[Olivier]

Hello,
I recieved my melodica Hamond Pro hp44 yesterday and I was wondering how the microphone system was working. It doesn’t seem to rely on batteries. I don’t have anything to amplify the sound yet but I find it strange that it doesn’t seem to have batteries in it. I tried to plug headphones in it but it obviously did not work. How does the microphone gets the energy to work?
Olivier

[Melodica-Me]

Olivier, it is a dynamic pickup like a microphone, no power is needed but they are low level so you will Need a clean boost to push the output level. Connecting your headphone will not work unless they are amplified headphone.
Melodica-Me

[Olivier]

Hello Melodica-Me,
Thanks for your answer. What would I need to buy in order for it to work? If I plug in a standard guitar amplifier, would it work? If I understood correctly, it doesn’t need additional power to work. My friend was telling me about fantome power mixers that deliver 48 voltes of energy. I guess I shouldn’t plug it in this kind of mixers.
Olivier

[Melodica-Me]

Hi Olivier, there are three ways, you can use a in-line transformer about $10-$20 bucks. you connect the cord from your melodica to the inline transformer then from the transformer to your amplifier so you will need two cords. the next is to use a clean boost pedal. This one has a bass and treble boost which is nice to have.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/New-Mooer-Pure-Boost-Clean-Boost-Micro-Guitar-Effects-Pedal/112437833598?_trkparms=aid%3D555018%26algo%3DPL.SIM%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D20131003132420%26meid%3Dad62b391915b49a68066687d7b8d1ae7%26pid%3D100005%26rk%3D4%26rkt%3D12%26sd%3D261579478720%26itm%3D112437833598&_trksid=p2047675.c100005.m1851

Connection is the same as the inline transformer. These pedals are much more expensive $50-200. and the last is a D.I. “Direct Input” box this is the same as a clean boost. these usually have a low impedance out as well which is nice for recording. This method works best for me when I use the Hammond Melodeon. Speaking of recording, I personally do not like the built in pick up for recording, it does not represent what the melodica actually sounds like. I use a microphone for a natural sound. I use a pedal board for effects and do use the built in pick up for that but mike my amplifier. I can go directly from the pedal board to the IA converter for recording which works great.
Hope this Helps
Melodica-Me

[Olivier]

Hello Melodica-Me,
Thanks for your answer. Your explainations were clear. I would have another question about d.i.i. Tonight, I had a music practise and when we tried to plug the melodica in the mixer with a passive d.i.i, it didn’t work. I thought I broke the melodica’s 1/4 input when trying plugging headphones last week. However, we tried with a guitar amplifier and it worked. At my school, we also have active d.i.i. Our plan is to plug my melodica in the mixer with an active d.i.i next week. If we do that, would it break the melodica because of the power of the active d.i.i. Another of my friends told me that sending electricity in an instrument that did not required power could break the input jack. I hope my explainations were clear. English is not my first language and I don’t know a lot about mixers, sound and all of that.
Olivier

[Melodica-Me]

Hi Olivier, you will not have any issues plugging it in to an active DI Box. You plug your melodica out to the input of the D.I. box and the output of the D.I. Box to the input of the mixer. The difference between both is the following. The active D.I. requires a power source like a battery or plugin transformer. The passive D.I. dose not require power but the source needs to have power. You questioned earlier why your melodica did not have a battery, if it did you would then use a passive D.I., thats why you did not hear anything. Some amplifiers have D.I. outputs that you would plug into a passive D.I. and run that to a mixer. You will need an active D.I. to bring the signal of your melodica up to the mixer. If you plug the melodica to an active D.I. to an amplifiers you will get the boost you need for a louder melodica. The D.I. also balances the high impedance of your melodica to a low impeadance (XLR) input of the mixer for better tonality. As long as you do not put the output of the D.I to the input of the melodica you will be OK.
I hope this helps
Melodica-Me

[Author]

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