View Full Version : AudiopTechnica & Countryman mic's....
telepbrman
Feb-13-2005, 1:17pm
Anyone use the following: Audio Technica PRO-7a Lavaliere Condensor Mic or the Countryman Isomax II? I saw prices at about $100 for the AT, and $220 for the CM...later, thanks, dy.
mandoJeremy
Feb-13-2005, 2:19pm
I use the Countryman Isomax IIc. What do you need to know about them?
telepbrman
Feb-13-2005, 11:27pm
How do you think it sounds? Thin or bass heavy? The hook up is just a clip in the sound hole? And lastly, the chain to the amp/pa...any preamp, volume pedal, tuner, thanks, dy.
mandoJeremy
Feb-14-2005, 3:07pm
It sounds great to me. It is a little bass heavy but you can EQ it out. I have mine clipped on at the sound hole. Before I tell you how I have it going to the preamp I must tell you that I have it ran to a stereo endpin jack in conjunction with a Barcus Berry Hot Dot. I run a 1/4" TRS cable to a Presonus AcoustiQ preamp which lets me blend the piezo and the Countryman.
telepbrman
Feb-15-2005, 12:21am
Hot dot...I will read up on that as well...I have that Para DI, Baggs, and an Art V3, I have yet to plug into the rig, which should be like this: Gallatin, McIntrye Feather, Para DI, volume pedal, Peavey Nashville 112. I'd like to eyeball that countryman for the f-hole. Later, and thanks for your help....dy.
mandowilli
May-15-2005, 10:20am
Jeremy, where is the TRS endpin jack you speak of located? #I would like to try the clip on option but really don't want to go with the carpenter jack that I am now using to house the endpin jack.
Got a picture of it you could post?
willi
http://www.onestreetover.net/
I use an IsoMax II as well and love the thing! I usually find doing a cut at around 400Hz is about all I need to get a great sound out of it. I run it into a Pendulum Audio preamp that gives me a ton of flexibility in shaping the sound (4 bands of parametric EQ). I also run some outboard efx (through the efx loop on the Pendulum).
I've used this configuration for years and been VERY happy with it! Initially I went with this configuration so as not to be at the mercy of soundmen who may or may not have known what a mandolin was or how it should sound. Now I just use it 'cause my mandolin sounds exactly like my mandolin ... only louder! http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif
... Hope this helps!
mandowilli
May-15-2005, 1:28pm
WJF, how is your jack from the Mini mic configured? Endpin? Carpenter?
Hi Willi ... I use ... Neither.
I took a pice of double sided tape (thick stuff used for carpets) cut to the profile of the foot of the bridge. One sticky side gets attached to the foot of the bridge, the other receives the "fuzzy" half of a piece of velcro cut to the same dimensions. I use another piece of the tape (again cut to the same dimensions as the "bridge piece" but this time I stick one side of it just behind the capsule of the Countryman and then cover it up and secure it with a little piece of black duct tape. The other side of this piece of tape receives the other (scratchier) piece of velcro.
I bring the mic cable with the capsule over my strap at the end pin, route it under the tailpiece and then mate the two pieces at the bridge. When both pieces of velcro are mated, the mic capsule hangs nicely over the F-hole, out of my way and nicely positioned. When I'm done, I just 'un-mate' the two pieces of velcro ... the tape / velcro pieces attached to the bridge foot and behind the mic capsule remain attached ready to be re-united next time I play out. I can get probably a few hundred gigs out of this arrangement before I have to replace the velcro ... not a bad return for the effort involved.
I prefer this method since nothing has to be clamped to the instrument or permanently altered. When in use, the velcro holds the mic securely in position and when not in use, the piece that remains on the foot of the bridge is almost un-noticeable.
... Hope I've explained this clearly enough and hope it helps!
http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif
mandowilli
May-15-2005, 8:25pm
Got a picture of that? A picture is worth a thousand words......
Sadly no, I don't. One of these days I'll have to get a friend to take a few and post 'em somewhere. Every time this subject comes up and I mention my setup, someone asks for pics so I guess I really should move this up in the priority que.
In the meantime if you want PM me perhaps I can shoot you my phone number and "talk you through" the procedure, answerwhatever questions you might have , etc.
Sorry I can't be of more immediate help ...
dave42
May-16-2005, 9:00pm
I used an AT Pro-70 (http://www.audio-technica.com/cms/wired_mics/e6f7342e8d1ceed3/index.html) once. The person used it for his mandolin using the instrument hook hanging in the f-hole. When it was my turn to play, I simply put it in my f-hole. Worked great and sounded great, but I would look for a better way to hang it on the f-hole, as the hook seemed a bit large for the hole. It wouldn't take much to do.
mandowilli... really like the website for One Street Over. The one liners are a hoot, like "reported to have cooked a meal..." or "Tuning up" caption under a pic. They got a good chuckle from me!
Dave
I use the Audio Technica Pro 7A on my mando. I clip it onto the pickguard. I bought some felt and glued it to the inside of the clip, so it would be less likely to slide. For a bit more money, I later ordered a very small goose neck that the mike fits into. This comes with a more substantial, non-sliding, rubberized clip. Hope this helps. G
Hi Grace ... out of curiosity, where did you order the gooseneck/clip you mentioned? I have a friend who has been looking for something like what you've described ...
Thanks!
Re: the gooseneck...I think I just went to my local music store (Sam Ash) and asked them to order it for me from Audio Technica. Audio Technica doesn't sell directly to customers. However, they are very helpful over the phone if your friend wants to call and talk about whether their gooseneck would work for his circumstances. Grace