pritchharp
Guest
Oct 12, 2008
12:02 AM
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Hi guys, I'm looking for some advice around a Hohner Blues Blaster I've just bought off eBay. I took it down to my local music shop to try out some guitar amps and found that I had to turn up each amp to at least 3/4 volume before I could begin to hear the harp through the amp. I think it's an impedance problem as the mic is high impedance and the 1/4 inch input on the guitar amps are low impedance (I think). Does anyone have any experience of this problem? I think that maybe I have the wrong cable (a standard low impedance cable) or perhaps need an impedance converter. Any help would be much appreciated!
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Zhin
54 posts
Oct 12, 2008
1:38 AM
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You need a specific cable wired for high impedance mics like the one for the Shure 545 I believe.
It's not that hard actually. Here's a link that has all the info (and more) you need that you can hand over to someone who is handy with a soldering iron.
http://www.harpmicgaskets.com/tricks.htm
Now, I don't mean to discourage you at all and I think you may not like to hear this but it's really an indisputable FACT. The info about what I'm about to reveal is available EVERYWHERE. It's an open secret to most...
I hope you didn't buy the reissue (made between now and 5 years ago) BB mic like how I did because those use a cheap 3-5 USD Kobitone crystal element that has ABSOLUTELY NO BASS END. Basically you paid for the housing/shell and that's it.
If you did, do yourself a favor and look around, buy an affordable element (they don't go for more than 20$) which you can replace that Kobitone element with. Even better, send it to your local or nearest harp mic tech.
Myself I said "fuggit" and decided to just use modern dynamic wand mics (for now). Less trouble, less hassle, less maintenence, more durable, and less heart ache.
All the best!
Last Edited by on Oct 12, 2008 1:41 AM
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MrVerylongusername
8 posts
Oct 12, 2008
3:43 AM
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The BluesBlaster, is high impedance, but the XLR output is wired differently to a low impedance mic's XLR. Because it is unbalanced the BB only carries the output signal on one of the three pins (pin 3). In a balanced mic, the signal is carried on 2 pins, but on one, the phase of the signal is inverted.
A generic XLR to 1/4" jack mic cables will be wired with pin 2 connected to the tip of the jack and the earth braid connected to pin 1 of the XLR and the sleeve of the jack.
Hohner supply a correctly wired cable for the BluesBlaster, but it's easy to convert a generic cable.
As Zhin mentioned, you could, if you felt confident, open up the XLR end, desolder the wire connected to pin 2 and resolder it to pin 3.(The wiring diagram on Zhin's link is very clear)
It's not really an impedance issue - if anything, a guitar amp input is a better match to a Hi-Z mic than a mixing desk.
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Shaggzilla
3 posts
Oct 12, 2008
5:42 AM
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Hey! I had a Hohner BB. I had the one with the old Mc-151 element in it and it was sweet. Eventually I noticed that I lost my volume and then lost it all. I re-wired everything and nothing worked.
I then went to ebay and bought a Shure 99A86 controlled magnetic element to put in it. I went to www.harpmicgaskets.com and bought a gasket and a soundcraft 1/4" guitar cable input. I now have an amazing mic.
If you can't chase down the ghost you can always use the shell you have and build yourself a sweet mic. It's not hard.
Keep us posted on what you find. the advice above is a good place to start.
Shagg
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MrVerylongusername
9 posts
Oct 12, 2008
6:05 AM
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Good point Shaggzilla... I hadn't considered it might be the older BB.
Crystals elements are very fragile. Drop the mic, or keep it somewhere hot or humid and the little rochelle salt crystal which powers the mic could have turned to dust. Shake the mic - if it has a faint rattle, chances are your element has gone. A new, old stock MC151 element, if you can even find one, will be well over $150 now.
Last Edited by on Oct 12, 2008 6:06 AM
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pritchharp
Guest
Oct 12, 2008
8:35 AM
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Thanks guys! I've been searching the web for this info. without success. I bought the BB 'cos I've never owned a bullet mic and it was going cheap. My usual mic is a Shure SM57 which I normally plug into a PA via digital delay and reverb pedals. I've been pretty happy with this setup but having been looking into buying myself a decent tube amp. I took the BB with me to try out a few and was surprised when it didn't perform. Looks like I need to get more technical about my gear!
Is there an easy way of telling whether I have the re-issue BB or the original?
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MrVerylongusername
10 posts
Oct 12, 2008
10:05 AM
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This is what an original Astatic MC 151 element looks like (original BB):
http://www.greenbulletmics.com/images/90_smc151back_jpg1.jpg
I can't find a picture of the reissue element, but as I recall, it looks like a little white plastic box.
Open it up and take a look.
On a note about the tone of the reissue model, I also found this note posted on http://www.harmonicamasterclass.com/vintage_collection.htm (great resource for harp mic info. as are www.JT30.com and www.greenbulletmics.com)
Note from reader Keith Adams, "This is concerning the new type Blues Blasters and their supposedly terrible tone. I was wondering if you might pass on to your readers that if they move the element back away from the grille just a little, they'll get all the tone that the BB of old had. It seems to me that harp players with their infatuation with collecting mics and getting their tone would
understand the proximity affect and would automatically experiment with the
element placement. One caution. If you move it too far back the mic becomes
boomy." Thanks Keith!
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Zhin
55 posts
Oct 12, 2008
7:46 PM
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username,
Hey that is some very cool info. I'm gonna try that and tell you you guys how it turns out.
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Zhin
56 posts
Oct 12, 2008
10:47 PM
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Ok after figuring out a way to use the same gasket that came with the BB and fitting it a little bit more further back into the shell without any modifications...
My first impression... WOW. It does sound a lot warmer and better. I can't believe I totally forgot about the proximity effect of the actual element inside the BB. I mean, I've always been aware of this for my SM57 mic...
Anyways there's still something missing in the sound to my ears though. There's a lack of a certain amount of detail and grit in the bass end even when my amp has the EQ all set to 12' O clock. I've tried it with my amp modeler as well and I still the same sound.
I'm gonna experiment a little bit more. One thing I noticed that's really good though is that all the wah's and tremelo and movements are now even more obvious and apparent. The other thing is that the mic is slightly less prone to feedback than before.
But as I've mentioned before, I still hear a lack of sound textures. It sounds smooth though and definately WARM.
Well now... this mic ain't so bad after all for the beginner on the budget. Though if you can buy a bullet mic with a better element that costs less than the reissue BB, I'd still urge you to go with that.
At least those of us who have the reissue without means to get a replacement element can come to a compromise to make it work.
Thank you so much for the info MrVeryLongusername.
I think for now I'd still rather play with my SM57 than use the BB though. I'll post something up if I discover something new though!
Last Edited by on Oct 12, 2008 11:53 PM
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Zhin
57 posts
Oct 12, 2008
11:13 PM
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After further testing and getting some opinions from my friends, we all feel that that the BB reissue does sound better than it did before... BUT it just doesn't have real bass detail. Yes it's bassier now, yes it's warmer, but still loses in every way compared to my SM57 plugged through a mic preamp.
You know how cheap 2.1 desktop speakers lack bass details and it compensates with a fake boomy kinda bass? Well, it's kinda like that with the BB compared to the SM57.
The SM57 actually has that grit in the bass department that the BB lacks.
My point is, make the best with what you got if you already only own a reissued Blues Blaster but PLEASE, DON'T BUY IT IF YOU HAVEN'T. There are so many other choices for mics that cost the same or less!
Just my 2 cents.
Last Edited by on Oct 12, 2008 11:54 PM
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