3 saxes, 2 mikes........

[wolfmaiden]

sorry if this is in the wrong section, Pete.....please move it if it is! LOL!

Small 12 piece combo I play in has an outdoor stage gig later this month, complete with amps, sound system etc.....however, we'll be taking our own mikes - well, actually, out of the whole wind section (brass & saxes) I'm the only one with mikes - one SM57 (cardioid) and one clip-on (again, cardioid) - thus said (and letting the trumpets/bones take care of themselves) - what would be the best way to mike an alto and two tenors, with the two available mikes? Both the alto and myself (T1) have 4 solos each - I was thinking of maybe just the SM57, but with it being cardioid, would the direction of the tone holes matter as to who was standing where? Alternatively, I use my clip-on, and let the alto/2Tenor fight it out with the SM57...........
Don't want to leave this to the sound guy at the gig, for reasons of prior experience with sound guys!! LOL!
Anyone out there experienced with miking multiple saxes??

Thanks!
Jools

 

[Pete Thomas]

If you like the clip on, it makes sense for you to use that and the two tenors share the SM 57. They won't be able to get too close but that shouldn't be a problem unless the on stage sound is too loud.

Or if you prefer the SM57 (which I would), just tlet them fight over the clip on!.

 

[Bobby G]

Possibly, as it's an outside gig, feedback is less of an issue so you may get away with just the SM57 as it could be cranked more? Also keeps it simpler for the sound man.

Hope you enjoy it, playing outside is great!

Cheers, Bob

 

[Pete Thomas]

That's a good point, but with 3 round a directional mic, the person in the middle should back off quite a bit unless all 3 of you can stand at least two feet away, which could be possible depending on the sensitivity of the amplified instrumentalists (!)

 

[Bobby G]

Sensitive? Amplified instrumentalists!? Hahahahapfwalppphh.

Speaking as an ex-member of many a rock combo, (mostly as a bass-player) including notorious new-wave almost-made-its eternal-support-to-the-stars Johnny Curious & the Strangers, and as an intermittent knob-twiddler on various mixing desks, the one instruction heard more often than any other is "Can you make everything louder than everything else?".

 

[wolfmaiden]

good one!.......neither are particularly sensitive!!.....and the sub-drummer we have for the occasion is positively deafening (no mike needed for his set-up!!)
After diddling with my clip-on, I can crank it a lot higher than the SM57, with no feedback - maybe due to phantom power?? (but this shouldn't make a difference, should it??......I've used the pre-amp with the sm57 but it doesn't rattle the windows on a low Bb like the clip does - it definitely goes to '11' if I angle it by the bell tone holes instead of on top of the bell - weirder still......what happened to the standing wave?) - so I may leave the stand mike for the alto/2ndT to fight over, and wedge myself between the two 'bones for effect - at least they'll be sitting down....till the drummer blows them off the stage! Mind you, if the heat is anywhere near as bad as it is here in Toronto right now (38+ with the humidex), they'll be glad of the draught! :laugh:
No telling what the stage amps/monitors are like though, till we get there and figure out the feedback issues........

Thanks, Guys!!

 

[Bobby G]

Ah, we are getting into the area of the 'useless ritual soundcheck' now...

Usually, getting a sound is quite a bit easier when a) you are playing outside or b) you don't mic the drummer.

Happily for you Wolfie both these apply. I reckon it'll be ok!

38 degrees over there? I thought it was hot here at a mere 32....