Directional mics

[patrickcrisp]

Can anyone recommend a highly directional mic with a strong output?

 

[kip4]

Can anyone recommend a highly directional mic with a strong output?

Whats your application?
Is this for a video shoot
give us way more information and we might be able to help you.

 

[patrickcrisp]

Whats your application?
Is this for a video shoot
give us way more information and we might be able to help you.

Thanks kip. It's for recording my band. We record in a very small space and I want to get a more directional mic for the 'main' instruments clarinet/bass clarinet/guitar. I get a nice room sound with omni mics which picks up drums and bass nicely so I'm just curious if I could isolate the other stuff more. Does that make sense? Also I'm just curious if you can find a very directional mic with a good output. I have a Sennheiser Black Fire (not vintage) which is kinda like that but output is too low.

 

[patrickcrisp]

Anybody?

 

[bouldersoundguy]

Polar pattern can help but your best friend is proximity. Every time you halve the distance between the mic and source you gain 6dB while the background noise stays the same.

Look for super-cardioid and hyper-cardioid mics. The Beta57A is super-cardioid. The C1000S comes with an adapter making it super-cardioid. Positioning is important. You need to know where to aim it for the best rejection of the unwanted sound. The null of a super-cardioid is typically the surface of a cone about 128° off axis. Super- and hyper-cardioid mics have a small lobe of sensitivity 180° off axis which you have to consider when placing the source and mic. Narrow pattern mics can make it harder for a non-stationary source (like a clarinet or vocal) to stay in the pattern.

You might want to look into clip-on mics for the woodwinds.

 

[Steenamaroo]

I'd agree with BSG. Getting the mics close to the source is probably the most effective thing.
Any half decent dynamic mic should be useful to you.

I have a Sennheiser Black Fire (not vintage) which is kinda like that but output is too low.

Huh! You'd think that'd be just fine.
What kind of preamp are you using and how close did you have it to the source?

 

[kip4]

How many inputs have you got available for extra mics?
because if you want to record an extra 4 instruments (ie clarinet/bass clarinet/guitar)
i'd either stick a hyper cardiod in front of the two clarinets and a seperate mic on the guitar and bass
if your limited
Wherever possible have at least 1 mic for each instrument.
this will give more options at the mixing stage. But i'm not sure this is terribly important because i have a feeling your just doing a quick record of the bands general sound in rehearsal. IDK

 

[patrickcrisp]

Polar pattern can help but your best friend is proximity. Every time you halve the distance between the mic and source you gain 6dB while the background noise stays the same.

Look for super-cardioid and hyper-cardioid mics. The Beta57A is super-cardioid. The C1000S comes with an adapter making it super-cardioid. Positioning is important. You need to know where to aim it for the best rejection of the unwanted sound. The null of a super-cardioid is typically the surface of a cone about 128° off axis. Super- and hyper-cardioid mics have a small lobe of sensitivity 180° off axis which you have to consider when placing the source and mic. Narrow pattern mics can make it harder for a non-stationary source (like a clarinet or vocal) to stay in the pattern.

You might want to look into clip-on mics for the woodwinds.

Great info. Thanks.

 

[patrickcrisp]

I'd agree with BSG. Getting the mics close to the source is probably the most effective thing.
Any half decent dynamic mic should be useful to you.



Huh! You'd think that'd be just fine.
What kind of preamp are you using and how close did you have it to the source?

I was plugging it straight into my M-Box.

 

[patrickcrisp]

How many inputs have you got available for extra mics?
because if you want to record an extra 4 instruments (ie clarinet/bass clarinet/guitar)
i'd either stick a hyper cardiod in front of the two clarinets and a seperate mic on the guitar and bass
if your limited
Wherever possible have at least 1 mic for each instrument.
this will give more options at the mixing stage. But i'm not sure this is terribly important because i have a feeling your just doing a quick record of the bands general sound in rehearsal. IDK

Thanks kip4. We actually only ever need 3 or 4 inputs because one of us switches between guitar/clarinet/bass clarinet. Bass and drums are the constants. I'll try the hyper cardioid mic and better positioning. And yea, it's just for recording our jams and gigs. But I want to get the best sound I can.