Miking a fiddle?

Subject: Miking a fiddle?
From: GUEST,Glyn Owen
Date: 18 Nov 04 - 04:18 PM

We are running a Celidh in January and our band is being augmented by a fiddle player. Any suggestions on live miking?

Subject: RE: Miking a fiddle?
From: HiHo_Silver
Date: 18 Nov 04 - 07:50 PM

Very little to suggest. However, from my experience on sound, unless your fiddler is used to working a mike this can be somewhat difficult. Probably good to have a chat before starting and ask him/her to try and keep in the same position as closely as possible when playing on the mike. Sure someone will have a better suggestion.

Subject: RE: Miking a fiddle?
From: GUEST
Date: 18 Nov 04 - 07:58 PM

IF you don't have it mic'd already..I may recommend using a decent piano mic on a boom stand, arcing the boom angled down onto the fiddle.

Subject: RE: Miking a fiddle?
From: Leadfingers
Date: 18 Nov 04 - 09:06 PM

Microvox among others do a mic that fixes to the instrument !

Subject: RE: Miking a fiddle?
From: Gypsy
Date: 18 Nov 04 - 09:59 PM

Yee gahds, where did you find such a quiet fiddler? Generally, they need MUTING

Subject: RE: Miking a fiddle?
From: Cluin
Date: 18 Nov 04 - 10:51 PM

Milking a fiddle? Yeah, I've known a few guys to do that.

Just showing off because they can draw that last note out forever as the sustain of my guitar chord decays away to nothing.

"Do you HAVE to do that on EVERY damn song?"

Subject: RE: Miking a fiddle?
From: Jess A
Date: 19 Nov 04 - 05:27 AM

Fiddles can be quite difficult to mike because they seem particularly prone to feedback - something to do with the direction you have to point the mike in and the intensity of the sound I think. If using a mike on a stand, I'd agree with what Hiho_Silver said and try and get your fiddler to stay still relative to the mike. I usually put the stand in front to my right, quite high with the boom reaching over my fiddle so that the mike itself is 3 or 4 inches above the bridge. Depending on the fiddle and how directional the mike is, you might want to experiment with pointing the mike at one or other f-hole - probably the one on the bass side. Need to be careful not to whack it with the bow though. If you get feedback problems, may need to move the mike further away from monitors/speakers.

If the fiddler is a permanent addition to the band, they might prefer to get a pick up as it gives a lot more flexibility when it comes to moving about. There's an excellent article here www.judicael.co.uk/articles/violin_pickups.pdf comparing different types and makes of pickup. They vary in price considerably and therefore in sound quality and reliability re: feedback. I've just bought a hypercardioid mike type pick up from Accusound which I am chuffed to bits with (very natural sound and no feedback problems) but not cheap at about £250.