Micing acoustics with a lavelier?

[SixStringSuperf]

Hey there

 

Would anyone here recommend micing an acoustic with a lavelier for live performences?

 

Either alone or in conjunction with another mic or acoustic pickup. I have a homemade piezo pickup, and an SM-57 that I've been using and I'm thinking of picking up a cheap lavelier for further blending possibilities.

 

 

 

Thanks

 

-Dan

[agedhorse]

Successful and cheap laveier do not go hand in hand.

 

Cheap and micing an acoustic gtr also don't go hand in hand.

[madjack]

Agedhorse:

That sort of depends on what you want to do with the mic'd acoustic. I am currently using an inexpensive Yamaha guitar in which I installed a "woodie" pickup. I run it through the same amp I use for my electric; a '65 Bandmaster blackface. I have that mic'd using an old EV PL9. Several soundguys have told me it sounds better than some of the very expensive acoustic rigs people bring in. Of course, I wouldn't use it for accurate recordings, but for live it works quite well.

[agedhorse]

Good point.

 

When I approach micing an acoustic guitar, I generally try to reproduce the sound of the guitar as accurately as possible given the situation that we may have to work with. Now usually, I am working with very nice instruments so the basic sound of the instrument is really good. All I have to do is find a way to preserve it through the PA.

 

For example in a loud band situation, especially with a bunch of wedges, I would probably look towards a saddle pick-up and maybe a rare earth or other "specialty type" as maximizing gain before feedback will be the biggest challange.

 

When micing a Jazz or folk act, especially a band where guitar may be out front in the mix, I will look at combining the saddle pickup with a condenser mic (miniature or otherwise) to achieve a realistic and believable sound. This may mean the saddle only goes into the wedge mixes and the condenser out front, or maybe 50-50 out front. It all depends on the instrument, playing style and the hall.

 

If you are trying to make the guitar sound like something different, than that's a different story and the world's your palatte. Generally, that's not my job.

[RickJ]

In the Judds' early touring days, their two acoustic guitarists used Sony ECM-series lavs mounted just inside the sound holes. By far the best, most natural sound I've mixed live.

 

As I recall, the mics were not hard-mounted. They were gaffer taped by the cable just far enough from the mic head to prevent it from moving inside the guitar, but far enough away to isolate it. Both musicians also used rack-mounted parametric EQs to squelch the inevitable feedback.

[agedhorse]

The ECM series mics were very good mics (ECM-44?), certainly not "el cheapo".