Pickups & Mics for Upright Bass:  Microphone Accessories

Pickups & Mics for Upright Bass:  Microphones

Pickups for other instruments:  Cello

H-Clamp Light Upright Bass and Cello Microphone Mount

Manufactured by: ExplorAUDIO

It obviously depends on the music and the venue -- but nothing sounds more natural, when amplifying or recording your bass, than a microphone. Upright Bass pickups were, essentially, a compromise - developed for situations when a microphone wasn't practical due to feedback and bleed-through issues.

When you are able to use a microphone, it can arguably deliver the most "real" of all amplified sounds. I'll repeat, though -- it's not always practical. While I use a mic whenever I can, I will always have a pickup as a "Plan B," or to mix in with my microphone signal (to firm it up or otherwise enhance the sound.)

The next challenge has always been where to put that mic. If you've ever put one on a stand in front of the bass, you know the frustration of trying to stay exactly in one place; moving your bass around can cause drastic unwanted changes to tone and volume (and feedback!). And who can -- or wants to -- stay completely still when playing the bass!?!

The H-Clamp is a very sophisticated adjustable instrument microphone mounting device, with models available for Upright Bass, Cello, and Guitar, all of which may be suitable for other, similarly sized acoustic instruments (review size specifications here or elsewhere on the site to compare to your instrument).

This clever, well-made unit solves the problem, using a clamp that echoes the design of the traditional luthier's edge clamp (cramp). This anchors the microphone firmly in place using the edge of the instrument as the contact point, to avoid damping the instrument's natural vibrations. You can use just about any mic (while lighter is better, the manual offers suggestions for safely using larger/heavier mics) be it large or small diaphragm, condenser or dynamic -- the H-Clamp is compatible with any standard mic clip or suspension mount. The maneuverability of both the clamp and arm allows virtually any preferred placement, as well as the ability to locate it so as not to interfere with the player's motions.

The "space age" construction materials result in an extremely light yet secure mount. The disk material is an aerospace polymer, a high tech material developed to be machined instead of moulded, and it's as strong as aluminium but lighter and essentially inert acoustically. The shaft, boom and screws are all aerospace grade aluminium. Silicone and other material inserts and sleeves are used for all the contact points to avoid damage to your instrument, and, presumably, to minimize vibration.

Placement of the H-Clamp is up to the user. Note the differences between where the clamp is placed in the photo above (on Mark's bass) and from the photo at left. There's no reason that the clamp cannot be placed on the other side of the bass, from down below, or on the upper bout, if that is what works for you!

Please note that the photo of Mark's bass effectively illustrates the clamp, but aiming the mic directly at the f-hole or front of the bass is not recommended.

A very thorough 42 page User Manual that covers bass, cello, and guitar model are included. It offers instrument-specific, detailed recommendations as well as general information. A Quick Reference Guide, for those of us who just need the basics, is also in the package.

An "Extra Deep" model for basses with larger than typical bouts is also available for a small upcharge; specifications are below.

Specifications and Details:

• Bout Measurement (minimum-maximum)
• Bass model: 7.8-8.9 inches / 198-228mm
• Extra Deep Bass model: 8.9-10.15 inches / 228mm-258mm
• Cello model: 4.5-5.67 inches / 198-228mm
• Mic arm length (all listed models): approximately 7 7/8 inches / 200mm
• Weight
• Bass model: 5.6 ounces / 158 grams
• Extra Deep Bass model: 5.9 ounces / 168 grams
• Cello model: 5.3 ounces / 150 grams
• Accessories bag includes velcro straps, elastic loops, spare O ring, two silicone sleeves

The new "Studio Plus" H-Clamp includes four different clamp depth posts, which can be attached together; this allows you to have one H-Clamp that you can use, alternately, on guitars, upright basses, cellos, extra-deep basses, and more. This special product (the "Studio Plus" name is ours, not ExplorAudio's) is perfect for a musician with a home studio, or for the gig-bag of a live soundman for mic-ing just about anyone who needs it. The "Studio Plus" comes with 4 shafts: Standard Guitar, Cello and Mini. The Mini covers small acoustic guitars (baby Taylors, etc) and resonators and the Cello covers larger bodied acoustics. The combination of Guitar and Cello shafts screwed together is the same length as a standard Bass shaft. The Plus model can therefore be used for everything from baby & resonator guitars to cellos and basses - including large-bodied ones. Mark uses one of the "Studio Plus" clamps himself, in his home studio. Check out his post about his H-Clamp on his "Digital Din" music blog!

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