Ryan Admas live sound on some vids

dominant7th · #1 10-13-2015, 01:42 PM

I'm a massive fan of Ryan Adams but was wondering if anyone had any ideas on this aspect of his live sound.

On many of his live performances he has a mic on the guitar but he sings very far away from the vocal microphone. What kind of microphone would allow for this kind of awesome sound without picking up everything else?

An example of what I am trying to describe is here:

Ryan Adams:

Petty1818 · #2 10-13-2015, 04:35 PM

It looks like a condenser microphone. These are fine if you have a great sound man but for most people, it would be a nightmare to use. Condenser microphones tend to used for recording so they are able to still pick up the guitar when Ryan moves further away from it. His actual pickup sounds like a normal UST.

midwinter · #3 10-13-2015, 09:33 PM

Thank you for sending me down a nice little Ryan Adams youtube rabbit hole for a little while there. Much appreciated.

dominant7th · #4 10-14-2015, 01:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Petty1818

It looks like a condenser microphone. These are fine if you have a great sound man but for most people, it would be a nightmare to use. Condenser microphones tend to used for recording so they are able to still pick up the guitar when Ryan moves further away from it. His actual pickup sounds like a normal UST.

Thanks. I take it the vocal microphone is a condenser also? He sings very far away from this mic also.

Quote:

Originally Posted by midwinter

Thank you for sending me down a nice little Ryan Adams youtube rabbit hole for a little while there. Much appreciated.

Sorry, but hope it was time well spent. LOL

Silly Moustache · #5 10-14-2015, 03:53 AM

His guitar sound has been horribly processed in some way, and is certainly not they way it should sound through a condensor.

I have to disagree with the comments about a condensor mic requireing a good sound man.

In my experience you set it up, play/sing from about two+ feet away. Set EQ and fx to zero.

Go.

dominant7th · #6 10-14-2015, 01:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Silly Moustache

His guitar sound has been horribly processed in some way, and is certainly not they way it should sound through a condensor.

I have to disagree with the comments about a condensor mic requireing a good sound man.

In my experience you set it up, play/sing from about two+ feet away. Set EQ and fx to zero.

Go.

Agreed. I think a lot of his videos undergo some kind of post show editing because they either sound to good to be true or they sound over processed. This is not to decry his ability - which is immense, but I was just wondering re the set up.

Petty1818 · #7 10-14-2015, 02:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Silly Moustache

His guitar sound has been horribly processed in some way, and is certainly not they way it should sound through a condensor.

I have to disagree with the comments about a condensor mic requireing a good sound man.

In my experience you set it up, play/sing from about two+ feet away. Set EQ and fx to zero.

Go.

I am not trying to be difficult but if it was that easy, almost everyone would use a condenser mic on stage. Dynamic microphones can be that easy for mic'ing a guitar but condenser microphones pic up quite a bit of sound and can feedback very easily. There's a reason why you only see them being used with a solo performer or in a blue grass band where no pickups are used and the sound man knows what he is doing.

dominant7th · #8 10-15-2015, 01:26 AM

Luckily I don't have the knowledge to enter into the debate about using condensers on stage. However, I have been looking at a few condenser microphones: Sennheiiser 965 and they are showing that as being used in a band situation because it has a tight polar pattern?

Silly Moustache · #9 10-15-2015, 03:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Petty1818

I am not trying to be difficult but if it was that easy, almost everyone would use a condenser mic on stage. Dynamic microphones can be that easy for mic'ing a guitar but condenser microphones pic up quite a bit of sound and can feedback very easily. There's a reason why you only see them being used with a solo performer or in a blue grass band where no pickups are used and the sound man knows what he is doing.

Hi, I play acoustic guitar (that's why I'm on this forum).

I play to listening audiences only, and whilst my bluegrass activities are on hold at present - it is solo, duo and trio acoustic music that I thought we were discussing here.

Yes, condensers are not for rock bands or for noisy/rowdy audiences - I don't do that stuff.

MikeBmusic · #10 10-15-2015, 07:23 AM

I don't know his vocal abilities (strength/loudness), but I know from running my open mics that some performers have fantastic projection, and can be 6" to even 12" back from a dynamic mic (I have both Shure SM58 and Sennheiser e835 on stage) and still get the sound into the system well. (But the soundboard man has to adjust the gain as needed).

midwinter · #11 10-15-2015, 11:13 AM

It's ALWAYS time well spent.

Quote:

Originally Posted by dominant7th

Sorry, but hope it was time well spent. LOL