Highlander H-MIC User manual

The information and graphics contained in this document are the property of Highlander Musical Audio Products. Copying of any kind is prohibited, except for personal use only.
©
Highlander Musical Audio Products 1991-2009
For more information please visit our web site.
email: [email protected]
Contact us at:
USA & Canada Toll Free: 888.658.1819, Phone: [phone], Fax: [phone]
870 Capitolio Way,Unit 3, San Luis Obispo,CA 93401
internal Mic and Preamplifier for Acoustic Guitar
internal Mic and Preamplifier for Acoustic Guitar
The capsule is a professional,
high quality, omni directional,
low noise, electret condenser
with a smooth, open high end, firm lows and warm mids.The capsule is
suspended in its housing by three special ‘isolation mounts’ to prevent
the transmission of undesirable 'guitar body sounds' to the capsule.
Capsule
Capsule
Housing
Isolation Mount
Isolation Mounts
Gooseneck
Mounting Clip
Capsule
Cork
Pads
Mini Jack, mates with the
Access Jack on the iP-2
+9 Volts (to the Ring)
Audio (from the Tip)
h ighlanderpickups.com
ighlanderpickups.com
About the Mic About the Capsule
About the Preamp
internal Mic Tech Specs.
Frequency Response: 20Hz to 22KHz
The actual low end response will vary depending on the guitar and mic placement.
Noise and Distortion: < -97dB (Ref -10dB)
Well below the threshold of hearing
Capsule Sensitivity: -43dB
Pickup Pattern: Omni Directional
Power Consumption: 9V @ < 400uA
Battery life of an iP-2 + Mic is > 600 hours (using a new,alkaline,9 volt battery.)
High Quality, Omni Directional, Electret Capsule
High Quality,Wideband Microphone Preamplifier
Professional Gooseneck
Miniature gooseneck combines great flexibility with the
ability to hold its position, making it easy to fine tune the
mic’s position after installation.
Mounting Clip
Made from steel, this durable clip houses the preamp.
The surfaces of the clip that come into contact with the
back brace have a layer of non-slip cork attached.This helps
the Mic stay in place, protects the back brace and provides
a little overall isolation.
Mini Jack
3.5mm Mini Jack is wired to plug directly into the Access
Jack of an iP-2.
If you have ever experimented with a high
quality microphone inside of a guitar, you will
have experienced how bad this can sound.
Regular microphones are not designed to be placed inside guitars.
At Highlander considerable research into this phenomenon has resulted in the
design of our 'internal Mic'.
The capsule and preamp are
designed to work together
to eliminate the undesirable
side effects of placing a mic
in a guitar.
This mic must be placed in a
guitar in order to achieve its
full performance.
Mounted in the clip, this is a
high performance 'class A,' fully
discrete, super low noise and
distortion preamp. It is designed to match the capsule's characteristics
and provide outstanding sound quality, while causing minimal drain
on the battery.
The use of a built-in preamp
ensures a consistant high
performance from the mic
capsule while alowing the
mic to be plugged in to any
regular acoustic guitar amp.
A special mic input is not
required.
Thank you for purchasing the
Highlander internal Mic
Built to take the rigors of the
road, you can rely on a
Highlander.

1
/ 2 " - 1"
(13mm - 25mm)
B
atter
y
For optimum microphone performance and ease of installation, please take a
For optimum microphone performance and ease of installation, please take a
moment to read through this Installation Guide before beginning. Thank You.
moment to read through this Installation Guide before beginning. Thank You.
Assuming the iP-2 is already
installed, carefully remove the
strings and tape the saddle in
place to maintain pickup position.
Audio from the Mic is available
on the ring of the Output Jack.
The application of a little Deoxit
TM
D5 to the stem of the plug prior to
plugging in will help maintain a
clean connection for years to come.
Avoid getting Deoxit
TM
D5 on the
guitar or microphone.
lc
cro
®
Velcro
®
Velcro®
Velcro
lcro
®
®
Insure the 3.5mm mini jack is
clean, wipe with a dry, lint free,
cotton cloth. Lay the Mic in the
guitar and plug the mini jack firmly
into the Access Jack of the iP-2.
Velcro the connectors in place.
Clip the Mic to a back brace and
adjust the gooseneck so that the Mic
sits in the desired 'sweet spot'.
See 'Positioning the Capsule' below.
Excess cable is held in place on the back of the guitar with Velcro®. Cables
should be loosely coiled. The Velcro® ensures the cable will not be pinched.
AVOID SHARP BENDS, KINKS or TWISTS IN THE CABLES.
Internal Mic Installation
Internal Mic Installation
The information and graphics contained in this document are the property of Highlander Musical Audio Products. Copying of any kind is prohibited, except for personal use only.
©
Highlander Musical Audio Products 1991-2009
Press the saddle down firmly on to the pickup and replace the strings starting with the 'D' string.
While tensioning the 'D' string, press the saddle back (away from the sound hole) and down to prevent the saddle from binding in the
saddle slot and loosing contact with the pickup. Bring the string to pitch.
Next, replace the 'G' String then the rest of the strings. Plug in and check the string balance and sound quality of the installation.
The microphone position indicated below has
provided excellent results in a variety of guitars.
The 'sweet spot' will vary from guitar to guitar.
Recommended distance from the capsule to the strings.
If the capsule is too far back into
the guitar the sound is indistinct
and feedback is more likely.
Strings
Guitar Top
If the capsule is too far forward, it may be hit by a guitar pick or finger nail.
Positioning the Capsule
Positioning the Capsule
There really isn't a magical mic position that will suit every guitar or satisfy every musician's personal
preference. However, there are some basics that can help expedite the search for the 'sweet spot'.
One of the purposes of the guitar body is to acoustically amplify the lower
notes. The higher pitches and harmonics come straight from the top of the
guitar. By positioning the mic capsule deeper into the body a more muffled,
indistinct sound is produced that is more prone to low frequency feedback.
By positioning the capsule in the sound hole, facing and within an inch of the
strings, some of the highs coming from the top and from the strings can be
'heard' by the mic.Also, low frequency feedback is reduced.
Listening through headphones can help when experimenting with mic
positioning. Check any good sounding mic position for feedback. As a last
resort the mic signal can be left out of the monitor speakers and fed to the
main PA speakers only.
Feedback is a potential problem with any microphone. Speaker placement,
monitor speaker placement in particular, and room acoustics are just a few of
the factors that contribute to feedback. Experience and some careful
experimentation are required to determine optimal conditions for each
venue. Check our web site for more information on this and other technical
issues facing acoustic musicians using amplification or recording equipment.
Power to the Mic is switched 'on' only when the iP-2 is plugged in.
The Internal Mic cannot be operated from phantom power.
Gooseneck
Mic Capsule
Deoxit
TM
D5 prevents oxidization. Available from electronic hobbyist stores and various guitar supply, mail order catalogs.
End
Block
Attach the Mic
3
Restring the Guitar
4
About Power
Plug in the Mic
2
Preparation
1
Back Brace
Gooseneck
Clip
Capsule