Double Bass Cool New Mic holder for upright

[John Chambliss]

It clamps to the ribs and a gooseneck mounts on it. MC 4 - Clip Double Bass

I like it in principle as the ribs vibrate less than than the bridge, afterlengths, or tailpiece. I haven't tried this or an H-clamp but the gooseneck looks a little short on the Neumann site and from what I've read here the H-clamp is finicky.

Incidentally, here's a system I've started trialling. It's an ATM350 capsule liberated of its noisy foam and gooseneck and strapped to the treble bridge leg with a cable wrap and soft foam. Works well enough for reinforcement. Haven't tried with a drummer yet but it did well with a 9-player free improv group last week.

I do something very similar with a Bartlett Audio bass condenser mic.

 

[Ed Fuqua]

Yup, Oliv D, Chorda G…

 

[Ric Vice]

The Remic solution always gives me pause, touching both the table and the tailpiece, not to mention the fixed position. Also, it is quite e pensive. But your insistence on it always makes me curious. I like the freedom of the gooseneck, the slightest change really affects my frequency profile. But I do believe you when you say the Remic is a great mic.

For a time Remic offered substantial discounts on the D5400 (Red) and the 5400 LB Green) through their website. They now have the Super Cardioid 7200 Reshape that comes with a removable mount. You can place the Remic under the fingerboard, inside the bridge arch or under the tailpiece. So from my perspective it’s more flexible on the my basses than the DPA 4099 Devote gooseneck.

 

[robert_stuart]

Doing a little experiment with an SM57. I'm thinking about making an under-fingerboard clamp that'd hold it in this position. Alternatively, some strong black rubber bands because I don't play that high on the fingerboard anyhow.

 

[Jason Sypher]

Doing a little experiment with an SM57. I'm thinking about making an under-fingerboard clamp that'd hold it in this position. Alternatively, some strong black rubber bands because I don't play that high on the fingerboard anyhow.

If I was going that route I would use industrial Velcro under the fingerboard. Of course the fingerboard is part of the bass sound and response.

 

[Paul New]

A plain ol’ SM57 wrapped in plain ol’ foam and wedged just tight enough into my ol’ Acoustic Image Combo is the best amplified sound I’ve achieved so far. Looks a little ghetto with the green foam but would have been perfect for St Pat’s.

I might have overstated that a little.

 

[robert_stuart]

If I was going that route I would use industrial Velcro under the fingerboard. Of course the fingerboard is part of the bass sound and response.

I might test that - but I think that that the shock mount is important.

 

[Jason Sypher]

I might test that - but I think that that the shock mount is important.

Good point

 

[Ric Vice]

There are so many choices now from DPA, Neumann, Remic, ATM et. al. and even Schoeps ( the miniature CMC 1U) I just see no reason to hang a heavy, large diaphragm microphone off the fingerboard or wrap one in foam and stuff it under the bridge. If it’s a monetary issue then sure that’s a concern otherwise it’s a mystery to me. Just my take however.

 

[Jason Sypher]

I might test that - but I think that that the shock mount is important.

I think I’d try a foam/velcro solution. It could work quite well.

 

[Ric Vice]

I tried the Explore Audio H Clamp with the Xlson when Peter was kind enough to put it out on trial that we passed between TB members. Due to the design of my bass ( it has a Flatback that slopes out toward the bottom of the bass) the clamp just slips regardless of where I placed it. I also owned the AMT with the tailpiece holder and long gooseneck. It sounded great, until you got on a MainStage with monitors and other instruments in close proximity. Then onto an earliest DPA 4099B before the DVote. It had great rejection but its tone quality, was lacking. Just my take. In some ways it’s about how the mounting system attaches to the bass in combination with how the microphone sounds.

 

[Paul New]

There are so many choices now from DPA, Neumann, Remic, ATM et. al. and even Schoeps ( the miniature CMC 1U) I just see no reason to hang a heavy, large diaphragm microphone off the fingerboard or wrap one in foam and stuff it under the bridge. If it’s a monetary issue then sure that’s a concern otherwise it’s a mystery to me. Just my take however.

How about someone playing a plywood bass with gut strings and a wire mute? That person might find that an SM 57 wrapped in foam and stuffed under the tailpiece sounds exactly right, if it doesn’t feed back. In some situations that’s a sound that can work very well.

 

[Ric Vice]

How about someone playing a plywood bass with gut strings and a wire mute? That person might find that an SM 57 wrapped in foam and stuffed under the tailpiece sounds exactly right, if it doesn’t feed back. In some situations that’s a sound that can work very well.

A valid point for sure Paul and in a pinch where you bring the plywood bass and they (the house) brings the sound, then that’s an option for sure. Personally, even with a laminate bass the SM 57 with foam stuffed under the tailpiece , the additional weight of the Shure SM 57. and the standard heavy duty microphone cable all have to contribute to some dampening effect on the basses sound even if it’s minimal. That’s a trade off that I’m not willing to negotiate so the Remic solves the issue on my bass.