Double Bass Lapel mics?

[Jaygetsreal]

Anyone had success with these for DB? They seem ideal in theory - small, unobtrusive - and relatively inexpensive.
If they have limitations could these be circumvented with eq and effects we already have?

 

[Francois Blais]

You mean Lavalier type of microphones?
I mean it's not a particular brand?

 

[Jaygetsreal]

Anyone had success with these for DB? They seem ideal in theory - small, unobtrusive - and relatively inexpensive.
If they have limitations could these be circumvented with eq and effects we already have?

Yeah lavalier type

 

[bassically_eli]

You might want to check out this thread:

https://www.talkbass.com/threads/the-radio-shack-mic-rebooted.1448066/

Bartlett Audio also makes a bass mic that is basically an omnidirectional lavalier that's supposed to go in the f-hole.

Not that you have to place it in the f-hole.

 

[Jeff Kissell]

The Bartlett is probably what you’re looking for.
Bartlett for bass

 

[DoubleMIDI]

Lavalier mics are made for an equal frequency response of a voice when the mic is placed on a shirt.
That means their frequency response is not straight but shaped specially for this application.
That means that you can use them for an instrument, but you might to apply some more EQ and with fixed EQ frequencies and width you might not be able to make that frequency response flat.
So I rather recommend a mic with a mostly flat frequency response and no resonance spikes upwards than a Lavalier for micing an instrument like a bass. A bit better electret mic capsule might do a better job than a Lavalier.

 

[Ric Vice]

The Fishman Bass Blender system included a Crown GLM 10 lavaliere microphone. I’m sure the Bartlett is far superior.

 

[lurk]

There was a cheap Radio Shack lavaliere mic that I heard a bassist use pretty successfully years back. I bet someone here knows something about it or maybe do a search.

 

[AGCurry]

I have several times used an omnidirectional lavalier mic as a singer/guitarist, to pick up both voice and guitar. I like it because it's simple, unobtrusive, and the sound is plenty good enough. I've tried to use lav mics on bass, but the issue is that the clips are too small to fit on any part of the bass (except for a string afterlength, and that's not a good place soundwise).

 

[bassically_eli]

If you check out the thread I linked to earlier (about rebooting the RadioShack mic), you'll see plenty of ideas for mounting a lavalier mic. I still have the one I modified, which is self-powered with a rechargeable battery, and I cut off the crazy 20' of cord and soldered a female 1/4" connector on instead. I haven't used it in maybe 2 years, but I might give it another go now that I have two other basses I could use it with. Sticking it inside the f-hole did not work well with my Engelhardt; it sounded boomy and muddy and not any better than a piezo; but it did work nicely mounted to or near the bridge for outdoor gigs with a folk band (during the pandemic when all my gigs were outdoors). IIRC, I used putty to experiment with sticking it to different parts of the top of the bass and bridge.

I play with several gypsy guitar players now that use lavalier mics--I think most or all of them are using some kind of AKG with a battery pack; I can check at my next gypsy jazz gig. The mounting method is all the same: a tiny square of velco attached to the guitar top (~1"), a tiny cube of foam with a piece of velco. The mic goes into the foam and the chord goes through the guitar strap.

 

[Ric Vice]

Fishman had a really nice little mount with a holder that was backed with adhesive. They sold it with the bass blender for the Crown GLM 10. I'm into simpler things these days, but it did work.