Posted by dmmorris on May 31, 2002 at 07:35:29:
In Reply to: Re: Distortion Tuba? posted by Doug on May 30, 2002 at 14:57:35:
One reason is that the bell tends to be a great "sound-collector" for other, (non-tuba), ambient sounds. All of those sounds will be amplified by the mic-in the bell technique. The larger the bell, the larger this problem becomes. Think about those 20-inch parabolic collectors that the spy-guys use for surveillance.
I play in a mixed sextet and ocasionally use a large diaphram mic on a boom about 12 - 18 inches from my bell. In most cases it works pretty well, but in a loud room (read "rowdy"), the noise level can become exaggerated. I have been thinking about a mouthpiece pick-up or a contact mic for this reason and also because the mic on the boom hampers movement.
-dmm