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  #1  
Old 03-11-2013, 07:24 PM
Mtn Man Mtn Man is offline
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Default Mic'ing a Bluegrass Band

Maybe you guys can help me out. My son is in a youth bluegrass band and we're looking to get them amplified. This is the setup:

Guitar, Vocals (also plays mandolin)
Mandolin, Vocals (also plays guitar)
Banjo
Fiddle
Upright Bass

So, assuming everyone has their own mic, we'll need five instrument mics and two vocal mics. Two of the instrument mics should be compatible with both guitar and mandolin. Let's not worry about a PA system, that's another topic...

Suggestions? I guess what I'm looking for is, what's the best way to mic a banjo vs. a guitar vs. a fiddle etc. in an ensemble situation?

Not really interested in doing the single mic "dance". We've tried that in the past and found it to be tough to get a good mix, not to mention distracting (and occasionally dangerous) for the kids, and the guitar was at a real disadvantage. If we did a condenser we'd still need the guitar and bass on their own mics.

We've talked about doing a pickup in the guitar but that's a whole other topic. Let's assume the guitar won't have a pickup.

Simple, cheap, and reliable are the words of the day. We're on a pretty tight budget....

Thanks!
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Old 03-11-2013, 10:31 PM
Ken Donnell Ken Donnell is offline
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Default mics

I suggest that you have them begin with a single wide angle (omni-directional mic) stand mounted mic with all of them arranged in a semi-circle around the mic. This will help them learn about stepping up to the mic for solos, and everyone working to balance the overall sound by the distance they are from the mic. It is great training for stage presence. Good luck
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  #3  
Old 03-12-2013, 08:30 AM
J Patrick J Patrick is offline
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Default

...the biggest decision is going to be whether to use condenser or dynamic mics....condensers are more sensitive but also more difficult to manage and i think more useful to seasoned players who really know how to work a mic....there are many choices out there and as with everything you get what you pay for....it think one of the best instrument dynamics out there is a Shure Beta 56A...even though its not marketed as a mic for acoustic instruments it works really well...very feedback resistant... http://www.shure.com/americas/produc...ent-microphone ...probably a little spendy for you but rugged and reliable with excellent sound.... at a lower cost good old SM 57's can be had used for pretty darn cheap....Beta 57's are a little better.....a couple of used 58's for vocals and you're off and running for about as little cash outlay as possible for quality mics....if you do use condensers for the instruments i can recommend the MXL 603's http://www.mxlmics.com/microphones/studio/603/ ... thy're available as singles or pairs..really good for the money instrument mics...you need to roll back the high end on them but they're pretty sweet sounding ...not that rugged though and need to be handled carefully although that goes for most condensers.....good luck with you search

Last edited by J Patrick; 03-12-2013 at 08:41 AM.
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  #4  
Old 03-12-2013, 12:14 PM
Irish Dave Irish Dave is offline
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Agreed. SM 57s for instruments and SM 58s for vocals. These are long-time standards, extremely reliable, versatile, good response and very modestly priced these days. Don't see how you could go wrong with them.
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