Hi all, this is my first post.

I have a duo with my sister, (we both sing, play guitar, mandoline etc...)and we play folksongs, blues, from the 30's to the 60's. The point is that we play without any sonorisation, a decision made after experiencing atrocious sounds and sonorisation in many bars, electro-accoustic guitar horror, overmixed voice and all... plus people not listening.
This only allow us to play in very small places, and we try to really get the attention of people.
We have builded our set considering those limitations, ( energic songs, singing loud) but in the case we must play in larger places, I would like to now what kind of mic we should use if we mike ourself with only one ambiant microphone ( in the way I imagine it would have been done in the good ole'days), and also what kind of reverb we can find that would have an old feel. Like country or rockabilly sound.... And if you think all of that can work. (Like approaching the mike a little bit for a solo or something...)
I've been asking some professional people, and they didn't understand what I was looking for, and/or start to explain me the great history of multitrack amplification improvement and the meaning of life, son... that's why I'm asking here....
Thanks

I think the problem is that "sonorisation" is a french term for PA that makes little sense in english. If you want to play bigger places, won't they have a PA already? You have to be willing to give up control over every aspect of a show: focus on the performance and let someone else worry about amplifying you.

If you want to maintain a old time feel, then grab your sister and a ribbon mic, and don't worry about adding artificial reverb.

If you play in bigger places, there will probably be a PA there, and you just need to be careful not to let that become the dominant sound. Use a microphone in-between the two of you, but tell the engineer not to overpower the acoustic sound, just reinforce it.

The microphone would be the type used for choirs or similar acoustic events, not a drum kit or guitar amplifier. Specifically, an omni-directional condenser microphone.

By all means listen to these other guys and not me.

But I'm wondering if a bidirectional mic could be put to good use here to pick up the two players and less of the room.

Paid In Full wrote:I think the problem is that "sonorisation" is a french term for PA that makes little sense in english.

Sorry, I thought it meant it too in english

Paid In Full wrote: You have to be willing to give up control over every aspect of a show: focus on the performance and let someone else worry about amplifying you.

Alright, but that's what I've done and most of the time the guys complains, "there's gonna be feedback, I don't have the stuff you need..." that's I would come up with my own mic...

Paid In Full wrote:If you want to maintain a old time feel, then grab your sister and a ribbon mic, and don't worry about adding artificial reverb.

Okay, so do you guys know about good ribbon microphone that wouldn't hurt my wallet too bad ?

Thanks anyway.

steve wrote: The microphone would be the type used for choirs or similar acoustic events, not a drum kit or guitar amplifier. Specifically, an omni-directional condenser microphone.

Do you have any idea if the cheap chinese microphone, like T bone not to name them, are fair enough ? Ribbon or condenser.... The europeans sellers are loaded with that and they're so cheap...

Thanks again.

atvff wrote:Do you have any idea if the cheap chinese microphone, like T bone not to name them, are fair enough ? Ribbon or condenser.... The europeans sellers are loaded with that and they're so cheap...

Thanks again.

No way to know without trying. If they're cheap, you can't get hurt too bad.

I have some tbone ribbon mics.
they are ok for the price.