Why two identical mics?

[awjoe]

Why two identical mics? Do they capture more than one would?

https://youtu.be/ra_uv0uIY-g

[BWC]

I'm guessing that one is feeding a recording device of some sort. Seems like there was a thread about something similar a while back, but I can't seem to remember enough to be able to search it up.

[awjoe]

It's a good recording, so that makes sense.

[Wonks]

One for the PA, one for the BBC broadcast/recording. Presumably they either didn't have a mic splitter handy or the BBC and PA company preferred to keep the systems separate given the relative simplicity of the setup.

John would normally be playing into a Jazz Chorus or Fender Twin through his pedals (volume, fuzz and phaser) and Echoplex delay, so I expect the amp had two mics on as well, though from the cleanliness of the guitar sound, I expect there was also a DI box involved and they switched between amp and DI depending on the song.

[Mike Stranks]

If you look at archive footage of top-flight acts in the '60s and '70s it was very common to have separate recording and sound-system microphones - the recent BBC documentary on 'Bridge Over Troubled Water' being a good example.

It wasn't until the 80s that splitters became established with national broadcasters... and even today small, independent setups often don't have 'split' facilities.

[Forum Admin]

Hi awjoe

Could I encourage you in future please to explain what any YouTube link contains? I trust what links you post, but it might put other people off clicking on it.

[Bob Bickerton]

Belt and braces approach? American president's trousers fall down without this technique......

Bob

[Hugh Robjohns]

Looks like there are two bug mics on the guitar too...

[Forum Admin]

OK I clicked on the link only to find a pleasant surprise - one of my fave artists back in the '70s (along with Roy Harper) - the superlative John Martyn.

I vaguely recall watching that concert on BBC TV back in the day. Or was that "Sight & Sound" simulcast? Or "Old Grey Whistle Test"...?

Found this Rockpalast gig where he busts a string and changes it live, swearing like a trooper. Class act.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O8Blccc0PM0

[Wonks]

The clip is from Rock Goes to College, 1978.

There's definitely at least one Barcus-Berry type transducer taped to the rear of the soundboard. Around that time it was either routed directly into one channel on a Music Man head and cab (he was using a Twin Reverb previously) Twin) or into the same input via a DI box (presumably depending on the size of gig, so if a DI for the PA was required, the amp was fed via the through output on the DI and the PA via the XLR output). There could well have been another transducer fitted just for the broadcast.

The DeArmond pickup went into his pedalboard and then to the other channel of the Music Man.

I suspect the contact pickup was more for picking up his soundboard taps than providing the main guitar sound, but I'm purely guessing here.

I've also read that he toured with his own quadraphonic PA system at the time, mainly for panning the guitar delay effects around the hall.

[James Perrett]

The clip is from Rock Goes to College, 1978.

I just did a quick search and it looks like the clip is from the Old Grey Whistle Test. The whole thing is here

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MUQoUCVWl4k

The Rock Goes To College gig from the same year shows him using a single SDC.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GYvncpoeV5Q

To me, those two SM58's in the first video look too neat and deliberately wired to be an ad hoc arrangement for the gig. None of the other BBC In Concert videos from that time seem to show that arrangement.

[tea for two]

https://youtu.be/ra_uv0uIY-g

I clicked on the link only to find a pleasant surprise - one of my fave artists back in the '70s (along with Roy Harper) - the superlative John Martyn.

Thing I adore about JM is he was so funny goofy then he would go into a song that would cut me up.

That's all. I have nothing to add to this discussion except yep have more than one mic you never know if afterwards find one hiccupped at least you got a backup.

[awjoe]

Hi awjoe

Could I encourage you in future please to explain what any YouTube link contains? I trust what links you post, but it might put other people off clicking on it.

Sure, no problem.