Manufacturers Details:
Hot SoundSpot™
SoundSpots are ultra-sensitive transducer pickups suitable for stringed and non-stringed acoustic and ethnic instruments.
Unlike other “dot-type” transducer pickups, each SoundSpot™ is hand ground to extremely fine tolerances. This process,
along with the selection of materials, renders a pickup with a very thin surface that also maintains its strength and
flexibility. The result is a transducer that is ultra-sensitive to an instrument’s surface vibrations and, therefore,
is extremely natural and warm sounding.
• Ultra-sensitive transducer pickup
• Hand ground to extremely fine tolerances
• Versions available for most acoustic instruments
• Extremely natural and warm sounding
• High grade materials for strength and flexibility
Pickup
HOT SoundSpot
Position
Near the head’s edge
Applying The Pickup
Find a location on the conga’s head that won’t be hit during most playing, and affix the pickup with its metal
side against the head. Finding the best location will take a bit of experimentation, so don’t attach the pickup
permanently until you’ve found the best spot for your needs.
For testing, hold the pickup down with a 1"-wide piece of adhesive tape; stick it over the black side of the HOT
SoundSpot and press the tape firmly around it. Once you’ve found the optimum location, remove the adhesive tape and
affix the pickup to the head using double-sided adhesive tape.
If you plan to attach the HOT SoundSpot to a drum that has a natural skin head covered with fur, smooth the area with
fine sandpaper before applying the double-stick tape. This ensures better adhesion.
Note: Two or more congas’ pickups can be combined for a single output.
Jack
The 1/4" output jack should be adhered to the outside of the conga using the included jack clip.
Usage Tips
Because you’ll most likely amplify your congas through a P.A. system or vocal amplifier, you’ll have to adjust the
EQ to suit the instrument. Try increasing the bass while decreasing the treble. It may also be necessary to decrease
the midrange in the 1kHz range. For P.A. and recording applications, a high-quality direct box such
as the D-TAR Solstice or Equinox is suggested.
Here are some important points to remember:
1. When playing two congas, you can split the sound into two channels for stereo.
2. When recording, you can employ two HOT SoundSpot pickups and a microphone for an extra-big sound. Plug the HOT SoundSpot on the left conga into channel 1, the right conga’s HOT SoundSpot into channel 2, and send the overhead microphone to channel Various mixing levels and EQ will create different effects.
3. HOT SoundSpot pickups can be used as trigger pickups when plugged into drum machines or controllers that accept pickups.
4. Even in small clubs or rehearsal rooms, using a HOT SoundSpot pickup through an amplifier expands the sound and makes it easier for you to play without compensating for loud guitars, drums, etc.
5. Using HOT Soundspot pickups instead of microphones allows you to run your onstage monitors louder without feedback, a
direct box such as the D-TAR Solstice or Equinox is suggested.
D-TAR SOUNDSPOTS