 The Clarinet BBoard
|
Author: vcmfbc
Date: 2004-06-11 15:58
Hey,
I'm playing the clarinet in my church's worship band and we're having a hard time micing the sound so that it picks up the best. We've tried taping a lapel mic to the stand and just using a regular mic but neither are working really well. Any tips on what to do?
Thanks,
Laura
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: msloss
Date: 2004-06-11 16:47
Lavalier mics are designed to work extremely close to the source (like clipped to a tie for a speaker), so the music stand would be too far away, and would pick up a lot of reflections off the stand. You could clip it to the clarinet, but you might be disappointed with the results.
You can do a couple things -- the first would be to get a mic system manufactured by AMT (I've posted about this on the forum before) that has either one or two small mics and clamps to the clarinet to get a nice balanced sound. Great solution, but may be too expensive for a church. The alternative is to use something like a Sure SM48 or SM57 which are good sounding, inexpensive, and bombproof cardioid microphones. They are highly directional, so you can put one on a stand right in front of the instrument, and it will work quite nicely. It'll pick up some of what is going on around you and behind you, but not much.
Feel free to email me directly if you want more info. Best of luck with it.
Mark
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: sfalexi
Date: 2004-06-11 17:20
oh. I thought this thread dealt with a problem with more than one mouse ('micing'). Guess I'll take my services as a pied piper to ANOTHER thread . . .
US Army Japan Band
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Terry Stibal
Date: 2004-06-11 17:54
We tried a multiple microphone setup recommended by a local clarinet pro, but in the end returned to the classic standard (SM57 on a mike stand, mesh pointed down at a 45° angle at the mid point of the clarinet's body.
It's not the perfect setup acoustically, but it has many, many other advantages over the multiple mike, perfect setup.
One is that Shure dynamic mikes of the 57 and 58 are far, far more robust than the more expensive condenser mikes often used in recording. It is relatively easy to scotch a condenser mike; I've had SM 57 and SM 58s get dropped over ten feet without any harm.
The second is that your "setup" is minimal. Plop the mike stand down, balance things out at the mixer, and there you go.
The third is that you can use the microphone to instrument distance to vary dynamics. The soloist can move closer for the solo portions, then drop back in the background by moving back or to one side (the directional aspect of a cardiod mike), all while playing at a comfortable level on the horn throughout. This takes some practice on the part of the performer, but it is a nice tool when you have it mastered. With the" fixed to the horn" mikes, it just isn't possible.
The fourth is that the same setup can easily be used for other instruments, and even vocals (with the instrument friendly SM 57). Multiple usage is good when you have limited mixer capability.
As for adjusting the sound with EQ and other effects, I used to worry about twitching the mids and lows when my lead alto switched from clarinet to flute, but in the end I've found that the "1 o'clock, 11 o'clock, 1 o'clock" settings on the high, mid and low EQ knobs worked well enough for all. (The feed from this is always sent to the cabs without any effects (i.e., "dry)). With live performance, simple is always good.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Amy
Date: 2004-06-12 21:09
LOL sfalexi! Thought exactly the same thing myself.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
The Clarinet Pages
|
 |
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
