Condenser vocal Mic for Solo Acoustic Rig?

[ohiopicker]

I have a guitar with an Piezo pup going into a Boss Acoustic Singer Live. I have been using a dynamic cardioid mic and have had poor results with consistent volume on the mic because:

1) No matter what seating I have, I have to bend too far into the mic in order to consistently stay on mic (yep, I know that needs work by me), and

2) I'm also using an iPad on the stand just below the mic, and

3) My Mic, which is cardioid, seems to have a severely restricted polar pattern.

My rig usually sits 3' to my right and about 30" behind me. So would it be possible to use a hand-held style condenser like a EV Cobalt 011 with a wind screen on itand be heard in a coffee house or farmers market setting with me being 6-8" away from the mic, and achieve consistent volume with minimal chance of feedback? The amp does have feedback control and pad on it. I wish I had one to try out, but I don't and that's why I asking. Thanks

[Silly Moustache]

Hi, I use my old Rode NT1 for public performances but I keep it well behind the speakers.

[GmanJeff]

Use a boom on your mic stand to get your mouth closer to the mic. You don't usually want to be too far from the mic, because the further away you are the more background noise will compete with your vocals and the more gain you need in order to amplify the weaker signal you're providing the mic by being further away.

The polar pattern should not keep you from being heard, if you're singing directly into the mic. If you do not maintain a relatively consistent distance from the mic, and if you don't sing directly into it, you'll always sound inconsistent.

[Hurricane Ramon]

There are different cardioid mic sensitivity patterns

This is a wide sensitivity pattern :

This is a tighter narrower sensitivity pattern :


A wider pattern = the further more you are away from the mic it's pattern will pick you up , downside is
it's prone to feeding back on you .

Tighter the patter = less feedback issues but you have to stay inside their respective zone of sensitivity .

I use several cardioid patterned mics , they each are made for different situations .

Live feedback in a busking situation where I've no monitor on my T.C.Helicon MFX/Looper unit I use a tight dynamic cardioid :



It's cardioid pattern is like the smaller pic above . it's quite a great mic as mics go . it's got 2 internal shock mounts ,
I also slap a Blues harp on it and with it's
4 buttons I can change presets to accommodate vocal/harp tone , the FX and start/stop loops for vocal or harp . In short -
I love this mic only whish it had a volume control knob on it .




EZ :

HR

[Chriscom]

There are people who use condenser mics for live performance, including right in this thread, but if you're trying to minimize possible routes of screwups you should stick with dynamic mics IMO. Even a generally gentle performer like Livingston Taylor, who sings most of the time solo in tame venues where there's zero background clatter and no speakers behind or to the side, uses dynamic mics for vocals the few times I've remembered to check.

If your plan is to sing 6-8 inches away from a condenser with the setup and venues you describe, forget it.

The patterns shown by Hurricane Ramon are generally referred to as cardioid, the wide one, and super-cardioid, the narrow one. The exact pattern varies by mic, and usually can be found by looking it up on product listings online. The EV Cobalt 011 has a cardioid pattern, so likely not radically different in terms of the wider one shown, but much more likely to pick up unwanted inputs the way you talked about using it.

I feel your pain though, I had a bad mini-gig recently where I had to lean over my guitar to get my voice close enough to the vocalist's mic/stand I was using--no boom. It did not go well. But yeah get a boom and work on technique.

[Marshall]

$20

[Foss38]

Ever try a headset mic? There are plenty of choices.

[ohiopicker]

Thanks to all for your sage advice. To further clarify, I bought a round base stand and a 12" gooseneck, but the iPad holder has to go on the thin extending rod of the stand, and the gooseneck sits over top of that. You would think that the gooseneck would be pretty versatile, but the whole thing is a bit awkward

I was using it with a boom stand previously with better luck, but it was a tripod and my feet were bumping it when trying to get to my few pedals.

I may give the tripod boom another go and see if I can get a better seat and do some housekeeping under my feet.

[fitness1]

Reading through your posts, I don't fully understand the issue, but thought this product I've been using for 30 years or more may be of some use?

https://www.sweetwater.com/store/det...QaAuNSEALw_wcB

[GmanJeff]

Goosenecks are of limited value in live performance because they provide relatively little extra distance from the stand as compared to a boom.

I use a tripod boom stand with a large Helix floor unit and a TCH Play Electric with no issues; consider splurging on a high quality base with sturdy tripod feet which spread out widely enough to give you enough room between the legs for whatever pedals you use, and a stable boom which can extend far enough to be positioned so your mic is closer to your mouth while you're still far enough away from the stand to see your iPad.

Spending some $ on a high quality stand and boom will likely solve your issue. You'll still have problems if you get a new mic but continue to use the gooseneck and don't sing close enough to the mic.

it also sounds like you may be sitting while playing, and your seat may be contributing to the challenges you're facing in getting yourself positioned appropriately relative to your mic and, maybe, in operating your pedals. Standing will take that out of the equation; I never sit while performing.