Can't hear mic'd macho

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Can't hear mic'd macho

Postby cloudedb@aol.com » Wed Feb 17, 2016 6:28 am

I play bongos behind the DJ at a salsa club. I plug my single audix i5 into the DJ console and place the mike between the macho and hembra. Needless to say the volume is very loud. As I'm playing I can Hear the hembra but I can't hear the macho over the music. Any Ideas? Maybe some other mic that picks up treble better? Help! Thanks!
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Re: Can't hear mic'd macho

Postby jorge » Wed Feb 17, 2016 12:58 pm

If you have decent bongos and know how to hit the macho, it will project at least as loud as the hembra. Without hearing you play we can't tell whether the problem is the bongos, the skin, the tuning or your technique. I doubt it is the mic, the Audix i5 is not a bad mic for percussion, and in general, the loudest sound that gets to the mic wins.
When you practice at home, work on tuning the macho correctly and projecting the sound, without the mic. If you can't get a really loud sound out of the macho, try to describe to us in more detail what the problem is.
jorge
 
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Re: Can't hear mic'd macho

Postby cloudedb@aol.com » Wed Feb 17, 2016 7:24 pm

Thanks so much Jorge for your response. When I play at home and when I'm jamming with a live band the macho is as loud as the hembra. Over the years I've learned to hit the bongos hard with good projection. It's only in the loud dance venue that I can't hear the macho no matter how hard I hit it. The hembra remains audible. I have Timba bongos. I've had many other bongoceros playing my bongos the way I tune them, most of whom are far better than me and have more experience. They all love the sound. Maybe my ears are shot?
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Re: Can't hear mic'd macho

Postby jorge » Thu Feb 18, 2016 12:40 am

Record a set with a smart phone or other digital recorder, from a location out in the audience. Make sure the high frequency compression drivers on the speakers are working, if they are blown, you actually won't hear the macho clearly from the speakers. DJs who don't understand the physics and electronics, especially if they are already deaf, often blow the high frequency drivers. If they are deaf enough they may not even realize the drivers are blown. See if you can hear a balanced sound from the bongos on the recording or if the macho sounds too soft. If the macho sounds fine on the recording, your ears may just be overwhelmed by loud amplified sound. Try to get the DJ to turn down (good luck) and if that doesn't work you need to get some musicians' ear plugs to protect your hearing. Get your hearing tested, maybe you do have high frequency hearing loss already. Practice getting a clear loud sound from the macho while using little force. It takes time to learn how to hit the macho and project your sound. It may take a few years to learn how to get a sweet musical sound with control and without hurting your hands, but it will come eventually if you practice enough. Just you and the bongo, no recorded music, no other instruments, work on clarity of sound regardless of where in the martillo your macho accents fall. Listen to the sound master bongoceros get from their instruments.
jorge
 
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