Bass drum contact pickup on sousa

[Paul Tkachenko]

Hi,

I wonder what one of these would sound like to pick up a tuba?

http://www.thomann.de/gb/bband_ukkok_ki ... _mikro.htm" target="_blank

I'm hoping that on a very noisy stage it would avoid feedback and also help to feed effects without feedback.

Before I shell out, I thought I might see if anyone has any experience with such things.

I'm most concerned that it will pick up too much valve nose etc.

[imperialbari]

From what I saw when managing a mixed music stage years ago the drum mikes are mostly there to trigger drum synthesizers.

Valve noise is a sound that will trigger that drum mike. Maybe the sound has a so narrow frequency range that it can be filtered out without too much damage to the tuba sound. My worry also would be about the quality of sustained notes.

One solution for a high, but hardly highest, noise environment that has been shown here on TN, is bloke’s tri-arm mike holder out of aluminium, which he uses on his CC helicon and on his pimpophone. He better tells the story himself, as he maybe has photos.

Klaus

[Paul Tkachenko]

I'm very happy with my SD system mike that clips on the bell - it sounds fantastic. I just need something that will 1. Run effects that add high frequencies without feeding back and 2. Not pick up too many other sounds on a very loud stage (the bell picks up a lot of sound and throws it back into the microphone.

Maybe I am looking for a pick up and mike combination.

[Paul Tkachenko]

These pickups are meant to be replacements for microphones - they are not designed as triggers it seems (although I don't see why they wouldn't work as triggers too).

[Dan Schultz]

I used to have a Barcus-Berry transducer epoxied onto a plastic Kelly MP. It worked well.

[Paul Tkachenko]

Dan, I would love to know exact details of that - that's the kind of thing I'm after!!

[David Richoux]

In the early 1970sI had a trumpet mouthpiece mounted pickup driving a small octave splitter synth-effect box. It was very buzzy and un-horn sounding, but it was kind of fun. I don't see how any pick-up on a mouthpiece could deliver a quality sound output even now.

I have tried many different tuba mic suspension ideas - maybe the best was a full frequency unidirectional Audio Technica lavalier mic suspended on 3 light bungee cords hooked on the rim, centered in the bell - it worked well for Sousaphone and tuba, was very light and almost unnoticeable. A small belt mounted amp box connected to a regular mic cord. Only problem was that it was a bit fragile - maybe they have gotten better?

[Paul Tkachenko]

For quality sound I don't think the SD system microphones can be improved upon. The sound quality is excellent.

Not great for driving effects - I really want a mouthpiece pick-up but I need details about them.

I'll then blend it with the microphone, possibly using an SD system blender.

[Paul Tkachenko]

I wonder if one of these could be stuck on a sousa somewhere ...

http://www.poullath.com/" target="_blank

I know a lot of clarinettists who use them and they sound great!

[ginnboonmiller]

For just driving effects, I'm wondering if you benefit from the 115 Euro bass drum contact mic over a 10 Euro contact mic from Audio Technica or somesuch. If you have another amplification system for straight tuba sound, run them both and mix them.