ideas for mic'ing a banjo

[S&L]

I mix occasionally for an american/bluegrass band. everything under control, no problem there. I MAY be be asked to work a gig with said band where they will have a support band. all instruments in that line up are fine except for the banjo. with this particular banjo I know 3 things for certain:

1. the performer refuses to use a bridge pick up, specialist or otherwise.

2. the performers preferred technique (I am told) is to place an SM57 inside, wrapped in a towel.

3. when performing elsewhere, said arrangement often induces feedback (I am told).

 

With this in mind, I'm happy to plug in the 57 at sound check and see what happens but I would like a fall back position that doesn't cost me a great deal of money. my default is to do what I do with reasonable results for everything from drums to sax - place a hyper cardioid mic in front on a boom stand (red5 rvd30 - think sm57 but tighter pattern).

thoughts, suggestions, tips etc?

[GaryNattrass]

I am sceptical about putting an SM57 inside a banjo as it will totally change it's resonant character.

 

A banjo is a pretty loud but narrow frequency band instrument and I would place an SM57 or small diaphragm hyper capacitor mic as you suggest in front of it pretty much like any other guitar type instrument, as it is narrow band tonality you can use high pass filters to get rid of any LF feedback problems.

[whisky-zulu]

I have to agree with Gary's post above; use the same close-micing technique you would with any other acousitc guitar with a SM57/ Audix i5.

[GaryNattrass]

Just to add that a banjo is the stringed equivalent to bagpipes, you can pretty much stick anything in front of it and it will sound the same!http://www.blue-room.org.uk/public/style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif

[david.elsbury]

One thing I have found with banjos is that you have to be really careful with both foldback for the banjo, and for overall foldback levels. They seem to reflect anything coming towards them, which more often than not is the wedge, and then straight into the mic... makes for a tricky time for both FOH and MON engineers.

 

 

2c

David

[nb705]

For Bellowhead and Seth Lakeman, we often clip a Sennheiser e604 to the rim of the banjo, this gives the player more mobility and keeps the mic at a constant (close) distance from the instrument. And it still sounds like a banjo (this might be a good thing, or not depending on your opinion of banjos).

[Just Some Bloke]

I wonder if the pural should be "banji"? :)

[Bobbsy]

The ideal way to mic a banjo is with a small diaphragm condenser. Aim it at the point where the neck meets the head, from about three miles away.

 

Failing that, I've had best results using a clip on instrument mic--or even a small lav. At least it keeps the distance constant and gets close enough to help with feedback.

 

As per the previous post, it doesn't really matter which model you choose because they all sound the same on a banjo.

[GaryNattrass]

A banjo is basically a snare drum that you pluck rather than hit and we all know how loud snare drums can be!http://www.blue-room.org.uk/public/style_emoticons/default/tongue.gif

[jameskerr87]

3 miles? Blimey!

 

I've been touring with girl that uses Banjo on a few songs, we use Peizo contact pickups, gaffa it to rear of the skin, no idea of the model but pretty cheap with wired 1/4 jack on the end. Works just fine, gotta be a bit creative with your EQ but works great for us.

[Bobbsy]

3 miles? Blimey!

 

Yeah. You're right. I was being a bit silly. Three miles could be a bit close for a banjo at full volume...maybe four or five miles!

 

Pardon me for being a bit sensitive...back in my youth I shared a house with a banjo player for almost a year. 'Nuff said.

[GaryNattrass]

A similar discussion relating to bagpipes here: http://www.dvinfo.net/forum/all-things-audio/496540-bag-pipes-3.html

[Robin D]

After some experimentation last summer, I found a lav clipped to the musician jacket pointing downwards gave the best control without introducing feedback. It seemed anything I pointed directly at the instrument created feedback even at minimum gain settings. It meant the guy having to carry two packs as he was also a singing, but it worked well although there were times I could have done with a 'mute' on the instrument itself. ;)

[Paul J Need]

Bartlett Banjo mic?

 

[dbuckley]

3 miles? Blimey!

 

Makes me wonder where Bobbsy puts the tambourine mic...