URGENT : help needed to mic banjo for gig

P

Peter Lancaster

New member
I've been asked to mic up a banjo player at a gig tomorrow night. As I've never worked with a banjo before (or even seen anyone play banjo live) can anyone advise me on where to point the mic and what type of mic to use?

I was thinking of using an AKG C1000 as it would be more detailed than an SM57. Should I use the C1000 in hypercardioid or leave it in cardioid?

I think the gig will be fairly acoustic (no drums) so I don't think the monitors will be loud. Any special things I might need to look out for eq wise that could cause problems?

Pete.
 
I'd use the 57. Banjo is harsh enough without running it through a C1000.

If the guy playing banjo has ever done any live stuff he'll know what to do with it.

Banjo is a REALLY dynamic instrument in a good player's hands. If the guy doesn't know how to work a mic it won't matter much where you position it. Start with the mic a little below the neck-body joint. When he's vamping he'll have to back off a bit, and when he solo's he can step up to it.
 
The banjo is best mic'd from as far across the room as you can place it, with the rear of the mic facing the banjo. If the player knows how to actually tune the banjo, you can turn the mic around. :)
 
I speak from 30 years experience of performing with banjo players...they don't need a mic. :D

But, if you insist on micing them, the other guys are 100% correct - SM57
 
Crazydoc obviously has the most experience here at mic'ing banjo :D but if you really have to put one in the same general area, yeah, a 57. An M-88 will blow it away if you have one handy, but a 57 will do you just fine.

John Scrip - www.massivemastering.com
 
Thanks guys. Great advice. I'll pack an SM57.

Banjo is a fairly rare instrument to hear in the UK.

Crazydoc's method is the same that I use for mandolin. Often leaving the instrument in its case sounds best.

Pete.
 
it should be miced anywhere around the sound ring that won't get in his way. a lot of times that is about three inches below the bridge, or 5" under his hand
any dynamic will be fine, banjos are loud
In his name
BK
 
if you have the option... use both a 57 and the C1000. then you can select later which you like best
 
I'd... Uh... Umm... I wouldn't put a C-1000 in the same room with a banjo...

Isn't there some sort of international law against that anyway?

[EDIT - Several minutes later]

Actually, I've given that additional thought... If you could take the shrill frequencies inherent in the banjo and put them out of phase with the harsh nasty shrillness of the C-1000, maybe they'd cancel each other out...

Even though, I don't think even a banjo has enough harsh shrill frequencies to cancel out a C-1000...

[/EDIT - Several minutes later]
 
What about using an LDC with a less-hot high end for banjo?

My Mastertone is very bright, so I'm thinking my AT4040 might be more mellow than a SDC. Mine does not have the high end response that RE's pair of TLM103 have.

The Rode NT5 with its rolled-off highs also might be good, but this is only speculation.
 
I wouldn’t use an LDC for a live gig. Been there, done that. No one in the audience knows the difference any way. You could use a $9.99 Nady for all they care.
 
Flatpicker said:
I wouldn’t use an LDC for a live gig. Been there, done that.
Click to expand...

Why not, what happened?

No one in the audience knows the difference any way. You could use a $9.99 Nady for all they care.
Click to expand...

Lol, I think that's true to some degree, but the difference between a real sound system and a toy system is like night and day, and the audience knows when it sounds good... they leave the show saying "they sounded great".
 
DJL said:
Why not, what happened?...
Click to expand...
Nothing happened in particular, they just seem harder to work, mix, eq, etc… I don’t know if it’s because they’re more sensitive, have wider HF patterns, or what. Seems like every time I try an LDC, I’ll tweak around on it for a while and then throw up a SM57 and think “Why didn’t I do this in the first place!”

Incidentally, I speaking mostly of acoustic instrument mics like you’d have in a bluegrass band. Of course, I could be part of the problem because I’m a nut about getting all the gain before feedback I can. Dynamics just seem to work better.

OTOH, I see a lot of LDCs on stage now, but the band is usually wearing in-ear monitors.
 
Thanks for your help guys. The SM57 did the trick.

It's just a pity that he decided to move the SM57 so it was positioned to his liking for his banjo, but left him 3 feet away from the SM58 for his vocals, which he whispered.

Pete.
 
Peter Lancaster said:
It's just a pity that he decided to move the SM57 so it was positioned to his liking for his banjo, but left him 3 feet away from the SM58 for his vocals, which he whispered.
Click to expand...
:D Typical. But you should have gone up and repositioned the 58.

I've played in a string band with the same banjo player for over ten years - he can tune his instrument and play his chops, but he is so caught up in the music that he's oblivious to any practical considerations.
 
Flatpicker said:
I didn't know you played. What instrument?
Click to expand...
Bass. It has the fewest strings to keep track of.
I assume you play guitar and/or mando. Do you fingerpick at all? :)
 
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