Schertler STAT Series User manual

MANUAL
WWW . S C H E R T L E R . C O M
ELECTROSTATIC CONTACT MICROPHONE
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STAT
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ELECTROSTATIC
PICKUPS
Congratulations on purchasing a STAT Series pickup. It is our pleasure to welcome you to a growing
family of musicians and technicians, including many of the world’s leading soloists and sound
engineers, who have chosen to work with SCHERTLER® products.
Developed over 30 years ago, the rst STAT pickup (for double bass) was specially designed
to reproduce the true sound of this acoustically complex instrument in an amplied environment.
Rather than being based on piezoelectric principles, this new pickup’s technology was very similar
to that of a condenser mic and was therefore considered revolutionary for bowed string instrument
amplifcation back in 1986 when STAT B rst appeared. Since then the technology has been applied
to STAT pickups for other bowed instruments, with the specic aim of reproducing the best possible
string sound in louder musical environments.
All SCHERTLER contact microphones are developed and manufactured according to the highest
standards of design, material quality and workmanship in order to ensure longevity. However, it is
important to always handle your microphone with care so that it will provide reliable service.
In our continuing quest to improve the transmission and reproduction of acoustic instrument sound,
we also hope that our STAT pickup system will enhance your personal performing or recording
experience.
Stephan Schertler
and the SCHERTLER Team

INTRODUCTION
3
The STAT pickup system represents one of SCHERTLER’s most well-established electrostatic
technologies. Over the decades it has become a standard in the eld of high-quality, acoustic bowed
instrument amplication.
Specially developed for use in louder musical environments and impressively resistant to feedback,
the bridge-mounted STAT microphone is an ideal choice for jazz, fusion, rock or classical
performances involving high levels of amplication. STAT is designed to accurately reproduce the
warm sound of the instrument strings during performance, giving depth and body to the lower ones
while reproducing the clarity and brightness of the upper ones.
STAT pickups are available individually, or packaged with a choice of preamps that give the player
exibility and control over a range of sound parameters.
To make the most of your STAT pickup’s capability and to ensure trouble-free operation, please
read this manual carefully before using the pickup for the rst time. We also advise keeping
the manual for future reference.
SCHERTLER STAT Series: Made in Switzerland

ELECTROSTATIC
PICKUPS
FITTING THE PICKUP
• The pickup capsule should be tted more or less vertically in the bridge hole under the G string
for double bass, A string for cello and viola, and under the E string for violin, with the cork facing
upwards. See Fig 1.
• Grind the top of the cork until the capsule ts precisely in the hole. (If necessary, you can use
a sharp knife to cut the cork before grinding.) The upper side of the cork must be shaped so that
it matches the top of the bridge hole exactly. Failure to do this correctly (as shown in Fig 2) will
compromise the sound results.
• If the bridge hole tting is too small (especially on the violin), it may have to be slightly enlarged
towards the top as shown in Fig 3.
• If the bridge holes are very small, it may be necessary to shorten the bridge wings to allow the
wedge to be xed deeper, thus allowing more space for the capsule as shown in Fig 4. (On the
double bass, the cork should not be ground off to less than 6 mm (1/4”)).
• Fix the connector to the tailpiece as shown in Fig 5.
Note: If you have ground away too much cork, or if the cork has shrunk (which can happen over
time), you can check whether you are missing even a fraction of a millimeter of contact by putting
a thin piece of paper under the pickup. If the sound improves, you can permanently x this issue by
applying one or two layers of varnish to the top of the cork. If this is not sufcient, you will need to
re-cork the pickup. (Please ask our assistance team for more information about this.)

5
Fig. 1
vertical
wood
space > 1 mm
Fig. 2
Fig. 3 Fig. 4
Fig. 5
min. 6 mm
(1/4”)STAT B STAT C STAT V

ELECTROSTATIC
PICKUPS
If you have purchased a STAT SET package, this will include the STAT PRE preamplier. The battery-
powered preamp requires a 9 V battery, which should deliver nearly 500 hours of playing time.
Equipped with a single INPUT and OUTPUT, plus a GAIN control for adjusting the level of input
signal, the preamp is activated when jack cables are inserted into both the INPUT and OUTPUT
sockets. (If only the INPUT is connected, there is no use of battery power.) However, to preserve
battery life it is generally recommended that all cables are disconnected when the preamp is not
in use.
To check the battery level, insert a mono jack into the OUTPUT. The blue CHECK light indicates a
charged battery. The system will be ready to work once a jack is also inserted into the INPUT.
To change the battery, carefully remove the four screws from the housing cover, replace the battery,
then replace the screws.
WARNING: Although all ground connections are correctly implemented on the STAT system
(pickup, cables, STAT PRE box and circuit), they are not directly connected to ground (and are
therefore “oating”), as they actually depend on the grounding connection of the device to which
the STAT system is connected. If that device is not properly grounded, or generates a ground loop,
it is possible to experience hum. Solving the problem requires attention to the device’s ground
connection, usually via the GROUND LIFT switch.
In short: the ground connection must be provided by the device to which the STAT system is
connected.
STAT PRE
preamplier

7
TECHNICAL
INFORMATION
SPECS
Transducer type
Output impedance
Frequency response (@+/-3dB) - ltered*
Dynamic range
Sensitivity
Operating voltage
Contacts
For xed installation
Removable
Connection
Cable length
Transducer type
Output impedance
Frequency response (@+/-3dB) - ltered*
Dynamic range
Sensitivity
Operating voltage
Contacts
For xed installation
Removable
Connection
Cable length
Transducer type
Output impedance
Frequency response (@+/-3dB) - ltered*
Dynamic range
Sensitivity
Operating voltage
Contacts
For xed installation
Removable
Connection
Cable length
STAT B
Electrostatic contact microphone
1.6 kΩ
20 Hz to 12 kHz
75 dB
ca. -25 dBu
3 to 10 VDC
All hard gold plated 0.5 mm
Yes
Yes
RCA to jack
0.32 m + extra cable 1.9 m
STAT C
Electrostatic contact microphone
1.6 kΩ
20 Hz to 12 kHz
75 dB
ca. -25 dBu
3 to 10 VDC
All hard gold plated 0.5 mm
Yes
Yes
RCA
0.25 m + extra cable 1.9 m
STAT V
Electrostatic contact microphone
2 kΩ
60 Hz to 12 kHz
70 dB
ca. -20 dBu
3 to 10 VDC
All hard gold plated 0.5 mm
Yes
Yes
Binder
0.17 m + extra cable 2.25 m
*Output frequency response is electronically ltered to better match the specic application.

ELECTROSTATIC
PICKUPS
FAQ
The STAT PRE’s circuit is turned on when a jack
is plugged into the OUTPUT. At this point it also
starts to consume battery power (as opposed
to when you only plug a jack into the INPUT
socket). When turned on, the circuit includes
the BATTERY CHECK LED, so you can check
whether or not the battery may be dead. Once
a jack is plugged into the INPUT, the LED goes
off. (This is intended for when the preamp is
used on stage where a blue light may not be
wanted.)
Remember that the STAT PRE’s potentiometer
is a gain control, not a volume control. If you
don’t have the possibility to bypass the amp’s
internal preamplier (like connecting the STAT
PRE to a Return or a Line input), your signal
passes through two stages of preamplication
and the power amp receives a way-too-strong
signal level, causing distortion.
Keep the amp’s gain control barely open so that
you can regulate the gain using the STAT PRE’s
potentiometer.
Do I turn on the STAT PRE by plugging the jack
into the INPUT or OUTPUT?
When I plug into the amp, I get distortion, what
can I do?

9
For specic information on personal instrument
compatibility or setup, please email our
assistance service. Our specialists will be
pleased to help you.
You can nd all our contacts in the footer of
every SCHERTLER website page:
www.schertler. com
You can follow the “Fitting the Pickup”
instructions in this manual. There are also some
tutorial videos on the SCHERTLER YouTube
channel (please subscribe if you like). However,
please bear in mind that the positioning might
affect the overall sound, depending on your
personal taste or the characteristics of your
instrument.
Yes, if you frequently remove the STAT from the
instrument, it might happen that the cork wears
out. You can either buy a replacement cork with
the right dimensions from us, or you can use
one from a good bottle of your favorite wine
(as long as it is natural cork, not the synthetic
one)! Remember to cut the old cork about
2-3 mm away from the base in order to avoid
any damage to the microphone. Cut it straight
to get a plain horizontal surface on which to
glue the new cork.
You can use common contact glue like the
one used for shoe repair. Please follow the
manufacturer’s instructions for its application.
Do not use super glue. This is not elastic
enough and it doesn’t propagate the vibrations
correctly, so you could end up with a different
sound.
As long as the wireless transmitter can provide
the 10 VDC required by the electret microphone
to work, it is possible to use your STAT pickup
directly with a wireless system. If not, you need
to connect the wireless transmitter after the
preamp (STAT PRE or YELLOW).
Is my setup correct?
Is the installation correct? Is there a video?
Is the cork replaceable? How can I do it?
Can I use my STAT with a wireless system?

ELECTROSTATIC
PICKUPS