Fiddle Clip-on Microphone Placement
When using a clip-on microphone for a violin, where should you place it and what way should it be pointing? I've heard conflicting advice on this, and seen fiddlers put them in several different places, so what sounds best? Chris Jacoby and I tested a common cardiod condenser clip-on microphone (the Audio Technica pro 35) in several positions and orientations. We simultaneously recorded with a common cardiod dynamic stand-mounted microphone, the Shure sm57, positioned about four inches above and pointed at the bridge. As we varied the position of the clip-on, we didn't change the dynamic one.
I asked several people to evaluate recordings of the 10 mic positions plus two randomly chosen ones of the sm57. These were blind evaluations; no one knew which recordings were which. Evaluators were:
- Jeff Kaufman (me)
- Contra dance musician (mandolin, octave fiddle) listening on a QSC K10 speaker.
- Alice Kaufman
- Classical violin player and fiddler, also listening on a K10.
- Chris Jacoby
- Classical and contra dance musician (mandolin, guitar), unknown speakers.
- Audrey Knuth
- Classical and contra dance musician (violin, viola) listening on Tannoy pbm-6.5 speakers
Everyone listened to the samples in the same randomized order, which in retrospect wasn't ideal. If you would like to test for yourself what you liked and disliked, before reading further make up your mind from these blinded samples and then check the key.
notes chords 1162 1035 1179 1111 1264 1132 1304 1168 1338 1276 1359 1300 1445 1345 1463 1448 1476 1569 1657 1616 1726 1738 1942 1818
Overall we were surprised how many sounded good. There were some we didn't like, but most of the tests gave clear sounds across the range of the instrument. Looking at everyone's preferences, position 11 with the mic just above the G-string seems to be the best all-around:
Aside from that, we were kind of all over the map. There were a few that we all agreed sounded bad (#4), and we had some agreement on ways particular ones were unusual (#8), but there was no clear second choice position. Contrary to my expectation, the dynamic mic (sm57) was not generally preferred to the best clip-on locations.
Labled recordings with pictures, sound samples, and reviews:
| 1: Center, 45 degrees, 1.25" away | |
| clip-on: | notes |
| Jeff: good | |
| Alice: worse | |
| Chris: 0 | |
| Audrey: not too shabby, #1 | |
| chops | |
| Jeff: good | |
| Alice: ok | |
| Chris: - | |
| dynamic: | notes chops |
| 2: Center, 0 degrees, 0.38" away | |
| clip-on: | notes |
| Jeff: good | |
| Alice: no | |
| Chris: 0 | |
| Audrey: meh | |
| chops | |
| Jeff: good | |
| Alice: ok | |
| Chris: -, too dark | |
| dynamic: | notes chops |
| 4: G string, 0 degrees, at the body | |
| clip-on: | notes |
| Jeff: ugh | |
| Alice: muted | |
| Chris: + 0, #6 | |
| Audrey: meh | |
| chops | |
| Jeff: interesting, dislike | |
| Alice: no | |
| Chris: -, seems like more mids, less other things | |
| dynamic: | notes chops |
| 5: E string, pointed at the sound post, at the body | |
| clip-on: | notes |
| Jeff: interesting, unsure | |
| Alice: good tied #1 | |
| Chris: + + 0: bassier, less highs, #3 | |
| Audrey: meh | |
| chops | |
| Jeff: interesting, unsure | |
| Alice: too much baritone or something, unbalanced, can't decide if I like it, #1 | |
| Chris: 0, whoa more lows/mids, interesting sound, not bad, but not what I like, #5 | |
| dynamic: | notes chops |
| 6: Center, 0 degrees, almost touching | |
| clip-on: | notes |
| Jeff: muffled | |
| Alice: fine, tied #2 | |
| Chris: less shrill | |
| Audrey: meh | |
| chops | |
| Jeff: fine- | |
| Alice: not quite as good | |
| Chris: +, #2 | |
| dynamic: | notes |
| Jeff: good+, some light buzzing | |
| Alice: fine, tied #1 | |
| Chris: + + 0, #4 | |
| Audrey: yuck | |
| chops | |
| Jeff: fine | |
| Alice: fine | |
| Chris: + Has a lot of bow noise, but that might be okay. Otherwise, I like it. #5 | |
| 7: bottom of the bass f-hole, straight down, 2" away | |
| clip-on: | notes |
| Jeff: good- | |
| Alice: fine, tied #2 | |
| Chris: + 0, #5 | |
| Audrey: ok | |
| chops | |
| Jeff: slightly muted | |
| Alice: good, more bass sound, good for chops #3 | |
| Chris: + +, seems most balanced (is this the sm57?) #1 | |
| dynamic: | notes chops |
| 8: inch below the bass f-hole, straight down, 1" away | |
| clip-on: | notes |
| Jeff: too screetchy, bad bass | |
| Alice: fine, #3 | |
| Chris: 0 | |
| Audrey: yuck | |
| chops | |
| Jeff: ok, electric | |
| Alice: no; too much treble | |
| Chris: -, scratchier, sounds more electric | |
| dynamic: | notes |
| Jeff: maybe a little too much high | |
| Alice: shrill | |
| Chris: + + + 0, #2 | |
| Audrey: yuck | |
| chops | |
| 9: bottom of the treble f-hole, straight down, 2" away | |
| clip-on: | notes |
| Jeff: very good | |
| Alice: fine, tied #1 | |
| Chris: 0 | |
| Audrey: meh | |
| chops | |
| Jeff: ok | |
| Alice: good, not balanced, but I like it #4 | |
| Chris: -, in comparison to the previous bunch seems dull in the low mids. | |
| dynamic: | notes chops |
| 10: inch below the treble f-hole, straight down, 1" away | |
| clip-on: | notes |
| Jeff: good-, not so vibrant | |
| Alice: worse | |
| Chris: 0: Less | |
| Audrey: yuck | |
| chops | |
| Jeff: ok | |
| Alice: fine; breathy grumbling | |
| Chris: -, darker | |
| dynamic: | notes chops |
| Jeff: not quite as good | |
| Alice: slightly better | |
| Chris: +, #4 | |
| 11: G string, 0 degrees, 0.5" away | |
| clip-on: | notes |
| Jeff: good; slightly screetchy | |
| Alice: no | |
| Chris: + + + +, #1 | |
| Audrey: alright | |
| chops | |
| Jeff: fine | |
| Alice: good, more balanced #2 | |
| Chris: +, #3 | |
| dynamic: | notes chops |