... just a bit more comment prior to the weekend's real use of the banjo pickup (live performance is always the true test)! I had intended to use a preamp, as recommended for such devises, but thought I'd consider the matter more, before I sunk any more money into this 'electric banjo' experiment. But encouraged by the great sound I was getting with the pick up by itself, and by some great reviews I'd heard and read about Fishman's new "Pro EQII" - I went ahead and bought one. I am glad I did.

One of the most important things for optimizing the quality of sound through the mixer is maximizing the input gain of the instrument, then there's controlling feedback, and tailoring EQ. This Pro EQ is a actually a DI (so I can come out of it with a balanced signal on an XLR connector, and plug it right into a snake or the mixer. The sound quality refining tools this box offers are excellent, still I have only played with it through a guitar amp in the house, but I can see already the unit was a good purchase. I'll get to try out this stuff over the weekend (Thurs, Fri and Sat) so I have three guinee pig audiences to work on - and three very different rooms and stage settings! Should be interesting, and I'll report back.