Boots
2 posts
Jul 02, 2013
5:53 PM
|
Hi,
I just purchased a Shure SM57 mic, and I'm having trouble with feedback. I can't even cup the microphone without it howling. I'm getting ready to order a Harp Shield pedal from Lone Wolf (per Jason Ricci's suggestion), but I was wondering if anyone else has these same problems. Also, is there anything more I can do to minimize my feedback?
Thanks,
Boots
|
Greg Heumann
2232 posts
Jul 02, 2013
6:16 PM
|
As mics go - the SM57 is actually a pretty feedback resistant one. The problem is elsewhere. What amplifier are you playing through? How about pedals? What is the environment? (i.e., living room, or loud band, or ....)
ANY mic/amplifier combination can be made to feed back but with answers to the above I might be able to make some suggestions.
----------
***************************************************
/Greg
BlowsMeAway Productions
See my Customer Mics album on Facebook
BlueState - my band
Bluestate on iTunes
|
Martic
15 posts
Jul 02, 2013
9:27 PM
|
Wow, that's new for me. I bought a 57 mainly because of the feedback resistance it has. Plugging it to a tube amp, a SS amp or to an overdrive pedal and a DI box, I've never had any feedback problem.
|
barbequebob
2299 posts
Jul 03, 2013
8:08 AM
|
One of the problems with both SM57's and 58's are when you have the amp volume set up too high (unless you're using something like a Kinder AFB box) is basically asking for a feedback nightmare and a big part of the problem comes from handling noise that's getting amplified far too loud.
Room acoustics can cause problems but when everything is too loud, everything is going to eventually bleed into ANY mic regardless of what it happens to be, and when you're set up too loud, the minute you tight cup that mike, you're gonna have feedback problems.
Also if you get too close to the amp when you set up with too much volume, or if the sound guy has your rig thru the monitors, often times if it's a rock sound guy, the monitors are often way too loud, and that makes everything worse, and that's also REGARDLESS of what mike you use.
----------
Sincerely,
Barbeque Bob Maglinte
Boston, MA
http://www.barbequebob.com
CD available at http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/bbmaglinte
|
didjcripey
573 posts
Jul 03, 2013
2:43 PM
|
You can increase the feedback threshold with the tone control on the amp. Cutting back the treble will help a lot.
A lot depends on the amp. Last gig I did, my amp died just before, and the sound guy offered me a kustom guitar amp with twelve inch speakers. Though it was way bigger than my little 5 watter I could get almost nothing from it before it started feeding back the low frequencies really badly. It was barely louder than acoustic before feedback kicked in.
I ended up just grabbing a 57 and going straight through the PA. If you can't get that to work in just about any environment, there is something seriously wrong.
----------
Lucky Lester
|
Greg Heumann
2238 posts
Jul 04, 2013
8:34 AM
|
So, Boots....
Are you even here? Or was this a troll?
----------
***************************************************
/Greg
BlowsMeAway Productions
See my Customer Mics album on Facebook
BlueState - my band
Bluestate on iTunes
|
Boots
3 posts
Jul 04, 2013
10:29 AM
|
Sorry about not responding very quickly. I have limited time on the computer daily, and I haven't gotten the chance to reply. Anyways, I'm routing my SM57 through an ABC box and a looping pedal, into a VOX VT30. I also have a guitar and a bullet mic going into the ABC box.
I do a one-man band sort of thing, and was hoping to use the SM57 to add some vocal elements to my playing. However, without a volume control on the SM57, the mic is just too hot!
I never actually tried using the SM57 straight into the amp until last night. I was able to control it easily, and was able to get some awesome tone from it. The thing is, to use it with my setup, I'm going to need to get a volume control for the mic.
I think I have a potentiometer and a couple of 1/4" jacks, so I'll see what I can do in the next couple days. Thanks for helping me think through this!
|
Greg Heumann
2239 posts
Jul 04, 2013
10:57 AM
|
Dude!
Please see my In-line XLR volume control and Ultimate Series Microphones which can convert your SM57 into a smaller lighter mic with built in volume control - ideal for harp players. Lots of board members own them.
----------
***************************************************
/Greg
BlowsMeAway Productions
See my Customer Mics album on Facebook
BlueState - my band
Bluestate on iTunes
Last Edited by Greg Heumann on Jul 04, 2013 10:57 AM
|
Boots
8 posts
Aug 11, 2013
5:11 PM
|
Alright, sorry for the thread necromancy, but I've made a solution to my problem. I couldn't afford one of Greg's in-line XLR volume controllers, so I jury-rigged one of my own. I just used a potentiometer, two 1/4 jacks, and an old table leg! Now I can control my input volume to match my guitar and bullet mic, and not make the amp feedback like crazy.
|
ReedSqueal
470 posts
Aug 11, 2013
5:25 PM
|
Ha! Backyard engineering - I love it! Nice work.
(And be honest, how many people had to look up the word "necromancy"?)
----------
Go ahead and play the blues if it'll make you happy.
-Dan Castellaneta
Last Edited by ReedSqueal on Aug 11, 2013 5:27 PM
|
Greg Heumann
2308 posts
Aug 11, 2013
9:00 PM
|
So Boots - you've got a low impedance mic. I see 1/4" jacks on your volume control. Are you using an impedance matching transformer before the control? Or are you using stereo 1/4" jacks wired balanced? OR... are you using an XLR to 1/4" mono cable? The 1st two are correct; the 3rd is not.... (but if it works for you, great. Go for it.)
----------
***************************************************
/Greg
BlowsMeAway Productions
See my Customer Mics album on Facebook
BlueState - my band
Bluestate on iTunes
|
