[Dixielandjazz] Microphones at a distance

[Talegatorz at aol.com]

Here's my two cents on the microphone thread.
I do agree that the SM 58 and "Beta" sets the standard for economical 
microphones. 
For well over twenty years I have been using Beyer products and although they 
are well over twice the price, the sound quality, versatility and feedback 
resistance are far superior to anything else I've tried and well worth the 
expense. Each one is fully tested before delivery and the resulting frequency 
response chart included. They are very rugged, but once after a careless drummer 
vitually destroyed one, I sent it back to the Beyer USA for a repair. They 
replaced the body, the guts and windscreen, box and upgraded it to current specs. 
Essentially returning a brand new unit all for about half the cost. 
The Beyer M69 is an excellent all purpose unit. The M88 is probably the best 
vocal mic on the market and its also great for lead solos, (I love mine).  I 
have also owned some M500's which have the characteristics of an ribbon mic 
without the expected feedback or delicacy. (They may have been discontinued or 
been superceded by a newer model.) All these have worked well with horns, but I 
liked the 500 the best for this. However, when playing sax for a loud rock 
band, I found that the M69 produced far more gain before feedback and any extra 
sound quality was unnecessary.  tend to Volume is boosted dramatically when you 
sing with them under your nose, and the response seems flatter and 
progressively softer from two to twelve inches away. Its easy to control  volume this 
way. They are not usually found in  music stores, but most professional sound 
companies carry them. Google Beyer USA. 
These mics have also worked very well at a distance by placing two in front 
up high six to ten feet from the band. This method produces a natural accoustic 
type sound that is just a lot louder louder and well mixed no matter which 
way the players point their bells. In most rooms, feedback is not a problem no 
matter how high the gain. Most extraneous noise is just too quiet to be heard.
No doubt Shure, EV, AKG, Sennheiser, Audio Technica and other brands of 
hyper-cardiod mics would work in a similar fashion. If one wants a louder and 
more modern "PA" type sound, individual instrument and vocal mics and 
attendant mixing is the only way to go. There are also many clip on and wireless mic 
systems on the market which would eliminate a lot of the pitfalls of stand 
mounted types. 
WWBW.com and others have  good selections of these to check out. 
Although great advances have been made in the last twenty years and in 
general there is far more bang for the buck offered now in sound gear, a cheap 
microphone will be the weakest link and is seldom worth the expense. A Shure SM58 
is probably the least worth serious consideration. 
Why own an expensive horn and then balk at spending a fraction of that on a 
mic for reinforcing its sound? 

Gus Bloch