Klarinet Archive - Posting 000672.txt from 1997/08

From: Fred Jacobowitz <fredj@-----.edu>
Subj: Re: How to Mic a Clarinet?
Date: Sat, 16 Aug 1997 23:01:46 -0400

Ricardo,
I play in a Klezmer band in the DC/Baltimore area (Machaya Klezmer
Band to be exact). I do lots of miked gigs and I found that a clip-on mike
is much more useful than using a mike on a boom. You have freedom of
movement because you aren't tied to where the mike is pointing - a big
plus if you move about during a solo (like I do with my eyes closed).
I tried out two different mikes at a large music store (that's all they
had). There was a considerable sound difference between the two and I
ended up buying the Shure SM98. It was the mellower of the two mikes. It
is my impression that most of the clip-on mikes you see advertized are
designed for the rock sax player and are quite harsh and bright.
The Shure is one-point condensor mike about the size of a
lavelier mike (you know, those ones that they use on talk shows). It came
with a completely useless clip arrangement which actually worked somewhat
on the sax but not at all on the clarinet (I eventually made my own for
the sax for much cheaper than the $50 those gonifs at Shure wanted). The
best way to mike a clarinet, contrary to what many people believe, is in
the middle of the instrument from about 4-6 inches away. Since NOONE makes
a clip which mounts at this point, I had to make one. If you decide to go
this route, you can e-mail me about what I did. I point my mike
at the tenon between the upper and lover joints and that covers just about
all the notes except the long E/B. Those don't come out quite so well.
However, if you are really anal, you can get TWO mikes for the instrument
and put one in the bell pointing towards the mouthpiece.
The sound quality of this mike is exceptionally clear and MUCH
better than the SM 57 I was using. It is pricey, tho, at over $300.
However, you get what you pay for and I am extremely satisfied with the
set-up. I have no idea whether there are web pages on this subject, but I
would STRONGLY advise against buying any mike without trying it out. Your
sound is too important to trust to an unknown quantity. If you'd never
consider playing on a strage mouthpiece, the same should go for your mike.

Fred Jacobowitz
Clarinet/Sax Instructor, Peabody Preparatory

On Sat, 16 Aug 1997, Ricardo Quintas wrote:

> Hello there.
> I'm a Jazz clarinetist and I'm thinking of buying a microphone to amplify
> my instrument.
>
> 1. What are the best options in the market (the best ratio price/quality)?
> 2. What kind of equipment do you advise me to buy (big standing
> microphones, or small micros to attach to the instrument)?
> 3. Can I buy this materila via Internet?
> 4. Are there any web pages related to this sibjects?
>
> Thank you very much.
>
>
>
> Ricardo Diniz Quintas ;-)
> quintas@-----.pt
>
> PORTUGAL (Lisboa)
>