Help with one mic sound

[LiveMusic]

I have convinced myself I need to try the one mic setup for guitar/vocal. I have looked into Ear Trumpet Labs before. Is this the defacto 'standard' or has anything else surfaced?

PA's that I own and can use... Fishman sa220, Bose L1 Classic system, Bose S1 Pro.

First real world test is a listening event, original music, in a bar. I will have seating for about 20 up front close to me as the primary audience and, of course, will sing to the rest of the bar, as well. If it's like last time, would be 20-30 more people throughout the bar.

I can continue to play plugged in but I have some guitars that do not have pickups that are so outstanding, I want to play them! If this doesn't work, I'll play plugged in.

[Chickee]

Phillip Graham, the owner, operator, engineer of EarTrumpetLabs microphones answers his own office phone, or will certainly speak with you and recommend usage of his products. Ask him for a setup that will work for your needs.

fd

[gfirob]

I have an Ear Trumpet Edwina and it is a great mike, but any condenser mike will have feedback issues and the further you are from the mike, the more this is a problem. To include the instrument in the mike's coverage means you have to stand back a little from it, so this means a little extra work dealing with feedback at the venue. Most often I just use the Edwina for recording or video work, but it is a fabulous mike and it is widely used by small bands in the way you describe.

[L20A]

One mic isn't the easiest way to amplify but it can offer great sound.
I like to have separate controls for my guitar and for my vocals.
This can't be done with a single mic.
You will need phantom power for a condenser mic.

[Robin, Wales]

Here goes:

Remember, you are just looking for some sound reinforcement when using a single stage mic'. The gig you described sounds ideal.

Venue - Ideally, you need a soft wall behind you (such as a heavy drape) so sound from out front is not getting back to the mic.

Mic' - the ear trumpet mic's are lovely. A Rode NT1a is a good cheap alternative. You need phantom power.

E/q. Very important. Somewhere in the system you need a multi band e/q (12 to 15 bands is good) because you are going to e/q the room.

Speakers - you want them in front of the mic'. And no monitor. The column systems that are designed to sit behind the performer are useless for single mic' work.

E/q the room. Turn the mic' up on the desk until it feeds back. Tap down the relevant frequency slider on the e/q (on most rack e/qs the frequency feeding back will light up). Turn the mic' up again and tap down the second feedback frequency. Finally, back off the mic' volume a notch or two. And that's your mic's volume set up for the gig.

Adjust the vocal and guitar balance by altering the mic's height.

What you will have created is a "live" stage. You don't need to be close to the mic' at all, it will pick you up from a good distance back. For your audience size a gentle reinforcement is all you need.

I'm going to be playing to 60 to 70 folks or so in a couple of weeks in a hotel venue, and I won't use a p/a at all for that, it's just not needed. And if you start from that perspective then using a single mic' is a big step up, rather than seeing it as a step down from plugging in.

[gfirob]

Originally Posted by Robin, Wales

Here goes:

Remember, you are just looking for some sound reinforcement when using a single stage mic'. The gig you described sounds ideal.

Venue - Ideally, you need a soft wall behind you (such as a heavy drape) so sound from out front is not getting back to the mic.

Mic' - the ear trumpet mic's are lovely. A Rode NT1a is a good cheap alternative. You need phantom power.

E/q. Very important. Somewhere in the system you need a multi band e/q (12 to 15 bands is good) because you are going to e/q the room.

Speakers - you want them in front of the mic'. And no monitor. The column systems that are designed to sit behind the performer are useless for single mic' work.

E/q the room. Turn the mic' up on the desk until it feeds back. Tap down the relevant frequency slider on the e/q (on most rack e/qs the frequency feeding back will light up). Turn the mic' up again and tap down the second feedback frequency. Finally, back off the mic' volume a notch or two. And that's your mic's volume set up for the gig.

Adjust the vocal and guitar balance by altering the mic's height.

What you will have created is a "live" stage. You don't need to be close to the mic' at all, it will pick you up from a good distance back. For your audience size a gentle reinforcement is all you need.

I'm going to be playing to 60 to 70 folks or so in a couple of weeks in a hotel venue, and I won't use a p/a at all for that, it's just not needed. And if you start from that perspective then using a single mic' is a big step up, rather than seeing it as a step down from plugging in.

Very good advice, Robin, but a reminder about why people often end up using dynamic mikes. But the sound of a good condenser mike is really superior and worth the trouble if you have the time to get it organized as you describe and if you have the hardware.

[keith.rogers]

Originally Posted by LiveMusic

I have convinced myself I need to try the one mic setup for guitar/vocal. I have looked into Ear Trumpet Labs before. Is this the defacto 'standard' or has anything else surfaced?

PA's that I own and can use... Fishman sa220, Bose L1 Classic system, Bose S1 Pro.
...

Unless you have a separate mixer with phantom power or T8 tone match, only the older Fishman has phantom power to support something like the ETL mics, or any condenser.

I've found condenser on live, inside stages that are not well baffled behind the performer to be close to unmanageable (except where the source is overpowering, as in a drumkit overhead, perhaps). There's usually just so much room noise coming off the wall behind you getting into the mic when it's placed any distance from the source you'll have a howling mess on your hands when you try to turn it up to actually amplify your guitar and voice.

Now, if it was a house concert and a quiet venue, worth a try, but a bar being suitable is in the "slim chance" category, but maybe it's a real quiet lounge with something like the heavy drapes already mentioned. *MAYBE*.

I've really seen condenser work well on big stages in auditoriums, quiet sets, and outdoor events where there is literally nothing behind the performers. Otherwise, you'll usually see dynamic mic, and they're close to the sources. If you really want to mic up your guitars, why not just have 2 [dynamic] mics, one for the guitar and one for voice?? The subtle difference between an SM57 and a condenser is going to not be noticeable to your audience in a bar. My $.02

[gfa]

Great advice from Robin, Wales. I'll add the suggestion to test the setup before the gig. Your position matters a lot, as do the height and angle of the mic.