Zoom A3 - with the Remic

I have been using the Remic 5200LB for more than a year now. It is a nice handmade mic, which is not intrusive and has a good sound and is very feedback resistant - the most feedback resistant mic I have ever tried on my fiddles.

My first setup comprised a Sennheisser G3 system going into a Headway EDB-1 (discontinued) preamp for EQ. After discovering that the allowed wireless frequencies in Denmark was not allowed within the UK, I ditched the Sennheisser (but I would like to be wireless so I am searching for a system)....

Clark Huckaby article on amplification

Clark Huckaby is a musician a musician, audio electronics technician and recording engineer. I found him while searching for good articles on amplification of fiddle.

While this article is a bit old I really found it to be quite interesting with some good info and observations.

It covers 4 subject: Microphones, pickups, preamps/amps/monitors and a chapter on how a pickup "hears" the bowing.

Read part 1 here, 2 here, 3 here and 4 here

Violin & viola EQ and frequencies part ll

This is my second part on how to use EQ with your bowed instrument.

This time I am going to give a some "hands on" practical use when playing with a piezo pickup.  You will be able hear the difference for yourself in my sound clips and hopefully be on your way to better sounding gig and recordings.

Violin & viola EQ and frequencies part l

When playing in an amplified setting it is good to know some of the key frequencies in the tonal spectrum of the violin.

This will make it a lot easier to target the right frequencies when eq'ing and to communicate with the sound engineer in a language he understands.

Knowing the frequency for each string is only a small part of understanding what is going on.
The harmonics of each note are a big part of the perceived tone and timbre of a bowed instrument.

EQ for fiddle

Here is comment from my friend and expert sound engineer Peter Simonsen.
Peter is a versatile recording engineer and did the recordings for my first album. He also builds high-end microphone preamps and more.

Here is his comment on choosing a hardware EQ unit for live/stage use:

Source Audio Programmable EQ

The Source Audio Programmable EQ is a compact, digital, graphic-equalizer pedal.

A graphic-eq is a good tool when playing live because you can quickly see which settings you have made.
The Source Audio EQ even lights up in green. However the scale is a little small and can be hard to read. Luckily the knob for adjusting the EQ has a clicking feeling and every click is 1db.

The true bypass EQ has another important feature: It can store up to four presets and scroll through them, making it convenient to select different presets for different songs or solo/ backing or two different instruments.

The Programmable EQ also provides a output knob for leveling or boosting the eq'ed signal.

EQ and new microphone..

I have started a test of my new Source Audio Programmable EQ - A good tool for tweaking the live sound setup. I will be posting more on this soon.

I am also waiting for The Fiddle Mic to arrive, which Bruce Bartlett graciously send me for testing. I will be posting more as soon as the microphone arrives.