getting a Melodica into Guitar Pedalboard - looking for clean solution?

[pongi]

hohner melodica for example, i quess the sound spreads almost in an omni direction, it has small holes in the back, but i think thats also to balance the needed air pressure correct in the instrument.
so it should be picked up by a microphone.

how can i get the microphone output, lets say of a dynamic mic, to be usable for guitar pedal input?
would the output of the dynamic mic be enough, without amplification, for a guitar pedal when the impedance is corrected?
or do i need to use a mic preamp and a DI box in reverse with pads, like in a re-amping situation?

the plan is to build kind of a small box around the melodica with all the needed stuff in it, so that it is basically ready all the time to just plug it in the guitar pedalboard and have a great sound.

(btw i could easily do it with all my studio stuff i have around, but i want it a small ready-to-rock solution, not a studio setup)

thanks for any ideas!!

 

[TwentyTrees]

On the first half of your question (how to mic a melodica), I tend to just point the mic up the axis as if the melodica were a trumpet. I do use a metal-body Hohner button melodica though, so the radiation pattern might be different with the keyboard-type instrument. I use whatever vocal mic is up when playing live, usually a 58. Sounds fabulous through a tube mic into a 1073 in the studio, though of course that's not really a gig-ready situation!

On the second half of your question (mic > pedalboard), here's a recent question along similar lines:
dynamic to guitar pedal

Hope that helps! Melodica is such an underrated instrument.

 

[soapfoot]

I wonder whether it'd be worth experimenting with a contact mic in this scenario?

If it works well enough, it might obviate the need for the box, etc.

 

[industrialarts]

Look at lavalier mics as well. They are pretty useful and often overlooked. I use to do a lot of production audio and was able to use them for more than just voice.

 

[abbey road d enfer]

+1 for lav mics. If you're adventurous, you can drill a hole in the melodica and affix the mic, pointing inside.

 

[pongi]

thanks for all nice tipps!
i actually have a lot of stuff to try here and i will.
i have lots of lavalier mics, but most of them are condenser ones, i would like a dynamic one.
BUT i remembered that i have a hohner a2 micro, thats a long microphone-bar for accordeons, i will try that first, this could be the perfect fit, if it sounds to my satisfaction.

 

[pongi]

just so you guys know, what i'm really eager to try is the seamoon funk machine pedal on the melodica.
the original of this pedal was used heavily on the brecker brother 70's recording of heavy metal bebop.
its an envelope filter with pretty caracteristic tone, super cool on brass.