How to Amplify a Dulcimer
Dulcimers are beautiful-sounding instruments, but they are not very loud. If you are interested in performing before an audience, you will need some way of amplifying your instrument. Even a gig in a coffee shop can become difficult because you will be competing with the noise of customers and coffee machines. Amplifying a dulcimer is similar to amplifying any acoustic instrument. You need to find the right gear and learn how to use it.
Other People Are Reading
Instructions
-
-
1
Decide how much money you want to spend. The cost of amplifying acoustic instruments ranges from relatively inexpensive to very expensive. You will need to invest in a microphone or pickup and you will also need a system to amplify it. This could be either a personal PA or an acoustic amplifier.
-
2
Compare the difference between microphones and pickups by going to an acoustic music store. Microphones sense the vibrations of the air around the instrument. Pickups work by directly sensing the vibrations in the instrument itself. The sound quality of microphones and pickups is different. The general consensus is that microphones sound better but they are more difficult to use. Decide which one is better for you and buy it.
-
-
3
Buy an acoustic amplifier or a personal PA. The microphone or pickup will turn the vibrations of the instrument into a signal. This signal is then sent to an amplifying system that turns it back into a musical sound but only louder. The amplifying system is as significant for the sound quality as the pickup or microphone. Unless you are playing gigs that provide sound systems, you will have to provide your own amplifying system.
-
4
Practice at home. Acoustic players can often find amplification uncomfortable to work with. You will need to learn how to control the equipment in order to get the sound that you desire. Once the sound is amplified, you will have to adjust the sound by using the tone controls on the amplifier or PA. Learning to play well using amplification is a skill that needs to be developed.
-
5
Go to the gig early. Amplification works better in some spaces than others. You will have to learn to tweak your sound according to the dynamics of the room. This comes with experience.
-
1
