output is 1/4 in that come out of the top.
and it overstates the channels, from my point of view it has 3, but since 2 of them are stereo it counts them as 5.
overall it is a great little box and at the price I don't care if it gets broken carrying it around in a bag.

 

[TomBR]

I'm weak on the theory but have used quite a bit of different kit. I wouldn't expect a mic to run satisfactorily straight into a powered speaker. (PS for short.) I assume it's not one of the "all in one" systems with a little mixer built into the back of the speaker. The PS will expect a stronger input than the mics will produce. If you can borrow an active DI bx to try that might be worth trying, but I think you need a preamp or a little mixer. The Xenyx linked by Bob does look like a handy bit of kit with plenty of versatility at a good price but the output is by jack. If the cable run is going to be of any length it would be preferable to have an XLR (3 pin) output.
I use a Headway EDM-1 for my "gigging" fiddle. Not the cheapest but very versatile.

 

[BobM]

That is the one that I use. It has a couple of problems, but nothing too serious.
the issues that I have with it are that it doesnt have any power switch, so you have to unplug it.
the output is 1/4 in that come out of the top.
and it overstates the channels, from my point of view it has 3, but since 2 of them are stereo it counts them as 5.
overall it is a great little box and at the price I dont care if it gets broken carrying it around in a bag.

Behringer tend to copy products from other manufacturers and undercut them in price, sometimes cutting a few corners. Re-reading my post, I shouldnt have said Id go for, but rather, this will do the job.

BobM.