When using a clip-on microphone for a violin, where should you place it and what way should it be pointing? I've heard conflicting advice on this, and seen fiddlers put them in several different places, so what sounds best? Chris Jacoby and I tested a common cardiod condenser clip-on microphone (the Audio Technica pro 35) in several positions and orientations. We simultaneously recorded with a common cardiod dynamic stand-mounted microphone, the Shure sm57, positioned about four inches above and pointed at the bridge. As we varied the position of the clip-on, we didn't change the dynamic one.

I asked several people to evaluate recordings of the 10 mic positions plus two randomly chosen ones of the sm57. These were blind evaluations; no one knew which recordings were which. Evaluators were:

Jeff Kaufman (me)

Contra dance musician (mandolin, octave fiddle) listening on a QSC K10 speaker.

Alice Kaufman

Classical violin player and fiddler, also listening on a K10.

Chris Jacoby

Classical and contra dance musician (mandolin, guitar), unknown speakers.

Audrey Knuth

Classical and contra dance musician (violin, viola) listening on Tannoy pbm-6.5 speakers

Everyone listened to the samples in the same randomized order, which in retrospect wasn't ideal. If you would like to test for yourself what you liked and disliked, before reading further make up your mind from these blinded samples and then check the key.

notes	chords
1162	1035
1179	1111
1264	1132
1304	1168
1338	1276
1359	1300
1445	1345
1463	1448
1476	1569
1657	1616
1726	1738
1942	1818

Overall we were surprised how many sounded good. There were some we didn't like, but most of the tests gave clear sounds across the range of the instrument. Looking at everyone's preferences, position 11 with the mic just above the G-string seems to be the best all-around:

Aside from that, we were kind of all over the map. There were a few that we all agreed sounded bad (#4), and we had some agreement on ways particular ones were unusual (#8), but there was no clear second choice position. Contrary to my expectation, the dynamic mic (sm57) was not generally preferred to the best clip-on locations.

Labled recordings with pictures, sound samples, and reviews:

1: Center, 45 degrees, 1.25" away
clip-on:	notes
	Jeff: good
	Alice: worse
	Chris: 0
	Audrey: not too shabby, #1
	chops
	Jeff: good
	Alice: ok
	Chris: -
dynamic:	notes chops

2: Center, 0 degrees, 0.38" away
clip-on:	notes
	Jeff: good
	Alice: no
	Chris: 0
	Audrey: meh
	chops
	Jeff: good
	Alice: ok
	Chris: -, too dark
dynamic:	notes chops

4: G string, 0 degrees, at the body
clip-on:	notes
	Jeff: ugh
	Alice: muted
	Chris: + 0, #6
	Audrey: meh
	chops
	Jeff: interesting, dislike
	Alice: no
	Chris: -, seems like more mids, less other things
dynamic:	notes chops

5: E string, pointed at the sound post, at the body
clip-on:	notes
	Jeff: interesting, unsure
	Alice: good tied #1
	Chris: + + 0: bassier, less highs, #3
	Audrey: meh
	chops
	Jeff: interesting, unsure
	Alice: too much baritone or something, unbalanced, can't decide if I like it, #1
	Chris: 0, whoa more lows/mids, interesting sound, not bad, but not what I like, #5
dynamic:	notes chops

6: Center, 0 degrees, almost touching
clip-on:	notes
	Jeff: muffled
	Alice: fine, tied #2
	Chris: less shrill
	Audrey: meh
	chops
	Jeff: fine-
	Alice: not quite as good
	Chris: +, #2
dynamic:	notes
	Jeff: good+, some light buzzing
	Alice: fine, tied #1
	Chris: + + 0, #4
	Audrey: yuck
	chops
	Jeff: fine
	Alice: fine
	Chris: + Has a lot of bow noise, but that might be okay. Otherwise, I like it. #5

7: bottom of the bass f-hole, straight down, 2" away
clip-on:	notes
	Jeff: good-
	Alice: fine, tied #2
	Chris: + 0, #5
	Audrey: ok
	chops
	Jeff: slightly muted
	Alice: good, more bass sound, good for chops #3
	Chris: + +, seems most balanced (is this the sm57?) #1
dynamic:	notes chops

8: inch below the bass f-hole, straight down, 1" away
clip-on:	notes
	Jeff: too screetchy, bad bass
	Alice: fine, #3
	Chris: 0
	Audrey: yuck
	chops
	Jeff: ok, electric
	Alice: no; too much treble
	Chris: -, scratchier, sounds more electric
dynamic:	notes
	Jeff: maybe a little too much high
	Alice: shrill
	Chris: + + + 0, #2
	Audrey: yuck
	chops

9: bottom of the treble f-hole, straight down, 2" away
clip-on:	notes
	Jeff: very good
	Alice: fine, tied #1
	Chris: 0
	Audrey: meh
	chops
	Jeff: ok
	Alice: good, not balanced, but I like it #4
	Chris: -, in comparison to the previous bunch seems dull in the low mids.
dynamic:	notes chops

10: inch below the treble f-hole, straight down, 1" away
clip-on:	notes
	Jeff: good-, not so vibrant
	Alice: worse
	Chris: 0: Less
	Audrey: yuck
	chops
	Jeff: ok
	Alice: fine; breathy grumbling
	Chris: -, darker
dynamic:	notes chops
	Jeff: not quite as good
	Alice: slightly better
	Chris: +, #4

11: G string, 0 degrees, 0.5" away
clip-on:	notes
	Jeff: good; slightly screetchy
	Alice: no
	Chris: + + + +, #1
	Audrey: alright
	chops
	Jeff: fine
	Alice: good, more balanced #2
	Chris: +, #3
dynamic:	notes chops