Tone moan
Fri, 06/10/2011 - 15:32
Hi Fritz,
I'm thinking of buying a better mic. At the moment I use a Superlux D112 which is a cheap-ish dynamic mic. I see a lot of players playing through a bullet with one hand without losing volume or tone (it's a different tone, but not a thin tone). When I play one-handed or fan the harp or play higher octaves, I seem to lose a lot of volume and the tone thins quite a bit. My tone and cupping technique is not perfect, but it's okay, so although I know some of this is bound to be technique, is it also something to do with the mic I'm using and is it something that a better mic is likely to improve?
Greetings Jodanchudan,
Several factors come into play all along the audio chain, not the least important is the microphone link. Starting at the amp end of things, if you set-up for a relatively bright, clean, or relatively underdriven signal level, the sonic change from "TIGHT CUP" to "OPEN CUP" can be quite significant. "Brittle" and "airy" are descriptive words that come to mind. You've likely seen experienced players using relatively high fidelity mics (SHURE SM57, EV RE10, any number of other dynamics) intended for vocals or instrumental mic'ing and getting great tone. It does have loads to do with getting good consistent compression within the chamber formed around the mic's element (CUPPING) AND not feeding the amp a high proportion of signal that plays from the mic's strengths: High EQ frequencies, close -but not cupped- mic'ing technique. Given the opportunity, a good dynamic will TRY to clean-up the sound.
SO? A smaller, more cupping-friendly mic could certainly be an assist; a mic with limited fidelity response might be of help, setting-up your mic of choice & amp to work to YOUR strengths would certainly be an advantage.