Man the amount of time you’ve put into making these videos of so many pickups is mind blowing, and very much appreciated. Thanks for all you do, definitely the number one resource for comparing pickups.
man i so wanted to love this, i was on the original zoom call that Lloyd used to do when he announced this idea a couple of years ago. But i’m so sorry to say, the Anthem still blows this away. Great idea on paper, but a near miss. So glad i went ahead & put the Anthem in my Martins. Thanks for all you do, Aaron. 🏅
All I can say is on the gig where I took my Anthem Martin guitar and the guitar with the HiFi Duet I couldn’t switch over to it fast enough but I was using IEM’s. I think it depends on the application.
Just listened with headphones. My preference was 1) External Mic, 2) 100% Internal Mic, 3) 50/50 4) Mic at 0% on both guitars. If you need more mids to cut through live then 50/50. I was surprised how good internal mic sounded and how much I didn’t care for only bridge transducer with internal mic set at 0. Not sure if overall it’s and improvement over Anthem, but is certainly less invasive not having to mess with saddle.
@@rexomatic8667 Thanks for commenting! I like the 100% mic too but I find I use all of these settings depending on the application whereas I mostly use 95% mic with the Anthem.
Thanks for sharing. I agree it sounds very natural but some people want a natural sound and some don’t. That’s why there are many different kinds of pickups but Baggs really created something new for the market with the Duet and I think many players are going to like it.
I recently purchased an OM-28 Modern Deluxe without a pickup as I knew this would be coming to market. I will be installing the Duet in a couple months. This is the best option for non evasive installation on high end guitars at this time. Thanks for the video.
Thanks to you and the attention you and Lloyd Baggs gave the Hifi Duett I’m having the Duett installed in my Martin M-36. Had to wait more than two months for the pickup to arrive ontheffing Netherlands though. I’m excited and eager to find out how I will like this compared to the Fishman Aura pickup in my Martin OMC-35E and the Fishman Matrix in my Martin grand J-12 12-string. Thanks for all your thoughts on the subject.
Sounds good! I'm liking the blend knob on my aeg-1 at about 3 o'clock, or just enough back from full that the punch comes back. Only played it through studio monitors and a fender fr-10 so far. Excited to try it live, next show is NYE.
I think it’s important to find the sweet spot. I like around 40% on the Dowina guitar which is what I have used in the livestreams. For some gigs I preferred closer to all pickup. It really depends on the room and the gig.
I think it sounded great at 50/50 on fingerstyle on both guitars. Strumming it was fine. I have a taylor 414 with a K&K Trinty Pro installed which I love but I play at church and I'm often wireless so clipping on the pros external preamp to my guitar strap has been making me feel like I'm putting on a Les Paul or something. lol Been interested in this one since I know its a similar concept without the need of the external preamp. But idk if I'd rather go with this new Hifi Duet or go with the tried and true Anthem. I wont replace the the Trinity but rather put a new preamp in my Martin for wireless use. not sure but it does sound good.
What was interesting to me is that I preferred the strumming tone of the Dowina but liked the sound of the Bourgeois for fingerpicking a lot better. As far as amplified sound, (excluding the external mic which sounded nicest) 50% mic I thought provided the closest acoustic space and depth of the external mic but it needed EQ-ing.
Just listened with headphones… not sure why but the HiFi sounds very muffled by itself. With 100% mic it sounds too airy and at 50% it’s ok but still sounds muffled to me. Just not digging it the way I thought I would. I went with an Anthem SL from your recommendation and to me that sounds way better so I’m happy I don’t have to get rid of that for this :). Thanks for the excellent review!
When you have the pickups on the bridge plate it’s going to be less ‘present’. Some people prefer that and some don’t. It all goes back to the undersaddle vs K&K debate. External EQ can mitigate it somewhat.
Loving this pickup series. Thank you! What are your thoughts on the Cole Clark PG3 system vs HiFi Duet? I’m trying to decide if I upgrade my old 2 way Fat Lady 3 pickup or install the HiFi duet into my Taylor 814.
They are quite different as are the two guitars that you have. I would say it’s worth upgrading your Cole Clark pickup and also adding the Duet to your Taylor so that you can plug that in as well if finances allow.
Listening to it , I think this system is more tailored towards finger style playing For chord work ( especially in a band setting) I'm wondering if this will cut through enough I play my acoustics a lot in a band setting
@aaronshortmusic Yeah I can hear that Aaron - that's why I say it sounds more suited to finger style/ solo acoustic My fear it won't cut through in a band setting, where an Element does Yes the Element can be a bit quacky ( but tamed a bit with a Session DI) but in a band setting it matters less than solo
Ok, so, blunt response😅 the hifi alone sounds dull, the 100percent mic sounds boxy, the two together are ok. I think the anthem beats this still because it sounds more lively. Here's a thought, even thought it's currently not possible, I wonder what the under saddle from the anthem mixed with the under bridge from the hifi together would sound like.😁
@aaronshortmusic cool. To my ears, that'd be the ticket. If I was good with electronics, I could probably Frankenstein a system together from my vtc and a hifi 😊😁
@aaronshortmusic I'm currently waiting for 2 Klōs guitars. A carbon timber grand cutaway and a custom carbine timber 12 string grand, which both will have the anthem. Fingers crossed😁. Call your buddy Lloyd and ask him to make a system to try like I described with a blend option, and see what happens 😁😋🍻
I like the HiFi Duet but I don't "love it". I'm still on the fence if it's worth $450. I have been gigging my Anthem equipped guitars along side the HiFi Duet guitar and I still LOVE the Anthem. I don't care that I dial in the trumic on the Anthem 90% - 100% It sounds good. If I'm in a noisier and more challenging venue, I dial more toward the Element UST and its punchy. Same could be said for the HiFi Duet. It's punchier with more HiFi Sensor and less mic. I am also hearing the Silo mic as mostly adding Hi Frequency and a little goes a long way. The more Silo mic I dial in, the less I like how the system sounds. I am still in the 40-50% Silo mic camp ...at MOST.
Thanks for sharing. I think those that hate the idea of the Element under their saddle or have a long glued in saddle will appreciate the Duet more but I to say I have been preferring the more natural sound of the Duet. Of course that doesn’t mean that I no longer recommend the Anthem, it’s still an excellent system.
External mic sounded best, but I bet some modest EQ on the pickup signal would've brought it much closer. I want to hear the guitar's character - without piezo ping. Needing a little EQ is a small price to pay.
Thanks! An external mic isn’t comparable to any pickup system it’s just there as a reference. It picks up the string noise and some of the room which adds a lot more presence and character. I think I should do some videos on EQ in the future as it’s important to getting the best sound from any system.
The Bourgeois was meant to be heard acoustically and therefore through a microphone. As is said about great acoustic guitars, the Bourgeois is a cannon.
Posting a video about that later. The AER is excellent. I used to gig with them back in the day. Acoustic amps often have their own flavor that they give to the sound. It’s good to reference through a flat response PA as well. An acoustic amp can give more ‘kick’ the way a tube amp does for an electric guitar.
Your sounds are not good. Horrible tone less guitar sounds. L r Baggs system get a big thumbs down from me. I favour. B-Band transducers for best acoustic sound amplified to an AER Domino amp.
Man the amount of time you’ve put into making these videos of so many pickups is mind blowing, and very much appreciated. Thanks for all you do, definitely the number one resource for comparing pickups.
Thanks. I enjoy it.
What we've been waiting for Aaron!
Cheers! Have you tried it yet?
@aaronshortmusic
No I'm still on Anthem/Element ( in cheaper guitars)
Thanks for the video Aaron! We all loved 40% - 50% range of mix, during the live demo.
Yes me too for most applications but it does seem to depend on the guitar.
man i so wanted to love this, i was on the original zoom call that Lloyd used to do when he announced this idea a couple of years ago. But i’m so sorry to say, the Anthem still blows this away. Great idea on paper, but a near miss. So glad i went ahead & put the Anthem in my Martins. Thanks for all you do, Aaron. 🏅
All I can say is on the gig where I took my Anthem Martin guitar and the guitar with the HiFi Duet I couldn’t switch over to it fast enough but I was using IEM’s. I think it depends on the application.
Just listened with headphones. My preference was 1) External Mic, 2) 100% Internal Mic, 3) 50/50 4) Mic at 0% on both guitars. If you need more mids to cut through live then 50/50. I was surprised how good internal mic sounded and how much I didn’t care for only bridge transducer with internal mic set at 0. Not sure if overall it’s and improvement over Anthem, but is certainly less invasive not having to mess with saddle.
@@rexomatic8667 Thanks for commenting! I like the 100% mic too but I find I use all of these settings depending on the application whereas I mostly use 95% mic with the Anthem.
I basically agree with what was said
I have the Duet installed in my OM-28 Modern Deluxe. I sure like sounding like an acoustic when I’m plugged in.
Thanks for sharing. I agree it sounds very natural but some people want a natural sound and some don’t. That’s why there are many different kinds of pickups but Baggs really created something new for the market with the Duet and I think many players are going to like it.
Thanks for sharing. I have an OM28 MD, and I’m torn between the Duet and Anthem. Have an Anthem in my HD28…
Great video, Aaron.
@ I would go to the HiFi Duet but if you love the Anthem then maybe stick with another one…
I recently purchased an OM-28 Modern Deluxe without a pickup as I knew this would be coming to market. I will be installing the Duet in a couple months. This is the best option for non evasive installation on high end guitars at this time. Thanks for the video.
@ I think it will be a good match for that guitar.
Thanks to you and the attention you and Lloyd Baggs gave the Hifi Duett I’m having the Duett installed in my Martin M-36. Had to wait more than two months for the pickup to arrive ontheffing Netherlands though. I’m excited and eager to find out how I will like this compared to the Fishman Aura pickup in my Martin OMC-35E and the Fishman Matrix in my Martin grand J-12 12-string. Thanks for all your thoughts on the subject.
Glad I could help. Please let us know your thoughts here once you have it installed!
@@aaronshortmusic Will do
Sounds good! I'm liking the blend knob on my aeg-1 at about 3 o'clock, or just enough back from full that the punch comes back. Only played it through studio monitors and a fender fr-10 so far. Excited to try it live, next show is NYE.
I think it’s important to find the sweet spot. I like around 40% on the Dowina guitar which is what I have used in the livestreams. For some gigs I preferred closer to all pickup. It really depends on the room and the gig.
I think it sounded great at 50/50 on fingerstyle on both guitars. Strumming it was fine. I have a taylor 414 with a K&K Trinty Pro installed which I love but I play at church and I'm often wireless so clipping on the pros external preamp to my guitar strap has been making me feel like I'm putting on a Les Paul or something. lol Been interested in this one since I know its a similar concept without the need of the external preamp. But idk if I'd rather go with this new Hifi Duet or go with the tried and true Anthem. I wont replace the the Trinity but rather put a new preamp in my Martin for wireless use. not sure but it does sound good.
Cool. You can’t go wrong with either but I would try the HiFi Duet first as it will sound closer to the Trinity.
What was interesting to me is that I preferred the strumming tone of the Dowina but liked the sound of the Bourgeois for fingerpicking a lot better.
As far as amplified sound, (excluding the external mic which sounded nicest) 50% mic I thought provided the closest acoustic space and depth of the external mic but it needed EQ-ing.
I forgot to mention that the Dowina is brand new and that Bourgeois is 15 years old and heavily played in!
Just listened with headphones… not sure why but the HiFi sounds very muffled by itself. With 100% mic it sounds too airy and at 50% it’s ok but still sounds muffled to me. Just not digging it the way I thought I would. I went with an Anthem SL from your recommendation and to me that sounds way better so I’m happy I don’t have to get rid of that for this :). Thanks for the excellent review!
When you have the pickups on the bridge plate it’s going to be less ‘present’. Some people prefer that and some don’t. It all goes back to the undersaddle vs K&K debate. External EQ can mitigate it somewhat.
@@aaronshortmusicI guess i’m one of those people who prefer it to be more “present”.
@@jonberry2021Right but you can always use EQ later on.
Loving this pickup series. Thank you!
What are your thoughts on the Cole Clark PG3 system vs HiFi Duet?
I’m trying to decide if I upgrade my old 2 way Fat Lady 3 pickup or install the HiFi duet into my Taylor 814.
They are quite different as are the two guitars that you have. I would say it’s worth upgrading your Cole Clark pickup and also adding the Duet to your Taylor so that you can plug that in as well if finances allow.
Listening to it , I think this system is more tailored towards finger style playing
For chord work ( especially in a band setting) I'm wondering if this will cut through enough
I play my acoustics a lot in a band setting
@@SteveSingerFowkes You can always use external EQ to shape but the base tone is more natural and warmer than an undersaddle.
@aaronshortmusic
Yeah I can hear that Aaron - that's why I say it sounds more suited to finger style/ solo acoustic
My fear it won't cut through in a band setting, where an Element does
Yes the Element can be a bit quacky ( but tamed a bit with a Session DI) but in a band setting it matters less than solo
I play mostly the traditional finger style (without a lot of tapping) and I like it.
Ok, so, blunt response😅 the hifi alone sounds dull, the 100percent mic sounds boxy, the two together are ok. I think the anthem beats this still because it sounds more lively. Here's a thought, even thought it's currently not possible, I wonder what the under saddle from the anthem mixed with the under bridge from the hifi together would sound like.😁
I would like to see a new kind of undersaddle paired with the HiFi. I’m going to talk about that a little in the Baggs AEG review.
@aaronshortmusic cool. To my ears, that'd be the ticket. If I was good with electronics, I could probably Frankenstein a system together from my vtc and a hifi 😊😁
@ BUT I understand why they didn’t do it. It would be quite complicated and more $$$. The Anthem is still for sale for those that want it.
@aaronshortmusic I'm currently waiting for 2 Klōs guitars. A carbon timber grand cutaway and a custom carbine timber 12 string grand, which both will have the anthem. Fingers crossed😁. Call your buddy Lloyd and ask him to make a system to try like I described with a blend option, and see what happens 😁😋🍻
I like the HiFi Duet but I don't "love it". I'm still on the fence if it's worth $450. I have been gigging my Anthem equipped guitars along side the HiFi Duet guitar and I still LOVE the Anthem. I don't care that I dial in the trumic on the Anthem 90% - 100% It sounds good. If I'm in a noisier and more challenging venue, I dial more toward the Element UST and its punchy. Same could be said for the HiFi Duet. It's punchier with more HiFi Sensor and less mic. I am also hearing the Silo mic as mostly adding Hi Frequency and a little goes a long way. The more Silo mic I dial in, the less I like how the system sounds. I am still in the 40-50% Silo mic camp ...at MOST.
Thanks for sharing. I think those that hate the idea of the Element under their saddle or have a long glued in saddle will appreciate the Duet more but I to say I have been preferring the more natural sound of the Duet. Of course that doesn’t mean that I no longer recommend the Anthem, it’s still an excellent system.
And preferred the Bourgeois.
External mic sounded best, but I bet some modest EQ on the pickup signal would've brought it much closer. I want to hear the guitar's character - without piezo ping. Needing a little EQ is a small price to pay.
Thanks! An external mic isn’t comparable to any pickup system it’s just there as a reference. It picks up the string noise and some of the room which adds a lot more presence and character. I think I should do some videos on EQ in the future as it’s important to getting the best sound from any system.
The Bourgeois was meant to be heard acoustically and therefore through a microphone. As is said about great acoustic guitars, the Bourgeois is a cannon.
I’d say that both of these guitars are made to be recorded with a microphone or with a pickup system.
I was ready to get one, but am going to go with another Lyric instead. It just doesn’t sound much better to my ear, and more than twice the cost
If you know you like the Lyric already then that makes sense.
You should do a video compare to the anthem
Already did!
I think the Anthem sounds better. I am surprised you're using an AER compact 60
Posting a video about that later. The AER is excellent. I used to gig with them back in the day. Acoustic amps often have their own flavor that they give to the sound. It’s good to reference through a flat response PA as well. An acoustic amp can give more ‘kick’ the way a tube amp does for an electric guitar.
Great Vid! Im checking it out more now as an Anthem user, at $450 price tag their out of there mind. for the price gouge makes me lose interest.
I don’t see why. It’s $130 more and is a brand new system. I think it’s worth it if you want to get away from undersaddle pickups.
@ to much for the technology that is already there 🙃
@ There isn’t another system like this though. The closest is the K&K Trinity and that has more issues with feedback and is $359.
Your sounds are not good. Horrible tone less guitar sounds. L r Baggs system get a big thumbs down from me. I favour. B-Band transducers for best acoustic sound amplified to an AER Domino amp.
Enjoy the B Band!