Tuba Pickups/Amplification

Mike Finn · Post by **Mike Finn** » Mon Feb 20, 2006 10:24 pm

In the case that I don't have a dedicated chanel on the PA for a microphone, I run it through my rig as follows:

The clip-on ATM Pro25 (I think that's what it is) goes into the phantom power unit, out of that into my Bass OD pedal for EQ and a little signal boost, from there to an A/B box for quick and easy change between tuba and electric bass. (The A/B goes straight into the amp head.) Velcro patches hold everything in place, the whole thing fits into a reinforced shoe box for transport.
If you'd really rather go the pick-up route, I'm sure there are some upright bassists out there who can help you out. I seem to recall something about a pick-up actually being installed into the mouthpiece, via a small hole. I've actually seen a mpc with this mod, but the pick-up was no longer present. Can't recall the maker, but it was a respected name. In fact, it's probably in the archives here if you do a search.
Hope this helps a little!
MF

pulseczar · Post by **pulseczar** » Wed Feb 22, 2006 12:13 am

I'm pretty sure it matters. I've never tried micing a tuba, but after doing some sound engineering for gigs, mic placement definitely affects the sound that comes out the rig.

I guess the best way is to experiment until you get the desired sound.

prototypedenNIS · Post by **prototypedenNIS** » Wed Feb 22, 2006 1:31 am

a tuner pickup mic might work, some of the violinists here swear by them, no feedback, no outside sounds, pure vibration... I have not tried it on a tuba though.

dmmorris · Post by **dmmorris** » Fri Feb 24, 2006 9:37 am

Lately, I've been going "old school" by just pitching a Shure Beta 57A microphone down the bell and simply jacking straight into the Ampeg.

It's low tech.....and it give's a nice punch!

ArnoldGottlieb · Post by **ArnoldGottlieb** » Tue Feb 28, 2006 10:48 am

Doublers Unite!
If only the kids asking about conservatory vs. university, or should I buy a 3rd F tuba to play the 2nd trombone part in "The Blinding of Oedipus"? kind of questions would understand what's happening in the real music buisness world.
Bass is beautiful............(no matter what instrument it comes out of)
Peace. ASG

MartyNeilan · Post by **MartyNeilan** » Tue Feb 28, 2006 11:06 am

ArnoldGottlieb wrote:Doublers Unite!
If only the kids asking about conservatory vs. university, or should I buy a 3rd F tuba to play the 2nd trombone part in "The Blinding of Oedipus"? kind of questions would understand what's happening in the real music buisness world.
Bass is beautiful............(no matter what instrument it comes out of)
Peace. ASG

I will have to agree; the last couple of years when I have done my taxes I have made more money playing bass trombone than tuba, even though tuba is definitely my primary instrument. My bass bone has payed for itself several times over, something my F tuba has yet to do one full time. Not to mention the trombone students I had picked up.

I got an inexpensive electric bass last year with the hopes of working my chops back up and playing it somewhere, but at the church I currently go to the "musically talented" college student playing bass knows both chords - I and V. And, bless him, he will play one of those no matter how it fits.

Fortunately, he is so talented, bless him, he does not have to know how to read bass clef either.

ArnoldGottlieb · Post by **ArnoldGottlieb** » Tue Feb 28, 2006 12:59 pm

mike-j-g wrote:
thomas d wrote:Wow that was a long answer on a tuba forum...
Is it just me or is this non-brass talk making anyone else's brain hurt? There's too many instruments called bass. At one point I was picturing an electric guitar being played with a bow.

Hey Man,
I dig what you're saying and that it's in jest,

but it seems that debates on this board over whether a horn is a PT6 or not get more milage than ways that a person might actually try to make a living in the music buisness. Just me talking though, I mean the Philly orchestra gig should open in the 2051 season, if I get married soon I could start my grandkids on the audition track for that one......
Peace.
ASG

tubatooter1940 · Post by **tubatooter1940** » Tue Feb 28, 2006 10:10 pm

I'm looking for a Fender Jazz bass guitar.
My double so far is Eb tuba with a little trumpet combined with rhythm guitar.
My tuba is a 3 banger King on a stand. I mic it with a Schure SM-57 on a tripod stand with a boom. The Creekers don't have a sound man so I like to be able to lean my tuba to the left out of the mike and blow juice so the audience doesn't have to hear the whooshes. The SM-57 is sensitive enough to get the best sound out of my tuba without revealing hisses and clanks.
Our P.A. is a 16 channel Mackie board with 6-8 300 watt EONS -self powered speakers with 15s. The 15 inch speakers handle the tuba just fine. For small rooms we use a 300 watt Peavey driver with 2 columns with 10s for guitar, harmonica and vocals. I then use one EON with the highs turned down for tuba amp only. Plenty loud!
My guitar is a 1966 Gibson 330 archtop slim hollowbody with the origional Gibson pickups going thru a Korg effects pedal with 30 preset sounds plus 10 more I wrote myself-straight into the P.A..
I try to blow trumpet into the vocal mike of our guitarist next to me. My tone cuts painfully if I get the trumpet too close to a mike.

ArnoldGottlieb · Post by **ArnoldGottlieb** » Wed Mar 01, 2006 1:14 am

Hey Doc,
Just got home from a Fat Tuesday gig, nursing a bloody slap finger, and of course a lot of tuba playing too. Do you know about this site for slappin'? http://scotthinds.tripod.com/ Wierd too, Mark Rubin was on the Radio the whole way home with the Klezmer Brass Allstars. I don't know s#@t about Texas geography, but do you get to hear him play regularly?
Peace.
ASG

tubajoe · Post by **tubajoe** » Wed Mar 01, 2006 3:49 am

GH wrote:Would not a pick up directly attached to the tubing have a rather large effect on the sound?

Not as much as you'd think. The sound is *fairly* true (but can be a bit squirrely pitch-wise)

As of late, a large percentage of gigs I do are in NYC clubs... with drummers and other large stuff... the pickup situation allows me quite a bit of control. I do use effects sometimes, but not always -- quite often I'm just amplifying the regular tuba sound itself.

It also allows me great dynamic control -- I can play really soft if I want, which is really handy when playing a bass role.

With the right combination of amps and all I can get a pretty true and natural tuba sound.

Here's a few short samples where I go for a standard acoustic tuba sound through the pickup:

This one is from a Tuba Love demo studio session -- there is no acoustic tuba signal at all... it's all from the pickup with no effects.
http://www.tubajoe.com/sounds/samples/i ... _intro.mp3

This one is a live clip from a recent Tuba Love gig -- playing in a bass role
http://www.tubajoe.com/sounds/samples/live1.mp3

This one is from a folk album I played on -- it is a mix of pickup and regular mic (they left in a little descant thingie I played just messing around at the end

)
http://www.tubajoe.com/sounds/samples/luna_end.mp3

Sound goes way beyond JUST the pickup... there are lots of other factors involved -- I've listened to a lot of tuba players play amplified and I think the best way is via pickup OR putting a mic down the bell, which if done correctly gets pretty much the same results... But, I've also heard some great players do well with a small bell mic as well as a standard mic on a boom stand.

The pickup thing can be really cantankerous and difficult. It works, but is not an ideal situation.

Experiment... find what works best for you.

AND... for you bass geetar players... (as I noticed this thread had some of that content) my sister is featured in the March issue of Bass Guitar magazine. (I may have already plugged it, but what the hell...)