I love my new mic

[webberink]

So I have been experimenting with mics, trying to find one which would do both voice and guitar for small venues (60-80 people).  I have grown tired of having to swallow a standard mic and mess with the whole EQ thing with my guitar while I am trying to focus on playing and singing.  Last Saturday, at a coffeehouse we put on in a 80 person venue, I set up the whole sound system with our usual multiple mics and DI boxes for instruments ... and monitor speakers to of course.  I had the loan of a new Audio-Technica AT2050 multi pattern condenser mic. so I set it up too, just to try.  After I set it up, I sat on a stool about 2 1/2 feet away from that mic with my Larrivee OM-09 unplugged and began to play and sing.  My buddy who plays with me stopped what he was doing and had this incredible look on his face as he traveled around the room sampling the sound.  Well, that is all we used for our set that night and it was perfect.  In fact that was all anyone used that night and it was all great.  We had everything from a solo guitarist, 3 duos and even a 5 person bluegrass band and everything went through the one mic alone and we all had a ball.  All the other stuff I set up never even got turned on.  Of course the monitors never got plugged in, they just tend to feed back with the multi pattern condenser mic, but there was more than enough sound coming back to the performers off the back wall of the hall.  I never twiddled a knob all night and just gigled every time a performer did the bluegrass two step as we all learned how to step forward to do a solo and all that good stuff.  We were old-timing it and every one commented on how pure and good the sound was. I bought the mic and I love it.  Just goes to show, we usually have way too much sound system for acoustic sets I guess.
Just thought I would share.
Dave
Dave

[B0WIE]

Thx for sharing.  I always prefer a mic as pickups just don't sound like the guitar sounds in the room.  You miss out on so much nuance.  I haven't done a lot of live micing but I do enjoy the infinite mic and mic-angle combinations that are possible in the studio. 

[unclrob]

So nice to go old school,I wish I could gig like that more often but outdoor gigs on the main street make it impossible.Also glad to that people still know how to do the two step.

[webberink]

You are kind of to blame for this unclrob.  It follows from our conversations a few months back.  I am just glad it came to fruition in such a neat way.  Next coffeehouse we plan on doing the same thing and just telling our performers to come expecting this mic set up and that's all.
Dave

[unclrob]

 

Indoor gigs are the best place for using a mic.You can use the monitors just at a much lower volumn and off center as opposed to placing them in front of the mic.

[unclrob]

  Someone else that knows about Gentle Giant!!!!

Many moons ago I played in what was called an art rock band,we used SM57 for the acoustic guitars and small amp's on stage nothing over 20 watts for guitars and the 2 bass amps were 45 watts.We put the monitors up on milk crate's and since we were sitting there volumn was lower.I've used large diaphragm and pencil mic's and everything in between.The sound of an acoustic guitar thru a mic is just lovely.

[Denis]

I've got one of those Audio Technica AT2050 mics, along with the cardiod only version which is an AT2035.  I've been using them both for about 2 years now for all my recording.  They sound amazing and you won't break the bank buying one of these. 

[guitarmax99]

I've got one of those Audio Technica AT2050 mics, along with the cardiod only version which is an AT2035.  I've been using them both for about 2 years now for all my recording.  They sound amazing and you won't break the bank buying one of these. 

Condenser mics sound great, but I'm hesitant to use them in live situations with monitors (they tend to feed back quite easily).  I love condenser mics for recording though.  The AT stuff isn't bad at all.  I have a 2035 myself, but I rarely use it as I've been using my more recently acquired Neumann KM-184's lately.  They are very nice indeed.

[unclrob]

Theres a photo on the duo's facebook page,Keith and Barefoot Rob that show's were I've always placed my monitor even though I'm not using a mic my partner like's pretty loud monitors.