Unusual recording situation

**Chris Fitzgerald** · #1 03-23-2007, 11:00 PM

I've been playing some really fun quartet sessions at the house of a great piano player who's new to town, and who lives in a beautiful, giant house (pic of the room we're in attached). We're playing acoustically so as not to overwhelm the room with reverb, and I've been making some really great sounding recordings on the R-09 in this setting.

The problem is that I can't hear myself much in this setting, even though the other players can, and the recorder can...because they're all out in front of the bass. But back behind it, I can't really hear pitch when everyone else is playing. I was thinking of wearing one side of a pair of headphones with a signal from the Beta 57 mounted between the bridge legs and getting a better mix when recording, but what could I use to get a headphone signal from a dynamic mic? I've got a Focus 2 head and a Raven Labs blender, but neither of these have a headphone out. Will they power a set of headphones, and if so, do I have to use a transformer of some kind to make the impedance match?

larry · #2 03-23-2007, 11:49 PM

Have you tried moving around a bit? You could just be sitting in a wierd node in the room. Funny how moving a couple of feet can really change the sound sometimes.

Otherwise, the only thing I can think of is to get a cheap little headphone amp and the appropriate adapters to get the signal into into it.

hdiddy · #3 03-23-2007, 11:55 PM

Maybe put something behind you to bounce the sound off of? Doesn't look like there's a room you can scoot up against, but maybe you need like a big wooden box or something to help you hear.

vier-personen · #4 03-24-2007, 12:31 AM

another trick to try is what I have seen Joelle Leandre doing when she played with a quartet (piano, sax, drums, bass) on a stage that is made of plywood and combined with the room it was very dead acoustically (I know because I played there as well) and they were using no monitoring.
She put a plank on two piles with air under the plank (kind of like this: .-. ) and put the bass on there - instant bigger sound!

robgrow · #5 03-24-2007, 12:35 AM

You could get something like a Behringer Xenyx 802 mixer for about $60. It has 2 mic inputs and a headphone out. Although I'm not a big fan of Behringer stuff, this thing is pretty hard to beat and should do the job nicely.

WillBuckingham · #6 03-24-2007, 12:40 AM

For $25 these stethoscope headphones might be worth a shot, though I have no experience with them.

http://www.practicebass.com/

Uncletoad · #7 03-24-2007, 01:03 AM

Yikes. Nice digs. What kinda jazz pianoman can afford that place?

Looks like a very nice vibe. Grooving on the open staircase 2 story thing.

That no amp thing will do your chops some good.

Try moving around, maybe reflecting the sound off the piano or something so you hear it coming back at you. Get away from the drummer maybe? Get him away from the walls/windows so his volume goes down a bit. Or maybe switch spots with him and get in that corner more. May hear it coming off the back wall.

I play in a tiny little place here just through a small PA I can't hear and monitor myself coming off the back window. I'm about 5 feet away from it. Works good.

I'll bet you learn more about yourself and your relationship with your bass if you figure out how to do it acoustically.

Maybe not. I'm sleep deprived. What do I know.

larry · #8 03-24-2007, 08:42 AM

What is that wall along the stairs made out of? Looks cool.

**Chris Fitzgerald** · #9 03-24-2007, 08:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by larry

What is that wall along the stairs made out of? Looks cool.

Railroad ties, I think. This place is drop dead gorgeous, and a great vibe to play in with all the light and space.

Quote:

Originally Posted by PAPATADPOLE

Yikes. Nice digs. What kinda jazz pianoman can afford that place?

Yeah, no kidding. He and his wife are retired, and while he was the head of the jazz dept. at Arizona State for 20+ years, they were doing real estate on the side. He also plays his *** off. Hate him yet?

I'm digging the acoustic vibe, and for basic performances, sessions, rehearsals, I have no problem with doing that. But when we're recording, I'd like to be able to hear my intonation better, and as you can guess, that's a pretty live room. Once the alto is playing, all I hear from the bass is WHUUUM, WHUUUM, WHUUUM....

Quote:

Originally Posted by Robgrow

You could get something like a Behringer Xenyx 802 mixer for about $60. It has 2 mic inputs and a headphone out. Although I'm not a big fan of Behringer stuff, this thing is pretty hard to beat and should do the job nicely.

I've thought of something like that, because sometimes at home I plug a mic into my soundcraft board and listen with one phone on when the session overwhelms my intonation but I don't wanna use an amp. Little as I like B******* stuff, a tiny mixer is likely just what I'm looking for. A one-channel headphone amp with a tiny footprint would be even better, but I don't know if such a thing exists... EDIT: just found This, which looks even more suitable. Anybody know if a more reputable company makes something this small?

The stethoscope thing looks kinda cool, but I'm sure it wouldn't handle a mic input.

Thanks for the input, fellas - keep it coming if you got it!

fingers · #10 03-24-2007, 09:09 AM

I used a few of these for a piano lab I set up at a school. I think they'll do mics too.

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/produ...3&src=3SOSWXXA

**Chris Fitzgerald** · #11 03-24-2007, 09:28 AM

The Rolls thing looks cool. I wonder what "XLR pass through" means?

fingers · #12 03-24-2007, 09:33 AM

If I recall you can use it as a monitor amp for singers in live situations. Basically you put the amp in line with the mic before it goes into a direct box and then the pa. The signal is in no way changed by the unit. I think.

peterpalmieri · #13 03-24-2007, 09:35 AM

Chris,

I am thinking a little out of the box. I play with some trumpet players who use acoustic monitors basically a round clear plexi glass shield around their mic. I've also played with drummers who use that big plexi glass wall to reflect sound back to them.

Maybe a piece of plexiglass the width of a music stand on the floor at a 45 degree angle will reflect enough sound back at you without stopping it from making it's way into the room?

bolo · #14 03-25-2007, 08:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Uncletoad

Yikes. Nice digs.

Indeed. I did a gig at The Umstead Resort today. Super swanky. Of course, nobody lives there. The Sunday brunch buffet is $45. Heck, I can feed the whole family at a Golden Corral for less than that.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Uncletoad

Try moving around, maybe reflecting the sound off the piano or something so you hear it coming back at you. Get away from the drummer maybe? Get him away from the walls/windows so his volume goes down a bit. Or maybe switch spots with him and get in that corner more. May hear it coming off the back wall ...

I play in a tiny little place here just through a small PA I can't hear and monitor myself coming off the back window. I'm about 5 feet away from it. Works good.

Yeah. I put my speaker cabinet up against walls and in corners in some rooms for the same reason. Really fills out the low end reflecting off a wall, corners even moreso. A double bass really puts out a lot of sound from the back, as I’m sure you’ll atest if you’ve ever stood behind somebody playing one.

Some of the points that Phil made reminded me of the short article in the shaded box at the bottom of this page. Scroll all the way to the bottom and read Playing without amplification? Acoustic hints from an old-timer.