# Instruments and Equipment > Equipment >  Best  clip  on mic?

## Barb Friedland

I  am toying with the idea of using a clip on mic  on my mandolin.  The Baggs Radius PU  I've been using is turning out to produce a fair amount of noise that I can't seem to get rid of regardless of how I tweak the sound with my Baggs Para DI.      

My inclination to go to a clip on mic is based on a desire to maintain mobility while playing and have the cleanest, most acoustic sounding results I can get.

What clip on mics do you have experience with and recommend? Are there any that can be run through my Para DI as opposed to having to pay for another power supply?  I was interested in the K&K Silver Bullet Solo  but it sounds like it isn't compatible with my Para DI.       

Thanks!

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## Shelagh Moore

I use a Microvox violin mic with a longer clamp thread to suit the depth of the mandolin. The mic sits nicely over the F-hole using this arrangement. This mic needs a PSU with the right violtage. I use a Microvox one clipped to my belt. The usual 48V phantom supply from mixers and amps must be turned off as the voltage is to high and will fry the mic. Sound quality has been very good

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## steve V. johnson

There have been some discussions here that included the AudioTechnica 35 and 350 models.  If you do a search of the forums there should be some pretty detailed posts made just recently.  I think some of the folks are pretty happy with these.

I think that it's also been said that the -best- clip-on mics are made by DPA and are in use by some fine players.

www.dpamicrophones.com

stv

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## Mike Bunting

I've heard the Jaybirds using DPA's and they sounded good. They are fairly expensive though.

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## mandroid

Problem with Para DI  and condenser clip on mics is,  its made for self powered / passive  pickups like Piezos, 
and so only the input signal from a 2 conductor ,TR 1/4" plug is anticipated .

so you need to power the capacitor in a condenser mic  sort,  some other way 
with a Battery power-supply  made for that Mic, most likely.

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## Douglas Udell

I saw Chris Thiele (Punch Bros) in concert and spoke to his sound guy afterwards.  He uses a clip on mic and its a Audio Technica 35, mentioned in a previous reply.  Sounded excellent, and apparently it's what he's been using for awhile.  Of course, he had a great sound system to go with it and an engineer tweaking the board so that never hurts.  I'm actually going to buy one or the 350 which is its replacement.  The 35 is no longer made so I may have no choice.  Sweetwater has them (sweetwater.com) as do many similar online stores.  Hope this helps.

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## steve V. johnson

Right down below this thread a bit is one in which there are some references to the AT clip-on
condensor mics.

Here, just in case y'all hadn't done the search yet.

One of the big tricks to using a clip-on condensor mic is finding where to 
clip it.  Some have used pick guards (aka finger rests) for the clip, others
have clipped onto a Tone-Gard or the edge of an f-hole.

As mentioned, condensor mics need power.  Some get their power from
batteries (called electret condensors) and others need "phantom power" 
which comes back up the mic cable from a preamp or a mixing console.

stv

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## Barb Friedland

One of the things that's cool about my Baggs Para DI is that it has Phantom power. If I can hook  a mic with a 1/4 inch jack into that, it could be really sweet- assuming that the mic can live with 48V phantom power. 

This is really helpful info from everyone. Thanks. Anyone who has other thoughts, feel free to jump in.

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## Mike Bunting

Does it have phantom or does it power itself via phantom from the board. Mine is a few years old is of the latter type.

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## Barb Friedland

> Does it have phantom or does it power itself via phantom from the board. Mine is a few years old is of the latter type.


Good question. Now I'm not sure which- but you may very well be right.  What I don't know about electronics is a lot.   :Disbelief:

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## mandroid

as far as basic knowlege ,
Our friends have some information :  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microphone


 And   ...  all else fails read the owner's manual ...


http://www.lrbaggs.com/html/products...s_paradi.shtml

 Quickly reading off features and specifications: 

Input impedance  10 mega ohms   IE quite high , Their Radius &  piezo compatible. 
un-balanced type input.

there is a TRS  input jack but it uses that 3rd contact to turn itself on and off 
whether or not you plug your cord into it , to save on draining the 9v battery 
 which it will run from , when no phantom power is available.

The preamp runs itself off Phantom Power, but it does not provide power to the input. 

so you may be better off running  your clip on microphone thru another microphone preamp instead.

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## Mike Bunting

The manual!  :Grin:   I bought mine 10 years ago, thought there might have been some changes over the years. Actually, you can adjust the gain on them now from the outside. On my steampowered model I had to take the bottom off to set the gain.

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## pops1

Barb. I had an old Fishman bass pickup with two stick on transducers and for something to try used some putty and stuck them on the mandolin right behind the bridge. No preamp, went right into a trace elliot and it was the best thing i have heard yet. Very clean and acoustic

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## Barb Friedland

> Barb. I had an old Fishman bass pickup with two stick on transducers and for something to try used some putty and stuck them on the mandolin right behind the bridge. No preamp, went right into a trace elliot and it was the best thing i have heard yet. Very clean and acoustic


Well, that's the thing. I've been using a stick on Radius PU and am not thrilled with the sound. It sounds just OK but not as nice as my mandolin actually is. Through a good mic, it's wonderful. My logic is that a clip on might be a "best of both worlds"  solution.

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## pops1

I would be very interested in how the clip on works, maybe you would post a follow up. Are you playing into the PA or an amp? My problem is in one of the bands i need to use and amp and i am afraid a mic standing in front of an amp, even one designed for acoustic sound will feed back easily. I agree nothing beets a mic for sound quality. Let us know how it works. Thanks pops  :Grin:

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## steve V. johnson

Hey Barb,

"I've been using a stick on Radius PU and am not thrilled with the sound. It sounds just OK but not as nice as my mandolin actually is..."

I take it that you've already tried the Radius in different places on the mandolin?

stv

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## Mike Bunting

> "I've been using a stick on Radius PU and am not thrilled with the sound. It sounds just OK but not as nice as my mandolin actually is..."


For me, that's just a given but I found that a good compromise for me is the AKG C411 stick-on condenser. I've also used an AT Pro 7A that they probably don't make anymore. These work well too, but nothing is as good as a real good mic in a real good room.

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## Barb Friedland

> I would be very interested in how the clip on works, maybe you would post a follow up. Are you playing into the PA or an amp? My problem is in one of the bands i need to use and amp and i am afraid a mic standing in front of an amp, even one designed for acoustic sound will feed back easily. I agree nothing beets a mic for sound quality. Let us know how it works. Thanks pops


Sure, I'll be happy to let you all know what I end up with. I almost always play into a PA.




> Hey Barb,
> I take it that you've already tried the Radius in different places on the mandolin?


Yup.  But  I have been moving it around on the treble side near the bridge. I wonder if I might help things by moving it to the other side???  I'm getting a lot of amplified pick noise that I didn't used to get playing into a mic.

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## pops1

> Sure, I'll be happy to let you all know what I end up with. I almost always play into a PA.
> 
> 
> 
> Yup.  But  I have been moving it around on the treble side near the bridge. I wonder if I might help things by moving it to the other side???  I'm getting a lot of amplified pick noise that I didn't used to get playing into a mic.


I think you would like the sound better on the bass side, would be warmer and maybe less noisy. Kind like having an online lab test going. pops

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## mandroid

Try moving away from the bridge  , too. 

 though contact transducers hear a lot of what they are attached to..   the soundboard, & bridge.
so the pick noise is bound to be  part of it .

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## steve V. johnson

When I have a new player and instrument come into the studio I have them play and I move 
around the instrument a lot to hear it, get to know it.   Sometimes the tone coming from different parts of the top is different, sometimes it's all the same.

Maybe it would help if someone played the instrument and someone else moved the pickup from time to time.  Someone else could play and you could listen, or vice versa, or you could record
the output and see where the pickup works best.

Intuitively, I'd expect that somewhere behind the bridge and just a bit off-center toward the 
bass side might do well.  It's either intuition or a flat-out guess... :-P

Also, for me, I'd be doing a lot of experiments before spending $$ on a new rig and ... then ...
going thru a whole nother round of experiments...  :-)

stv

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## Barb Friedland

> I'd be doing a lot of experiments before spending $$ on a new rig and ... then ...going thru a whole nother round of experiments...  :-)


Very wisely offered. I'll do some PU placement tests and record as I go.  If I can't arrive at reasonably good sound then I'll go back to the drawing board.  :Mandosmiley:

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## steve V. johnson

Best wishes on the Moving Pickup tests!

I hope you find a great sound that makes you jump and shout.   Or... just say "Aaahhhhh...."

stv

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## Barb Friedland

> Best wishes on the Moving Pickup tests!
> I hope you find a great sound that makes you jump and shout.   Or... just say "Aaahhhhh...."stv


I'll settle for smug satisfaction!  :Wink:

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