Mic recommendation?

smigeonsmigeon Frets: 282
edited April 2018 in Live
Hi all,

I'm a newish convert to IEMs - they work great at a gig at which we mic everything up. But at small gigs or when we rehearse it's too much hassle to mic everything, and I especially find the lack of drums into the mixer a bit of a problem. I can hear myself well (guitar and vocal) but sometimes struggle to keep tight with the drummer when he's being quiet.

So I thought I might get an omni-directional mic for these situations that I could point vaguely at the drums so it would pick up enough to feel real. Wouldn't matter if it picked up some guitar/bass etc as well I guess but would be great if it could catch some kick and cymbals as well as snare without getting fussy about positioning (e.g. I might just clip it to my mic stand).

Anyone have and suggestions for a suitable mic for this application? I guess I have a ballpark cost of say 50 to 100 quid in mind, if a half-decent mic can be had for that. (One that didn't need phantom power would be good in that it would be more versatile, but I usually have access to phantom power so this is not a hard constraint.)

Grateful for any suggestions... 
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Comments

  • For rehearsals any mic not being used would work, just watch out for feedback if the rest of the band are using wedges
    www.maltingsaudio.co.uk
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  • deloreandelorean Frets: 224
    I've been using IEMs for the last 10 years and the way around it - for me at least - is simply to have one ear in and one out.  I get my monitor mix in the one ear and the drums, crowd and backline in the open one. 
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  • smigeonsmigeon Frets: 282
    edited May 2018
    delorean said:
    I've been using IEMs for the last 10 years and the way around it - for me at least - is simply to have one ear in and one out.  I get my monitor mix in the one ear and the drums, crowd and backline in the open one. 
    Thanks @delorean. Yeah, that sounds an appealingly simple solution! I had thought of trying it myself, but never actually did so far because I’ve heard it said that it causes you to turn up the IEM volume to damaging levels in that ear to balance (or compete with) what you’re hearing in your other. I’d worry about this because my hearing is already damaged enough :-/

    Wondering what your experience is in terms of volume - do you find you turn your IEMs down a lot from what you normally use, if you put both in (if you ever do)?

    (I’m wondering also if it makes a difference to volume/safety  if the IEMs are custom moulded unit or just looser sealed ones.)
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  • bbill335bbill335 Frets: 1368
    delorean said:
    I've been using IEMs for the last 10 years and the way around it - for me at least - is simply to have one ear in and one out.  I get my monitor mix in the one ear and the drums, crowd and backline in the open one. 
    If the point of the IEMs is to protect your ears against excessive dBs then one-in-one-out is just doing extra damage to the unprotected ear.
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  • deloreandelorean Frets: 224
    edited May 2018
    I almost never have mine up to max, but I find that because that one IEM is actually in the ear canal, I don't need to have it up too high. 

    A lot of IEM units have a built-in limiter so it you do start to push it, that will automatically kick in and drop the level down a bit - yours may have a similar feature as a safeguard. 

    Typically I'll have mine up between 1/2 and 3/4 volume (I usually start lower and turn up as the gig goes on).

    Also, I don't put everything though the IEM mix, as I found this was too much for just my single ear to cope with - I won't for example have our 2nd guitarist, bass or drums in my mix because I can hear them all well enough through my open ear. 

    I just have keys, backing vox, my main vocal and my guitar in my IEM.

    I guess you could also look into using the one-ear method and getting a really good custom moulded ear plug (ACS or Ultimate Ears) for the other as a level of protection.  

    For the record, I don't have custom moulds (just the rubber and foam ones that came with my IEMs)
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  • deloreandelorean Frets: 224
    bbill335 said:
    delorean said:
    I've been using IEMs for the last 10 years and the way around it - for me at least - is simply to have one ear in and one out.  I get my monitor mix in the one ear and the drums, crowd and backline in the open one. 
    If the point of the IEMs is to protect your ears against excessive dBs then one-in-one-out is just doing extra damage to the unprotected ear.
    Ordinarily I'd agree, however we tend to have a (relatively) low stage volume now that everyone has switched to IEMs and everything is put through the PA.  It works for me personally, but YMMV.

    As an aside, we didn't actually start using IEMs for ear protection, but rather for a cleaner mix, clearer stage, less feedback and to enable everyone to get the exact mix they need.  


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  • digitalscreamdigitalscream Frets: 26453
    I recently got a T-Bone SC 600 condenser mic (with an omni/cardioid switch) and Superlux HM-6 desk stand for about £70 from Thomann. We're planning to use it for podcasts, but it'd probably work just as well in the middle of the band as a room mic.
    <space for hire>
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  • smigeonsmigeon Frets: 282
    The point about using the one-ear IEM approach to let you hear the band-in-the-room-effect via the “free” ear, but which might be harmful for your hearing, sparks a thought:

    ... how about wearing an IEM in one ear and an ear plug in the other?

    Might this help with keeping the volume down in the IEM ear, but letting just enough ambient sound bleed in via the other ear?

    Anyone do this??

    Think I’ll try it...
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  • deloreandelorean Frets: 224
    edited May 2018
    smigeon said:

    ... how about wearing an IEM in one ear and an ear plug in the other?

    Might this help with keeping the volume down in the IEM ear, but letting just enough ambient sound bleed in via the other ear?

    Anyone do this??

    Think I’ll try it...
    This is something I've often considered, but I'm just too tight to pay £150 for a pair of moulded earplugs when I only need the one!  

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