Author Archives: Jonas

Clip-on microphone comparison

Hervé Jeanne is not only a diligent string tester and critic, he has also subjected six common clip-on microphones to a comparative test on his YouTube channel.
In a second video, he also tests the BassBall in detail, which I came up with a few years ago.

Audiosprockets Tone Dexter

type: preamp
features: boost switch for solos, bass and treble EQ, sweepable notch filter for feedback suppression, character control, latency less than 1ms, 1/4″ pickup input/high impedance (1MΩ), XLR DI output, XLR mic input with 48V phantom supply (used for training the Tone Dexter)

ToneDexter is a preamp for acoustic guitar, mandolin, violin as well as upright bass. It is designed to “restores the missing body sound to an instrument’s ordinary piezo pickup”. In order to use the Tone Textet, you first play with both a mic and your pickup plugged in while ToneDexter learns the difference between your pickup sound and the mic sound. Then, put the mic away and just use the pickup … but with the sound of the mike, which is digitally rebuilt by the preamp.

www.audiosprockets.com

New York Bass Violin Choir

The NewYork Bass Viola Choir was an interesting band led in the late 1960ies by bassist and composer Bill Lee, who by the way is the father of film maker Spike Lee.

Here’s a TV show footage of this band: “Like It Is” (1972) from “One Mile East” folk opera; featuring N.Y. Bass Violin Choir. Bill Lee, director, composer; Ron Carter, Richard Davis, Milt Hinton, Percy Heath, Michael Fleming, Lisle Atkinson – bass; Consuela Lee Moorehead, piano; A. Grace Lee Mims, vocalist, Al Harewood, drums

 

 

 

 

MerkenMerken

New speaker concept from Acoustic Image

Rick Jones, founder of Acoustic Image, has introduced a new speaker cabinet: the upshot. Acoustic Image is best known for their concept of downfiring speakers. This speaker cabinet is the same idea, but reversed: the speaker is upward firing!

I’ve tried this little beast, and what I like best is that it is so small and light. You can even put it in a back pack. But even at this small footprint, the sound is pretty big. And the up firing speaker really helps to hear yourself better.