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Double Bass Bartlett Audio Bass Microphone

james condino

james condino

Spruce dork
Commercial User
Sep 30, 2007
5,443
13,474
asheville, nc
www.condino.com
#1
At my Django gig Saturday I had the opportunity to meet and chat it up with Bruce Bartlett. He is the mind behind Bartett Audio and makes very nice small microphones for the spectrum of instruments, including a bass specific one, all built right here in Asheville, North Carolina. He's got solid street cred: 30 years experience working for Sure and Crown, authoring 8 books, and he is a musician. I have no financial interest; strictly bass nerd interest. He kindly dropped off several of his mics for demo here at the shop.

First impressions are very good soundwise. His prices are also fair- by selling direct to the customer, they are very competitively priced at just under $180. I'll be giving them a workout locally and fellow talkbass nerds are welcome to come by and give them a good test....

Bass Mic
 
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#2
Definitely interested in hearing your opinions on this. After using the RS Mic a few years ago, I started experimenting making my own mini condensers similar to this. Eventually I just went back to pickups because of the volume considerations.

The price point on this is attractive.
 
#4
james condino said:
At my Django gig Saturday I had the opportunity to meet and chat it up with Bruce Bartlett. He is the mind behind Bartett Audio and makes very nice small microphones for the spectrum of instruments, including a bass specific one, all built right here in Asheville, North Carolina. He's got solid street cred: 30 years experience working for Sure and Crown, authoring 8 books, and he is a musician. I have no financial interest; strictly bass nerd interest. He kindly dropped off several of his mics for demo here at the shop.

First impressions are very good soundwise. His prices are also fair- by selling direct to the customer, they are very competitively priced at just under $180. I'll be giving them a workout locally and fellow talkbass nerds are welcome to come by and give them a good test....

Bass Mic
Click to expand...

You Don't Know What Love Is, aah what a great tune, and what beautiful playing. As to the mic, it sounds like a mini condenser, better than either the RS or the Crown minis. The cost is very reasonable,
and I like the way it mounts. James have you played uptempo tunes with this mic? What usually happens is that they will start picking up the drummer if they start to "bash". The head is designed differently
from the Countryman I2.
 
#5
I'm interested in hearing about this mic too. The recorded sample sounds amazing, and you can't beat that price. Have any of you been able to test it out yet to see how feedback/bleed-proof it is? The web page shows what appears to be two ways of mounting the mic; One with the foam between the strings and the mic pointing at the top of the bass, and one with the foam in the f-hole. I wonder which works best?
 
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#6
Currently testing this mic in combination with a Realist Lifeline. In one of my projects, I play quite a bit on the body of the bass and the Barlett is providing a detailed and loud addition to the excellent versatility of the Realist. It also fills out the arco in a natural way. I feel the Lifeline is less optimal that the Copperhead for bowing but way better at everything else. I don't have gigs with this project until next month but so far I'm pretty happy with the blend.
Full disclosure, for many situations the Lifeline with a decent amp/preamp is plenty good enough, I probably won't blend for a lot of my other gigs.
Feedback wise, it seems more resistant than the Troll but time will tell. (I have used the Troll ribbon mic extensively but I don't have any practical experience with the Bartlett yet.)
 
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#7
Spent the weekend with this mic and I’m pretty impressed.
Friday-
Outdoors with no PA support, Bartlett > Clarus S3 (preamp for phantom and basic EQ) > Clarus SL effects in / Lifeline > SL 1Mohm input > Thunderchild 112. No feedback issues and the mic /pickup combo was plenty loud and articulate.
Saturday-
Indoors 75 cap listening type room/tiny theater, Bartlett > FOH. Sound person wasn’t great but the bass sounded pretty great. Bonus, the opener’s bass player used it also, super easy to move from one bass to another.
Sunday-
Outdoors again, same as Friday but with PA support. Took the post EQ from the SL into the board, no feedback, plenty lout and very articulate. It definitely was mostly MBOL only with a bigger, heavier low end, no piezo quack at all.
I’m definitely going to continue the combo for the time being but probably try to grab a Felix to blend the two.
 
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#10
Here?: (but on the G side, not E side)
upload_2022-8-29_12-50-55.png
 
#13
Not directly but I have used the Troll extensively in the past. The Bartlett is articulate and warm sounding but definitely a Omni condenser mic. The Troll is a bit warmer still, less articulation but way more vibe if that makes sense. I think the Troll needs a little more care in how you set up in a loud situation to deal with feedback. The Bartlett seems more forgiving but I am blending it. I always ran the Troll by itself.
 
#14
Jeff Kissell said:
Not directly but I have used the Troll extensively in the past. The Bartlett is articulate and warm sounding but definitely a Omni condenser mic. The Troll is a bit warmer still, less articulation but way more vibe if that makes sense. I think the Troll needs a little more care in how you set up in a loud situation to deal with feedback. The Bartlett seems more forgiving but I am blending it. I always ran the Troll by itself.
Click to expand...

Interesting! So, if I'm understanding you correctly, the Bartlett is less warm, but a little more forgiving feedback-wise?
 
#18
The Grace Felix allows me to get the best sound out of any microphone or pickup I choose to perform with. So regardless of your sound source the
Grace can taylor the EQ to produce the
optimal results. There is a learning curve because the controls are so sensitive. Just my take of course.
 
#19
Okay, so the FELiX is a game changer in every sense… (I’m rethinking my amplification at this point.)
C1 is the Bartlett, I’m still getting a handle on eq with this lil’ guy but so far, everything I was concerned about and hopeful for regarding blending a mic with a pickup has been super manageable.
C2 is a Realist Lifeline into a SushiBox More stomp box tube buffer. The More is kinda Sarno Black Boxish but with a way more forgiving footprint. It’s a really great sounding and versatile/usable signal into the FELiX.
 
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#20
I've just received my Bartlett and given it a quick test alongside my usual Full Circle and Line Audio CM4 setup. I can't see it replacing the CM4 under the bridge as my favourite for when I'm isolated, but sitting in the F-hole it's EQ really works well to bring in the 'air' and top end that the CM4 cannot in the same position, without letting in too much of the outside world. On first impressions i think the Bartlett and Full Circle will be a really complimentary, easy to work with live setup, and I'm really looking forward to testing this out!

I'm on IEMs most of the time but our bandleader loves a very loud wedge which really limits my possibilities. I wish we were all on ears!
 

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