After using instrument pickups for a while and being unsatisfied with the results, we’ve come back to using instrument mics onstage. Workhorse dynamic mics like the SM57 haven’t given us the kind of tone we like — the pronounced midrange bump one gets through the proximity effect tends to make instruments sound too plunky. In a band like ours, there’s a lot of competition for those frequencies already. Adding a boost there just tends to make things sound muddy.

We’ve had our best results with small diaphragm condenser mics. We started out using the very popular Russian-made Oktava MK-012 small diaphragm condenser mics. Although Oktava has had some well-publicized problems with quality control, the good Russian-made MK-012s are a very good mic for the money. Beware, though. In addition to quality control problems, there has also been a flood of fake Chinese-made Oktava mics on the market.

Many clubs don’t have any condensers, so we’ve long been in the habit of bringing our own. Sound engineers at predominantly rock and roll venues tend to soil their trousers when we pull out condenser mics to use onstage. They’re often concerned that we’ll never be able to get the stage volume loud enough to get over the kick drum and amps. Despite the fact that we have no kick drum or amps, engineers are often convinced that using a simple condenser mic onstage is an impossibility. Although we’ve occasionally had to do some hand-holding, we’ve been able to use condenser mics without feedback in even the noisiest venues. We haven’t plugged in in months.

Many acoustic bands, including bluegrass bands that gather around a single mic, have begun to use in-ear monitors. This eliminates stage monitors, greatly reducing the potential of feedback issues, and allows the engineer to increase front of house volume significantly (the relative merits of increased front of house volume can be debated elsewhere).

Using condensers on stage gives us the closest approximation of our acoustic sound possible in a loud environment.

More in part III.

Earlier posts:
Know your mic, part I
Plugging in