Soundcatchers.net Wired Self Powered Monitor use instructions.
The Soundcatchers.net Wired Self Powered Monitor is designed for
use in the professional playing environment. I have used mine
for years with great success. I would like to show here how to
use it to your best advantage in your particular playing
environment. Please take a few minutes here to familiarize
yourself with this product.
First off and most important is The Soundcatchers.net Wired Self
Powered Monitor is a CONDENSER MICROPHONE. It needs +48V Phantom
Power from the Mixing board. It will NOT operate properly
without this. I have provided some simple Business style cards
with the product for you to give to your particular sound
engineer/soundman to quickly explain this. Condenser Microphones
are an industry standard, and all sound board/mixers are
equipped with +48V Phantom Power. In a pinch it is true the
Soundcatchers.net Wired Self Powered Monitor will still operate
without +48V but at a lower sound volume and much lower sound
quality.
After you plug in the XLR out cable, to the Soundcatchers.net
Wired Self Powered Monitor, hook on the belt clip or on your
music stand. Allow the XLR out cable to the mixing board to
follow you around the stage. Ask the sound engineer for enough
slack to give you plenty of slack for this.
Affix your chosen Anti-Shock Horn set or Clip-on set to your
device or your horn and adjust for a comfortable fit with plenty
af slack to do the motions you want to do. Use the supplied
spiral wrap to affix the cable to your horn, for trumpet
generally on the lower half of your lead pipe. There are plenty
of photos showing this on the soundcatchers.net website.
The earphone circuit has an input overload canceling circuit
built into the amplifier board, so if you should play too loud
into your microphone it protects your ears from a spike. You
will hear a quiet popping sound if this should occur. Turn down
your Earphone Volume knob to prevent this.
You can also use the Soundcatchers.net Wired Self Powered
Monitor without plugging in to a system simply for a personal
private monitor. Just use is as described before with no out to
the mixer XLR. This works well in an impromptu practice session
with other musicians, if the session gets too loud and you just
want to hear yourself.
Please DO NOT STORE THE UNIT WITH THE BATTERY FULLY CHARGED more
than a week. Rather... fully charge it Before you use it, then
use it and after your gig store it like that. this will increase
the battery life. The battery will fully charge very fast,
generally in less than a half an hour.
All the particular adjustment knobs and jacks mentioned from
here on out are clearly marked and mapped out on the product
label.
Now The Soundcatchers.net Wired Self Powered Monitor comes in
TWO forms:
The "plug and play form", and the "all the bells and whistles
form".
Now The "plug and play form" is just that:
Show up at a gig and affix your horn set, plug in, put in your
earbuds adjust your ONE KNOB for your personal sound envelope
and sound check and play your gig. This form is best so you
don't accidently turn the wrong knob and throw out the sound
settings for the sound engineer... I strongly suggest you use
this form as much as possible....
Now the "all the bells and whistles form" has two extra features
at your disposal:
MICROPHONE GAIN: The Microphone gain is just that, you could at
sound check say... set your gain somewhere in the middle. And
then when you need a boost in volume for a solo or something you
could turn your output sound up in the house. and then pull your
gain back down again after your solo. If you forget, Needless to
say, with this you could develop a big problem with your sound
engineer, he might just turn your whole channel off. so, use
this POWER carefully. Also, YOU could accidently or on purpose
turn your Microphone all the way off with this, so play at your
own risk!
and INPUT THROUGH AND TRIM: Now the Input through and trim has a
great feature which can turn The Soundcatchers.net Wired Self
Powered Monitor into a rudimentary "Silent Brass" type of unit.
Do not use this feature during a gig, but rather use it before
the gig to learn a song. Unhook your Microphone capsule and put
it down your Harmon through the Harmon bell (see Video) ...plug
in your cell phone or CD player into the Aux through with a 1/4"
double audio cable. play the song you want to learn and mix in
your sound. Learn the song this way back stage or in your hotel
room. unhook your Microphone capsule and put back the way it
was. Then go to the gig plug in and play your new song... I've
done this kind of thing many times with great success!
There are many videos on the soundcatchers.net/videos website
explaining everything I could think of to help you with your
quest to play as best and as comfortable as possible with this
wonderful product ...
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Soundcatchers.net Horn-set care and storing instructions
The horn-set condenser microphone cords, capsules and anti-shock
mounts are quite fragile, but if properly stored and used they
will last for years of trouble-free use.
1) The wire cables must be coiled and stored much as they are
now when they are sent. When putting them away carefully coil
them as you would a garden hose and then use the provided cable
wrap to secure them. Improper winding like wraping around your
hand will kink the cable and cause an unsightly appearance.
2) The "ping pong ball protectors" are provided to keep the wind
screens from getting crushed and deformed in storage. Carefully
remove them and keep them handy for replacing them after you use
the Microphone horn-set.
3) For the Microphone Capsules on the end of the wire cables
simply press fit into the shock mount with a gentle twist and
are removed for storage in the same gentle fashion.
4) The RCA jacks on the other end of the Microphone capsules are
simply press fit into position, TRY NOT TO TWIST them too much.
A simple gentle pull or push with a SLIGHT TWIST is recommended
for installation and removal.
5) Store them In a Zippered Microphone Bag. Or find some other
way to safely store it in your horn case. (I keep mine coiled
inside my plunger mute). For prolonged storage put them into a
zip-lock bag, as the rubber will begin to rot.
6) I supply some extra rubber and wind screens just in case you
have a mishap or something happens. Some simple rubber cement
will glue the wind screens back in place if they come off.
Re-thread and tie the rubber around a pencil or something and
tie with a square not.
I've used mine for years with no problems but, if you have any
problems, please contact me and I will do what I can to fix the
problem.
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Soundcatchers.net Sound Engineer Mixing concepts.
You may choose to share this page with your sound engineer if he
wants more information than the info on the provided cards.
1) The Soundcatchers.net Wired Self Powered Monitor is a
CONDENSER MICROPHONE. It needs +48V Phantom Power from the
Mixing board. It will NOT operate properly without this.
Condenser Microphones are an industry standard. And all modern
sound board/mixers are equipped with +48V Phantom Power.
2) In a pinch it is true the Soundcatchers.net Wired Self
Powered Monitor will still operate without +48V but at a lower
sound volume and much lower sound quality, utilizing its onboard
electret circuit and battery for the in-line monitor.
3) The Soundcatchers.net Wired Self Powered Monitor has a very
high-quality internal sound board chip, and its intrinsic
microphone volume is equaly high. Please BACK OFF YOUR GAIN
control for its paticular channel.
4) The Soundcatchers.net Wired Self Powered Monitor horn mounts
are spaced quite close to the instrument further causing a need
to pull back the GAIN control for its particular channel to
counteract this.
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Soundcatchers.net user concepts for interacting with sound
engineer.
The Soundcatchers.net Wired Self Powered Monitor is very unique
and indeed “outside of the box” and most sound engineers will
not have any experience using it. But after getting acclimated
it, I know from personal experience they will like it very much.
Be gentile with the sound engineer, and during line check, tell
him/her “PLEASE give me a XLR cable with some slack and turn on
the phantom power for my channel”. You could say something like
“I have my own inline monitor mix and you won’t need to worry
about putting my sound in my monitor mix” You may want to use
his floor monitor for the other members of the band like say for
instance vocals.
During sound check, If He/she complains that your microphone is
too loud kindly remind him/her to TURN DOWN THE GAIN CONTROL on
your channel. The Soundcatchers.net Wired Self Powered Monitor
is closely placed to the instrument is designed to give
incredibly great tone quality to the sound board without
excessive amplification.
I have included some business cards to hand the sound engineer
to briefly explain these concepts.
More on interacting with sound engineers.
Sound engineers have varying levels of experience, ranging from
novices, to people with degrees in sound engineering. I’ve
worked with all kinds in venues all over the world and one thing
that sound engineers all seem to have in common is that, “They
seem to be most interested in getting the 5 or 6 microphones on
the drums” “they don’t really seem to be too interested in
giving the horn players what they want/need in the way of
monitors”.
So, the horn guys are pretty much on their own. This is why I
developed The Soundcatchers.net Wired Self Powered Monitor. I
have found that entering to a new sound environment with the
dialog and knowledge I have presented here will be the path of
least resistance. The horn player will get what he needs and the
sound engineer can get on with the drum microphone array.
As a horn player have you found yourself waving your hands at
the sound engineer during a set instead of playing your parts,
trying to get him to adjust your monitor mix?
The Soundcatchers.net Wired Self Powered Monitor is for you.
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SOUNDCATCHERS.NET/INSTRUCTIONS