how would you mic a cowbell?

For starters, a cowbell played how? Tink, tink, tink? Pow, Wham, Zowie? I've heard both versions. For the first, I'd use the best matched pair of small diaphagms I had (cowbell- much fast transients) X-Y, backed off a little, say 2'. For the second, I'd use a good dynamic, and treat it a lot like a snare. I might also put a dynamic at each end, and reverse phase on one channel. The bell is going to blow off very different frequency profiles in different directions.-Richie
 
Richard Monroe said:
For starters, a cowbell played how? Tink, tink, tink? Pow, Wham, Zowie? I've heard both versions. For the first, I'd use the best matched pair of small diaphagms I had (cowbell- much fast transients) X-Y, backed off a little, say 2'. For the second, I'd use a good dynamic, and treat it a lot like a snare. I might also put a dynamic at each end, and reverse phase on one channel. The bell is going to blow off very different frequency profiles in different directions.-Richie
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the bell will not be played super hard. although the bell will be played all by itself, it seems to me to be a hard thing to mic cause of what you said about sounds going in different directions. you cant get a mic in on the front cause it will be in the way of the stick. i wouldnt think to double mic it and flip phase though. wonder how that would sound. i was thinking of a sdc from above pointing down ans a little to the front of the bell abot a foot above it.
 
Well, masked man, think of it as a very small Djembe. The bass, what little there is, comes out of the throat of the bell, and the highs radiate from the point of contact with the stick. Start by close mic'ing each end and move the mic around. The difference should be like night and day.-Richie
 
I regularly use a cowbell in my "classic rock" mixes, and use one of the two following setups :

1. for an "in your face" cowbell sound, ala "Mississippi Queen" by Mountain, I use an SM-57 about 12" away from the cowbell.

2. for a slightly more blended sound but with good top and bottom and less "ring" in the mids, I use an MD-421 about 18"-36" away from the cowbell.
 
Well, Usually I would tape the nose of the bell with black tape to keep the ringing to a minimum. Depending on the song's tempo is how you would play it. If its a fast tempo hit it hard, if its slow then you hit it softer. The mic should be around 12" to 18" away from the nose. Try to use a carbon fiber stick they sound awesome. JCR make some great sticks and cowbells. I record latin music and theres a cowbell in every style.

Try to compress going in a little if possible.

Eric M.
 
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Originally posted by fenix
I've got a fever.
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and the only prescription is more cowbell!


peace
LB
 
having recently recovered from my fever (whose only cure was more cowbell), i think that one way would be to just get in a fairly acoustically dead room and stick an LDC about three feet away, pointing in the direction of the cowbell but raise it a little higher than the cowbell will be played.

justin
 
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