Mics! Boom or Attached to the drum! - Do most congueros prefer boom mics?

[onile]

I have seen several photos, real cool ones to say the least, but on most all of them, the congueros are using boom mics. I personally use the Sennheiser drum mics E 604, I'm not advocating for this product, merely pointing out what I use. They attach to the drum and are easy to take off and are extremely light! I wonder however is there a benefit to using a boom mic? I play with either a conga, or tumbadora as my main drum because I like the real estate to play on, so the mics are essential in their placement. Anyone have a preference here? I also use a pre-mixer on my gigs, just to make sure that the proper mix is coming out of the mains. All too often the sound person mixes for a rock band and not a salsa band. Even Latin bands have a different mix. What is your take on pre-mixers too? or am I just too self contained?

[Diceman]

Boom mics are essential in the studio, so that only the sound of the drum is recorded, and I guess the same could happen with live micing. If you listen to a recorded gig using clamps,you can hear all sorts of bumps and taps transmitted to the mic by the clamp. Also there are some schools of thought that say that the resonance of the shell is damped by fixing bits to it. At the end of the day playing live with other noises from other miced up musicians it doesnt matter that much. I use 604s on booms and they sound good to me. Note to self.....I must invest in a stage sub mixer, what do you use?

Diceman

[onile]

Alafia Diceman!
The submixer I use is a Beringher 1202, it's compact and easy to set up and tear down. I guess the reason for the clamp mics and the other stuff I use is for easy access and tear down. Shear laziness on my part. I am aware of the nuance noiises, but I also never play without my customized ear plugs. I suffered some injury to my right ear a couple of years ago while in a recording studio, which scard the heck out of me, so this has been my practice ever since. It's just, for me that is, hauling more equipment around is a bit of an inconvenience, but I do think about the other sounds that come from playing with clip mics, especially that I am a seated player, the vibrations go directly through the drum, to the floor and get caught by the mic.

Food for thought! I'll keep that in mind!

Many blessings!
Tony

[Diceman]

Thanks for info on mixer, I'll have to start saving my pocket money!!
I cant argue with the boom vs clip discussion, as many good players use clip ons.
Have you seen the multi mic clamp, it works for me on a boom stand and could probably work on a single clamp--just one clamp on, two/three mics. It would certainly cut down on weight, or you could use the other clamps for holding drinks and an ashtray

My two pence.
Sabor
Diceman

[onile]

Now that is ingenious thinking:laugh:
Thanks!

Keep on drumming!

Onile

[tamboricua]

The submixer I use is a Beringher 1202, it's compact and easy to set up and tear down.

Onile,

How many channels are available on the Beringher 1202? Do you also bring your personal monitor?

Saludos,

Jorge Ginorio

[onile]

Alafia Jorge!
Actually I use the XLR connectors on it and there are four on this model! I use three of them for my congas, and one for vocals. There is an output (phones) which I use the Sure E-2 In-Ear phones as my monitor. That is convenient providing I can get a line in from the main PA. I am able to adjust the sound that I want to project from each of my drums (2 tumbas and one conga), on occassion I will use four congas, and I then will use all four of the XLR connections for that purpose.

Suave!
Tony

[tamboricua]

Alafia Jorge!
Actually I use the XLR connectors on it and there are four on this model! I use three of them for my congas, and one for vocals. There is an output (phones) which I use the Sure E-2 In-Ear phones as my monitor. That is convenient providing I can get a line in from the main PA. I am able to adjust the sound that I want to project from each of my drums (2 tumbas and one conga), on occassion I will use four congas, and I then will use all four of the XLR connections for that purpose.

Suave!
Tony

Onile,

Sorry to bother you one more time and for my ignorance, but what are XLR connectors? Do you create your own mixing using the ear phones as your reference?

Thanks,

Jorge Ginorio

[onile]

Alafia Jorge!
No, not a bother at all! The XLR connectors are the three prong connectors that one normally connects mic cables into. There are also 1/4" connectors but I don't use them. Let's see if I can post a photo of the two! Also, as far as the mixing, yes I'm able to mix the sound, the bass for the tumbadoras, and mids to highs for the conga. I use the in-ear head monitors to hear the signal being mixed before it goes to the main PA. The person running the main PA now only has control over the volume, not the mix!

Attachment: http://mycongaplace.com/forum/eng/uploa ... baa6e1.jpg

[onile]

Jorge!
I'm still trying to master this photo thing, what I've attached here is pic of the mixer I use, the Beringher 1202. The four dark circles at the top are the XLR connectors, the small round ones below them and in other areas of the mixer are called 1/4" connectors!

Hope this helps!

[onile]

Here is a pic of a 1/4" and I'll try to show the XLR cable too!

[onile]

Let me try it again.....

Attachment: http://mycongaplace.com/forum/eng/uploa ... le_RAM.jpg

[onile]

That previous one is the XLR cable, here is a 1/4" connector which some musicians use!

Attachment: http://mycongaplace.com/forum/eng/uploa ... nced_l.jpg

[tamboricua]

Onile,

Thanks a lot my brother, that helps a lot! For how much those mixers go this days? Any particular reason you don't use the 1/4" connectors?

Saludos,

Jorge Ginorio

[onile]

Alafia Mi hermano Jorge!
As for the cost of the mixer that I use, I've seen it most recently going for under $80, Musician's Friend.com, just type in Beringher 1202 into your browser and you will get a list of places on-line where it is sold and you can compare prices, that's what I do!:laugh:

As for the use of XLR connectors, it depends on the type of mics one uses. the mics I use, Sennheiser E604 are "low-impedence" mics, and some mics are high impedence mics, as well as some instruments so they use the 1/4" for that type of connection.

I hope that this makes sense, I may not have explained it well, my apologies if not!

Suave!

Tony