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Double Bass mic for db and tuba

M

Matthijs

Supporting Member
Jul 3, 2006
2,247
1,154
Amsterdam
#1
Please help me make a choice for a microphone solution for both DB and Tuba. What I'm looking for is a cheap and practical, "swiss army knife" solution for micking both for live amplification through either my amp or through a PA. I'm not looking for a perfect sound, plain decent will do. Something that's always there in the gigbag when needed and if nescesary can be easily operated by myself without the involvment of a sound tech.

I'm hesitating between 2 directions:
1 Either a shure sm57 with some practical solutions involving rubber bands and clamps and stuff.
2 One of those small condenser mic's with a gooseneck you can clamp on. Like the audix adx 20 i-p.

Both could be connected to my amp by a small mixer with phantom power I own.

The second option is tempting because those things seem easy to clip on and stow away, the first one has the advantage of always having the multi purpose sm57 around for whatever else comes up.

The reason I'm asking is there are some small to medium size gigs coming up where I am tripling on EB, DB and Tuba (I might need a bigger car too :hmm:). For those gigs I need to amplify the Tuba, but I'd like to do that in a way that would be usefull for DB in the future too. As I'm only using the piëzo now.

Any suggestions?
 
#3
For the SM57 I could use the rubber band solution that's been posted somewhere on tb. I was thinking of doing something simular with the tuba: suspending it above the horn with something we use in Holland to strap stuff on the back of our bycicles (don't know the english word, we call it a 'spider').

A clip on seems to be easier though, and I guess it can be used for lots of other stuff too. I've been watching the 'best clip on thread'. and I think the audix is one of the cheapest options with reasonable quality. Over here the ATM is twice the price, it does look more reliable.
 
#4
Hey there

I use a Blue Kick Ball mic. It's actually a kick drum mic but works well with double bass. It's kind of an odd mic in that it's dynamic and phantom powered, round, red and made in Latvia! It is designed for high pressure levels so close micing works well as the diaphragm doesn't distort and I've had no problem with feedback. Saying all that though I have also just whacked a 58 about a foot off the f hole at gigs with no problems.
 
#6
Hi.

Back in the day when I was on a tour as the sound engineer we used an AKG condenser miniature goose-neck for the sax player who wanted to move around more.

I can't remember the exact model, but what ever You buy, make absolutely sure it can handle the SPL of a lower register brass instrument, plenty of SM57's have been damaged by baritone, even tenor saxes.

Regards
Sam
 
#7
A Shure 57 would also suffer from proximity effect, making consistent eq an issue if there is any significant movement around. It's just not designed to handle that much bass. I'd go with the condenser as well.
 
#8
I bought the Audix and a cheap art tube pre. The tuba sounds pretty good through my amp, haven't tried it on gig volumes though. It was dead quiet and very much "the tuba only louder".

I had some trouble finding a good spot on the db. Mainly because the clip is meant for a horn and is to small for i.e. a bridge adjuster wheel. With some tinkering I should be able to fit it to a bigger clamp though.
 
#10
Have used the audix on the tuba now. I really like it. It's so transparent I don't really realise I'm amplified. I could turn it up pretty far too.
Haven't really tried it on db, and it will be sometime before i do. I mostly play fully acoustic or over my piezo. I'm totally used to my piezo sound Live, so i have no real need to mike the db live. From what I heard at home it also does very well in being transparent. I did miss some colour. Guess i'm expecting a bit of proximity effect or eq from the mic. If you want warmth or some other coloration this is not probably not the mic. This one does the bass only louder.
 
#12
I just bought a DPA 4099B for my 5-string, and it performed spectacularly! I know they make a bunch of different mounting options that can be interchanged, so that might work for you.

It was a bit pricey, but what good equipment isn't?
 
#13
I like the way the dpa 4099b is mounted, but my DIY replacement clip is doing allright for now, and it works both for the tuba and the bass. I need to get used to the amplified Tuba though. The feeling of hearing the Tuba that loud is different compared to DB. I'ts closer to the feeling you get when hearing your own voice amplified for the first time. It does help a lot in getting my timing right (or at least in confronting me with how far it's off).
 
#14
First thing is ... why don't you get a pickup for your double bass? Then you stand a good chance of balancing the three volumes.

Tuba is going to be easy to make loud - any brass mike will work. I have found dedicated bass drum mikes to not work as well as more generic brass mikes (ideally with a clip-on function). Best sound is on the bell, less feedback the futher down the bell you get, but worse sound.

If you are plugging your EB directly into a desk and then into your amp, you will want some kind of DI box in-between or it will sound pretty limp.
 
#15
Paul Tkachenko said:
First thing is ... why don't you get a pickup for your double bass? Then you stand a good chance of balancing the three volumes.

Tuba is going to be easy to make loud - any brass mike will work. I have found dedicated bass drum mikes to not work as well as more generic brass mikes (ideally with a clip-on function). Best sound is on the bell, less feedback the futher down the bell you get, but worse sound.

If you are plugging your EB directly into a desk and then into your amp, you will want some kind of DI box in-between or it will sound pretty limp.
Click to expand...

I almost always use a pickup on my db. The mic is 'extra'.
 

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