Microphone for mandolins

[Patrick Sylvest]

For mandolin, the AKG C1000S.

My 4 piece group plays through an AKG C3000B set at vocal height and on the same mic stand an AKG C1000S at instrument height (the C1000S has an adapter for a regular cardioid pattern which we use, the other adapter is for a more focused range like an sm57).

We've had many compliments on our mix with this system after trying alot of different configurations. I can't say enough about these mics. In their price range, I don't believe they can be beat.

[mandroid]

decent budget mic: MXL 990.
medium 3/4" diaphragm, cardioid condenser.
comes with 2 mounts and a molded carrying box.
$60~70.
picking buddy has one , picks up mando and vocals from at a good Foot + away.

[mandotar]

I keep my KM184 in my mando case and use it everywhere that I can play with a mic. I can't imagine anything sounding better. I keep a windscreen on it to help protect it a bit and to keep from making noise when I bump into it while playing.

[pwkellar]

I'll have to put another vote in for the Shure SM81. Hard to beat for the price. I've also had good luck with my Pearlman TM-1. Picks up everything and makes it so nice and warm!

[Shelby Eicher]

The Audio Technica pro35 has a better freqeuncy response than the 350 (a little flatter on the highs). The pro 35 sounds great and is user friendly. The Oktava MC-012-01 has a flat frequency response as well. The Audio Technica U873R is an extremely wise choice (hyper-card, and a roll off at 10k). The Neumann 184 has a hyped upper range that makes them hard to EQ in live situations. Of course a SM57 is bullet proof. If you can pair your microphone with a pickup it will give you a lot more punch and gain. This will take extra gear(pickup, preamp, equalization, compressor, reverb, cables, etc), but will be a strong live application.

You can research microphone frequency responses and find mics that don't have extended highs. It just takes a little research. These will interface with the PA the best.

[Michael Wolf]

I´d like to suggest the DPA miniature mics, though I don´t know how available they are in the USA. They surely are expensive, but I think no more so than Neumanns. I have a 4061 Minimic that´s very nice and I had the chance to test the new 4099 supercardioid mic for two weeks. Now I can say that the 4099 is indeed fabulous.

[Michael Eck]

I'd jump in with the pile of SM81 users, but unfortunately I can't afford one.

I've had great luck with Shure's PG-81, though. It's part of their performance gear series, which is a budget line that's made surprisingly well.

I have no way of confirming this, but I was told by a soundman at a gig that the PG stuff is essentially the same as the higher end mics, it just hasn't been hand inspected.

Regardless, the PG-81 has worked fine for me in all sorts of situations, and you can run it off phantom or a 9V.

[foldedpath]

The Audio Technica pro35 has a better freqeuncy response than the 350 (a little flatter on the highs). The pro 35 sounds great and is user friendly.

If you look at the freauency plots on the AT web site, they're both reasonably flat, I can't see a major difference. The ATM350 extends further with flat response into the upper "air" frequencies, although many PA's won't reproduce that. I've been happy with an ATM350 on mandolin and fiddle. The Pro35 is also a good mic if you don't want to spend more.

The Neumann 184 has a hyped upper range that makes them hard to EQ in live situations.

Have you used a 184 in a live situation? Mileage can vary, but I've been using two 184's for mandolin/octave mandolin and guitar with our band, and they've worked fine. The "hyped" upper frequencies are overstated, I think. That slight bump won't make it through many typical smaller club PA systems in the first place, and I like the clarity of the midrange with 184's. They're also mechanically very solid. I don't bother to carry spares, because they always work.

I´d like to suggest the DPA miniature mics, though I don´t know how available they are in the USA. They surely are expensive, but I think no more so than Neumanns. I have a 4061 Minimic that´s very nice and I had the chance to test the new 4099 supercardioid mic for two weeks. Now I can say that the 4099 is indeed fabulous.

I just got a DPA 4099GTR (the guitar mount version) to try as a mic on my octave mandolin, and maybe on a Dobro, but the OM is the main application.

The DPA 4099 has an upper frequency bump that on paper doesn't look as flat as the ATM350, but like the Neumann KM-184 it might be one of those "your mileage may vary" things, depending on specific instrument, PA, etc. I do like the carpenter-jack style mounting method, and it's one reason I decided to try it. The guitar size mount works fine on my OM, which doesn't have other obvious way to attach a clip-on mic (no ToneGard).

The big downside for the DPA mic is the very high cost for those of us here in the USA. Not just the mic, but the accessories. I bought the GTR version (larger carpenter jack mount) for my octave mandolin, and then discovered I could use the same gooseneck mini-mic with the smaller violin mount, which would work on a mandolin, or for the fiddler in our band. So I ordered that other mount to maximize the potential uses for the mic. Here in the USA, that violin/mandolin carpenter jack mount cost me $79 dollars. That's an outrageous price, for a little plastic clip-on mount that doesn't include any of the mic electronics.

DPA mics sound good, and they're very well made, but if I had to outfit our whole band with mini-condenser mics, I'd definitely be looking at Audio-Technica or something else more affordable. DPA is in the "boutique" category for those of us here in the USA, unless you just have money to burn.

P.S. this reaction is mostly "sticker shock" and I'll try to post a more level-headed review of the DPA 4099 as a mandolin mic in the near future...

[mandroid]

Stand mount ? smaller diaphragm? perhaps .. Rode NT5.

now you can buy as single Mics , when I got mine they came just as pairs.

[but everything is masked by a high pitched Tonitis whistle]

[Jonathan Reinhardt]

just did a show with NT5's on instruments. they're pretty good mics. got mandolin chop fine, but didn't do it justice on solos. too "plunky".

whatever David Davis uses, if anyone knows, is one of the best sounding I've heard.

Jonathan Reinhardt

[Pete Martin]

While my favorite recording mic for mandolin is a ribbon (Royer SF12), I recently bought and very much like the Chameleon Labs TS-1.

http://www.chameleonlabs.com/product2.htm

The TS-1 is a small diaphram, tube condenser with a very close to KM84 sound. I've demoed a lot of SDC (small diaphtram condenser) mics, this is by far my favorite. It goes for around 500.00, a very decent price. As it is a tube mic, probably a bit too delicate for stage use, but great in the studio.

[Scodiddly]

For mandolin, the AKG C1000S.

My 4 piece group plays through an AKG C3000B set at vocal height and on the same mic stand an AKG C1000S at instrument height (the C1000S has an adapter for a regular cardioid pattern which we use, the other adapter is for a more focused range like an sm57).

We've had many compliments on our mix with this system after trying alot of different configurations. I can't say enough about these mics. In their price range, I don't believe they can be beat.

Interesting... I did sound for a band a few years ago who did something similar. The trouble was that both mics picked up a lot of sound meant for the other mic, and there was a lot of comb filtering in the sound as a result. I ended up delaying the "instrument" mic by a few milliseconds to reduce that problem. But I'd still tend to recommend one mic at an intermediate height.

[Scodiddly]

I don't play out much at all (really I'm a guitarist, and really really I'm a bassist, and really really really I'm a sound guy), but the mic out of my collection that sounded best on mandolin was an Oktava MK-102. It's a large-diaphragm capsule that screws onto a regular MK-012 body in place of the regular small diaphragm capsule. Basically a small, end-firing large diaphragm mic so it's not hard to get it up into the soundhole when needed.

[RickL]

Try the Josephson C-42. Half the price of a KM-184 and sound very close to the original KM-84 which imo. and others, was a better mic than the KM-184. BTW, a friend of mine just replaced his pair of Shure SM-81's with a pair of Josephson's in a controlled environment. The difference was amazing.

[olwaylon]

Hi you guys , i'd like to put a mic on My Mid-90's Epiphone F Mandolin ,i saw many transcuders with different prices ,i settled a old Barcus Berry BBjr on a A mandolin under the bridge that i plug into a ART tube MP studio pre amp ( i guess the factory lamp isn't good & i have to change it ).i use this set up in Café Concert as we said in Frrench,the sound isn't very good,i need to cut off the treble & add more Mid etc...
if anyone have infos about 6L6 tube and very good mini mics or Transcuders used by Americana bands i'd be glad to hear.so what is the best transcuders for a old timer like me ?
i don't like Fishman sound & it's very expensive
regards from France Steph