Zhin
111 posts
Feb 10, 2009
6:32 PM
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For those who are interested I recently played at a private gig that turned out to be much bigger than I had ever imagined.
It's all in HD, so please enjoy. :)
http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=6EAB4225A3BC55C2
Please tell me what you think!
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oldwailer
496 posts
Feb 10, 2009
7:49 PM
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Hey Zhin! Very nice job on all three of these clips! I especially enjoyed the last one--with the Magic Dick note--but the warbles on Hootchie Cootchie were really cool!
I'm wishing you and your band all the best!
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tookatooka
116 posts
Feb 11, 2009
6:40 AM
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Encore! More! More! Nice one Zhin. You must be very proud.
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When I'm not blowing, I'm drawing.
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Zhin
112 posts
Feb 11, 2009
4:11 PM
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oldwailer, you're a good friend. :)
tookatooka, thanks but I don't think "proud" is the word... I do feel a little satisfaction temporarily. And then it's gonna wear out. ;)
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Scoltx
29 posts
Feb 11, 2009
4:22 PM
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What's your mic/ amp combo, is that a Marshall you're playing through? Sounds good whatever it is. Nice and crunchy but not overly distorted.
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Zhin
113 posts
Feb 11, 2009
4:52 PM
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Shure Beta 57a > in-line impedance transformer > digitech digidelay > Epiphone Valve Special (dsp removed, hardwire bypass, speaker and tubes swapped)
The amp is then mic'ed with my SM57 pretty close to the center of the speaker but angled off side...
Putting the amp on a chair really helps too. Any stage that's hollow will absorb a lot of yummy frequencies from the amp!
"Nice and crunchy but not overly distorted."
Thank you. That's what I'm aiming for. :)
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Zhin
114 posts
Feb 14, 2009
3:48 PM
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Thank you Miles.
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Tryharp
88 posts
Feb 15, 2009
8:10 PM
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Hey Zhin,
Well done on your gigging progress, it must be pretty exciting for you, I hope to get there someday also.
There is a Beta 57a for sale on ebay I'm sort of interested in, how would you rate this mic. I see youve also got a SM57 for comparison, and what made you decide to go for the Beta 57a for harp?
Thanks
Tryharp
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Zhin
116 posts
Feb 16, 2009
3:10 AM
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Hey Tryharp, thanks!
And it's a good thing you asked!
The Beta 57a and other models from Beta series are typically not the best choice for amplified cupped playing.
This is because they are generally hot/bright/sibilant/harsh sounding. They will also feedback a lot easier.
The reason why I used one was because of the kind of amp I was using. It's a guitar amp that makes the harp tone sound muddy on my other mic.. the SM57... So for that particular amp it sounds fantastic. But in my Harpgear Rock Bottom amp and a few other guitar amps I've tried, the Beta 57a isn't the most flexible. In fact it sounded way way too harsh.
Basically she's a real picky one. And she's more expensive too!
I've mentioned that I upgraded to a Harpgear Rock Bottom about a few days ago after the gig.... with that amp I found that the Beta 57a didn't sound as good compared to the SM57. So now I'm back on playing with an SM57. By the way, Brian Purdy the owner of Harpgear is awesome because his amps are really THAT good. I'm very pleased and still excited about my purchase. If I didn't like it I would've sent it back and demanded for a refund. ;p
The reason why the SM57 is so popular and always the mic people go back to is simply because it hardly ever fails for most people... It's very feedback resistant, and the overdrive you get with it never gets too harsh compared to most wand type mics. This makes it a very flexible mic in terms of matching it with amplifiers.
There are also other things about the SM57 which make it so suitable for amplified harp but I'm tired and this post has gotten way too long.
Let me just end with an opinion... I think you should consider looking into the popular recommendations such as the SM57, EV10 (vintage), 545 (Butterfield's mic), and SM58.... these mics are the kind of choices you want to look for if you want to get a wand mic with a nice distortion. Be open to trying other mics too if they come along your way.
Do some research and see what suits you. :)
Another reason why I bought it is because I needed a spare mic just in case... a vocal/acoustic mic as well... or for mic'ing up the amp into a PA when I needed more volume.
By the way, I believe it's important to test a mic before you buy it unless you really know how to do your research. It's worth the extra money because then you KNOW what you're getting. Plus, you could use the store warranty/repair services anyways because you're gonna be blowing some harp into it which means you have to consider the fact that the mic might get damaged along the way. It's always good to have an accessible location to get repairs (or warranty and shipping crap with all the technical mambo jumbo) done instead of sending it by mail and crap by yourself.
Hope this helps. Please let me know how it goes.
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My Videos
Last Edited by on Feb 16, 2009 3:20 AM
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Tryharp
90 posts
Feb 16, 2009
6:45 PM
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Zhin,
Thanks for your opinion on this, its very helpful.
I've got got a big B'day coming up this year, and thinking about putting in an order for a harpgear, so you advice is pretty relevant for me.
So you sound pretty impressed with the Harpgear compared to the Epi.
Tyrharp
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Zhin
118 posts
Feb 16, 2009
8:26 PM
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Hey Tryharp. I'm actually going to make a simple youtube video comparing the HG RB and EVS amps I own (some friends asked me to).
I will also be showing the difference between the SM57 and Beta 57a as part of the process which should be useful for you I hope. :)
The Harpgear Rock Bottom is incredible. I am totally satisfied and have no buyers remorse at all. It's worth every dollar spent.
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My Videos
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Tryharp
91 posts
Feb 16, 2009
8:28 PM
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Sounds good, I'll be looking forward to it.
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