conga

  • Thread starter Thread starter LI Slim
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LI Slim

LI Slim

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I don't want a drum machine. I'm gettin' a conga drum. Don't try to talk me out of it.

Please suggest mic type/placement, settings, etc. for a conga. Thanks.
 
Larry what are you thinking?Congas are cool latin percussion but hardly a substitute for a drum kit!
My company sells them and wholesale prices run about $100 for el cheapo non-tunable types to $300 plus for a nice pro set with stand.
I've seen congas miked like a snare,with the mike about an inch from the rim and angled in 45 degrees.
Wow man,you sure got a wild hair!

Tom
 
Now, Tom, I told 'ya not to talk me out of it....

...but here's what I'm thinking. I'm a solo act and I play acoustic music. Sometimes I want some drums or other percussion, but I generally don't like the way synthetic drums sound, especially in the hands of someone like me who knows nothing about drumming. Also, I use my recordings sometimes for demos, and a full drum set is not going to properly represent my sound. From jamming a bit, I know that a conga would serve me purposes pretty well for my songs that could use some percussion, and it's something I think I could learn (I already got me a book), and it would be a simple addition to my stuff. And, it's consistent with my all-acoustic au natural framework -- everything I'm recording consists of manually created soundwaves going into a microphone (until, of course, ironically, it's converted into data and processed through a computer before anyone can hear it).

So Tom, would you like to sell me a conga drum? I'm looking for a single 11" drum (tunable) -- I'd like to keep it under $200.

BTW, I don't get the hair reference????

I'm assuming the mic you're talking about would be a dynamic mic, yes?

Thanks.
 
As previously stated, congas are traditionally mic'd at the head, with the mic approx 3-4" from the head. I would recommend a dynamic mic (I've used SM57's for years). I've actually gotten a good sound with a second mic at the bottom of the drum (with the congas on a stand) - mixing in a slight amount of the low end - mostly for the lower tumba drum. Normally, congas are sold as a pair (quinto & conga). Both LP and Toca have entry level sets in the $300 range. As an option you could by a decent set of bongos in the $60 range add a stand for $40-50.
 
MikeH sounds like a real player.I just QC a lot of different gear in a factory setting.The Latin Percussion LPA646AW is a decent set(10" and 11" tunable heads w/heavy duty stand).My company Rhythm Band Instruments sells them $399 retail and about $295 to volume buyers like school districts.
When someone "gets a wild hair" that means doing something a little wild or out of the ordinary.I could say that it is just an old Texas saying but that dog won't hunt(hehe).
For less money but still cool percussion,you might consider a Djembe or a Doumbek (kinda hourglass shaped drums).
regards
Tom
 
Thanks Mike H and Tom

I never heard that wild hair expression. I wonder if it came out of the 60s. Anyway, I like it being applied to my conga concept. We'll see if that dog will hunt (I have heard that one). Of course, the proof will be in the pudding. BTW, I just got a 12" LP Aspire tumbadora via E-bay for only $110. I would have been concerned about getting a pig in a poke, but it comes new from a reputable music store and I recently tried one locally.
 
I think adding congas is a great idea.

When I record acoustic guitar pieces I often play to a click track or simple drum machine pattern. I then record shaker, tambourine, or a bongo drum part...or a combination of the three with an Audio Technica 4033 large diaphram condenser mic. I then mute the click track. I like the emotion of the real percussion instruments better than a drum machine for this type of song.

When I go see my girlfriend bellydance I am amazed by the Middle Eastern musicians who play drums. The dejembe is their drum of choice and I would love to have one. They play big ones and they cost around $300 new. I've never tried the smaller variety but I think they are much cheaper, around $150.

Good luck
 
"When I go see my girlfriend bellydance" (!)

That alone I'm sure is ample incentive to get one of those dejembe drums.

Thanks for your supportive comment... I was thinking of getting a good basic conga beat down for a few measures and looping it, and then going back and embellishing sections later if I wish. We'll see...
 
I brought a djembe home from South Africa. So cool! When I came home I saw that it even included a dead spider...

Now I just need a girlfriend that can do the belly dance...
 
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