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Author Topic: Different or unusual mic practices  (Read 18654 times)

Sebastiaan Meijer

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Re: Different or unusual mic practices
« Reply #30 on: December 12, 2011, 05:32:22 PM »

Dick, have you found a reliable way to mic a lap (mountain) dulcimer? This instrument seems to be almost impossible to amplify if the player does not have a pickup installed. Any ideas?

While I'm not Dick, I;ve had good success with DPA4061 either single or in a pair gaffered on the sides under the strings. The omni pattern mounted on the board actually has very little proximity effect, while giving fairly decent GBF. High-pass at 200 Hz.

Sebas
« Last Edit: December 12, 2011, 06:25:04 PM by Sebastiaan Meijer »
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Mac Kerr

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Re: Different or unusual Leslie mic practices
« Reply #31 on: December 12, 2011, 05:40:34 PM »

I realize this, but how does that contribute to the discussion?  When you stand next to a Leslie cab listening to it, you're in one location and for every revolution of the horn it passes you once.  Mic it on both sides and for every revolution the horn passes two mics and each one conveys the sound of the passing of the horn to the listeners.  This seems to be twice as often as when you are standing in one location listening, no?

Yes. We spent quite a bit of time playing with this on Passing Strange, and I didn't find that much difference in different mic'ing methods. The horn spins fast enough to really mask any doppler effect. We ended up with 2 mics on the same side panned stereo. If you are going to use 2 mics they should both be on the same side of the cabinet or you are just doubling the already pretty fast rotation.

We had no onstage amps for Passing Strange, so we were lucky that we could put the Leslie in a basement by itself, and use ambient mics as well. All that for about a minute of gospel music.

Mac
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g'bye, Dick Rees

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Re: Different or unusual mic practices
« Reply #32 on: December 12, 2011, 05:44:34 PM »

Dick, have you found a reliable way to mic a lap (mountain) dulcimer? This instrument seems to be almost impossible to amplify if the player does not have a pickup installed. Any ideas?

Sebas has given a good suggestion.  I use a much simpler and cheaper method:

http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/Pro70

One of these dropped inside the body of the instrument.  If it was a solo performer I'd do what Sebas suggests.  But the only ones I encounter commonly (attempt to) play in an ensemble.

Edit:

Actually, mine are the older Pro 7a's which went for less than $80/each.  But they're battery only.  The 70's will take phantom.
« Last Edit: December 12, 2011, 05:49:51 PM by dick rees »
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Jay Barracato

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Re: Different or unusual mic practices
« Reply #33 on: December 12, 2011, 05:57:16 PM »

Dick, have you found a reliable way to mic a lap (mountain) dulcimer? This instrument seems to be almost impossible to amplify if the player does not have a pickup installed. Any ideas?

Small pencil condenser pointed across the strings just above where it is strummed (about the center of the instrument). You actually need a little distance from the instrument to let the tone "bloom".
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Jay Barracato

Glen Kelley

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Re: Different or unusual mic practices
« Reply #34 on: December 12, 2011, 07:21:07 PM »

Small pencil condenser pointed across the strings just above where it is strummed (about the center of the instrument). You actually need a little distance from the instrument to let the tone "bloom".

I can see how this would be the case. It's always been a struggle for me to balance the relatively loud "drone" and the melody strings. I guess it depends a lot on the instrument (and the OTHER instruments), as usual. Will try all of the above!

My contribution to the conversation at hand:

Close mic (1/2" or less) a tuned-down tambourine or pandeira underneath, flip polarity. Player strikes with a metal or nylon brush, instant kick drum! SM-57 works fine. If the player is using a snare drum as well, the combination of bleed from the 57 and an overhead makes for a warm, big snare-drum sound too.
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Bob Leonard

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Re: Different or unusual Leslie mic practices
« Reply #35 on: December 13, 2011, 01:45:51 AM »

Yes. We spent quite a bit of time playing with this on Passing Strange, and I didn't find that much difference in different mic'ing methods. The horn spins fast enough to really mask any doppler effect. We ended up with 2 mics on the same side panned stereo. If you are going to use 2 mics they should both be on the same side of the cabinet or you are just doubling the already pretty fast rotation.

We had no onstage amps for Passing Strange, so we were lucky that we could put the Leslie in a basement by itself, and use ambient mics as well. All that for about a minute of gospel music.

Mac

To me this is two (2) mics on the same side. This is not a picture from one of my jobs, but this is how I have always mic'd a Leslie. I feel this method conveys the best sense of motion.
 
 
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Dan Richardson

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Re: Different or unusual mic practices
« Reply #36 on: December 13, 2011, 01:35:25 PM »

When you stand next to a Leslie cab listening to it, you're in one location and for every revolution of the horn it passes you once. 

This is one part of the sound of a Leslie. The rest is bounce, which you don't get from close micing.
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Marcus Wilson

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Re: Different or unusual mic practices
« Reply #37 on: December 13, 2011, 10:04:16 PM »

Whatever single mic you use is still way too close to the source.
The difference between "horn 2 inches from mic" and "horn pointed away from mic"
is many times larger than the difference you hear from 10 feet away.
Dual mics hard panned make an interesting effect, and convey motion.

Even dual micing pales next to the experience of listening to the Leslie itself in an appropriate room.
Sound reinforcement is compromise. The best sound system is no sound system.

I like to get the Leslie off the stage (in the back of the truck is good) and get 2 mics on the horn at about 140 degrees.  They can now be far enough away to eliminate the chop.
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rgds, M.

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Do a bit of mastering and hire out some microphones.
Am a highly skilled electronic technician.

Tim Weaver

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Re: Different or unusual mic practices
« Reply #38 on: December 14, 2011, 01:32:25 AM »

Whenever the right band comes around, I like to mic the drum kit with a pair of overheads and something in the kick, but the real secret sauce is using an omni dynamic (EV 635a for me) right over the batter side hoop of the kick drum kinda close to the drummers knee. Comp the hell out of this mic and blend it with the overheads. Really makes a great "whole kit" sound. The omni picks up all the body from the shells and really gives the overhead sound a lot of weight.
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Jay Barracato

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Re: Different or unusual mic practices
« Reply #39 on: December 14, 2011, 06:26:34 AM »

Whenever the right band comes around, I like to mic the drum kit with a pair of overheads and something in the kick, but the real secret sauce is using an omni dynamic (EV 635a for me) right over the batter side hoop of the kick drum kinda close to the drummers knee. Comp the hell out of this mic and blend it with the overheads. Really makes a great "whole kit" sound. The omni picks up all the body from the shells and really gives the overhead sound a lot of weight.

That is interesting. I have never tried going omni, but I know one drummer who will play the hardware and shells as well as the heads, and do open handed stuff with his fingers on both the drums and his body. That should compliment the overheads nicely.
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Jay Barracato

ProSoundWeb Community

Re: Different or unusual mic practices
« Reply #39 on: December 14, 2011, 06:26:34 AM »


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