This mic is the PR 40 element that I dig so much put into a very small "bass perfect" package. Bob Heil sent me this mic last week and I gotta send it back today cause there is only one of them and they are not in production yet, but man is this the ****. The big PR 40 was great, but you had to work around the fact that it was end firing with a longish barrel. But the stubby can be aimed wherever you want. Straight into the bass means a huge amount of off axis rejection, so much that on gigs this weekend I would put my ear up to the speaker and I couldn't hear any bleed. The blending sound is as good as the PR 40 which is the best I've heard. The stubby (when it becomes available) is going to live on my bass. Because it is a dynamic it plugs straight into the focus (no external preamp like the AMT etc.) and the sound is fat and loud and warm. Like any mic it will feed back if you are not careful, but if you use a Focus and H clamp it can live on the bass. I think this will be the perfect marriage, the H clamp and the Heil PR 40 Stubby.
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Double Bass Heil PR 40 "Stubby"
- Thread starter flatback
- Start date
Piro can you remind me what this H clamp is? Any links?
I find it very hard to tell from the photo (even when enlarged) how the mic is being held.
I find it very hard to tell from the photo (even when enlarged) how the mic is being held.
Adrian, yeah the H-clamp is pretty nice. It's from explorAudio. Here's a picture of it on my bass.
I would like to A/B the Heil "stubster" w/ my Beyer at some point too.
I would like to A/B the Heil "stubster" w/ my Beyer at some point too.
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Adrian,
you should know by now that I only recommend things that are way too expensive. But I have to say, 75 pounds for the best mic clamp made ridiculously well, that will not mar your bass and yet hold nearly any mic in perfect registration and in a huge variety of places and positions is not too much. I'd rather pay more for this one element where an inferior product would rattle or fall off or break or just not work. THe thing you are paying for with the AMT is the boom and the preamp, cause the mic element is not all that special nor particularly good. (considering what usable fidelity a good dynamic gives you without a preamp and nothin but a cord into the Focus)
I left the little stubby on my bass all weekend thru 4 gigs and a lot of travel and the H clamp never moved. The Pr40 in that little 3 inch barrel on the H clamp is worth $500 a lot quicker (to me) then the AMT which I auditioned for a weekends gigs once and found weak comparatively, and a complicated set up with the preamp.
you should know by now that I only recommend things that are way too expensive. But I have to say, 75 pounds for the best mic clamp made ridiculously well, that will not mar your bass and yet hold nearly any mic in perfect registration and in a huge variety of places and positions is not too much. I'd rather pay more for this one element where an inferior product would rattle or fall off or break or just not work. THe thing you are paying for with the AMT is the boom and the preamp, cause the mic element is not all that special nor particularly good. (considering what usable fidelity a good dynamic gives you without a preamp and nothin but a cord into the Focus)
I left the little stubby on my bass all weekend thru 4 gigs and a lot of travel and the H clamp never moved. The Pr40 in that little 3 inch barrel on the H clamp is worth $500 a lot quicker (to me) then the AMT which I auditioned for a weekends gigs once and found weak comparatively, and a complicated set up with the preamp.
Still, there's gotta be a simple McGyverish way to float that little sucker right between the bridge feet in such a way that it stays on the bass all the time. I might have to scheme on that for a spell...
Adrian, you're right, the H-clamp is not cheap. But to put it in perspective, you could buy an H-clamp and a Heil PR 40 (or presumably the "stubby" too) for less than an AMT, and that's w/out the Super Preamp.
In my case I know I paid 25% more for my AMT S25B than for my H-clamp and Beyer M 88 TG combined. I use the latter pair on every gig, whilst the former sits at home. To me the difference in sound, flexibiity in mic positioning, and increased volume thru my amp b4 feeding back was worth the price. The customer service at explorAudio is outstanding too, IME.
[ Seems Piro and I were typing at the same time. ]
In my case I know I paid 25% more for my AMT S25B than for my H-clamp and Beyer M 88 TG combined. I use the latter pair on every gig, whilst the former sits at home. To me the difference in sound, flexibiity in mic positioning, and increased volume thru my amp b4 feeding back was worth the price. The customer service at explorAudio is outstanding too, IME.
[ Seems Piro and I were typing at the same time. ]
Dude, Its totally rubberbandable. I chris'd it already and it works great. the thing is it works best facing straight into the table of the bass.
Chris, my problem is I haven't found a spot on my bass between the bridge legs or stuck in the afterlengths that sounds as good to me as that sweet spot near the end of the FB. And I just can't reach that spot without some type of clamp or gooseneck. That's why I dug the AMT. But the dynamic mic I use now just sounds better .. more natural, more 3-D. And it goes much louder thru my amp b4 feeding back. Big plus.
That's why I really want to kind of check out the Heil too. That and the fact that a Neumann KM185 costs more than twice as much.
Heck, then I look at Lynn Seaton's setup and go "Durn. That's looks easy."
That's why I really want to kind of check out the Heil too. That and the fact that a Neumann KM185 costs more than twice as much.
Heck, then I look at Lynn Seaton's setup and go "Durn. That's looks easy."
Chris, my problem is I haven't found a spot on my bass between the bridge legs or stuck in the afterlengths that sounds as good to me as that sweet spot near the end of the FB. And I just can't reach that spot without some type of clamp or gooseneck. That's why I dug the AMT. But the dynamic mic I use now just sounds better .. more natural, more 3-D. And it goes much louder thru my amp b4 feeding back. Big plus.
That's why I really want to kind of check out the Heil too. That and the fact that a Neumann KM185 costs twice as much.
Heck, then I look at Lynn Seaton's setup and go "Durn. That's looks easy."
Yea the stubby kind of took care of the finding a good sound near the bridge thing...When there is enough room to position it wherever it needs to be to sound good, there are a bunch of good spots. My favorite spot with the big PR40 was under the fingerboard but with this little one aimed straight at the bass (I know its a 45 angle in the photo) just below the bridge sounded sweet and was way outta the way and not too visible...and a great fat sound.
Of course the AMT won't sound as good as a large diaphragm mic. The AMT's main claim to fame is its rejection and hence its usage in live situations.
Yeah Adrian I had to chuckle last night when I was flipping through the latest issue of BP (Dec. '07). Back to back on pp. 24-26 are articles on Stephan Crump and Morrie Louden. They are both shown w/ AMTs mounted on their DBs.
So I can perhaps see how in the big time on a big stage in a big hall with monitors pointing at you from all over the place the rejection factor becomes critical.
But then ... I always thought you have to kind of fire right into a dynamic, esp. a cardioid or hyper-cardioid, while a condensor picks up sound from "all over." Given that, you would think the dynamic mics in general would be better at off-axis rejection. Maybe I'm wrong or my understanding is incomplete.
So .. to build on that, the low pass filter in the AMT preamp may be in part what helps it reject "bleed" so well. But I can say that when I A/B it w/ my other mic, I miss the high end content that I get w/ the dynamic mic positioned close in to the bass.
Written as someone who is far from the "big time," and just trying to learn, and to make a good sound.
So I can perhaps see how in the big time on a big stage in a big hall with monitors pointing at you from all over the place the rejection factor becomes critical.
But then ... I always thought you have to kind of fire right into a dynamic, esp. a cardioid or hyper-cardioid, while a condensor picks up sound from "all over." Given that, you would think the dynamic mics in general would be better at off-axis rejection. Maybe I'm wrong or my understanding is incomplete.
So .. to build on that, the low pass filter in the AMT preamp may be in part what helps it reject "bleed" so well. But I can say that when I A/B it w/ my other mic, I miss the high end content that I get w/ the dynamic mic positioned close in to the bass.
Written as someone who is far from the "big time," and just trying to learn, and to make a good sound.
bob gollihur has quietly begun selling the exploraudio h-clamp, btw.
not cheap, but not as murderous as dealing with the dollar/pound conversion plus overseas shipping issues.
i've no affiliation with mr g, other than always being treated fairly as a customer.
jeff.
not cheap, but not as murderous as dealing with the dollar/pound conversion plus overseas shipping issues.
i've no affiliation with mr g, other than always being treated fairly as a customer.
jeff.
starting to live with the heil and the exploraudio h ... i've the heil in a sabra-som shockmount, the mic mount that ships with the mic is beautifully machined, but pushes the weight of everything to the edge of what the expor can handle ... love the sound of the heil (it's pointed above the bridge). very resistant to feedback, but i want to experiment with speaker placement a bit to maximize just how loud it can go. a pickup is more convenient, but the sound of this rig rocks ... the heil is also a rather fab vocal/voiceover mic.
jeff.
jeff.
I have the PR30, which isn't as good for bass, but is excellent for lots of other things...mic'ing amps, vocals, acoustic instruments...the harmonica player in my acoustic blues trio loves it for acoustic style harmonica... very natural sounding.
We've found that the PR30 has a lot of handling noise...tap on the cord, the mic stand, whatever, and you hear it through the PA (not using the shock mount). It that situation the same for the PR40?
no handling problems at all. for voice you really need a real windscreen, but otherwise it rocks.
jeff.
jeff.
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