Microphones Clip on microphones

[Jazzgirl]

Hi guys
I am new to the saxophone and new to this site but I was wondering whether anyone could give me advice on saxophone clip on mikes. It doesn't need to be a radio mike but I'd like one to clip on the end so I can wander about the stage a bit while I play!
A good quality one that doesn't cost the earth would be very weelcome.

 

[saxnik]

Check out SD Systems mics - available on sax.co.uk I think - really high quality and good sound for a reasonable price. The only reason I'm not still usingmineon stage is that I now use a Shure wireless kit!
For a cheaper option, AKG clip-on mics are pretty good, though they need Phantom power from the mixing desk, because there's no belt pack.

All of these are high-quality pro spec mics, you won't need to upgrade ever.

Hope that's helped!

Nick

 

[daveysaxboy]

The best around for the price is the new SAMSON WIND INSTRUMENT clip on mic.About £70.00 for the mic and you go straight in to the desk.The wireless AIRLINE SAMSON mic and receiver cost about £240.00 but just get the mic and a mic lead and your sorted for £70.There really good.Got a great sound.

 

[Mamos]

Fantastic suggestion Davey Boy

At last a radio mic that doesn't cost more than my sax (apart from my alto)

http://www.millennium-music.co.uk/products/categories/WIRELESS%2BMICS/SAMAIR77HM40/brands/detail/key/p/ppp//desc/

mamos

ps and my soprano
pps oh and my c-melody

 

[daveysaxboy]

Fantastic suggestion Davey Boy

At last a radio mic that doesn't cost more than my sax (apart from my alto)

http://www.millennium-music.co.uk/products/categories/WIRELESS%2BMICS/SAMAIR77HM40/brands/detail/key/p/ppp//desc/

mamos

ps and my soprano
pps oh and my c-melody

That's the 1's.I use just the samson clip on mic with a mic lead to the desk in my wedding band,as do the trumpet and trombone player.My mate has the full samson airline wireless unit and the great thing about them is you only have your mic on the bell and no power pack around your waist or attached to the sax.You just clip the mic on and your free.

 

[SteveK]

I used a Sennheiser 609 for a while. A great mic and it has the advantage of not requiring phantom power. Large mic - like used on a stand - have a large diaphragm and it's movement is enough to generate a higher enough signal to feed into a preamp (e.g. a mixer desk or PA). Clip-on mics generally can't generate a strong enough signal as they are very small and thus have a small diaphragm. Therefore clip-on mics are usually condenser type mics and they need an operating voltage of 48volts that is generally supplied from a mixer desk or seperate power unit.
This gives a better signal to noise ration and thus better quality.
The 609 however managed to get around this and have produced a diaphragm mic that is sensative enough to not need power. No doubt that there are others around as well. It's well proceed at around £120 although the clip is not easy to use.
It worked well for me as I was using a setup that did not provide phantom power.
However that has changed as I am now working with an effects set-up that supplies +48v to mics so I've upgraded to a Audio Technica Pro35. It was about £180.

All of the above mics are all great as well. The Samsom looks to be exceptional value - particularly seeing as it's wireless as well.

Steve

 

[Jules]

warning- in 2012 the good hm government are selling off the airwaves for a quick buck. a large proprtion of radio mike equipment is going to be unuseable past this date. http://saveoursound.wordpress.com/

 

[saxnik]

That's the 1's.I use just the samson clip on mic with a mic lead to the desk in my wedding band,as do the trumpet and trombone player.My mate has the full samson airline wireless unit and the great thing about them is you only have your mic on the bell and no power pack around your waist or attached to the sax.You just clip the mic on and your free.

The reason I don't use this system (and I know people that do) is threefold -
1) the sound is ok, but noticably not as good as Shure/AKG/SD Systems, and the capsule is not so well designed - feedback is much less likely with a better system.
2) the mic clip is not very stable - if you're dancing like a **** on stage like I have to do, because the full weight of transmitter and battery is all on a little clip it may fly off or snap (a trumpet player pal had three snap - he now uses the Shure system) - you're not that free!
3) you're stuck on one frequency - if the local mini cabs use the same one you'll be getting orders through, or if there's more than one radio onstage you have to be careful (the Shure is selectable)

Davey's right though, the best sound will always be from a wired mic - if it's balanced you get no loss of quality, which will be inevitable with a radio system.

Cheers,

Nick

P.S. I put off going for a radio because of the new radio legislation, but it's all still wrangling on, and I figured that since I use it every week I'd probably need a new radio kit by then anyway...

 

[daveysaxboy]

The reason I don't use this system (and I know people that do) is threefold -
1) the sound is ok, but noticably not as good as Shure/AKG/SD Systems, and the capsule is not so well designed - feedback is much less likely with a better system.
2) the mic clip is not very stable - if you're dancing like a **** on stage like I have to do, because the full weight of transmitter and battery is all on a little clip it may fly off or snap (a trumpet player pal had three snap - he now uses the Shure system) - you're not that free!
3) you're stuck on one frequency - if the local mini cabs use the same one you'll be getting orders through, or if there's more than one radio onstage you have to be careful (the Shure is selectable)

Davey's right though, the best sound will always be from a wired mic - if it's balanced you get no loss of quality, which will be inevitable with a radio system.

Cheers,

Nick

P.S. I put off going for a radio because of the new radio legislation, but it's all still wrangling on, and I figured that since I use it every week I'd probably need a new radio kit by then anyway...

Agree on the lot but for a deal the Samson is fantastic.I have a TRANTECH wireless system that cost me £500.00 about 12,13 years ago and served me well in my club,holiday pro day's but now only use the Samson clip mic straight to the desk for my pro wedding dates and will only use a SHURE SM57 mic on a stand for my soul,blues pub band and for jazz gig's.For me you cant whack a Shure SM57 OR SM58 Mic on a good old mic stand.

 

[saxnik]

For me you cant whack a Shure SM57 OR SM58 Mic on a good old mic stand.

Definitely - ideally the SM57 cos it's more directional!

 

[Mamos]

OK
If I was going to get a SM57 to record myself with audacity and to improve the sound quality during my on-line lessons (practising a bit more might do that though) What else would I need to buy to make it all work?

mamos

 

[saxnik]

Just an adaptor/wire to plug the XLR lead from the mic into the PC (mini jack?) should do it.
To really get good sound quality you'd need a pre-amp like in a mixing desk between the two, and a hi-spec soundcard in your PC too.

As for the online lessons - the sound is 'interpreted' by Skype, and compressed down before it's sent, so real-time sound quality will never be good.
Should get a reasonable mp3 recording though, and you could send that down the wire to be played at the other end with no appreciable loss of quality.

Any good?

Nick

 

[Mamos]

Any good?

Nick

Not bad

I have heard told that the compressed down skype thingy can make it sound like you are playing bum notes and play havoc with your timing

mamos

 

[saxnik]

I allow for that!!

 

[Mamos]

Is there a way of turning the signal from a normal mic into a digital usb signal or would I be better off buying a usb mic in the first place

mamos

 

[saxnik]

There you have me - probably best off with a USB mic - otherwise you've got to either get a USB mixer or a pre-amp or something.

5 seconds on the internet reveals this, Samson CO1U, which seems like a good bet - reasonable price for a high quality sound, record using Audacity or whatever, good frequency response, polar pattern looks sensible (seems to be fairly directional, less so than an SM57 but more than your average condenser, though I'm no expert).

Your other option is a USB recorder (keep thinking I should get one of these) like this Yamaha Pocketrak - handy for noting things down, and you don't have to fire up the PC of course.

Or just carry on using the normal pc condenser mic...

Nick

 

[kevgermany]

Or get a Zoom H2, which'll act as a recorder and USB mike.

As far as I know the SM57/8 requier phantom power, so keep this in mind if you go that way and want an adapter.

 

[saxnik]

..the Zoom's good, but another £60...

SM57/8's shouldn't need phantom power - they're dynamic mics.

Both the Pocketrak and the Zoom have mic/line inputs in case you do get a dynamic mic and want to use that too, or want to record from another source.

Nick

 

[JasonC]

I have a Shure PG27-USB which is pretty good, no other devices are needed to get it working, just plug and play. All you will need a mic stand though because you can't clip it onto the Sax, I haven't found that to be a problem so far though.

 

[SteveK]

Two possibilities:
1) Get a USB microphone. Advantage: no other equipment needed, Disadvantage: Mic is not much use for other purposes and you cannot mix with other instruments - if you needed to that is. If you upgrade a better mic later the USB one will not be re-useable for other purposes.
2) Get a USB A to D interface. This plugs into a USB port (usually self power off the port) and then allows you to connect mics, guitar etc and Midi instrument into your PC. They usually provide phantom power (if needed) and also have the advantage of giving you high quality audio out. For example you can connect speakers or head phones to monitor. They also act as a preamp. A low cost interface starts at about £100 and they go up to what ever you want to pay. For the majority of situations through a £100 device is just fine. You can use your existing microphone as they have balanced XLR or jack inputs.

A USB microphone will have the A to D converter inside it as USB ports do not understand analogue. This is fine but the A to D conversion quality will be medium to low - probably no better than build in A to D converter in a standard PC or MAC. If you are going to compress and send over skype then this really is not a problem but if you planned to use the setup later to do home recording then option 2 is the way you want to go. Option 1 will give you a ceiling that will limited quality and functionality if you want to go further.
I have a an E-MU 0404 USB device which cost me £80 on ebay (about £120 new) but there are plenty more on the market that do exactly the same job.

Steve