Microphones

Geof
Thanks for the links, but all those devices have attenuations in the 20-40 db range, I'm looking for 3-6 db, and easily activated while standing in front of a mic.

Regarding your comments on how the musical world should ideally be, I have no control over what others do, so as a practical matter I need to do what works when I am asked to fill in with a band. I take it you are not an active musician yourself?

Bob

writes:

> Geof
> Thanks for the links, but all those devices have attenuations in the 20-40 db range, I'm looking for 3-6 db, and easily activated while standing in front of a mic.
>
> Regarding your comments on how the musical world should ideally be, I
> have no control over what others do, so as a practical matter I need
> to do what works when I am asked to fill in with a band. I take it you
> are not an active musician yourself?

Bob,

Consider this: acoustic pianos do not have volume knobs, so how do we
ever get loud enough to do a solo?
--
Randy Yates
Digital Signal Labs
http://www.digitalsignallabs.com

> skrev i en meddelelse
...

> Geof
> Thanks for the links, but all those devices have attenuations
> in the 20-40 db range, I'm looking for 3-6 db, and easily
> activated while standing in front of a mic.

You asked for 10 dB at first, so you must have listened, thanks. Surely you
have better control over your playing fortitude than to need assistance with
the difference between a mf and a single f? - surely you take your solo to a
p?

> Regarding your comments on how the musical world should
> ideally be, I have no control over what others do,

You really really need to go to some chamber music concerts or other
concerts that are not amplified in any way or even simply listening to some
78 rpm records or go to a proper bluegrass concert. Just as you make way for
other people playing a solo then you could try trusting your fellow ensemble
partners making way for your solo.

> so as a practical matter I need to do what works when I am asked
> to fill in with a band.

The terse comment is: be a member of it. If you want to fight your solo to
the front when you want to play a solo by owerpowering, then you are not a
member of a band nor a good teammate. Like in city traffic: negotiate you
way and use the openings you are given. Be a part of the teamwork and
provide a good show to the audience.

> Bob

Kind regards

Peter Larsen

On 26/04/2015 2:42 a.m., wrote:
> Geof Thanks for the links, but all those devices have attenuations in
> the 20-40 db range,

A simple change of 2 or 4 resistors.

> I'm looking for 3-6 db, and easily activated
> while standing in front of a mic.

Easier still to simple blow a little harder. Or to be playing a little
softer beforehand. And you are only talking about a little.

>
> Regarding your comments on how the musical world should ideally be, I
> have no control over what others do, so as a practical matter I need
> to do what works when I am asked to fill in with a band. I take it
> you are not an active musician yourself?

Active yes, professional (musician) no, unless you call some basic
backing tracks 'pro'. But with my producer hat on I think I know what
to request from, or suggest to musicians who I am working with. And that
is usually to address the problem in the performance rather than with
equipment.

geoff

So why don't we completely abandon all electronic effects and processing gear and just insist that all music be performed live with only acoustic instruments? I'm sure some on this thread would be very happy with that state of affairs. But 99.9% of the rest of us would miss the last 60 years of popular music. The guitar player next to me has an astonishing amount of signal processing in his pedal, and has learned to use this power very tastefully and artistically. I just want 3 resistors and a switch. Seems like I should be able to talk about this without people who have never heard me play make all sorts of judgmental statements about my musicianship.

I am strictly an amateur musician, and my day job is designing chips that are likely in the signal path of equipment everyone on this thread uses. I play in bars and restaurants and VFW halls and do it for free. So let's say that you are all correct and that the guitar player is too loud and sometimes I don't play with enough dynamics. So should we bash all those amateurs and substitute string quartets in their place? I must say I am offended by the high-handed snobbish attitude that is evident in these posts. All I asked about was 3 resistors and a switch.

Bob

On Sat, 25 Apr 2015 07:42:22 -0700 (PDT), wrote:

>Geof
>Thanks for the links, but all those devices have attenuations in the 20-40 db range,
>I'm looking for 3-6 db, and easily activated while standing in front of a mic.

You _really_ think 6 dB will be enough?
How soon before you forget to reduce level again?

>Regarding your comments on how the musical world should ideally be, I have no control over what others do,

But you _do_ have control over yourself. Ideally the others should contribute
equally to the overall performance and that is the argument being proposed by
the people with, let's say, an acoustic purist appoach.
If " the band" is frequently composed of strangers, then I'd have
some sympathy for your predicaments but it sounds like a free-for-all
situation with a sound reinforcement process added in.

Read up on this. It will probably be situationally unobtainable
but it should mark out the performance approach to be taken.
Section: Mercury Living Presence series
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercury_Records

>so as a practical matter I need to do what works when I am asked to fill in with a band.
>I take it you are not an active musician yourself?

Sorry, but that's a poor type of response which gets no kudos from me
(and I am NOT a musician in case you ask). I used to sit in on a local radio
station weekly Jazz recording sessions (early 60's). We had no problem when
reducing inputs to a mono recording (no multi channel broadcasts in those
days). As for mics, someone mentioned a "bell" ? (yes I know what it means)
and if you, yourself, are getting extraneous "spill", a very effective
cardiod.

On 27/04/2015 12:14 p.m., wrote:
> So why don't we completely abandon all electronic effects and
> processing gear and just insist that all music be performed live with
> only acoustic instruments?


No not I was suggesting at all.

..
> I must say I am offended by the high-handed snobbish attitude that is
> evident in these posts .

Um, I've achieved nothing to put me in a place where I could be snobbish
from. But I know what I like, and don't like.


> All I asked about was 3
> resistors and a switch.

Well you should be able to do the resistor-mod thing to one of the
existing products I pointed you to, with your eyes closed. Or do the
same thing in a stomp-box.

And if that's too hard, put one of your chips in instead and make a
balanced variable (preset ?) attenuator box.

geoff

On 27/04/2015 12:56 p.m., Black Iccy wrote:

> But you _do_ have control over yourself. Ideally the others should contribute
> equally to the overall performance and that is the argument being proposed by
> the people with, let's say, an acoustic purist appoach.


The scenario I see (happens often, but mostly with teens) is that
cyclicly EVERYBODY ends up turning things up, until everybody is at "11".

"That naughty sax is getting too prominent, maybe I need a 200W guitar
amp rather than a 100W one". Only a potential 3dB increase, but the
average guitarist doesn't know that.

geoff

On Mon, 27 Apr 2015 13:42:11 +1200, geoff > wrote:

>"That naughty sax is getting too prominent, maybe I need a 200W guitar
>amp rather than a 100W one". Only a potential 3dB increase, but the
>average guitarist doesn't know that.
>

A.K.A. DJ Syndrome !

- Headphones /ON.
- Do Mix
- Headphones /OFF
- Why so quiet?
- Raise Master.
- Loop

Seriously, Two resistors, one resistor if you don't mind altering a
mic's 'slope', and a switch across the mic line. How hard can it get?

The real reason I want I a solo switch ; I'm old. After 4 hours of rocking and rolling like a 20 year-old i can't push out a solo using lung power alone. I'll use whatever "crutch" is available.