rockyjo - Posted - 11/07/2022:  19:05:56

Hi,

Any recommendations of current or recent mics that are similar to the Ear Trumpet Edwina (good for vocal and acoustic instrument, incl. banjo; live and studio) but a lot less scratch, and better than the standard SM57/58?

I searched BHO and found Very Old reviews/posts. Must be time for an update.

Thanks in advance,

Rockyjo

jimbopicks - Posted - 11/08/2022:  03:05:06

Can't go wrong with an Audio Technica AT2035. It's a much better mic than its price tag would suggest. A bit less bright than many of the cheaper Chinese condenser mics. You can frequently find them for not much more than a sm57.

Also, the Ear Trumpet mics use the same Schoeps copy circuit housed in many modern inexpensive condenser mics, and the capsule is a good one, but it's a relatively cheap off the shelf electret mic capsule. A number of mics will give you similar performance for less, though they might not look as cool.

Edited by - jimbopicks on 11/08/2022 03:11:08

rockyjo - Posted - 11/08/2022:  05:18:51

Thank you, Jimbo. Sounds great, I will look into it.

Is there also one that aims straight ahead rather than “side response”?

The disadvantage with side response mics is they take up a larger visual area from the audience view, so they can block more of the singer’s face, instrument, or hands.

I like the Ear Trumpet look today, but the mics are so commonly used now I think at some point (sooner rather than later) they’re going to look “dated” in not a good way, so I’d definitely rather not pay for today’s cool look.

Also, if I considered having an instrument mic and a vocal mic, is there a feedback problem of having them on the same mic stand (instrument mic lower down)?

Thank you,
Rockyjo

jimbopicks - Posted - 11/08/2022:  07:55:06

You could go with an end-address handheld condenser, as long at it has a cardioid pickup pattern it should pickup more or less the same width as the side-address version, will just look different. There are lots of different models/brands, the pickup pattern is the main thing I would pay attention to. If you want to use a single mic go with a cardioid pattern. If you want to do separate mics for vocals/instruments, cardioid will still work, but you might get less feedback with a tighter hyper-cardioid pattern.

In general you will get much more gain before feedback using separate mics for vocals and instruments than just using a single mic for both. A SM58 on vocals and SM57 on instrument actually works really well, and is what I tend to use. Sometimes the SM57 can be a bit quiet on an instrument like acoustic guitar, but on a banjo it works great.

Condenser mics will sound more detailed but will also be more prone to feedback.

Fine to put them both on the same stand, there are several clamp arms you can add to a mic stand to hold the instrument mic. I use a cheap on-stage brand clamp for the instrument mic and it works fine.

pickthefive - Posted - 11/24/2022:  00:33:45

Are there any mics out there that have a bigger "useful distance" than the SM57? I don't like how you have to be right on it, that makes it so it is practically "on/off".

The obvious answer is a condenser mic, but I'm not sure of which would be good for an individual instrument. I've semi-successfully used Edwina and AT2035 at brewery gigs with monitors, but they pick up a lot of noise and I have to really be careful about feedback.

RB3 - Posted - 11/24/2022:  08:21:17

I've used an AKG C1000S condenser mic that works quite well for both acoustic string instruments and vocals. It worked in a single mic band setup where the instruments and the vocalists did not come in tight on the mic.

eagleisland - Posted - 11/24/2022:  17:06:43

There are significant difference between mics - dynamic, condenser, ribbon. There are differences between pickup patterns and what the mic is designed to do. The SM 57/58s are dynamic mics designed for narrow polar patterns - the 58s a bit wider, allowing two singers to work one (the Beatles did it all the time). SM 57 is a narrow-pattern design that works well for spot miking a banjo or drums. Large diaphragm condensers such as the Ear Trumpet mics are totally different animals, with a totally different purpose in their design. If you're curious, a lot of your questions may be answered in the PA 101 sticky at the top of this thread. Some really good responses to it, too, that may also answer some questions.

Edited by - eagleisland on 11/24/2022 17:08:03