[Dixielandjazz] Microphones at a distance

[jsbarque at netscape.net]

I picked up a mic in LA in 1980, a Shure model PE50 SP. It is identical to the SM58 except it has a switch and lead which enables it to plug into high and low impedance inputs through cannon or phone jack. It is good for both banjo and vocal and still works perfectly. The SM57 instrument mic is a bit too sensitive in the higher frequencies and tends to exaggerate the harmonics which make the banjo sound stringy, more like the blurgrass sound, or accoustic guitar.

I always carry mic and folding stand with an 18" gooseneck around in the car boot in case needed. Too often when sound is provided, the banjo mic is   set up on a low stand which brings the mic up to knee height when playing standing up or otherwise, it is on a worn out boom which keeps on sinking. Ask for a higher stand and the usual response is "the last bloke was sitting there playing his guitar and didn't complain". or - "that's what was ordered" etc. As long as they have found the right mic for the kick drum, nothing else matters.

I have also used Beyer microphones and couldn't agree more with the opinion that they are top performers.

 cheers
Tony Orr



Talegatorz at aol.com wrote:

>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been superceded by a newer model.)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
Talegatorz at aol.com wrote:

>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
>_______________________________________________
>Dixielandjazz mailing list
>Dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com
>http://ml.islandnet.com/mailman/listinfo/dixielandjazz
>

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