[Dixielandjazz] Clarinet Mikes

[Steve barbone]

Being relatively unsophisticated about mikes I offer the following 2 cents.

Mikes like the Shure 57 & 58 work fine. One way to make them work better is
to move the clarinet up and down to combat the problem Larry mentions with
the pop you get on B, C and C#, which sound through the bell.

If one doesn't have two mikes, one for the holes in the middle of the axe,
and one for the bell, then one can move the instrument up and down depending
upon which notes are being played, so that the mike picks them up relatively
equally. Not as difficult as it sounds.

However, I will never forget a concert I played in Warren PA (Upstate in the
boonies, south of Jamestown NY) at a beautifully restored theater, seating
about 600 or so. About 6 years ago.

The sound man clipped a very small mike about midway up the mike stand, It
was about the size of an ink pen cap. I have no idea what it was. However.

The sound blew me away. Made me sound like a mixture of Kenny Davern, Buddy
DeFranco Tony Scott and Jimmie Giuffre. Clear, Crisp and very Mellow. Even
folks in the audience came up afterwards and said. "Wow, I have never heard
a clarinet sound like that before. Every note was so beautifully audible."

What was it? Who knows. Maybe Paul or others have an idea?

Cheers,
Steve Barbone