Fiddle to pa

alomolloy

Hey folks i'm looking for advice on connecting a fiddle to a passive desk through to an active speaker system, do i really need a amp between the pick up on the fiddle and the speakers

studiorat

To do it properly you will need either a pre-amp or a DI box. You can plug directly into the desk but most likely the impedances won't match going into the line level input and will end up sounding crap.

Personally I prefer a microphone for fiddles anyway.

alomolloy

studiorat wrote: »

To do it properly you will need either a pre-amp or a DI box. You can plug directly into the desk but most likely the impedances won't match going into the line level input and will end up sounding crap.

Personally I prefer a microphone for fiddles anyway.

Firstly thanks for the advice, secondly what microphone would you use as in a Shure SM 58 or some other type and would you just plug that straight into the desk

studiorat

A 58 would be fine to start with. I'd go for a small diaphgram condensor like an AKG 451 or a KM 184, my mic of choice in the studio for solo fiddle is a Neumann u-89 or an AkG 414 but they are all expensive.

I'm nearly positive John Sheehan from the Dubs uses a SM-58 playing live. You can move closer and further from the mic for different timbres. Try that with a pick up.

There's also quite a few people using minituare mics these days, DPA, Beyerdynamic etc. I think we are going to see the demise of the piezo electric pickup for acoustic instruments, considering all the new Martin Guitars have AKG microphones built in. Which is no bad thing either.

Oh, and you just plug her straight in...

madtheory

The miniature DPA mics are the best thing I've heard for live fiddle.

alomolloy

lots to think about thanks

PaulBrewer

What sort of band Alo?

Another significant factor is how loud the volume is on stage, do you have a drummer ?

If the mic doesn't work well a pickup may offer a solution. Tonally not as beautiful as a mic perhaps but better than a feedbacking mic on most days ...

alomolloy

PaulBrewer wrote: »

What sort of band Alo?

Another significant factor is how loud the volume is on stage, do you have a drummer ?

If the mic doesn't work well a pickup may offer a solution. Tonally not as beautiful as a mic perhaps but better than a feedbacking mic on most days ...

Thanks for advice paul, the band is going down the lines of The Pogues or Dropkick Murphys with the engery of The Clash, the instruments involved so far are guitar, bass, banjo, mandolin, tin whistle, fiddle and keyboard covered by four musicians and we are looking for a drummer at the moment

artvandulet

Try a Schertler pickup. Have a real natural sound. They actually have a micro condenser mic in them as far as I know. Worth a look.

PaulBrewer

alomolloy wrote: »

Thanks for advice paul, the band is going down the lines of The Pogues or Dropkick Murphys with the engery of The Clash, the instruments involved so far are guitar, bass, banjo, mandolin, tin whistle, fiddle and keyboard covered by four musicians and we are looking for a drummer at the moment

Well in the interests of being heard I think a pickup is the only route then .

studiorat

I'd still try the mic. A fiddles dynamic range is pretty loud, plenty loud enough for a microphone even with drums on stage I've done it plenty of times back in the day. Loud fiddle is easily as up there as a singer. Unless you are planning on spending €250 or thereabouts for some thing like a schertler rig or a good contact mic I think a regular microphone would as good. Especially since you haven't choosen a drummer yet! (just get a quiet one!)

PaulBrewer

That's the difference tween you and me Rat .... you always want to do it the hard way !

alomolloy

Thanks for advice lads

studiorat

PaulBrewer wrote: »

That's the difference tween you and me Rat .... you always want to do it the hard way !

Buying a fiddle pick-up fitting it etc. Vs turning up with the fiddle under your arm doing the gig and going home...

tell me which is easier;)

PaulBrewer

studiorat wrote: »

Buying a fiddle pick-up fitting it etc. Vs turning up with the fiddle under your arm doing the gig and going home...

tell me which is easier;)

The former ..... the latter leaves to many variables for pain.