- Tech Forum

Microphones

Wed, 12 Mar 2008 17:40:34 -0400

Hi,

I'd like to invest in a couple of microphones to do some at home recordings. Ideally it would be great to buy 2 for under 500 that i could use to record cello, viola, violin and ukulele. I have the edirol fa-66 and macbook pro.

My studio is on a boat, so there are some issues with noise and movement, that might make some very sensitive condenser mikes problematic.

My style is pretty folky and old timey. I tend to play with the bow a bit slack and would like to get as warm of a sound as possible.

Any suggestions would be most helpful.

Kind Regards,

Miss Mauve

Zoom multi-effects pedals

Fri, 28 Sep 2007 17:50:54 -0400

Has anyone tried any of the multi-effects processors made by Zoom? I've heard electric string players recommend them, and I can get a big discount on one from the retail store where I teach, so I'm saving up to buy one. But before I do that, I'd like to hear from some people who use them.

Customised cello anyone?

Sun, 26 Aug 2007 15:09:50 -0400

My cello is an eBay cheapie that I have laboriously set up and is quite easy to play now.

Other than the obvious addition of a pick up, what have you done to customise your instrument?

I have a Floyd Rose locking nut because I'm too cheap to get those clever mechanical pegs. I locked my strings several months ago and have only had to adjust my fine tuners since.

I have white pegs and tailpiece, no reason, just like the look.

I have a mylar 'aluminium look' film attached to my fingerboard. Makes for a very slick feel and I love to slide. Looks cool too but I'm thinking of changing to a white pearl.

Rock gigs

Wed, 24 Jan 2007 15:26:33 -0500

Maybe an odd question:
I've been enjoying many rock gigs lately, on stage. I've begun to worry though - what's all the massive vibrations being send through my cello by the drums and bass frequencies doing to my instrument? Is it bad for the cello to endure these environments? Or does it have no effect? Or maybe a positive one?

Hi there...

Thu, 07 Dec 2006 18:34:00 -0500

Howdy y'all.

Long time lurker, first time poster.

I'm a cellist who's looking... for some new directions. I currently play in a prog rock band with a bunch of guys who used to play punk, pop/punk, and metal. Needless to say, my acoustic Weaver is just... not quite "cutting" it anymore.

I've got a Barcus Berry contact mic slapped on the back of my feedback machine... oh wait, I mean cello, and I'm running that into a Morley Volume Pedal and then into a Yorkville 210. It gets me where I'm going, so to speak, but I'd REALLY like to upgrade.

To that end... I recently saw the band "Murder By Death" (if you haven't checked it out, please do), where their cellist uses a Zeta Jazz, direct line into the house PA. Gorgeous sound (for an electric, at least).

Looking for loud combo amp

Sun, 17 Sep 2006 22:02:54 -0400

I play a Yamaha SVC-200 with a rock band and I need a loud amp. I like the SWR california blonde, but not the weight (50+ pounds). I like the Contra, but not the price ($1000+). Any suggestions? Thanks!!

The 'Realist' cello pick-up

Thu, 18 May 2006 11:29:47 -0400

I'm getting tired of putting my Fishman pick-up
on and off - my tailpiece is all sticky from the
electrical tape! I'm contemplating having 'The Realist'
put on and leaving it on. I'm worried about how
inconspicuous it will look in classical settings since I play in an orchestra. Also, there is supposedly no loss in sound quality - does anyone have experience with this?

Wolf notes

Fri, 05 May 2006 15:55:22 -0400

Hi,
New adult cellist here. Renting (possibly to own) an Eastman 100 cello. I think it is a decent instrument so far--for a beginner. However, it has developed a wretched wolf note on F/F# on the D string. Placed a de-wolfer on the G string, and all that did was "deaden" the sound of the instrument and move the wolf to E on the D string (although it is not as bad). So I removed the de-wolfer. It has also developed a vibration when I bow in 4th position on the C string. Anyone have an advice to offer? Thanks.

Anyone try a K&K Big Shot pickup?

Tue, 07 Mar 2006 16:58:10 -0500

Thinking of getting this pickup - I just want a low-cost way to get my acoustic cello signal into my delays and other effects (no distortion, no overdrive).

Also, if you have tried this pickup, I'd like to hear how you mounted it onto your cello. I can't really tell from K&K's photos how the jack is mounted.

Thanks!

What strings do you use?

Sat, 04 Mar 2006 22:55:32 -0500

I am curious to know what kind of setup others use, and if certain strings are better for certain styles of music...

I use:

A= Larsen medium
D= Larsen medium
G= Spirocore Tungsten (medium)
C= Spirocore Tungsten (medium)

I make my living primarily as a classical player and find that investing in these more expensive strings makes my not-so-great cello sound SO MUCH better.

Cello Travel in Alaska!?

Thu, 24 Nov 2005 23:23:10 -0500

I'm looking for advice about bringing my cello to Alaska for a couple performances in January! I tour by car in the winter, and am used to bringing my cello in overnight to avoid dangerous temperatures and dry levels. But I've just been invited to perform in Alaska in January (arriving by plane), and need to decide if I should rent one there or bring mine and move quickly between the airport and the hotel, etc. Any advice about humidifiers or other tips for traveling in chilling weather would be appreciated.

E String?

Thu, 27 Oct 2005 18:39:34 -0400

Hey, does anybody out there know what string I can use to get an E string on my cello? I went to a lot of websites that sold electric cellos with 5 or even 6 strings, but I didn't see anything about them selling E or F strings.

Cello amp - speaker end

Sat, 04 Mar 2006 14:52:16 -0500

We are for the time being direct miking a cello.

What do people suggest for a good sounding amp, regardless of weight? What models are easy to transport while still providing quality sound over the full range of the cello?

Thanks much.
David Gottlieb

Home Studio

Sat, 04 Mar 2006 14:52:37 -0500

This thought came to me when I was reading about the passing of Robert Moog.

If you have a home studio, what kind of setup do you have?

I'm currently without, but I used to have Cakewalk Homestudio 2004 on a PC with 1000s of sound font files, and just a cheap Casio keyboard used mainly for input.

Anyone else? Come on... make me jealous!

Cello amplification

Sat, 04 Mar 2006 14:51:56 -0500

Hello everybody,

Could someone help me with tips on cello amplification? Usually I play "unplugged" (classical, tango, renaissance), but I'll be playing with some amplified guitars (irish bouzouki, Weissenborn) and I figure I'll need a little help. The guitarist will help me with the amplifier/loudspeaker/pedal part, but I have no idea how to best pick up the sound on my cello.

Thanks in advance,
Tormod Dalen