LiveBass H-Clamp (microphone holder)With H-clamps, practically any microphone can be mounted on double basses (or cello/guitars/…). Inspired by the design of the clamps used at the luthier’s workshop, they H-clamp is mounted to the ribs. The choice of the edge of the body as the fixing point for the H-clamp is important for several reasons. It is convenient from the perspective of positioning microphones unobtrusively, but more important, the edge is the strongest part of the structure and the point at which clamping has least effect on the resonances of the sound box’s panels. The H-clamp can therefore be tightened very securely and yet have no discernable impact on the sound of the instrument. The H-Clamp’s components are machined from aerospace grade materials by an experienced manufacturer of high performance components for aircraft and aeroengines.www.exploraudio.com, available at www.kontrabass-atelier.de
Double Bass Guide
by Jonas Lohse
I like the H-Clamp – even though I had one less good experience with it.
It works perfectly with all microphones, except – in my opinion – with large and heavyweight ones.
I fixed the clamp with a U-87 onto my bass – just as shown in the advertisement pictures. I tightened the screw(-s) damned hard (which from a certain level becomes an impertinency against the bass, as it feels to me); the whole thing slipped away although, leaving scratches in my bass…
I think, the manufacturer shouldn´t any more recommend to do this in their advertisement, but, on the contrary, rather warn bassists of trying to use that clamp with those heavyweight mics!