got my Shure ksm32sl

[mike_c]

i got my shure ksm32sl mic today..(three quarter inch diaphram) to try in the studio..at spruce's suggestion i tried it 4" in front of neck joint in the studio..very impressive.. it has that thickness of sound that is hard to get without being muddy or jumbly sounding..and is very clear and warm and rich ....thanks spruce .. you da man

[fredfrank]

How would my five-string sound through that mic, Mike?

[Spruce]

Five string ba%jo?

It's a great mic for that as well....

It's a good mic on a lot of things...

[glauber]

For b*njo you normally want something that will change the sound, make it sound a little less nasty. http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/tounge.gif

[steve V. johnson]

Congrats on the KSM 32!

For banjo (well... for almost everything...<GG>) I like ribbon mics. #In the modern ones I like the Beyer M160 or M260, in older mics I much prefer an RCA BK-5b.
The BK-5b is a version of the famous, capsule-shaped RCA 77, made for use on film stages. #The 'poor man's 77'. <GG>

Ribbon mics seem to smooth out any harshness from frailing noises or metal fingerpicks.

stv

[fredfrank]

For b*njo you normally want something that will change the sound, make it sound a little less nasty. http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/tounge.gif
I found the perfect thing to make it sound less nasty . . .I got a Huber!

[Tom C]

Now just take the strings off of it and it will sound fine.

[fredfrank]

Yeah, I guess you're right, Tom, it could use new strings

http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

[glauber]

For b*njo you normally want something that will change the sound, make it sound a little less nasty. http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/tounge.gif
I found the perfect thing to make it sound less nasty . . .I got a Huber!
Yes, i find that alcohol (http://www.huberbrewery.com/) helps.

Seriously, i actually like banjo. http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/coffee.gif

[Don Grieser]

I was just doing some recording this weekend using a ksm32. It's great mic. I was using it further away though, maybe 18" to 24" or so out in front of the neck pointed back down toward the body. Nice and woody with good high end detail as well. Using the bass roll-off took all the low end muddiness out of a guitar.

[mike_c]

hey fred...we will try the ksm 32 on your banjo when you come to record.it is very natural sounding..much like a audiotechnica 4033.i also might try a ribbon mic on "the Huber".. although usually the ribbon is for them "harsher instruments" #(if you know what i mean).. i found i like the shure 32 best with the mic located apr 8" in front of mando face- but lower (closer to the floor) to offset proximity effect) it's full sounding with plenty of edge on my Monteleone m-5 -and sits well in the mix (that's with no bass rolloff)

[mike_c]

hey steve..have you ever tried a old bang and olefson ribbon? i borrowed one that had the sank ribbon conversion to use on a fiddle player, it was impressive

[steve V. johnson]

Mike, no I haven't, but I've mixed tracks cut with them. While I loved the sound of the tracks, the engineer who cut them didn't really understand what the B&O needed from a preamp, so I had to do some ... stretching... to get that character into the mix. Often really nice B&Os are overlooked on That Auction Site, and are real bargains.

Steven (Stephen?) Sank does some wonderful stuff with ribbons. I'm working toward sending some Beyer M500s to SS for his "RCA 77" treatments to them.

I usually start with Beyer M160s or RCA BK-5bs on fiddlers. If I had a Sank B&O, I know I'd use it. <G>

Ribbons rule.

Thanks,

stv

[mike_c]

steve..i often use my m-260 beyer on fiddles or banjo, it has the sank ribbon conversion...it has enough high end definition that i often have to roll off some high end with bright fiddles ..

[Fuzzyway]

I would be slow to ship anything to Stephan Sank at the present time. There are some very dissatisfied folks over at the ProSoundWeb forums regarding his promised mic modifications. Very similiar to the Rono problems. Work promised and money taken but nothing delivered. Some legal actions have been taken.

Best, fuzzy

[mike_c]

ok..this is my last post on my new ksm-32..i have done a bunch tests on this mic..i did some tracks on 3 different recordings and this is a impressive mandolin mic..it is very un-picky...just stick it out infront of a mandolin (12 to 18 inches)..and it is great..warm, yet sharp and clear. with no harshness.. it make my mando sound like-----my mandolin

[steve V. johnson]

Fuzzy, thanks for the word on S. Sank, I'll have to cruise around the pro audio forums to see what's up. That's sad news, and I hope the problems are resolved and pass quickly...

MikeC, thanks for the last word on the KSM-32.

stv

[Pete Martin]

I've used the B and O ribbons a couple of times as I have a couple of freinds that have let me borrow them. One good one had been reribboned with an RCA44 type ribbon.

I ended up getting a Royer R121, they kind of modeled the 121 after the B & O. I'd consider one of them or a AEA R84, which works terrific on fiddles. My own voice sounds thin on condensers, decent on ribbons (I ain't much of a singer).

Can't beat ribbons for fiddles and a lot of other things as well, love them on vocals where the vocalist needs to be smoother sounding than condensers allow.

[Spruce]

I have a Sanktified B&O with a 44BX ribbon...
Great mic on fiddle, but really good on upright bass...

It's a sad day if Mr. Sank is lost to the world of re-ribboning...
Love his mods...