Hello, I need to be able to have a clean signal from hihat cymbals (for live processing/fx/looping). The context is however awkward, a live music which can move from almost silent to very loud.
I have tried the following without it being the solution
Close mic with condenser: will feedback too easily at some of the levels pushed to: amplification is often close to player, and this is also too susceptible to spill from other musicians. Having other instruments appearing in the fx chain is not an option. Placing the mic at the proximity where this just about eliminates enough of other spill, the sound is too weird.
Contact mic. piezo fixed to the lower or upper cymbal: At least is a clean sound, and once eq'd almost usable, but its quite an unnatural cymbal sound, and of course completely destroys the cymbal resonance shape, muting it quickly. I have tried both disk and stick-shaped piezos. The smaller stick being better. But the cabling is also being moved constantly which can be an issue. If the cabling is strong enough not to break, it mutes the resonance, if small enough to let ring, it's very fragile, and cannot stand up to a gig or performance.
Contact Mic under the bell of the lower hihat, between pad and cymbal: This part of bell itself does not transmit very accurately. Again eq'd it is not terrible, but it does not breathe. This does not offer a good cymbal sound.
I have considered drilling a single hole and using a mic through this hole, the pickup Zildjian have developed for the Gen16 system. This is the way these 'electronic' cymbals work, catching the resonance, in contact without damping it. But I would prefer not to have put a hole in a good cymbal, and also once you have committed to that one position, you are fixed with the quality of that one resonance captured. (Differing points on the radius of the cymbal have very different qualities, once you are that close) So likely require more than one hole to mic. different colours of the cymbal.
But this may be the only way. Any other ideas or experience with getting a very clean cymbal sound would be very, very appreciated, I cannot find another solution.
The Gen16 themselves sound thin and shrill, otherwise I'd consider these off the shelf solution. I need to be able to capture, process and amplify a good cymbal sound with all the overtones and resonances. Many thanks in advance to anyone with any thoughts on this
I have tried the following without it being the solution
Close mic with condenser: will feedback too easily at some of the levels pushed to: amplification is often close to player, and this is also too susceptible to spill from other musicians. Having other instruments appearing in the fx chain is not an option. Placing the mic at the proximity where this just about eliminates enough of other spill, the sound is too weird.
Contact mic. piezo fixed to the lower or upper cymbal: At least is a clean sound, and once eq'd almost usable, but its quite an unnatural cymbal sound, and of course completely destroys the cymbal resonance shape, muting it quickly. I have tried both disk and stick-shaped piezos. The smaller stick being better. But the cabling is also being moved constantly which can be an issue. If the cabling is strong enough not to break, it mutes the resonance, if small enough to let ring, it's very fragile, and cannot stand up to a gig or performance.
Contact Mic under the bell of the lower hihat, between pad and cymbal: This part of bell itself does not transmit very accurately. Again eq'd it is not terrible, but it does not breathe. This does not offer a good cymbal sound.
I have considered drilling a single hole and using a mic through this hole, the pickup Zildjian have developed for the Gen16 system. This is the way these 'electronic' cymbals work, catching the resonance, in contact without damping it. But I would prefer not to have put a hole in a good cymbal, and also once you have committed to that one position, you are fixed with the quality of that one resonance captured. (Differing points on the radius of the cymbal have very different qualities, once you are that close) So likely require more than one hole to mic. different colours of the cymbal.
But this may be the only way. Any other ideas or experience with getting a very clean cymbal sound would be very, very appreciated, I cannot find another solution.
The Gen16 themselves sound thin and shrill, otherwise I'd consider these off the shelf solution. I need to be able to capture, process and amplify a good cymbal sound with all the overtones and resonances. Many thanks in advance to anyone with any thoughts on this
