Scodiddly
Well-known member
I've been working on the concept of live bluegrass music and the "one big mic" thing that's becoming popular. 99% of the time it's an inexpensive LDC, which is not going to be a very good mic for a live situation. I've been doing some research and testing, and it looks like there's a lot better sound (and less feedback) in either a ribbon mic (another win for the Fum Ribbon!) or an XY pair of SDC.
So, I'm starting to design a nice big Bluegrass Mic. Contents of the big vintage-looking body will be an array of SDC capsules, basically a stereo pair but maybe with something else thrown in for more control. Plus maybe an EQ/mixer box.
One idea I still haven't managed to completely figure out yet is the possibility of using mid/side processing. In the context of a mono PA a mid/side mic itself wouldn't be useful, since it would always end up summing to cardioid anyway. But what about applying one of those esoteric mid/side processing tricks to control "focus"? Take an XY pair, run through an m/s matrix to get mid and side signals, those through level controls, and then back through an m/s matrix to get the stereo left & right back. Even if summed to mono, changes in the m/s relative levels could result in a narrower pickup pattern - more emphasis on what's in the center. Or would it? This was a "half awake at 3am" sort of idea.
Another idea would be to have a capsule pointing straight back (180 degrees) to steer things in into more of a figure-8 pattern. Live, especially in a big room or outdoors, sound pickup from the back of the mic wouldn't make much of a difference but would give better rejection from the sides. That would make it easier to have a monitor. While having monitors would seem to go against the idea of having one mic and self-mixing, it would help the performers do that self-mixing more accurately.
Finally, I was thinking about a very basic EQ tailored to the application. I'd be using the same mic capsules and circuit as my Alice mic, which means a rather bright output. Something in a semi-parametric with a wide bandwidth, centered around the vocal range.
Ideally there'd be a nice small box with EQ and any processing, along with a power supply box near the mic. You could put it all in a small case, and have the EQ box out by FOH (big venue with sound guy) or plugged into the powered mixer onstage for smaller venues.
So, I'm starting to design a nice big Bluegrass Mic. Contents of the big vintage-looking body will be an array of SDC capsules, basically a stereo pair but maybe with something else thrown in for more control. Plus maybe an EQ/mixer box.
One idea I still haven't managed to completely figure out yet is the possibility of using mid/side processing. In the context of a mono PA a mid/side mic itself wouldn't be useful, since it would always end up summing to cardioid anyway. But what about applying one of those esoteric mid/side processing tricks to control "focus"? Take an XY pair, run through an m/s matrix to get mid and side signals, those through level controls, and then back through an m/s matrix to get the stereo left & right back. Even if summed to mono, changes in the m/s relative levels could result in a narrower pickup pattern - more emphasis on what's in the center. Or would it? This was a "half awake at 3am" sort of idea.
Another idea would be to have a capsule pointing straight back (180 degrees) to steer things in into more of a figure-8 pattern. Live, especially in a big room or outdoors, sound pickup from the back of the mic wouldn't make much of a difference but would give better rejection from the sides. That would make it easier to have a monitor. While having monitors would seem to go against the idea of having one mic and self-mixing, it would help the performers do that self-mixing more accurately.
Finally, I was thinking about a very basic EQ tailored to the application. I'd be using the same mic capsules and circuit as my Alice mic, which means a rather bright output. Something in a semi-parametric with a wide bandwidth, centered around the vocal range.
Ideally there'd be a nice small box with EQ and any processing, along with a power supply box near the mic. You could put it all in a small case, and have the EQ box out by FOH (big venue with sound guy) or plugged into the powered mixer onstage for smaller venues.