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Thread: Microphone AKG

  1. #1
    Registered User carbonpiou's Avatar
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    Default Microphone AKG

    What you think of the microphone AKG C411-L ? Did people find something of better for the sound recording or amplification of the mandoline?

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    Registered User almeriastrings's Avatar
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    Default Re: Microphone AKG

    Would not recommend for recording.

    It can be fine when used for live sound, however.
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    Default Re: Microphone AKG

    I use one on mandolin for gigs where there are high sound levels, as it is very resistant to feedback. It has a better tone than any piezo pickup I've found, but not as good as a decent condenser microphone either on a stand or clipped to the instrument. Fine for live use, but I would stick to a conventional condenser for recording. I'm currently using the Ovid clip-on microphone system from Thomann, and I'm very pleased with this so far. It's not a DPA, but it compares very well with an Audio-Technica Pro35, and is much less expensive than either. My band are having a full technical rehearsal later this month, so I'll be doing some more testing and tweaking of my sound.
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  4. #4
    Registered User carbonpiou's Avatar
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    Default Re: Microphone AKG

    Thank you Tim for this.
    What about feedback with Thomann Ovide ? This is not expensive and can be easy to use for flat back mandolin. But i play on Napolitan mandolin - i d'not remenber the name you have in english ? Ballback ? - I'm not sure...) I think it's possible to built a special system....

  5. #5
    Registered User Polecat's Avatar
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    Default Re: Microphone AKG

    Quote Originally Posted by almeriastrings View Post
    Would not recommend for recording.

    It can be fine when used for live sound, however.
    +1

    I've used the C411 for years now in live situations, and always been very happy with it. I play an oval hole mandolin (Eastman 504) and attach it to the sound board just behind the bridge on the bass side, and go direct into the mixer. My only criticism of it is that the insulation on the lead is too flimsy and wears out with time; after several repairs with insulating tape, I cut mine short, replaced the adaptor XLR plug with a locking stereo jack (female) and made a more robust cable with the adaptor on one end and a male stereo jack on the other. The female jack hangs from the strap button on a strip of leather, and I can jump around to my hearts content without fear of breaking anything. For recording, a good quality conventional mic will give a more faithful reproduction of your sound than anything you stick on the soundboard of your instrument.
    I bought and tried the Ovid microphone on mandotim1955's recommendation; soundwise it's fine, but I haven't been able to find a way to position the mic so it "hears" the mandolin decently without it getting in the way of my right hand, so I've given up on it. With a mandolin with f holes it would possibly be alright, but with an oval hole and my energetic style of playing, it's not much use to me.

    Edit: I should have read your last post more carefully, carbonpiou, the term for your neapolitan mandolin is bowlback. I presume you play sitting down, so using a mic on a stand should not be too much of an issue. If you use an Ovid-type microphone, you will certainly have to improvise some device to attach it to your instrument.
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    Mandojan Jan Ellefsen's Avatar
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    Default Re: Microphone AKG

    I have also used C411 for many years, and have also bought a second one as back up. I also have a DPA, quite expensive and probably better sounding, but in a small Club live situation, the C411 is just as good in the mix and easier to handle. You should be careful when using it on a varnished instrument, though, because the sticking gum can take some of the varnish off when you remove it.
    Mandojan


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  7. #7
    Registered User Toni Schula's Avatar
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    Default Re: Microphone AKG

    Quote Originally Posted by Jan Ellefsen View Post
    ... You should be careful when using it on a varnished instrument, though, because the sticking gum can take some of the varnish off when you remove it.
    I recently mounted a C411 to the inside of my varnished mandolin through the treble f hole. The cable goes to an endpin jack, so the installation is almost invisible. So far I didn't use it on stage, as it serves as the last resort in case the clip on mic causes feedback on a loud stage. The last stage was not as loud as I was afraid of. But tomorrow I will gig with a rock band and will definitely use the C411. I will report here on success or failure.

    Funny thing is, that the first time I tried the newly installed C411/endpin jack I used HEAVY equalisation to get - in my opinion - the best natural sound out of the speakers. Last weekend I recorded it and then adjusted the eq while playing back the recording. It needed by far less eq this way.

  8. #8
    coprolite mandroid's Avatar
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    Default Re: Microphone AKG

    as a contact transducer it hears a lot of what it's attached to and not much else ..

    Live performance is one thing , a quiet Recording session is another ..

    being a more controllable setting you should get a more rounded sound

    of the mandolin with a freestanding microphone ..

    though if you have enough tracks , maybe one of them can be each kind of signal source
    and on the way to the final Mix you can blend them,
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  9. #9
    Registered User carbonpiou's Avatar
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    Default Re: Microphone AKG

    Thank youn Polecat, Jan, Bauzland Mandroid for your expériences and concils. One of the characteristic of the sound of the mandoline is the extremely many and specific harmonics. They should be collected, to reproduce them and this is not easy. Moreover, there is the big problem of sound balance on any extent of the handle. I accept all the ideas and the experiments.

  10. #10
    Registered User Toni Schula's Avatar
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    Default Re: Microphone AKG

    Quote Originally Posted by Bauzl View Post
    I recently mounted a C411 to the inside of my varnished mandolin through the treble f hole. The cable goes to an endpin jack, so the installation is almost invisible. So far I didn't use it on stage, as it serves as the last resort in case the clip on mic causes feedback on a loud stage. The last stage was not as loud as I was afraid of. But tomorrow I will gig with a rock band and will definitely use the C411. I will report here on success or failure.

    Funny thing is, that the first time I tried the newly installed C411/endpin jack I used HEAVY equalisation to get - in my opinion - the best natural sound out of the speakers. Last weekend I recorded it and then adjusted the eq while playing back the recording. It needed by far less eq this way.
    This is the report: success
    Again the stage was not extremely loud even though the band is a rock band with electric guitars, bass, keyboard and drum set. We had an excellent sound tech who kept levels low on stage. But I chose the C411 instead of the DPA as tone quality was not as important as when playing with the acoustic (almost bluegrass) band.
    My signal chain was: C411 > B29L battery power supply > Joemeek 3Q preamp with Morley Optical Volume pedal and Zoom 504II Acoustic effect in the insert and then to the sound board.
    The only effects I use on the Zoom is "Air" which should make the PU sound a little bit more like a microphone and the smallest amount of reverb which can be dialled in. During the show the Zoom died so I simply removed it from the signal chain. I didn't get any complaints about the sound after that, so maybe the "Air" was not really necessary.

    And yes, I second everybody who would not use any PU or contact transducer for recording, as these do not reproduce the resonances of air inside the body emerging from the sound hole(s). Any kind of lute is a Helmholtz resonator, to my opinion this matters.

  11. #11
    Registered User Jeff Budz's Avatar
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    Default Re: Microphone AKG

    I have a C411 and find that it has a really midrangey sound quality that needs a lot of EQ to sound normal. I use a big wide filter at about 1.6KHz and try to take out about about 10 or 15 dB. Moving the position of the pickup makes a bit of difference but you gotta have a good EQ for it to sound similar to a mic.

  12. #12

    Default Re: Microphone AKG

    I use a C411 with a Headway EBD-1 and get good results but it does not take the place of a decent mic.

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