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Double Bass Cram-a-mic-through-the-afterlength guys: What are you using?

#41
My part time day job is at a television studio that does CSPAN type broadcasts of government meetings. They went to all wireless and there are a lot of old unused microphones in storage. I thought I might find a SM 57 or another 58 or anything. So on my lunch break I took a look, Nope, someone else raided the pantry. but I did find this thing. It is old and it looks like it was designed to hang around your neck. It really isn't the right type of mic for bass but it's got built-in hooks for rubber bands! :D so I asked and they let me keep it. I got home and it was an easy mount (My Don Payne vibramute in the after length keeps the cable away from the bass) and it sounds actually almost OK through a mixer in to a JBL EON 10. I moved it closer after taking the picture. Of course mixing it with the pick up is better but the little crappy mic does add some 'air'. I only have loud gigs this week but some duos next week so I will report back. I just sold my trinity (for money toward a new standard) and I always thought that this area, between the bridge legs that Chris is using for the mic also worked the best for the bullet. This is fun!
 
#42
Touch said:
From memory I believe that the Shure SM57 and the SM58 have the same capsule. I could be mistaken however.
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I always thought the SM56, SM57, SM58 were all the same guts in different boxes. I suppose they may have been the same at one time and now are different. I wonder how an old 56 would do? Weren't they bent at a decent angle? May be better than a straight 57 or 58.
 
#43
Played the drummerless "Bluegrass meets Jazz" gig tonight with the FC and the SM58. Little did I know that Michael Cleveland was going to be playing fiddle there, which was a hell of a treat. Anyway, the mic sounded really great - warmer and more full range than the AMT, and somehow a bit more "old school", which was nice. The amplified sound was thicker, even with the high pass filter. Sounded great, and if nothing else I think I've found my setup for drummerless gigs. I'll be playing there again on Sunday, and plan to use one of the club's Beta 57's by way of comparison (still with no drummer, though).
 
#44
Chris, I have a new Focus 2R III as well. How do you utilize the high pass filter w/ the mic and/or p/u? Do you use the Notch OR Cut buttons. I don't have much experience w/ a high pass and I haven't messed w/ them too much yet on the Focus. I hope I'm not treading too much on earlier thread turf and being a PITA.

Univac, what is your Don Payne vibramute?

THANKS, BG
 
#46
Chris Fitzgerald said:
The high pass filter is a rolloff EQ that filters out the rumble below a given frequency. For mics, I usually set it dead center at 70Hz. For pickups, a lot depends on the pickup, but with the FC I set it at 70-80. Getting rid of that low sludge really cleans up the sound to my ears.
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HeY Thanks. Is that w/ the notch OR cut button depressed?
bri
 
#47
bribass said:
Univac, what is your Don Payne vibramute?

THANKS, BG
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Don is one of the guys I study with. He invented this simple thing, to mute the after length when using a pickup. I used to use foam, tape, socks etc. This thing is great because it is cheap ($6) it is almost invisible and adjustable for less or more muting. Plus it is really easy to put on and take off. He told me a lot of symphony guys use it too.

you can get it direct at:

http://www.recyclednotes.com/contact.html

Or at lemur (site has picture):

Invalid Link Removed
 
#49
Recorded a cut last night with the 58 & FC on different channels into Digital Performer. While it's not the least bit scientific, the results are interesting: The FC sounded like a FC always sounds when recorded direct - kind of nasal and compressed, pretty much like it does in the "Full Circle vs. Realist" soundclips thread. The 58 sounds (as you might expect) a lot more natural, but with the thickness about the sound which is colored in a way that a recording mic usually isn't...I'm guessing that this is the "proximity effect" coming into play since the mic is so close to the top. This sound could turn out to be useful, or it could turn out to be annoying. Time will tell.

What's interesting about the whole thing is that while the pickup sounds pretty rotten when soloed, and while the mic sounds pretty damn good by itself, when the two are combined, it's as if the mic sound absorbs the nasal pickup sound into it (even when they are putting out the same level signal on the meter), which only seems to put a "centeredness" into the sound of the mic rather than ruining it. Listening back, it seems like it should be a really good signal to feed to an amp onstage.

I think I'll try to record another track with the AMT & FC, and then one with the Beta 57a & FC for comparison, then upload all three to my site as a reference...especially if it sounds like either the 58 or 57 sounds as good as/better than the AMT for this application.
 
#50
You know I'm rooting for this to suck. I'll be mortified if I spent $900 on a mic that doesn't work as well as stuff I've got literally rolling around on the floor of my studio.
 
#51
Uncletoad said:
You know I'm rooting for this to suck. I'll be mortified if I spent $900 on a mic that doesn't work as well as stuff I've got literally rolling around on the floor of my studio.
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Amen. OTOH, it could be a great resource for guys who don't have that kind of bread to spend but who would still like to use a mic as part of their setup. And much as I hate to say it, the mics and cables involved in this configuration are a hell of alot more durable and idiot-proof than the AMT. We'll see.
 
#52
Chris Fitzgerald said:
Amen. OTOH, it could be a great resource for guys who don't have that kind of bread to spend but who would still like to use a mic as part of their setup. And much as I hate to say it, the mics and cables involved in this configuration are a hell of alot more durable and idiot-proof than the AMT. We'll see.
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Yea. In light of my last go round with the AMT cable I've been working on a substitute structure for mine. I'll show and tell when I'm happy with it. Meanwhile I've got some old fellas on the basement search for an SM56 to try out what yer doing too.
 
#54
Since Chris threaded about this I (who also has 58's rolling around the floor of my studio) have used this set up on a few gigs. Its so damn simple, just a mic cable into the Focus that it really has a lot going for it. I'm still in the messing with it stage but it sounds really pretty O.K mixed with the F.C. I wish there was a broader EQ on the Focus cause there are still some upper mid things that I dont like (in the blend too ) but with a drummer they kinda fade abit
 
#55
Chris Fitzgerald said:
On mine, the switch is labelled, "Notch" or "HP". I set it on "HP".
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That's funny, because on my Focus in the filter section it has 2 white buttons. The lower button is labled ON in the depressed position, OFF in released position, the upper button is labeled NOTCH or CUT when depressed/released. The sweep knob has the word FRQUENCY underneath and FILTER above. It doesn't say HP anywhere.

BG
 
#56
bribass said:
That's funny, because on my Focus in the filter section it has 2 white buttons. The lower button is labled ON in the depressed position, OFF in released position, the upper button is labeled NOTCH or CUT when depressed/released. The sweep knob has the word FRQUENCY underneath and FILTER above. It doesn't say HP anywhere.

BG
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I'm sure ours are the same and I just paraphrased.

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Anyway, I turn the filter on, set it to "cut", and put the sweep between 12 and 1 o'clock, depending on the room.
 
#57
Chris Fitzgerald said:
I'm sure ours are the same and I just paraphrased.

Anyway, I turn the filter on, set it to "cut", and put the sweep between 12 and 1 o'clock, depending on the room.
Click to expand...

Whew, I thought we were gonna hgave to call AI Rick for clarification on that one. This setting is just for your mic channel, or do you ever utilize the filter section for the FC as well?

THANKS, BG
 

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