Nadine is a medium-large diaphragm condenser mic specifically designed for use on upright basses. The low end is tuned to give a flat response at the mounting distance, and the cardioid pickup pattern provides very natural sound by picking up as much of the surface of the bass as possible, within the constraints of the close placement. There's great rejection off the back of the mic, allowing use with stage monitors.
Physically, the mic is separated into the body, which securely straps to the tailpiece with velcro elastic, and the head, which mounts easily between the strings above the tailpiece using a rubber grommet. The 14-inch Mogami cable that connects the two parts makes it easy to place the mic ideally on any bass. This mounting system makes Nadine both easy to move from instrument to instrument and secure enough to leave on one bass permanently. After years of being asked for a mic specifically designed to meet the needs of the acoustic upright player, we think we've found the best design yet for this demanding application.
$599
Free shipping CONUS
FEATURES
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Hand-made microphone with unique appearance
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Unique, easy-to-use mounting system designed specifically for upright bass. 14" Mogami cable and washer-mounted head to fit all sizes of upright bass.
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Capsule and electronics tuned for live use with excellent feedback rejection
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Internal shock dampers for minimal handling noise
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Transformerless FET fully balanced electronics
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Highest quality hand-wired electronic components - film caps, precision resistors, hand tested and matched transistors, with component values tuned for the individual circuit.
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30-Day Full Return Policy & Lifetime Warranty
NOTABLE USERS
Nadine Landry (Foghorn Stringband) the mic's namesake!
Christian McBride (6-time Grammy Award winner)
Missy Raines (8-time IBMA Bass Player of the Year)
Andrew Pressman (Nancy & Beth, Steve Poltz, Anthony da Costa)
Barry Bales (Alison Krauss and Union Station)
Brad Hallen (Duke Robillard)
Bruce Gertz
Chris Wood (The Wood Brothers, Medeski, Martin and Wood)
Craig Akin
Dan Lutz
Daniel Kimbro (Jerry Douglas Band)
David Jacques (John Prine)
The Isaacs Family Band
Jeff Hill (Steve Earle, Larry Campbell, Amy Helm)
Jeff Ratner (Langhorne Slim and the Law, Bing and Ruth)
Jimbo Wallace (The Reverend Horton Heat)
Kyle Whalum (The Kelly Clarkson Show)
Mark Schatz
Martin Wind
Michael Fleming (The SteelDrivers)
Nate Query (The Decemberists, Offa Rex, Black Prairie)
Sam Minaie
Todd Coolman
Viktor Krauss (Lyle Lovett)
Zach Smith (Town Mountain)
APPLICATION
Upright bass, live and in studio
TECHNICAL SPECS:
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TRANSDUCER TYPE: condenser, large (26 mm) diaphragm
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POLAR PATTERN: cardioid
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FREQUENCY RESPONSE: 20 - 15K hz (-3dB)
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SENSITIVITY: -38.9dB (11 mV/Pa)
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OUTPUT IMPEDANCE: <50 Ohm
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NOISE LEVEL (A-weighted): <17 dBA
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POWER REQUIREMENT: +48V phantom power
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WEIGHT: 1 lb (4 lbs cased)
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DIMENSIONS: 8” x 2” x 2”; head is 2” in diameter
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SKU: ETL-NADINE
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ACCESSORIES INCLUDED:
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Metal tool case with foam padding, 11” x 6” x 3"
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Velcro mount for tailpiece
PRAISE FOR NADINE
“Love at first sight – make that love at first listen. Nadine, where’ve you been all my life?!… Nadine is a blessing to the upright bass. This mic takes the best of the thump and midrange clarity you want out of an unwieldy instrument, then sets it in the mix right where it belongs – plus, you don’t even need a mic stand!”
—Ben Bernstein for TapeOp
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“She sounded great! Very honest bass tone from top to bottom. The lower range is were she really shined... With Nadine strapped on there was no need to use the pickup; the low mids to lows had the most natural bass tone I have ever heard out front. Thank You! You have done it again! It is an honor and pleasure to use your mics.”
–Zach Newton
(FOH for Jerry Douglas Band and The Earls of Leicester)
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"From a small loud rock club in Cleveland, an outdoor festival in Texas or Music City Roots in Nashville, Nadine has been completely consistent and reliable. Every FOH engineer so far has commented that the mic sounds best with the EQ flat - relating the tone of the bass first and foremost. I have used monitors without any issues - sometimes even blending my piezo with Nadine - but I prefer just the mic. The best compliment I've had is, 'Your bass sounds great.'"
- Simon Flory, High Plains Jamboree
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"I've noticed that with most "bass" mics I use the pickup for the bottom, and the mic to get some of the upper mid range stuff back that I usually dial out of a piezo pickup... With the Nadine though, my favorite sounds are down there in the lower, creamy chocolate places. It's so, so, so nice with the bow.”
–Daniel Kimbro
(Jerry Douglas Band, Audio Engineer/Producer WDVX Blue Plate Special)
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"What jumped out at me was the natural balance between the boomy thump of the lowest frequencies of the instrument, right up through the warm, woody mids, and all of that delicious top-end sparkle that comes from the face of the instrument. When you factor in someone who’s relatively uneducated in the audio engineering department like me being able to just read the simple directions, place the mic and leave it, and trust that I’m getting consistent tone in any application; that’s a major win. I actually leave it on the bass 90% of the time, whether I’m using it live or on the Kelly Clarkson Show or at home in my studio.”
–Kyle Whalum (The Kelly Clarkson Show)
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"Love the mic! First time I’ve been able to amplify my bass with a purely natural sound. What a relief after all these years! I use a QSC K12 powered PA speaker as a combo amp and the clarity is really amazing with the combination of the two.”
–Dan Peterson
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“I’ve tried pretty much all the usual pickups/mics used for bass. This is by far the best for 99% of uses.”
–Ger O’Donnell
"As an in-ear user, I am so happy to finally have one bass sound that I can use and be so satisfied with. Suddenly these two guys who I have heard for hundreds of shows sound even better. Something I didn’t think possible and already head and shoulders above the rest of the fray. Thank you again for giving us all greater sonic unity.”
–Jerry Douglas
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“LOVE this mic!!!”
–Missy Raines
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“Upright bass players, rejoice! The Nadine - newest addition of the Ear Trumpet Labs family - is here and is amazing! I've used it at outdoor festivals, concert halls, bar gigs, all kinds of venues and sounded great everywhere! Unlike pickups, the Nadine makes your upright bass sound like an upright bass- the way it's supposed to sound! With a sleek design and an easy installation setting right on the bass itself, the Nadine is the perfect microphone for upright bass players wanting to maintain the integrity of acoustic sound. The whole inventory of Ear Trumpet Labs products has made quite the impression on the acoustic world and the Nadine is no exception. Hurry up, get yours now, you can thank me later!”
-Nadine Landry
(Foghorn Stringband and Cajun Country Revival)
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“Nadine? Honey, is that you?? The mic I’ve been looking for??? Love this mic! I’m able to hear what I want to hear, getting warmth AND articulation while being stable at the same time. Works so good with in-ears and a small bit of blended pickup signal that I have all but done away with a bass amp on stage for the first time EVER! Thanks, y’all!”
–Barry Bales
(The Earls of Leicester, Alison Krauss and Union Station)
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“My favorite bass mic!”
–Taylor Shuck, Wood Belly
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“Oh this thing kicks a**. I adore mine.”
–Fremont Recording
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“The best!!!”
–Ben Ticknor, Never Come Down
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“Best bass mic I’ve ever worked with. Live sound or recording.”
–Fred F.