Bass Mic - alternative to transducer

[geoff004]

This is something I've come up with in response to a lot of frustration with typical pickups. When I bought my current upright I also bought a Gage pickup for it. I soon found that the pickup, like all the other transducers I've ever used, has a sound of its own and basically keeps my bass from sounding like what my bass sounds like. My feeling is that, from years of studio experience, only a mic will translate the sound of an acoustic instrument accurately.

So I built a bunch of these for myself and for friends. I've got some higher-profile Philly players using this mic and they are liking it a lot. You can check out the sound clips below. It's fairly low-tech and priced accordingly. Works just like a pickup - use a 1/4" cable. Has ~10 foot cable. It takes a 9 volt battery (included). Feel free to ask questions.

Keep in mind that it is a mic and will feedback. That being said, I have yet to do a gig where I've had a problem getting enough volume.

Price is $65 shipped to your door (US only).
I've only got 4 left. Unless I'm hounded to build more, when they're gone, they're gone.



Mounted by folding foam around the capsule, then inserting in to the f-hole. Foam is included. Feel free to experiment with different placement though.



These sound clips are not processed - that is to say, I recorded them with the instrument input on my Profire2626 interface and did no EQing or compression or anything. I'm just trying to show how the mic translates the sound of my bass.

This is just a scale - the pickup I had on my bass really wouldn't let my bass sound like anything in the upper register. The mic retains sound regardless of where you're playing.
Scale

In a Mix

Also works on a piano (or really any acoustic source). This is actually 2 mics - I mounted them on magnets and stuck them randomly on the harp:
Piano

[bassoakoustiko]

Pm sent

[scottfree]

PM'd . . .

[eddododo]

It sits 'stuffed' in the f hole?

[geoff004]

Originally Posted by eddododo

It sits 'stuffed' in the f hole?

Yes-
the foam is soft but stiff when folded and holds it fairly tight.
Like I said, low tech. But it's also not permanently mounted and only takes seconds to put on or take off any bass.

[OlarteNovilla]

Interesting, wish I could try one.

[SteveFreides]

The links in the first message don't work for me - anyone provide a link that works? My computer setup otherwise seems to work just fine...

-S-

[Phil Rowan]

Links don't work for me either.

[geoff004]

Originally Posted by Phil Rowan

Links don't work for me either.

Sorry - try these:

http://www.hazelriggbrothers.com/tbpicts/bass1.m4a

http://www.hazelriggbrothers.com/tbpicts/bass2.m4a

http://www.hazelriggbrothers.com/tbpicts/piano.m4a

I was just trying to make my original post a little cleaner.

BTW - at least 2 are now spoken for.

[Hipmobottomus]

pm'd

[geoff004]

They're all spoken for at this point.

If you decide you want one PM me and I'll make a list. Once I get enough interest I'll make some more.

[fuzzy beard]

Any one who bought one have comment or review of one? I am very interested!

[bassoakoustiko]

Originally Posted by fuzzy beard

Any one who bought one have comment or review of one? I am very interested!

+1

[eddododo]

Still have any to sell?

[geoff004]

Originally Posted by fuzzy beard

Any one who bought one have comment or review of one?

++1

I don't have any more to sell yet. I'm actually waiting for some more feedback from users before I build any more.

This whole thing came about from my frustration with getting a decent live sound. I thought others could benefit too - friends don't let friends have bad tone. The other thing is that I'm a less-than-conventional guy. Things that work for me don't always work well for others. But like I mention above, I think the price reflects what I'm doing here.

So, 2 things:
1. I'll only build more if people who have these mics are satisfied with what they're getting out of it.
2. The price will be $70 shipped in the US next time - still less than half of most pickup options. I'll do international shipping too for another ~$12 (don't hold me to that amount - I'll have to check pricing).

There is no sense in making and selling these mics if people aren't satisfied.

[periodical]

So I'm waiting to deliver my final verdict when I play out with it, but it does sound great at home. Coming from a Realist, I find it sounds much more natural and less compressed. I'm sorta worried about feedback but testing at home is tough cause my bass room is maybe 8x10. Longer report to come after next weekend when I use it live.

[wilsonn]

Also interested in how people are mounting it. As I'm looking at the condenser mics on the market, the best solutions seem to be a lightweight clip and mini gooseneck, and I'd love to know where you could source parts like that.

[scottfree]

Hi TB,

I spent about an hour trying out Geoff's mic this weekend. I'm writing this up five minutes at a time, two days later.

Big disclaimer: YMMV, FWIW, etc.: I've been playing EB for 40+ years, but the URB only for 3-4. My gigging experience with pickups is limited to the K&K BassMax and Double Twin, which I blend together.

(I have spent some time with an Ehrlund, but I had issues with it - mainly a bit too much string handling noise, getting it to stick just right, and finding the "right spot" - and not enough time to resolve them. I want to go back to try it some more when I have the time.)

I wasn't able to use my usual rig - so I wasn't able to compare it to the sound I'm used to.

Also, my bass is problematic. Perhaps this is common, but there is a resonant frequency - I think around 80Hz - that I absolutely have to get rid of using a notch filter. I have the DTar Equinox and a Fishman parametric EQ. Both of these are great for getting rid of this, and every pickup I've tried has needed this treatment on my bass. (As well as EQ-ing a mic'ed recording in the same way.) Knowing this, keep in mind that the "boxy" sound I mention might be my bass, too, not the pickup. Again - limited experience with pickups.

This was my test setup for testing
- Carved 7/8 Chinese bass (D'Addario Helicore Pizz strings)
- Geoff's mic/pickup, into the bottom of the treble-side F-hole.
- FDeck HPF (series 1)
- Fishman 2-band Fully Parametric EQ (discontinued product)
- Clarus Series 1 (Mid centered at 1.3kHz, not 650Hz of later models) [unable to use my usual amp]
- Mike Arnopol Crazy 8 cab (which I haven't had all that long- still getting used to its sound)
- Living room, 18 x 12. Thick carpet on floor, plaster walls.

As usual, using the FDeck HPF enabled me to dial in more bass - I set the filter to 60-80Hz and was able to turn up the bass a lot more as a result. Perhaps not essential, but on my bass at least, there was a lot of energy in the sub range that had to be tamed. Much tighter sound using the FDeck HPF.

I got feedback when I cranked the volume up, but using the phase switch on the FDeck unit, and notching out the previously mentioned 80Hz resonance, the feedback went away and was never an issue again, even with the cab 6-8 feet away, pointed directly at the bass, and volume and gain all the way up, although the Series 1 Clarus is only 150 watts at 8 Ohms. (My dog wouldn't come back into the house for an hour, tho.) Note - I didn't try without the FDeck in the chain, so perhaps the phase switch wasn't actually needed in this context.

Using the Clarus's EQ, I dialed out some Mids and Treble (perhaps to 10:00?). All was good except some "big box" sound, as if I was playing in a small closet, etc. (Again, my bass?) Using another band of the Fishman, I was able to dial out just enough of this to retain the body sound of the bass - which is what's missing from the BassMax and the Double Twin.

And that was the difference I noticed: Not surprisingly, more of a mic'd sound. Geoff's mic reproduced the sound you'd hear when standing in front of the bass well. There was more sense of the body of the bass than I can get with either of the K&K's, and more of the (good) growl/snarl of the strings came through as well. A nice amount of fingerboard sound, but without the I-hear-every-squeak-my-fingers-make issue I had with the Eurlund.

I have to apply a lot of EQ to the BassMax/Double Twin combo to get rid of the honk, etc., to get a usable sound, although I do actually get a pretty good sound - eventually. (The DTar Equinox is great.) I didn't actually have to do much EQ-ing with Geoff's mic.

The BassMax had a hotter signal. Geoff's mic and the Double Twin were about the same. Bassmax/DT combo might have been punchier, maybe more focused - but it lacked the fuller, more nuanced sound of the mic pickup. Depending on the mix . . . ?

As I said, I was only able to spend about an hour with it, including playing with the other pickups for comparison. Wish I had more time, and a different room. I really liked the detailed sound. What I'd really like to try is blending it with one of the other pickups (e.g., Bassmax highs and upper mids rolled off).

Hope this helps.

- Scott

[wilsonn]

thanks Scottfree. How did you secure the mic to the fhole?
Neal

[scottfree]

Hi Neal,

I followed what I think are Geoff's instructions: "Mounted by folding foam around the capsule, then inserting in to the f-hole." (From original post.) So it was actually inside the bass, perhaps an inch or less in.

I did this at the bottom of the treble-side f-hole. I didn't experiment with different placement; e.g., at the top of the f-hole, bass side, etc.

Also - if/when I try this on a gig, while it was very secure, I'll definitely try to figure out how to get a different look. Smaller piece of foam, brown foam to match my bass - something. Shouldn't be hard.

- Scott