Single Mic Technique?

[Wasnex]

Another gig coming up (Friday) and I'm not sure whether to put the clarinet on a separate mic (dynamic, cardioid) or not. Main reasons against: more to setup/takedown, and mainly more mixing for me! Main reasons for: better control over her volume and "place in the mix." Plus it make things a bit less congested around the other mic.

I welcome your opinions.

IMHO, two mics sounds very reasonable. I think it will come together easily, but if you don't like the results, you can quickly take the extra mic down.

If you get a chance before the gig, experiment with mic placement and EQ for the clarinet. I suggest having the clarinetist sit in a chair and play softly while you walk around. This will help you understand how the sound emanates from the instrument. I believe ideal mic placement may be above and slightly in front off the clarinet with the mic aimed slightly behind the bell. If this is too visually distracting consider aiming at a similar point on the instrument from below. I doubt aiming the mic straight down the barrel of the instrument will sound very nice, but feel free to try it.

In aiming the new mic, consider the need for each mic to pickup only it's intended sound source(s) while significantly rejecting all others. You may also need to modify how you aim the original mic to achieve best results. Consider moving it slightly closer to the guitar, vocal, mandolin sound sources as this will increase gain before feedback and help with rejection of the clarinet's sound.

 

[G Aichele]

More helpful advice there, thanks! I did a simple test at our practice today, just had the 3 acoustic musicians line up as they would at the gig, but with the clarinet pointed straight at the mic (and about twice as far from it as the other 2). Then did a quick test recording of them playing together. The voice/guitar and mandolin came through clearly, but the clarinet was sketchy at best. So it'll definitely be 2 mics at the gig tomorrow.

 

[G Aichele]

The gig went very well today with the large condenser aimed between the guitar/singer and the mandolin and a smaller dynamic mic (what I had on hand) aimed at the middle of the clarinet (and away from the single PA speaker). No feedback, and everyone was clear and in the mix. Audience of about 100-130 enjoyed the sound. So i guess my experiment with the single mic technique was a failure but I will happily accept this dual mic approach as a livable compromise.

 

[Wasnex]

The gig went very well today with the large condenser aimed between the guitar/singer and the mandolin and a smaller dynamic mic (what I had on hand) aimed at the middle of the clarinet (and away from the single PA speaker). No feedback, and everyone was clear and in the mix. Audience of about 100-130 enjoyed the sound. So i guess my experiment with the single mic technique was a failure but I will happily accept this dual mic approach as a livable compromise.

Not a failure, a I learning experience. Glad the new setup worked well.

 

[Ulf_Hansson]

The gig went very well today with the large condenser aimed between the guitar/singer and the mandolin and a smaller dynamic mic (what I had on hand) aimed at the middle of the clarinet (and away from the single PA speaker). No feedback, and everyone was clear and in the mix. Audience of about 100-130 enjoyed the sound. So i guess my experiment with the single mic technique was a failure but I will happily accept this dual mic approach as a livable compromise.

Interesting experiment, but the compromise seems reasonable. It is not that much to set up and mix anyway. Thanks for sharing.

 

[cultrvultr]

I do a lot of bluegrass as the bassist/soundman. Two tips:

1. Turn on the -10db pad on the mic and boost gain at the board. Counterintuitive, but will reduce crowd and room noise. Helps the instruments come through better for acoustic music.

2. Sounds like you need that spot mic for the clarinet. You can get a clamp on side boom so you only need one stand. I like the cheap $30 red 12 gauge Omni mics for this purpose.