DRUMMER CAFE

Any mic that works well on the Snare drum or Toms will work on the Congas ... starting with SM57 all the way up to nice condenser mics like the AKG 414. A mic with a cardiod pattern is best, allowing you to individually mic each drum. You can use one mic between drums if you don't have the ability to mic each drum individually. Place the mics close enough to isolate the drum, but no so close that it will be in the way of your playing. Congas are unique in that we don't just play in the center of the drum, which is more common with drummers playing a Snare or Tom Tom.

Mic the Congas from the top, unless you are wanting some sort of special effect by placing a mic underneath. You're not going to get all the nuance strokes and articulate slaps if you mic any other way that from the top. The angle to start with could be the 45 degree angle approach, just like on Toms or Snares.

When placing more than one mic on a Conga set-up, be sure to follow the 3:1 ratio ... that is whatever the distance is from the mic to the conga, all other mics should be at least three times further away. Altering the angle and direction of the mic will help you if you can't follow the 3:1 rule.

LP Mic Claws ... I own them and have used them for years. The are very convenient, however, mics such as the SM57 seem to eventually slide off the clip during performances because of the vibration. I've had this happen to me in live recordings which is NOT good! I believe there is more vibration and impact from the Conga than a Tom or Snare drum ... simply because you are using your entire hand. The solution, if you want to use the Mic Claw, is to use a mic with a really good clip. The design of the SM57 and its clip is simply not made to be pointed upside down and remain intact. Duct tape could be used, but that would be messy.

The 3:1 ratio (aka "three to one rule") is just a way to prevent interference between what two microphones are picking up. If two microphones are used and they are intended to pick up two sound sources, they must be placed at least three times the distance that either microphone is from it’s intended sound source.

Rather than reinventing the wheel, I did a little searching and found a nice explanation of the 3:1 rule, complete with diagrams.
 

thanks....all good tips....who's got some more recommendations for conga mics? which models work well? dont want to break the bank, but need to be heard above the plugged-in guitars and basses!

Yeah, I'll second the Audix D's. Affordable, and perfect, if you're micing from Booms. Still prefer the Sennheisers if you're clipping-on to prevent blead through because the rest of the band makes too much noise.
I played a nice acoustic gig with just two D2s and it was the best most authentic sound I've ever heard from my congas.

Dave

I had this discussion before http://www.drummercafe.com/component/option,com_smf/Itemid,2/topic,13152.0

I finally went with the Audix D2 on congas and a D1 on bongo's. I use the LP Claw to hold them. I clamp them to the tuning lug which I think hold better then the rim. They sound great and stay put with all the vibration. I bought all of them on EBay, but watch the price's, sometimes you can get a better deal on sale somewhere else.

Certainly may be a nice mic for you ... but by no means the "best" ... which is a relative term. Not to be picky with this, but I really dislike placing a label like "best" on something without more qualifications and criterias. Perhaps for the money or price range, in conjuction with the sound quality (broad frequency range), you feel this is the "best" mic for congas. I can think of numerous mics that are far better ... like AKG 414 ... which is a large diaphragm condensor mic ... but it also costs 5 times more than your Shure Beta 98 ... and the occupy a lot more space.

I did give criteria ... sorry if you don't understand what that is.

Large Diaphragm ... going to be better than a small diaphragm at picking up low-end.
Frequency Spectrum is better on a AKG 414 than on the Beta 98. Pretty foolish to argue about that really.

To me, saying that something is better and giving some reasons why is very different that saying that something is "best". Just read the mic specs and most of this is pretty obvious.

bongo ... the ONLY thing I was trying to address was the whole "best" label. And I'm not suggesting that the AKG 414 is the "best" either. My point is that the term is relative and subjective. I think you knew what I meant when I was trying to bring correction and clarity. No need to try and make this any more than what it is. 

I only picked the AKG 414 as one example, because I own a pair of them. I would never take them out for a live gig; it would be complete overkill ... not to mention a huge risk.

You all are missing my point, which is that there is no one "best" mic for congas, but that's fine ... I'll let it go.

Well ... I do think that when it comes to live music, often times the expensive mics are wasted because you just can't hear the quality differences in that type of environment. That's subjective too because it depends on the sound system and the venue. When I purchase mics, I always try to go for studio quality as much as possible ... but I also don't want to take my nice, expensive mics out in the sun or smoke-filled bars. You have to compromise, in my opinion, between cost, durability and quality.

Back to the original mention of the Beta 98 ... for the money, and for live work, I'm sure that these mics do a fantastic job for a vast majority of individuals. I've actually used these mics myself, but I don't own them. I've done the small diaphragm thing and already have other mics I can use that work for me. Most of the live work I do is being recorded ... as in live albums ... so the mic choices are a bit different. I'm sure that the Beta 98 would work well in a live recording environment too ... but I just wouldn't choose them for that. The whole 'large diaphragm mics accepting too much bleed from other instruments' isn't really a problem that I've run into. Perhaps if I was on a very small stage in a small club that would be a potential problem ... but everything I'm doing is where the musicians are spread out rather nicely.

I get great sound with a single SM57 placed between the congas.  Quick, easy, inexpensive, and great sound.