I got to study with him back in '98-'99. He had just got the instrument out there and was working on a bunch more udu drum ideas. I can't say enough about how excellent a human being he is. He transformed my understanding of music and helped propel me into a career as a musician.
I have a Meinl ibo Udu drum (tri sound) and heard that the Countryman Isomax 2 mic works well as an internal mic ... but on the website you have to choose between cardioid, omni-directional or hyper-cardioid (the mic comes in only 1 configuration). I am wondering if omni-directional is the best choice, or would there be any issues with feedback or other issues for home studio recording use?
I do not recall if Frank Giorgini (RIP) recommended an omni or cardioid lav. Maybe contact the Udu artists on the video. They're contact info should be in the 'Art of the Udu Drum' credits video segment. th-cam.com/video/u2crEpjS5L0/w-d-xo.html In my professional opinion, I would choose an omni directional lavaliere. When recording the Udu drums for the video, I used a combination of the internal mic(s) and an overhead AKG 414c. I recall using a pair of SDC (small diaphragm condenser) mics on occasion. Regards, Rick
@@sdfofny... Thanks for the info. I was doing a bit of online research and heard that a lot of Udu players use the Countryman Isomax 2 as a tiny internal mic. so I will probably get this one ... but customers have to choose a configuration, either cardioid, omni-directional or hyper-cardioid. And they also have to choose between "high gain" and "low gain" ... I sent an email enquiry to Countryman "ask a professional" help team, but no one has replied. I'm assuming that the best choice would be "omni-directional" and "low gain" (to ensure full nuance of sound quality ... and afterwards the gain can be further adjusted in the audio interface and DAW. But I wanted to be sure that there are no other considerations I might have overlooked, because it's a fairly expensive mic, especially when converted to Canadian dollars. I also want to be sure that the mic fits through the 'mic hole' in the side of the Meinl Ibo (tri) drum ... because the mic is attached to an XLR cable ... I'm not completely sure whether the cable detaches or whether the mic itself is small enough to slide through the mic hole. I also have an AKG C414 XLII mic for external recording ... but using 2 mic's is probably a good idea. I looked at the link you sent with the credits, I'll check them out :-)
@@galefraney Like most lav mics, the Countryman Isomax cable is not removable from the mic head/element. The mic head can be slipped through the drum's tiny side hole and secured in place with some non-permanent putty like Joe's Sticky Stuff. According to the data sheet, the element is 5/16” (8 mm) so the drum's side hole should be slightly larger. The hardwired version of the Isomax has a non-removable Phantom Power XLR transformer at the opposite end of the cable which is about the diameter of an XLR connector but longer. Another option would be to get the Isomax wired for a wireless body-pack transmitter and purchase a compatible Phantom Power XLR transformer/adapter. The mic could then be used in a wireless and hardwired configuration. I would surmise the low sensitivity model (max SPL= 150dB) would be best as Udu drums are usually pretty loud. Using both an internal and external mics are a good idea when recording but beware of phase issues.
This is so good, thank you for sharing!
I got to study with him back in '98-'99. He had just got the instrument out there and was working on a bunch more udu drum ideas. I can't say enough about how excellent a human being he is. He transformed my understanding of music and helped propel me into a career as a musician.
Muchas gracias.
Amazing
I have a Meinl ibo Udu drum (tri sound) and heard that the Countryman Isomax 2 mic works well as an internal mic ... but on the website you have to choose between cardioid, omni-directional or hyper-cardioid (the mic comes in only 1 configuration). I am wondering if omni-directional is the best choice, or would there be any issues with feedback or other issues for home studio recording use?
I do not recall if Frank Giorgini (RIP) recommended an omni or cardioid lav. Maybe contact the Udu artists on the video. They're contact info should be in the 'Art of the Udu Drum' credits video segment. th-cam.com/video/u2crEpjS5L0/w-d-xo.html
In my professional opinion, I would choose an omni directional lavaliere. When recording the Udu drums for the video, I used a combination of the internal mic(s) and an overhead AKG 414c. I recall using a pair of SDC (small diaphragm condenser) mics on occasion.
Regards, Rick
@@sdfofny... Thanks for the info. I was doing a bit of online research and heard that a lot of Udu players use the Countryman Isomax 2 as a tiny internal mic. so I will probably get this one ... but customers have to choose a configuration, either cardioid, omni-directional or hyper-cardioid. And they also have to choose between "high gain" and "low gain" ... I sent an email enquiry to Countryman "ask a professional" help team, but no one has replied. I'm assuming that the best choice would be "omni-directional" and "low gain" (to ensure full nuance of sound quality ... and afterwards the gain can be further adjusted in the audio interface and DAW. But I wanted to be sure that there are no other considerations I might have overlooked, because it's a fairly expensive mic, especially when converted to Canadian dollars.
I also want to be sure that the mic fits through the 'mic hole' in the side of the Meinl Ibo (tri) drum ... because the mic is attached to an XLR cable ... I'm not completely sure whether the cable detaches or whether the mic itself is small enough to slide through the mic hole.
I also have an AKG C414 XLII mic for external recording ... but using 2 mic's is probably a good idea. I looked at the link you sent with the credits, I'll check them out :-)
@@galefraney Like most lav mics, the Countryman Isomax cable is not removable from the mic head/element. The mic head can be slipped through the drum's tiny side hole and secured in place with some non-permanent putty like Joe's Sticky Stuff. According to the data sheet, the element is 5/16” (8 mm) so the drum's side hole should be slightly larger. The hardwired version of the Isomax has a non-removable Phantom Power XLR transformer at the opposite end of the cable which is about the diameter of an XLR connector but longer. Another option would be to get the Isomax wired for a wireless body-pack transmitter and purchase a compatible Phantom Power XLR transformer/adapter. The mic could then be used in a wireless and hardwired configuration. I would surmise the low sensitivity model (max SPL= 150dB) would be best as Udu drums are usually pretty loud. Using both an internal and external mics are a good idea when recording but beware of phase issues.
@@sdfofny ... thanks so much, that's excellent information!! 👍
fascinating! Thanks