allows for quick mounting to the soundboard , generally somewhere around middle C . Plug the piezo transducer cable into the preamp Input , run the Main Output XLR from the preamp to the PA and you are off to the races . One neat thing about the Barcus-Berry is that it can be operated via a 9V battery or phantom power , so no additional ‘ wall wart ’ or long power run on stage is necessary . It is also possible to run a Monitor Out as a dedicated line to the pianist if they have a need for more localized monitoring aside from what the house PA can offer . In short , this type of device is an easy way to get a direct piano sound into the PA without the hassles often associated with miking up a piano on a sound stage .
The one potential drawback of piezo systems like this is that the sound is often a bit too ‘ thin ’, especially when compared to a great mic or two in the right position . I think this scenario parallels what we sometimes encounter with acoustic guitars , a bit of a ‘ plinky ’ high-end and a lack of body and overall cohesion across the frequency spectrum without some careful EQ and a touch of reverb . In a perfect world , we ’ d add the piezo pickup to a mic rig on the piano and blend the two approaches to taste . Of course , check for phase and other potential audio wackiness that can arise between the two sources when they hit the console .
HELP ( INSTILL ) IS ON THE WAY : As noted , a piezoelectric pickup attached to the piano soundboard is one way to help with gainbefore-feedback and can be a quick and easy solution to add to your arsenal . This is a similar approach to the system that many acoustic guitars deploy . But what about the electric guitarist who can achieve nearly endless gainbefore-feedback on a clean channel on a guitar amp ? There has to be something to using a magnetic pickup that we can apply here , right ? Luckily for us , there is ! According to Ezra Charles Helpinstill :
“ The first [ Helpinstill magnetic pickup ] unit was built for my own use while I was in college , because I wanted to play a real piano in a band . My degree in Electrical Engineering gave me the skills to approach this piano problem from a new direction . I originally had in mind a totally new kind of keyboard that could compete with a guitar . Where no one before me had any desire to put magnetic pickups in a piano ( because it would obviously sound like a guitar ,) that was exactly what I had in mind when I built the first one . I was ready to become the Jimi Hendrix of the piano , with my strange-sounding new keyboard . No one was more surprised than me
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