Help: concertina miking

Subject: concertina miking
From: Musicman
Date: 29 Jun 00 - 01:18 PM

ok, we've talked about bodhran miking.. how about the concertina....

I use a wheatstone concertina on stage... play the bodhran, sing and whistle (penny whistle, not mouth).. I use one mike for the bodhran (share it with my neighbour, we both play) and one for vocals/whistle/concertina (sm57). The problem is that the concertina dosn't come throught when the place gets loud... but can't turn up the mic because I sing loud (not really, but my voice carries well in the mic....) and when the adjustments are right for the vocals/whistle, it's too soft for the concertina.... The difficulty for the concertina is because the sound comes from the ends and I'm not that fast at turning it as I play to direct the ends at the mic... ( and it just don't bend that way!) Sorry, no seperate sound tech to make adjustments on the fly, and no room for another mic on the board (8 channel)... (besides can't afford the mic and don't play the concertina enough to warrent it....)

thought's? recommendations? what has anyone else found successful....

(for recording, we used two mics, one on each side... that worked great!!)

musicman

Subject: RE: Help: concertina miking
From: keltcgrasshoppper
Date: 29 Jun 00 - 07:56 PM

Yes musicman, I used to have the same problem. Solved by the Microvox system. two mics into a preamp that goes onto your belt or pocket. There`s two choices of power supplies,I use the one that has volume control and balance control. the mic`s go on each side and are attached with velcro. check them out at microvox.demon.co.uk good luck duldan.

Subject:
From: georgeward
Date: 30 Jun 00 - 01:25 AM

If you cam afford it, I'd add to Grasshopper's suggestion of the Microvox system (which I use on both 'tina and accordian) an ART MP tube preamp or the equivalent by another mfg. The small condenser mics of the Microvox sound pretty dry. The tube preamp warms up the sound wonderfully. Another bit of gear, to be sure, but worth it. -George

Subject: RE: Help: concertina miking
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 30 Jun 00 - 02:08 AM

My SO has the same trouble with his melodeon - he used to be in a band with a prima donna guitarist who set up the stage with the amps on his side, so that thoughout the evening the guitar and its player would get progressively louder and drown out the drummer, other guitarist and the melodeon.... (don't we all wish? .....) SO fixed this by getting a tiny little swan neck remote throat mike - like the sort that some stage artists hang over their ears. He taped that to the melodeon, next to the reed chamber, has his own little belt pack with controls and whacks it up whenever he needs to! The same sort of swan necked mike works really well on a flute too, but you may need to tape a little weight to the other end to balance it.

LTS

Subject: RE: Help: concertina miking
From: Sandy Paton
Date: 30 Jun 00 - 03:02 AM

My son David uses the Microvox system, available from the Button Box here in the US. He places the velcro'd mics near the high notes of his English concertina, and says that helps to balance the volume between the quieter high notes and the louder low ones on his Wheatstone. He uses the 9-volt battery driven Microvox and sends the signal into a direct box or straight into the PA amplifier. Take a look at the Button Box web site.

Sandy

Subject: RE: Help: concertina miking
From: MudGuard
Date: 30 Jun 00 - 04:59 AM

Georgeward,
please do not delete the subject line when you answer to a thread.
I (and some others as well) read the forum mostly from the "New messages since last visit" page. On this page (and on some others like usersearch), the subject of individual postings (not the thread title) is used to create a link to that posting.
If there is no text in the subject, the generated link has no text to click on and can't be used.
Click here to see you have done it for your last three postings - try to get to those from that site!
Thanks
MudGuard

Subject: RE: Help: concertina miking
From: GeorgeH
Date: 30 Jun 00 - 06:06 AM

I'd echo the recommendations for the Microvox . .

http://www.microvox.demon.co.uk

last time I looked.

Never noticed any problems with "dryness" on my wife's 'tina, but that has a fairly mellow sound. I'd always expected the "balance" between different notes to be a bit "off" - because of the mics location at one side of the instrument but again, in practice I've never noticed this.

G.

Subject: RE: Help: concertina miking
From: L R Mole
Date: 30 Jun 00 - 09:55 AM

Drat my eyeglasses, I thought this was about concertina milking.Don't have a cow.

Subject: RE: Help: concertina miking
From: GUEST
Date: 30 Jun 00 - 10:21 AM

I don't know if this will help...I play strings mostly, but I've found that a small sub-mixer for my own signals before they're sent to the main board or mixer gives me control over relative volumes on the fly and allows me to add additional lines in excess to what the mixer allows on its own. There's several decent small mixers which will work well, like Mackie. You can use seperate mics this way or by marking the panel with masking tape you can adjust up or down as required. Helpful? Mooh Tooh.

Subject: RE: Help: concertina miking
From: GUEST
Date: 30 Jun 00 - 10:22 AM

I don't know if this will help...I play strings mostly, but I've found that a small sub-mixer for my own signals before they're sent to the main board or mixer gives me control over relative volumes on the fly and allows me to add additional lines in excess to what the mixer allows on its own. There's several decent small mixers which will work well, like Mackie. You can use seperate mics this way or by marking the panel with masking tape you can adjust up or down as required. Helpful? Mooh Tooh.

Subject: RE: Help: concertina miking
From: Musicman
Date: 30 Jun 00 - 12:03 PM

thanks for the help..... looks like a good product in the microvox stuff.... have to save my pennies first though.....

Paul

Subject: RE: Help: concertina miking
From: oggie
Date: 30 Jun 00 - 12:55 PM

Had the same problem and ended up with three mikes and a small pre-amp. One mike on the main stand for whistle and vocals and two mikes on goosenecks for each side of the concertina. Worked OK and gave a bit more versatility than the microvox. In a loud electric based band I'd use a Microvox and a studio amp.

Cheers

Steve (oggie)