[Dixielandjazz] Microphones

Wed Mar 1 10:32:30 PST 2006

This week end we did a Mardi Gras gig at a local nursing home.  In the past, 
the house PA system really sucked bad with static and gross distortion. 
There was some amplification needed because the band is up above the people 
looking into a very long room and has a side room that has it's ceiling 
about eye level with the bands. The band, especially vocals can't be heard 
in the side rooms.  Some sound reinforcement is needed.

 This year when I walked in there were huge speakers sitting everywhere (8 
plus monitor). The equipment looked like it had seen one too many rock 
concert riots and the guys running it like refugees from a strange religious 
cult.  One of them was a big man about 6' 2 or 3" and a lot over weight 
wearing bib overalls and had a beard down to mid chest.  The speaker 
cabinets were the very large rock concert size and a had huge sound board.

Their microphones and cables were dented and had duct tape around them. 
They had my mike on a boom and one of those three legged stands.  About the 
first thing I did was knock the damned thing over.  You would have thought 
that it was a $2000 studio mike.  The cornet guy's was balanced on a step 
and kept falling over into the band.  The Banjo guy got two mikes. The vocal 
mike was pointed away from him and he wouldn't touch it.  Never mind it was 
turned off anyway.  I walked over and turned it toward him and the sound guy 
ran up and glared at me.  I wasn't sure why the drummer had a full 
complement of mikes.  He only had a bass, snare, one cymbal and a wood 
block/cow bell.  There were more mikes than the guy had stuff.  Tuba player 
had a mike but I think it must have been turned off.

The first thing I said was where did they get these clowns.

The instant I started playing my soprano there were about 10 old peoples 
heads fell off. (usually there are only three or four) It gave me a real 
sense of power and omnipotence.

My second comment was picked up on the PA and that was "just think how much 
better this would sound like if they used the $20 mikes."

Fortunately after about 10 minutes they got the system more or less balanced 
out.  I'm so looking forward to next year at this place.
Larry Walton
----- Original Message ----- 
From: <tcashwigg at aol.com>
To: <rakmccallum at hotmail.com>; <dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com>
Sent: Tuesday, February 28, 2006 1:21 AM
Subject: Re: [Dixielandjazz] Microphones

Hi rob:

They are pretty much the standard of the industry for workhorses and
all around mics.  that is usually what you get when they are supplied
by a sound company unless you request something specific and they
happen to have it.

Personally I think that a horn player who needs a microphone in any gig
other than a  very large venue  (say 500 seats or more)
  is a WIMP of a player unless he is playing with an amplified Rock
band.   All those Big bands that played all those Hotel Ballrooms with
capacity of 500 to 1,500 people never used them.

Cheers,

Tom Play it loud  and make em dance Wiggins

-----Original Message-----
From: Rob McCallum <rakmccallum at hotmail.com>
To: dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com
Sent: Mon, 27 Feb 2006 21:34:28 +0000
Subject: [Dixielandjazz] Microphones

   Hello all,

  Looking for opinions on performance microphones. I was going to pick
up a Shure SM58, since I need a vocal mike (and wanted to spend $100 or
less--which is what they run), but I really also need it to double as a
horn solo mike. Does the SM58 respond well to instruments, or does it
strictly work best as a voice microphone? Does anyone have a favorite?

 Any thoughts are appreciated.

 All the best,
 Rob McCallum

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