• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

Feedback issues with hammered dulcimer

bassjamn

bassjamn

Jan 4, 2002
1,257
470
Colorado
www.instagram.com
#1
Hey well this is kind of bass related, and a bit of a longshot question.
I play bass in a band with a hammered dulcimer that has pickups installed, problem is we do play pretty loud(It's a black metal band) and feedback issues usually arise.

I try to point my bass cab away from the dulcimer along with the PA, but there are times our dulcimer player plays pretty busy and cant mute the strings feeding back.
Any ideas on what else we can try to prevent / reduce feedback would be appreciated.
 
#2
bassjamn said:
Hey well this is kind of bass related, and a bit of a longshot question.
I play bass in a band with a hammered dulcimer that has pickups installed, problem is we do play pretty loud(It's a black metal band) and feedback issues usually arise.

I try to point my bass cab away from the dulcimer along with the PA, but there are times our dulcimer player plays pretty busy and cant mute the strings feeding back.
Any ideas on what else we can try to prevent / reduce feedback would be appreciated.
Click to expand...

What kind of pickup is in the dulcimer? Magnetic or piezo?
 
#3
The orientation of the dulcimer may help. The large flat sound board will be most sensitive to the amplified sound waves arriving from a direction perpendicular to the soundboard surface. So you would want the soundboard facing the amplified source "edge-on" rather than "face-on". The source of the wave causing feedback could also be a reflection, so the best orientation might not be "edge-on" to some particular speaker.

You can also use EQ to reduce the offending frequency (or frequencies). You don't necessarily lose anything, since the feedback frequencies were already excessive, due to the feedback conditions.

-
 
#4
Covering the soundholes may help. Or stuff polyfill inside the dulcimer's soundbox, yeah it might change the tone, but if one is trying to play an amplified acoustic folk instrument in a METAL BAND you might have to make some compromises.
 
#5
Dulcimer in a metal band? OK. I use to be in a band where one of our musicians played hammered dulcimer, bouzouki, mandolin, and tenor banjo. He had his dulcimer custom made to be drier and he wove a bit more felt through the strings to reduce the resonance a bit more. For sound reinforcement we found that a Crown PZM on an acrylic plate provided good overall coverage (and a shield from wedge monitors) and then we suplemented that with either a countryman instrument mic or a Neuman KM84. It also helps to run it though a high pass filter.

You might want to try and isolate him a bit with plexiglass shields. You could use plywood to try this out in rehearsal to see if it helps and to figure out how much shielding you need. You should also look at his monitors. I would avoid floor monitors for him and look to some stand mounted hot spot monitor or IEM's.
 
#6
lz4005 said:
What kind of pickup is in the dulcimer? Magnetic or piezo?
Click to expand...

It's a magnetic pickup.

yes it's a bit strange having a dulcimer in metal but very unique sound, much more melodic then a typical metal band, I am enjoying it. Less to fight over vs a wall of distorted guitars :)
That's a good idea about plexiglass shields we could give those a try, covering soundholes, ill check on that too.
Thanks fella's, btw the band is called botanist if anyone is interested.
Botanist
 

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back