Folks - need to mic a bassoon (for a funeral service this Thursday), and need to be visually fairly unobtrusive. The player will be seated, so I'm looking at a mic height just below his (seated) shoulder, I think, with a little bit of distance to allow the sound to develop. But I don't want a visual distraction - I was thinking of a longish gooseneck condenser on a short floorstand. But I'd be glad of some advice. I don't think GBF is much of an issue - the bassoon just needs to be heard with 200 people singing loudly. Other instrument is a Roland digital piano, which is straightforward. And do you think the bassoon will need a monitor?

Any help gratefully received!

Bob,

Most of the sound comes from the keys, so your method should be OK - although aiming at the middle key is a good idea to achieve balance. If you need to get some extra GBF or separation, then try clipping a tie mic to the top of the bell (in addition to your goseneck mic). It's not the full characteristic sound, but you can make it louder this way!

With regards to the monitor, I'd suggest that this shouldn't be needed.

Simon

I'm surprised that you think amplification might be needed. Assuming the plastic piano plays at the same sort of level as a real one, the bassoon should easily be able to hold it's own - after all, they are quite easy to hear in the middle of a pile of noisy brass and woodwind in an orchestra. You have a quiet environment and I was at a service about 6 months ago with a real piano and bass clarinet, and even at the back it was perfectly clear.

You obviously haven't heard my congregation! At full belt, even the (medium size pipe) organ struggles. The Roland is set a little louder than the real upright it replaced, and 200 people can make quite a lot of noise.

A few months back, I did PA for an Irish band on St Patrick's night. We were pretty loud - but a pub full of well-lubricated Irish punters joining in on 'Fields of Athenry' still managed to be louder!

Plus we're doing a video relay into another hall - expecting 400 people altogether.

Just to say thanks to those who advised. All went well - a monitor wasn't needed, but the bassoon really did benefit from the extra welly gained by having a mic. Everything has been failing this week - main PA amp went dead on one channel, data projection PC has had system failures, one of the PC monitors had a dead PSU - but all came together today. Good job we had spares on hand for all the failed kit!

So thanks for the support.