Double Bass Something new this way comes NEW XLSON MICROPHONE

[rickwolff]

I just received this NEW XLSON MIC from Peter to test and do a demo.

It is a miniature condenser mic held to the bass with a small spring clamp which has soft rubber pieces on the part that clamps to the f hole.

Peter has done a lot of work to optimize his microphones. I have been really impressed with the microphones he has made previously, such as the Chuck Israels microphone. He has incorporated the things he has learned, including feedback from those of us using the 'Chuck' in the real world on gigs and recordings.

I'm really anxious to get this hooked up and hear how it sounds.

Videos to be added shortly.

 

[Francois Blais]

Cool he also included a small Yoda?

 

[rickwolff]

More pictures.

Very small and unobtrusive.

Can change the position or the clamp,

Can also change the angle of the microphone to EITHER aim at the f-hole or the top plate.

Cool he also included a small Yoda?

 

[rickwolff]

Cool he also included a small Yoda?

Yes, it's a Tuning Yoda. 'IF' I were to play a note out of tune (never happens) he smacks me with that stick he's holding.

OUCH,

OUCH

STOP THAT, YODA.

 

[crd]

Not to be a debby downer but isn't that a horrible place to put a mic?

 

[rickwolff]

Not to be a debby downer but isn't that a horrible place to put a mic?

NO, it's not. And I say that for two reasons:

1. I had very good success with the Ischell C3 'Air Mic' placed right in the f-hole in a piece of foam, and

2. The New XLSON Mic is flexible enough, between adjusting how you set the clamp, and even more importantly, the fact that you can change the angle of the mic, that you can point the mic entirely at the top plate rather than the f-hole if you prefer.

 

[Earl]

NO, it's not. And I say that for two reasons:

1. I had very good success with the Ischell C3 'Air Mic' placed right in the f-hole in a piece of foam, and

2. The New XLSON Mic is flexible enough, between adjusting how you set the clamp, and even more importantly, the fact that you can change the angle of the mic, that you can point the mic entirely at the top plate rather than the f-hole if you prefer.

For me, a mic inside the F hole can be a good sound with proper EQ. Outside the F hole just sounds way too boomy.

 

[Peter Axelsson]

Of course I'm following this thread with great interest
One of the problems with the former microphone, was that people with any knowledge in microphone technique and sound engineering, understand that the f-hole is a terrible place to put a microphone. It will sound boomy , distorted and undefined. Hence, they had the microphone on a greater distance from the top, and did not succeed at all getting a good sound. Therefore I decided to make this clip.
The microphone is compensated for the proximity effect

 

[rickwolff]

Here's the first little sound sample I recorded. My untreated room is a little boomy and my phone recorder obviously has an aggressive limiter. But anyway, here it is.

This recording isn't up to my 'usual standards', but we are packing for our move in a couple weeks and all my recording gear is already in boxes. I'll follow up with some better recordings when I can.

 

[WG Plum]

Sounds great!

 

[Fleo]

Sounds good. How is it behaviour with other instruments around like drums, guitar etc. in a live setting?

 

[rickwolff]

Sounds good. How is it behaviour with other instruments around like drums, guitar etc. in a live setting?

I'll find out tomorrow night on the gig. Piano, Bass, Drums, Saxophone.

 

[Peter Axelsson]

Sounds good. How is it behaviour with other instruments around like drums, guitar etc. in a live setting?

A directional microphone is normally a pressure gradient microphone , which means that a certain amount of background noise hits the back side of the membrane, and is cancelled out. Different manufacturers tune this property of the microphone in different ways. The best I have heard so far is the Audio Technica 813, which is an inexpensive mic out of production, that you can put 50cm in front of the bass, and run it to your amplifier next to you with a very natural amplification. If you can get one of those, buy it.
But it will only work with moderate sound levels.
When you have a sound level reaching the level at a live performance, the membrane is surrounded by a lot of equal pressure, and it collapses, delivering only a distorted shadow of the sound it was meant to deliver.
In the testing of the Chuck Israels Signature microphone, it was obvious that the amount of leakage was equal to any good directed microphone, when the surrounding sound was distributed by means of a hifi equipment or a radio. The difference was obvious in sound pressures found in loud concert settings.
My take on this directional aspect, was to divide the directional microphone in to two capsules, and protect each capsule from collapsing, so that they at the top of their ability, produces a true sound.

 

[Peter Axelsson]

Perhaps I am killing the thread if I appear here.

 

[Pilgrim]

Here's the first little sound sample I recorded. My untreated room is a little boomy and my phone recorder obviously has an aggressive limiter. But anyway, here it is.

This recording isn't up to my 'usual standards', but we are packing for our move in a couple weeks and all my recording gear is already in boxes. I'll follow up with some better recordings when I can.

Sounds great, but the recording must be in a small live room, as I hear a lot of sound bounce off the walls even with the mic in the final position. It always sounds slightly like the mic is off the bass and hearing sound reflections from the room. That mic is clearly very sensitive, so a mounting position that provides significant isolation from the ambient sound of the band and the room seems necessary to me.

 

[crd]

Of course I'm following this thread with great interest
One of the problems with the former microphone, was that people with any knowledge in microphone technique and sound engineering, understand that the f-hole is a terrible place to put a microphone. It will sound boomy , distorted and undefined. Hence, they had the microphone on a greater distance from the top, and did not succeed at all getting a good sound. Therefore I decided to make this clip.
The microphone is compensated for the proximity effect

So the clip is the improvement over the Chuck Israels mic?

 

[rickwolff]

Here is my next attempt at recording. I am using a Tascam recorder which is a little confusing to me but I think I got it.

This is the New Xlson Mic going directly from the Optimization Box to the recorder. No amp, No EQ, this is just the raw sound of the mic (which incidentally sounds just like my bass)

 

[John Chambliss]

Sounds nice. I like this change with the smaller mic and the integration of the Optimization Box. I bet bleed and feedback will be significantly reduced.

 

[rickwolff]

I'll be using it on tonight's gig. I'm bringing the recorder.

 

[Jason Hollar]

What's the cost on this? I got excited about the Chuck Israels mic … but found out it was like $1K.