In our Accessories 2024 supplement, the US multi-style cellist, singer and composer shares his go-to tech accessories

Mike Block - motion 2 - (c) Todd Rosenberg

Photo: Todd Rosenberg

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When playing a solo show, I use the Ear Trumpet Labs condenser microphone (eartrumpetlabs.com), in the Bass Edwina model, which has an incredibly natural sound. When playing in a band, I use a blended sound with around 80 per cent microphone (for sound quality) and 20 per cent pickup (for clarity in the low end) for the audience, and then only the pickup line in the monitors (to avoid feedback).

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The ToneDexter preamp, Realist Pickup and LR Baggs Venue DI box

My equipment is a DPA 4099 clip-on microphone (dpamicrophones.com) and the Realist Pickup (realistacoustic.com), going through a pre-amp with EQ; both the ToneDexter (audiosprockets.com) or LR Baggs Venue DI (lrbaggs.com) are great. I add a Rolls Mic Switch (rolls.com) on the microphone line that allows me to be in control of muting.

Subscribers to The Strad receive the 2024 Accessories supplement free with their copy of the June 2024 issue

Best of Technique

In The Best of Technique you’ll discover the top playing tips of the world’s leading string players and teachers. It’s packed full of exercises for students, plus examples from the standard repertoire to show you how to integrate the technique into your playing.

Masterclass

The Strad’s Masterclass series brings together the finest string players with some of the greatest string works ever written. Always one of our most popular sections, Masterclass has been an invaluable aid to aspiring soloists, chamber musicians and string teachers since the 1990s.

Calendars

American collector David L. Fulton amassed one of the 20th century’s finest collections of stringed instruments. This year’s calendar pays tribute to some of these priceless treasures, including Yehudi Menuhin’s celebrated ‘Lord Wilton’ Guarneri, the Carlo Bergonzi once played by Fritz Kreisler, and four instruments by Antonio Stradivari.