Lyric mic placement ON body

[gerryc]

I just installed the Lyric Mic in my Guild Acoustic guitar. Since I already have a K&K pure mini pickup I cannot mount the mic before the pegs on the bridge plate. I tried the recommended mic placement, behind the pegs on the bridge plate. There was plenty of room but it really did not sound good at all, very harsh and no presence, no bass at all. It couldn't even compete with the K&K microphone I already have installed.

I decided to try the LYRIC because I am having issues with feedback with he K&K mic but I find it hard to believe the LYRIC mic sounds like that so I want to make sure I am giving it the proper help.
Since I have the pure mini pickup already installed, I have no room on the bridge plate in front of the K&K pure mini pickup, but there is room on the top itself (no plate) behind the sound hole behind the cross bracing before the bridge plate.

1. What is your experience with this mic placement. Is it even worth trying? Have you ever installed the mic directly on the body itself.??
2. I could mount the Lyric on an X brace facing the sound hole. Can the mic work this way or is it specifically designed to pick up reflection off the body
3. My last question is does it matter which direction the pickup is facing? Meaning is there a low string end and a high string end.?

Thank you for your help.
Gerry C

[Caleb_Elling]

Hey Gerry,
I've installed the Lyric mic directly to the top on a few occasions, and it's worked well. It's mostly been in smaller-bodied guitars, but when the space is limited, it is a viable option.

I would try the mic behind the pins, directly to the top, slightly toward the treble side. The bass response won't likely change that much, but it should help to tame any honk or mid-range harshness.

To answer your other questions, the mic faces the mounting surface, while the reflections from the guitar body are cancelled out through the holes in the top of the mic housing. Mounting the mic to a brace would still produce sound, but it wouldn't be nearly as direct or as full as mounting to the top.

For the mic itself, as long as it's mounted to a flat surface, it's non-directional. So you can orielnt the housing as needed to fit around different bracing patterns.

[gerryc]

Hi Caleb,
I tried the placement you recommended, still way too boxy. Is there a reason why this pickup is recommended to be ON the bridge plate. There are no transducers in it anywhere, are there? Or does it pick up vibration. If not then at the end of the day, it's just a mic right,?
Can you email me some mic placement diagrams, I need to try something away from the bridge.
Thanks so much,

[email protected]

Thnx
Gerry C

[Caleb_Elling]

Ok, I will send you that diagram right now.

The Lyric was designed to go on the bridge plate since that is where the energy from the guitar top is strongest. Because of that, it tends to provide the most consistent results across different body styles, etc.

In some cases, smaller-bodied guitars sound good with the mic off of the bridge plate, while Dreadnoughts tend to sound best with the stock placement.