I believe the last resort we have before changing a didge is some (heavy) EQing. But if the sound is so far from what you want, then I would probably change didge in your place.

If it is not a problem, can you please send me a sample of that sound to my mail, I would like to hear it, to try something and learn from it.

Thank you.

Du

Thank you for your response.

The didge is an F made out of ash. I’ve noticed with ash didges they have a more biting or “gritty” sound than most. Aside from that, the trouble spot is in the drone in the frequency range of 125Hz to 500Hz. I get the sneaking suspicion that it’s the shape of the didge on the inside that is creating this trouble spot. If so, then there’s not much that can be done.

I have heard it played by many people and it seems to sound fine live but when recorded the low mids come shining through. It also has a fair amount of bass for a higher didgeridoo which also may be adding to the trouble. I do record off the floor. The mic I use is a large diaphragm condenser that could be responding to this range unfavorably. Other didges I record with it seem fine.

I’ll keep experimenting using mic placement as well as room treatments and keep an eye out for your next article.

Many thanks for your help.
Pam

I have thought and thought about your question. It is one of the best didge questions I ever got. Because it points to something esential and important in didge sound.
I dont have the ultimate answers, I am more in the set of answers which touch the question in some way.
1. To really hear what your didge sounds like, you have to go outside, in quiet, lift it from the ground, by more than little and let someone else play it to you. I never did this as a scientifical experiment. But notice that “sound of the didge” can be many various thing, depending on where you play and how you play.
2. I remember I had lot of problems with toots before I treated the room. They would always come out two times as loud then what I thought I played. Treating room is a great treat for your sound.
3.Lift the didge off the ground when you record (if you already haven’t) – more detail in next chapter of recording.
4. Sir Nixho (my soundman) advises mic placement game. More in the next chapter of…
5. I have looked at the C didge Stinkirum recording with schoeps (shich have flat freq response), and I did some freq analysis… I havent noticed any frequency too strong in the drone. In the whole song, i noticed second toot gets out the loudest, but that is not due to the toot loudness itself, but because of the way it was played. Some things regarding the instrument player can compensate, and some can’t. For example toot levels can be adjusted by the player. The humming or the hole in the drone can be much less compensated or not at all. That’s from my experience only, maybe with more skill you can do that also.
6. How do you experience low mid problems? As toot problem, or as humming, or… And can you be more specific what low mids that are. What is the note of your didge?

I hope this helped at least a little bit.

Du