Alright gang: Don't worry, this isn't a poll on your sexual position or (left/right) political preferences, but merely a trivial aside to all the holiday madness:

Which side of the keyboard (from kb player position POV) do you tend to prefer to place your mic stand with associated mic boom ? Would you rather have the mic & boom coming at you from the left or right?

I have a Quiklok X stand, with a QL-4 mic/boom attachment, which gives you the option of permanently mounting it to either the stand's top left or top right tube.

Ok, now back to the work (I mean fun) of holiday entertaining.

Scott

I always dress to the left.

Tony

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www.tonywmusic.co.uk

On my right. Why? Because that's where I had it 25 yrs ago... and to me, it just feels right. I think 25 yrs ago I had a gear rack to the left, so it made sense... maybe. I don't think it matters 1 iota, just what feels better to you.

Left

I agree, yet my preference (habit) has always been to have the mic/boom stand positioned on the right as well, as whenever a mic/boom is positioned by someone else (stage crew, etc) on my left, it always feels a little weird, and I usually want to reposition it to the other side. Am I just a creature of habit, or is it just because I'm 'right handed'.



OK Fran, are you by any chance 'left' handed?

Scott

Left

I'm a leftie

I'm usually on the left side of the stage and thus position it on my : LEFT

Why? I dunno.

Al

Left AND right. It depends on the keyboard stand I'm using. -- José

middle, using an Apex w/ mic boom.

Left is what I'm used to..

Since using a head mic, I rarely use a boom anymore, but I always had it on my left when I did. I think the main reason was keeping an unobstructed view of the treble side of the keyboard.
Eddie

Left, but I can't for the life of me explain why!

Angelo

Right ... either because I'm right handed, or that's where it 'fit' best when I was in a band several years ago ... I was always on the right side of the bandstand (facing out to the crowd), so I would get behind the kb from the left side ... no mic stand on that side made it easier ... Now if I'm in a situation where it has to be on the left, it feels very uncomfortable ....
Strange fellows, we musicians ..
t.

Right..........

Interesting, I'm actually ambidextrous (ambimicstrous?). At the church where I'm principal organist it is on the left hand side because the organ is in the loft and I have to look to my right to see the priest and I want a clear vision line. At home in my bedroom studio, it's on the right because the equipment layout makes it unwieldly to have it on the left; it would be in the way of the D1600 digital recorder that I move to set up for use and then move back to have more room when I'm not recording.

Tom

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Bigger is not always better

Doe-no, but I'm left-handed and 25 yrs ago, as I recall, I had not only my gear rack, but also my drink on the left side. And you don't want anything in the way of your drink or your nobs.

Left...

Floyd

Scott,
It's Uncle Dave (using Fran's pc). My stand has the boom attachments more centered than your's, so my right is really more of a right/center .... it comes in about at G5 on the psr21k. Any full size kb should be about G#5( )
My reason was more of a doubling convienience as a guitarist...... needing to have the mic stay out of the way of my left hand, where I'd move on the neck more.

I have three setups on three different systems. One left, one right, and one in the middle!
DonM

You guys have all brought up some interesting ideas. I agree with Al (kbrkr) that when performing from the left side of the stage it makes sense to have the boom coming in from the left and when on the right side of the stage, coming in from the right. I would add that when performing on a grand piano with the lid open towards the audience that the mic stand would best be placed to your left as well, all to best maximize audience-performer visibility. It's performing center stage, and directly facing the audience that brings up the left/right personal preferences.

Though I of course realize what a silly inconsequential topic this is, I still have to admit that everytime I go to see keyboard/vocalist' perform, I'm always checking to see (especially if they are situated center stage) which side of the KB they put their mic stand. So far my observations have been pretty evenly split: 50/50. It's interesting that most people DO seem to have a preference but most can't explain why. Perhaps we should all try an experiment & place our mic stands on the opposite side to what we're currently accustomed to see how we adjust after a week. I guess I could also begin playing the chords with my right hand and the melody with my left hand, but that's 'another' story. - Scott

Scott,
Thank God you don't have any real problems to worry about!
DonM

Don, I'm sure I have as many 'real' problems to deal with as the next guy, but I suppose I just find it fasinatingly amusing to observe those inconsequential imponderables of life, like: Why do dogs have to walk 3 times in a circle before they lie down? When do Fish Sleep? Where did the term jay-walking, and word ladybug come from, and why is an outdoor bazaar called a flea market anyway?

Answers to these can be found in David Feldman's amusing books, or at: http://www.imponderables.com/

I find sharing these with my audience often makes for interesting stage patter. See this topic thread for more stage patter ideas: http://www.synthzone.com/ubbs/Forum37/HTML/007913.html

Scott

[This message has been edited by Scottyee (edited 12-19-2003).]

Left but can do right if the setup warrants it.

Tom

Center with my Apex stand also, but would otherwise set the boom to my right. Dunno why, I'm left handed. I usually set up on the left side of the stage, but I think on the right is where I saw others use it in pictures and TV.

Speaking of stage placement, I think I set the boom on my right because it goes to the center with all the other junk and gives me an easy way out and off the stage to the left. Oh, how we think.

[This message has been edited by cassp (edited 12-19-2003).]

When I set up at a grand piano, I always use a left sided mic boom because i sit very far left of center to make my chording hands play in the proper range for my voice. I probably sit a full octave to the left of center, so the distance to the left is shorter. Just makes sense.

I understand you guys can eat meat on Fridays now...
oh...on the right.

Hi Leon,

LOL, we've been able to do that for about 40 years now. However, at 69 and in the Northwest I am losing my taste for beef, particularly local beef.

Tom

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Bigger is not always better

And I thought Mad Cow only existed here in New York on Saturday nights at my gigs when I offend some of the local buxom women in attendance. :-)

I'm curious why almost no one uses a head mic. It would seem to be so much simpler.

You can't "work" a head mic by getting closer or farther away from it.
Also, you can't turn away from it if you want to speak privately or sneeze.
However Eddie and Gary D. both use them effectively.
DonM www.donmasonmusic.com



[This message has been edited by DonM (edited 01-06-2004).]

It has to be on the left. Why ?

Both of my hands tends to go toward left side of the keyboard. Left hand manual bass. Right hand plays comping chords which rarely goes to the higher octaves. Also, the fills, etc are on the left. So, most of the actions are definitely on the left side. That is why I put my mic there.

Ok guys, after having switched the position of my mic boom (since Dec 18th), with it now coming towwards me from my left side instead of right. At first it felt really weird, but I now feel a lot more comfortable performing with it this way, and for the very reasons UD and several others here have mentioned. I suppose my experiment demonstrates just what creatures of habit we really are, as well as proves my point that we're all 'capable' of adapting & adjusting to the differences between the weight (weighted/non weighted) & slight size (dimensions) differences of the keys of different brand/model keyboards as well . - Scott

Those of us that use headset mics, and are comfortable with them, discovered a new kind of freedom while performing that makes boom mics obsolete. However, there are some folks that cannot use them, mainly because of their singing techniques. In my case, it took a while to change the singing technique, but once that obstacle was overcome, I never looked back.

Cheers,

Gary

Left side---Why?

I play full chords with my left hand. When I sing, there are times when I play srong chords with my left hand and add just a touch with the right. Soooo,
My right hand has more freedom, it can do any mic adjusting I need. Or turn a page. Or, scratch. On my right side, that is.

As a guitarist I did the same thing. I could hold a chord down with my left hand and keep the sound going. My right hand could do very little without the left hand fingering. Again, my right hand adj. mic, turn pages, and scratched the right side of me. Also being right handed, I could wave to people easier.

I just bought a Apex stand--mic in the center?? Maybe. Hmmm!

John C.