Setting up a microphone on an accordion

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dejanristic1983
Posts: 76
Joined: November 24th, 2012, 12:51 pm

Post by dejanristic1983 »

Hi!

I am an accordion player. A question of interest to me is 'how to microphone an accordion?' there are two ways of microphoneing an accordion:
1) It is very often done by setting up a microphone board on the right side of the instrument (piano or button board).
2) It is also done by setting up a standard microphone on a mic-stand and positioning the right side of the instrument so as to direct it towards the microphone.
Some people say that the second way is much better, for standard microphones have their own size so that they can pick up the tones without re-shaping their nature.
Those who use board mics say that they are better because the microphones on the board are spread over the button or the piano board. They also say that the nature of the sound can be adjusted by using microphone amplification systems (microphone pre-amps). They also say that using the standard microphone makes you move the accordion up and down so that the microphone can pick up all the sounds. I agree, but I use Schure 565. It is a standard microphone for vocals, and it is also called 'legendary'. Let me also say that it does not ruin the nature of the sounds my accordion produces.
Let me know what you experience with your microphones, let me know whether you have ever used both standard microphones and mic boards. Let me know if there are accordions with built-in microphones. Express yourselves about them if you have ever been able to play them. This is very interesting to discuss, because sound and audio mastering engineers deal with it for several years while studying. Some of my friends say that they have used either Cubase or Pro Tools for three or four years. When the fifth year of their use of these two programmes takes place, they would sigh saying: 'The more we learn, the less we know'. They say that it seems to them so.

If you are interested in this very topic, let's be friends over it.

Thanks! :)
dejanristic1983
Posts: 76
Joined: November 24th, 2012, 12:51 pm

Post by dejanristic1983 »

I must also say that I am a live performer, and I want to know about microphoneing the accordion as much as I can.

Let me also say that I have observed a difference between the microphone in a recording mode, and the one (that can be the same microphone) which is used during a live performance.
When we record the accordion over a microphone without searching for it, and listen to the recording afterwards, our impression is that we have more microphones of the same type spread over the whole piano or button board, for there is no difference as far as the loudness and the softness are concerned, which means that the recorder is able to register all the sounds the microphone is picking up, regardless of whether they are louder or softer.
When we do the same recording over the same microphone without searching for it, listening to what we are playing over some monitoring output, (headphones or monitoring speakers), our output monitoring test says that some tones are softer, and some are louder, while our recording says that there is no difference.

I am also inviting you to express yourselves about this phenomenon.

Thanks.
RuthieG
Posts: 21957
Joined: April 17th, 2008, 8:41 am
Location: Kent, England
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Post by RuthieG »

Have you tried asking on accordion forums, Dejan? This one, for instance? I don't know of anyone here who plays the accordion - we are mostly more interested in recording the spoken voice.

There is an article here which may interest you.

Ruth
My LV catalogue page | RuthieG's CataBlog of recordings | Tweet: @RuthGolding
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