More conga mic questions - need advice on micing congas

[TomInVA]

I've been playing congas & bongos for about 20 years, but only recently started performing, so I'm a newbie to the stage and welcome all advice. I play a set of 3 Giovanni Galaxy congas (Conga, Quinto and Requinto) on stands and sometimes bongos. I've been playing small venues with amplified "acoustic" instruments (no drum sets). Often, the amplified instruments/voice overpower me, so I'm looking for mic options. I got some good info from the "In search of mics" thread, but I thought I'd start a new one.

Has anyone used the Shure PG56's for congas? These are advertised for toms and are typically mounted using clips.

Also, has anyone tried mounting the Shure PG52's underneath their congas to grab the bass? These are intended for kick drums.

Shure offers a set of 3 PG52s and a PG56 for drum sets, and I was envisioning clipping a PG52 on each conga and mounting the PG56 underneath. If I ran these into my own little mixer, I wouldn't be at the mercy of a single spare mic at shows.

Thanks for any advice!

...Tom



Edited By TomInVA on 1108755664

[Tonio]

Hey Tom, I haven't used PM 56's but they should be OK. SM57 will do just the same too about $90. Main concern in live applications are the high and mid frequency amplitude, that get diffused in a room. The mid and low frequencies get amplified in the room as long as its not too small or has a "dead' sound-alot of damping material- carpets, fabric blinds etc.
I wouldn't worry about getting the bass tones in a live situation.
2 Sm57's or PG56's will do the trick if you have a 2 channels for them.
EQ, and a little of reverb is you friend :;):

T



Edited By Tonio on 1108869184

[Obi]

EQ, and a little of reverb is you friend :;):

You got it there.

I have used the Shure SM57s They are a good Mic for stage use, Most importantly they are sturdy & durable. In a small venue they can be spaced between drums & still capture a full spectrum of sound, however in larger spaces with greater amplification you may wish to use 1 per drum.

Also, If you really want to pick up those Bass tones, a good boundary Mic will do the trick. Believe it or not, all I use is a Radio Shack boundary mic spaced behind my quinto and it picks up the tones of all three drums.

I keep an assortment of mics, in a briefcase, including the Shures. My favorites however are my MXLs 990, and 991.
I usually use the 990 placed between all three drums, that wide diaphragm design enables it to capture the tones well, I Place the 991 up above to catch the higher tones from bongo and the many shakers and other Auxilary items I may (or not ) use. Besides these, My Shures, & Boundary mic, I also keep a couple of other Radio Shack Condensers and spare batteries for emergencies, you'd be surprised how these can pick you out of a jam... ???

Here is a sample based on my own set up:
bdry mic
Q bo.
C T (top View)
990
__
991

C Q T bo. (front View)

I hope this helps.

Obi

[TomInVA]

Thanks for the great info, guys. I think I'll try starting with a couple of SM57s with LP claws mounted on the rims, and expand from there.

...Tom

[jonty]

I have been a Sound engineer for about thirty years - both studio and live concert work. I have found that for all concert instrument miking, especially percussion, the Shure SM57 does a great job - especially for live work. This mike has a great dynamic range - well suited to the frequencies generated by congas or any drums, in fact.

[OldGuyAl]

My favorites are AKG C1000s. I use either one or two about 12" above my set of 3 (on an LP triple stand) for live shows and always get compliments about how good they sound. (tip: don't use any of those plastic adaptors that come with them - they tend to kill the lower frequencies.)

I have used the 57s and I really did not like them at all.

[Tuco]

Check out the Electro-Voice N/D468--just the ticket for live or recording. Got a set of three on Ebay for average of $100 each. If you dig around on live sound forums, these are mentioned frequently.

EV N/D 486 Microphone

[BMac]

I've had trouble using mics (SM-57's) mounted on the claws. I have gotten a lot of vibrational sounds ... it's hard to describe ... but I think the mic and mic-retainer represent a lot of mass located effectively far from the anchor point (the claw on the rim). So when the impact of playing finds its way vibrationally to the mic ... the mic and such bouce a bit like a springy pendulum. I clamped everything as tight as possible and played around trying to get those awful sounds out of the mix ... but never found a good arrangement. Maybe the right filter would do it ... like a low-cut or something.

Maybe somebody has gotten better results. But I abandoned using claws. I didn't want to abandon them ... they're quite convenient.

I went back to standard mic stands disconnected from the congas.

But I think the SM-57's are a practical mans dream solution to mic'ing congas. They're directional mind you ... point them at the drum head ... one for each drum if you have the mic's.

Has anybody out there gotten better results with the LP claws?
How?
What am I doing wrong?

Cheers
BMac

[chilledbongo]

i have used lp claws with the same problems as mentioned. a lot of vibration and the mics sometimes coming loose.

i use a pair of audix d-2 mics and like the sound from them. they are recommended for congas specifically. cost about the same as the sm57s, but are smaller and seem easier to handle and position etc

audix makes its own mic clips like the lp claws, but i have never tried them. some have urged me to try them as they are manufactured exactly to hold the audix mics.

i have gone back to using mic stands for live performance. you don't have to worry about vibration or your hand knocking the mic or the mic falling out of its holder. you do have to be bothered carrying the stands.

the lp claws are a nice invention. but i am leaning toward using them just for additional instruments like cowbells, blocks etc positioned just off the conga head.

[Garvin]

I use an AKG C1000S as well. Its a great mic for recording and performing. Its cheap too, I think only about 100-150 bucks. The only problems I've had with that mic is on crowded stages it tends to pick up a little more of my neighbors than I'd like, but I just have to reposition it usually. The best thing about that mic is that it picks up a good spread of the three drums and you only need to use one channel.

[Congadelica]

This may be usefull for some .

http://www.saecollege.de/reference_material/pages/Percussion.htm