by +pablo+ » Sat Apr 08, 2006 3:29 am
Diceman, sorry so long to reply. I mounted an EV Cobalt mic that is essentially an equivalent to a Shure SM57. One complaint is that they require a little more gain; thus the problem. Most sound guys are reluctant to set the mic higher. The end result then is not being heard. Now, with this mic inside the cajon, it requires less gain!
About positioning: see ‘Mic installed pic. The very end of the mic is set ~2 inches from the ‘drum head.’ The piece of wood is set just below the sound hole. This places the mic just below the middle of the head and slightly off center. I thought about setting it above the sound hole, to get it closer to the edge (where your fingers hit), but I experimented first. Using a boom stand, place the mic inside, high or low…play around with positioning till you get a sound you like. Use a stand. If you use your hand to hold the mic inside, it blocks too much of the sound hole and you can’t get a good indication of the timbre.
I used a block of wood so if I needed to adjust the mic position, I could just re-drill the holes, slot them, or get a new board, all the while just having two holes in the drum itself. Did that make sense?
For my congas I am going to experiment with a ‘mic on a stick’ so I can place the drum over them. That way I can play around with distance away from the head as well as radial location. Then once I find the ‘perfect’ location, I work on designing a bracket, etc…
+pablo+