This clip is EXACTLY where I would hit it all the time
Clip on mics for acoustic live gigs?
- Thread starter Bastion Highwalk
- Start date
This clip is EXACTLY where I would hit it all the time
Bastion Highwalk
TDPRI Member
And me. I hit the 57 anyway...
SlideGuy123
Tele-Meister
Resonators are really hard to amplify — pickups tend to either sound bad/tinny, off (sounds like lap steel, not dobro) or feedbacky. The best I’ve heard for spider bridge instruments is the Fishman Nashville, but that’s expensive and needs a pro to install, plus a Jerry Douglas Aura pedal to sound it’s best. All told, you’re looking at $600+
Some folks (I’ve read) are using the Myers pickup (really a mic) — it may still give you feedback issues at higher volumes. Others are using Lace surface mount pickups (which a lot of players say sound too electric) or the Krivo pickup, also surface mounted but made to be microphonic for a more natural sound (About $200). There are others out there from a number of makers.
You could move the Myers from instrument to instrument, I suppose, but the e.q. would probably have to change, so you’ll want a separate pickup for each instrument anyway.
NOTE: I have no direct experience with these, but I read about others’ experiences because I want to amplify my squareneck. Meanwhile — I stick to lap steel.
Some folks (I’ve read) are using the Myers pickup (really a mic) — it may still give you feedback issues at higher volumes. Others are using Lace surface mount pickups (which a lot of players say sound too electric) or the Krivo pickup, also surface mounted but made to be microphonic for a more natural sound (About $200). There are others out there from a number of makers.
You could move the Myers from instrument to instrument, I suppose, but the e.q. would probably have to change, so you’ll want a separate pickup for each instrument anyway.
NOTE: I have no direct experience with these, but I read about others’ experiences because I want to amplify my squareneck. Meanwhile — I stick to lap steel.
Bastion Highwalk
TDPRI Member
Checking out these suggestions now, thank you! I don't mind them having to change eq levels for each instrument if the mic works for all my stuff.
Nogoodnamesleft
Tele-Afflicted
There are some old videos of Planxty with what appear to be small diaphragm condensers attached to the mic stand, pointed at some distance from the instrument too. I suppose if you could get something hypercardioid and do something similar, while sitting down to maintain position, you could get quite good results (they certainly did) at a reasonable volume.
But yeah, teetering on the edge of feedback isn't a fun place to be if the room volume gets loud. I've been there as a sound guy with both the musicians and the audience looking gobsmacked why you haven't yet twiddled the knob that changes the laws of physics.
But yeah, teetering on the edge of feedback isn't a fun place to be if the room volume gets loud. I've been there as a sound guy with both the musicians and the audience looking gobsmacked why you haven't yet twiddled the knob that changes the laws of physics.
Watching.
FWIW Django got a soundhole pickup as soon as it was available, and then an electric guitar later. But, of course it wasn’t a dobro.
FWIW Django got a soundhole pickup as soon as it was available, and then an electric guitar later. But, of course it wasn’t a dobro.
Bastion Highwalk
TDPRI Member
"twiddled the knob that changes the laws of physics." hahaha!
SlideGuy123
Tele-Meister
Where do you point the 57?
I've had the best luck with pointing it at the player's 16th-18th fret, and asking them to get as close as possible without hitting it. And ask them to move as little as possible, if they want to be heard. That's for a regular acoustic with a soundhole.
For a resonator, instinct says to point it at the resonator, but I've had better luck treating it just like any other acoustic. It'll still sound appropriately "resonator-y" with the mic pointed at the neck. For banjo I've had the best luck pointing it below the bridge, but it seems more of a problem keeping the banjoist from hitting it. Banjo works very well with one of those clip-on condenser mics with a little gooseneck:
There's not much of any way to attach one of these to a flattop... They have special mounts for putting them on violins.
Nogoodnamesleft
Tele-Afflicted
Hahaha I wish I was joking. That certainly seems to be the expectation.
Best I've heard was a Danelectro lipstick pickup mounted in that space between the resonator and the end of the fingerboard. Of course this entails mutilating the instrument.
Bastion Highwalk
TDPRI Member
Yeah just to my left of the sound hole on acoustics and at the resonator, but I do tend to move around a fair bit and get back into position when I have to play something, and I do try and get back in the the RIGHT position! I don't knock it while playing much but occasionally just moving around in general. It's the mixing and feedback that are problems (and the sound guys, as I have mentioned, and I will continue to mention!)
Bastion Highwalk
TDPRI Member
Yeah that would be ideal!
USian Pie
Tele-Holic
That seems pretty cool
DPA d:vote CORE 4099G Guitar favorable buying at our shop
Instrument microphone for guitar, dobro etc., supercardioid characteristic, incl. special holderwww.dv247.com
rand z
Friend of Leo's
Yes.
And, in these times, probably not necessary, as there are easier ways to do it without sacrificing much sonic quality.
Internal PU's rule around these parts.
Unless you are recording live, you might leave the instrumental mics at home.
imo.
Cool—I’ll try to get more info from her and will pass along whatever I find out.
Nogoodnamesleft
Tele-Afflicted
Somewhere I saw a video of a guitarist (I can't remember the name otherwise I'd look him up and post the video) where he had a small lav mic with no clip, just a piece of foam attached to the guitar top with a slit cut into it, into which he slid the mic. It was a lavalier cardioid or hyper cardioid condenser of some kind. I'm not sure if the performer moves around a lot, but that might an option if you don't mind fixing something to the surface. I'm guessing to small strips of double sided tape at either end with a slit in the middle to insert the mic. I'd loop the lead with some slack around the strap button to give it some strain relief to keep the mic getting tugged out. I've been meaning to try this too.
bottlenecker
Poster Extraordinaire
Audio Technica ATM-350, or a Pro35 if you want a cheaper version. I've used mine on nylon string, dreads and small body flattops, archtops, banjo, and double bass. My violin player uses one too. It's a small diaphragm condenser microphone that is twice the microphone an SM57 is for most acoustic instrument use. It's in a miniature form with a gooseneck mount that can clip on to a tailpiece, archtop pickguard, or to the edge of a flattop soundhole to be positioned inside the body. I use it for live and recording.
Any clip on mic is miles better live than trying to play to a cardioid dynamic on a stand.
My best trick for acoustic guitars is I have my acoustic player plug his martin's pickup into his amp on stage for monitoring purposes, because it won't feed back. Then I have the mic clipped into his guitar and going to the mains only, and make sure there is none of that mic in the monitors. Sounds beautiful in the room and is very feedback resistant.
Edit: I should mention I am a sound engineer. I've done the work on this so when I use it at a venue I can tell any sound guy exactly what I need for it to work. Which is, don't put it in the monitor in front of that instrument.
