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Topic: reso mic project |
Michael Maddex
From:
Northern New Mexico, USA
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Posted 28 Jan 2009 5:16 pm |
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A couple of months ago, I completed this little project of mounting a small condenser mic in a reso coverplate. A recent post on this subject prompted me to go ahead and post this.
First I drilled out a rubber grommet to fit the mic. Then I drilled a hole in the coverplate and inserted the grommet in it. Finally I reassembled the guitar and slipped the mic into the grommet. Because it is a condenser mic, it needs to be used with a PA, mixer or pre-amp that can provide phantom power. Here are a few photos with probably unnecessary notes.
The image on the left shows the mic components, Shure Beta 98/S:
1 - mic element
2 - XLR plug containing the mic electronics
3 - wind screen (not used in this application)
4 - cable for mic to XLR plug with mini-DIN connectors
5 - standard mic cable and XLR connector to give a sense of scale
The image on the right shows the coverplate with the hole drilled in it and the grommet ready for installation. I chose the location for the mic based mainly on sound, but I also needed to dodge the spider below.
The image on the left shows the grommet installed in the coverplate. The image on the right shows reassembled guitar with the mic installed.
The happy picker plugged in! As far as I can hear, the sound is same as with a mic on a stand positioned just above the same location. Keeping the Volume levels at mid-point (4-5-6 or so) or lower, it doesn't have the percussive qualities of contact pickups. I haven't had any trouble with feedback at those levels, which are fine for my home recording. It gets a little touchier when I turn it up louder, and it seems to need a little more EQ. BTW, it hasn't been out of the house yet, I may find the feedback out there. All my own observations and opinions, of course.
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"For every expert, there is an equal and opposite expert." -- Arthur C. Clarke |
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Dave Manion
From:
Boise, Idaho, USA
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Posted 11 Apr 2009 1:50 pm
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Very useful post. Thanks for taking the time! I might try something similar soon.....
Dave |
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Ulric Utsi-Åhlin
From:
Sweden
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Posted 12 Apr 2009 2:47 am
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Hi Michael,this is interesting...I´ve been doing
some thinking in the field of Magnifying Acoustics,
brought on by my renewed interest in doing live
gigs ; lack of time etc had me perform a quick cop-
out mod on my Dobro,long lipstick-PU,as You might
remember,but I´ll try to put the time in & look into
solutions like the one You presented here...please
report when You´ve put it to the test of full-volume
stage use...So Long...McUtsi |
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Eugene Cole
From:
near Washington Grove, MD, USA
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Posted 7 Aug 2010 8:11 pm
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| Another great discussion on this topic is Here |
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Rob Anderlik
From:
Chicago, IL
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Posted 8 Aug 2010 4:07 am
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I am becoming a big fan of using mini-mics for acoustic instruments. The sound quality is great and I really like the consistency in sound you get by having a mic mounted to your guitar; it's nice to be able to move around on stage too. The one drawback - in my experience - is that although they work well with full P.A. systems - they may not work well with small systems and especially with acoustic instrument amplifiers. I'm convinced that the combination of a good pickup and a mini-mic is the ultimate plug-in rig for the dobro!
Michael, thanks for posting the photos. Looks like you've come up with a good solution. I just wish Shure or another manufacturer would come up with a clamping mechanism specifically designed for the dobro! It'd be nice to have something that was easy on/off without having to modify the guitar.
The DPA 4099G comes with a clamp (photos below) that works pretty well for guitar and dobro, although I'd still prefer something that clamped to the coverplate. Seems to me that'd be the easiest soulution.
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Jason Hull
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Posted 9 Aug 2010 1:06 am
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| Lavalier mics have small clips on the back. Might be adequate for attaching to the resonator cover... |
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Chris Tweed
From:
Cardiff, Wales, UK
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Posted 9 Aug 2010 2:19 am
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Rob,
I was thinking about getting one of these mics. Do you think a mic on its own would be loud enough for small to medium venues playing in a bluegrass band with other mic'd acoustic instruments (banjo, guitar, mandolin)? Or is a pickup necessary as well?
Chris |
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Rob Anderlik
From:
Chicago, IL
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Posted 9 Aug 2010 3:00 am
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Chris:
My friend who owns the DPA 4099G has had mixed experiences. In some cases it's worked great but in a few cases it didn't work out so well (had feedback and/or not enough time to tweak sound prior to the gig). Where it's worked the sound quality is truly exceptional. Really good!
Of course, YMMV - it really depends on the venue. In really loud situations - noisy bar, room with poor acoustics, etc - having a pickup can be a lifesaver. |
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Jason Hull
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Posted 9 Aug 2010 3:40 am
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The Sabine FBX is great for eliminating feedback, and it's small. I've used it with a bunch of different pickups, mostly transducers, and it has performed well, even for the most feedback-prone instruments. I think there is a version for mics, with an XLR connector (and phantom power?).
It might be just the ticket for using a small mic attached to the instrument. |
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