I've personally had pretty good luck with L.R. Baggs products. I use a M1 Active on my guitar and the Radius pick up on mandolin, running through a Baggs Para Acoustic DI and a clean boost pedal. Could you use a dual source system with a p'up and clip on condenser mic?
________________________________ From: mistertaterbug <[email protected]> To: Taterbugmando <[email protected]> Sent: Wednesday, May 27, 2009 12:12:36 AM Subject: Re: sound advice Okay, here's one for you... After playing the mandolin without plugging in for 38 years, I have just found out in the last 2 weeks that I will be plugging in for the gig. I've tried to go with a mic, but the word is that we are to be using DI's, so...Uncle StuBob Duncan has ordered me a new Fishman bridge assembly to put on #536 Gil. Am I going to want to kill myself? I decided I'd get my Kay electric fixed to take a long. I mean, if I'm gonna be electric....What do I do? Distressed in Tennessee On May 26, 3:15 pm, Robin Gravina <[email protected]> wrote: > pleeeeeaase!!! > Stage fright is appalling > R > > On Tue, May 26, 2009 at 9:51 PM, Val Mindel <[email protected]> wrote: > > > Really interesting and useful info, guys. Thanks from the lurking > > gallery. Meanwhile, Robin mentioned a problem with the right hand > > "freezing," something I call "iron arm." Does anyone have any cures? > > Just wondering... best, val > > > On May 25, 10:51 am, Don Grieser <[email protected]> wrote: > > > Hi Robin, > > > > I use that AKG C411 contact condenser with the ART pre too. It's the > > > best thing I've found as far as a pickup goes. I generally put it > > > right behind the bridge on the bass side and still have to roll off > > > some of the high end. I turn up enough that I have to chop quietly and > > > then dig in a little more for breaks and that seems to work fine. > > > > I experimented some with a Fishman bridge pickup through a Fishman > > > Aura with the mandolin samples. I thought that was really great > > > sounding too, I liked it better than the AKG, but I didn't like what > > > the Fishman bridge did to the acoustic sound of the instrument so it > > > came off. I'd like to get a decent playing inexpensive mandolin and > > > put the Fishman bridge on it to use when I have to plug in. > > > > Gain-staging: sending the proper amount of signal from the instrument > > > to the mixer and from the mixer to the amp makes a difference. > > > Experiment with your setup till you find those sweet spots. > > > > I've played some noisy bars from hell and using in-ear monitors makes > > > a huge difference too. They block out a lot of the room noise and let > > > you hear your bandmates clearly at a reasonable volume. They take some > > > getting used to for singing (you hear a lot of your head voice like > > > singing with fingers in your ears) but they make noisy venues more > > > enjoyable to play. > > > > Congrats on your successful gig and keep us posted on what's working for > > you. > > > > Don > > > > On Mon, May 25, 2009 at 8:03 AM, Robin Gravina <[email protected]> > > wrote: > > > > Thanks! Trouble with crazy gear is it takes up space in the car! I'm on > > an > > > > Akg stick on condensor microphone through an Art tube preamp thing. Not > > > > because I carefully selected it, but because someone recommended that > > as > > > > simple and good sounding... > > > > Best > > > > > On Mon, May 25, 2009 at 3:49 PM, MinnesotaMandolin <[email protected] > > > > > wrote: > > > > >> Robin-- > > > > >> I'm very happy to hear things went better. I was working in the garden > > > >> thinking about your post and I just posted up a "front to back" > > > >> suggestion list. Glad it helped. > > > > >> I think one speaker/no monitor is a great set up, it forces > > > >> simplicity. > > > > >> Experience will go a long ways towards making this easier. I think > > > >> your big problem will be all the crazy gear out there you can plug > > > >> into to make your pickup sound like wood. After $1000s and a few > > > >> years, I've just added a mic to my rig. If you want to talk brand > > > >> names and stuff, I'd be happy to do it. It's hard to find mandolin > > > >> oriented gear, it's mostly acoustic guitar stuff, but I've tried a lot > > > >> of it and don't mind sharing what I've learned. > > > > >> good luck with the next show > > > > >> erik > > > > >> On May 25, 2:35 am, Robin Gravina <[email protected]> wrote: > > > >> > Erik > > > >> > Thanks for all that advice - it's really good to have some practical > > and > > > >> > concrete suggestions to apply. In the end it went well - we turned > > it up > > > >> > for > > > >> > the soundcheck and it sounded pretty horrible and harsh, but after > > some > > > >> > fiddling, the instruments began to sound like they were made of > > wood, > > > >> > and > > > >> > the show went great - no feedback issues, we could hear ourselves > > and so > > > >> > could the audience despite no monitor and only one big speaker (no > > room > > > >> > for > > > >> > anything more). The bar immediately booked us in again, so very > > happy > > > >> > about > > > >> > that! > > > > >> > I still have some work to go on the sound thing - mainly with > > getting > > > >> > acoustic tones - it has just ocurred to me that maybe I could try > > > >> > putting > > > >> > the output of the mixing desk high and the volume of the powered > > speaker > > > >> > low > > > >> > - too many options for me. > > > > >> > Now all I have to do is stop my right hand from freezing when about > > to > > > >> > go > > > >> > for the big tremolo solo... > > > >> > Best > > > >> > Robin > > > > >> > On Sat, May 23, 2009 at 5:48 AM, MinnesotaMandolin > > > >> > <[email protected]>wrote: > > > > >> > > I'll take a stab here, my band also uses all pickups. This is a > > wordy > > > >> > > post, though. > > > > >> > > First off, I'm not sure if your issues were feedback or just a > > general > > > >> > > bad sound at high volume. Your post seems like it was of the > > general > > > >> > > bad sound variety. I'll offer a few tips. If you already know this > > > >> > > stuff I trust you'll forgive the repitition. > > > > >> > > * The Room. What type of space are you playing in? When it's > > empty, > > > >> > > does it have a lot of natural reverb or is it kinda dead? A > > reverby > > > >> > > room should sound real nice with some bodies in it and you can > > tell > > > >> > > from the stage. A dead room (or a dead stage) can be harder > > because > > > >> > > you can't hear the PA as clearly. > > > > >> > > *Control. Who's in control of the PA? If it's one of you guys, > > then > > > >> > > you can try different things. If it's somebody else, then > > hopefully > > > >> > > they're open to suggestions. If it is one of you guys, whichever > > one > > > >> > > it is needs to get a long cable so he can go out in front of the > > band > > > >> > > and listen while playing. That's important, because it lets you > > adjust > > > >> > > the overall sound of everybody and it keeps you in the mix so the > > rest > > > >> > > of the band plays "right" while you're offstage listening. I'm not > > the > > > >> > > main singer so it was easy for me to do (and also how I got the > > job of > > > >> > > band sound guy in the first place). If the band sound guy is a > > main > > > >> > > singer I don't have any good suggestions (take the mic onto the > > floor, > > > >> > > maybe?) > > > > >> > > *House vs. stage. Did your gig sound good to the crowd? If it just > > > >> > > sounded bad to you guys then you got the big issue dealt with. > > > >> > > Amplifying yourself onstage, with pickups, especially if you > > rehearse > > > >> > > acoustic, can be a confusing auditory experience. But if it didn't > > > >> > > sound good to anyone then you indeed have to "take action." A good > > > >> > > help here can be a musician buddy, somebody whose ears you trust. > > Buy > > > >> > > him a beer and ask him to keep you appraised of what's happening > > out > > > >> > > there. Most musicians hate to see their friends sounding bad and > > will > > > >> > > gladly offer suggestions. > > > > >> > > * Gain. Is everyone's "gain" adjusted appropriately? You want the > > gain > > > >> > > to be as high as it can get without clipping. Some PAs have a > > light > > > >> > > that will blink when the sound clips, others you just have to > > listen > > > >> > > for. If you're having trouble telling, turn the gain way up so you > > > >> > > know it's clipping--it should sound electric guitarish--then ease > > the > > > >> > > gain back until you know it isn't like that. You have to play your > > > >> > > intrument HARD when you do this check. I don't even play chords, I > > > >> > > just bang the open strings as hard as I can. My mandolin pickup (a > > > >> > > fishman M-200) is really "hot" and I generally have my gain at > > around > > > >> > > 10:00 (like on a clock) or 30%. My banjo player's pickup is about > > as > > > >> > > hot and his gain is a little higher, the guitarist and bassist are > > a > > > >> > > little lower and they're generally around 12 or 50%. > > > > >> > > * Instrument EQ. My experience is that a good plugged-in sound at > > a > > > >> > > high volume will sound good at a low, but the opposite is not > > > >> > > necessarily true. For example, my mando sounds really nice at > > volume > > > >> > > level 2 or so eq'd flat, but even at a volume of 4, that eq > > setting > > > >> > > sounds awful. For my mando I generally eq with 0% low end, 20% mid > > and > > > >> > > 50% high end. The banjo is about the same. The guitar is around > > 30% > > > >> > > low, 50%mid and 50% high and the bass is pretty flat with a bit of > > low > > > >> > > end rolled off. > > > > >> > > * Vocals EQ. In the rock'n'roll medium, vocals need to have the > > > >> > > midrange pushed to cut through the drums and distorted guitars. > > > >> > > Because of this, many vocal mics have the midrange already boosted > > and > > > >> > > sound tech advice is to boost the midrange on vocals. I don't > > think > > > >> > > this sounds right w/o drums or loud guitars. I've found in the > > string > > > >> > > band medium vocals sound pretty good with the mids and highs flat > > and > > > >> > > the low end rolled off a little bit. Because everyone's voice is > > > >> > > different, you do have tailor the eq settings. Especially at high > > > >> > > volumes, I find myself rolling back mids and pushing up trebles. > > > > >> > > * Overall EQ. I eq the house in a "notched smile," which, assuming > > you > > > >> > > have a graphic eq, has the shape of a smiley face with a little > > bit of > > > >> > > the high-mids notched down a little lower. Sort of like a smile > > with a > > > >> > > gap for a cigaratte or something. > > > > >> > > * Reverb. I don't like it and I don't use it. In my opinion you > > can't > > > >> > > hurt anything by cutting it and if you're having troubles, adding > > it > > > >> > > won't help. Having said that, I've heard some sound guys do some > > > >> > > really sweet, subtle things > > ... > > read more » --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Taterbugmando" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/taterbugmando?hl=en -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
