tookatooka
633 posts
Oct 14, 2009
7:06 AM
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Been playing around with my harp, mic and amp and have concluded that at the moment I don't like playing with a mic. It may be that it is still new to me and I haven't worked out the subtleties yet but I do find the mic a hindrance.
I have the problem of noise created by my hands moving when touching the mic and also when I exhale through my nose, the mic picks it up. (Probably not cupped correctly).
As an accoustic player since I started, I'm finding that there are so many nuances of sound created by hand and cupping techniques which I can no longer achieve with the mic taking up so much space in my hands and I feel it doesn't allow me to play as I'd like.
The best sound I can get is by playing normally with the mic very close by but it needs to be very close otherwise the sound doesn't get picked up very well. I don't have a mic stand so will have to experiment with my set-up.
One thing I have found is that my vibrato is greatly improved with the mic and doesn't seem to be as hard to do than when playing accoustically.
Any advice or tips would be gratefully received. Thanks.
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Preston
524 posts
Oct 14, 2009
7:19 AM
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I think it is something that you get used to, and I also think you need to try out different mics. If I was spending money on equipment right now (instead of getting ready for Christmas) I would run out and buy a dynamic wand type mic instead of the old bullet I have. I have borrowed a sm57 and like it much better than my bullet.
I agree that you loose some of the hand effects, but you can also gain some. Try playing with a tight cup and then see what happens when you loosen up.
On an ending note and personal level I would like to say that (everybody stand back) I do not like the sound of an unamplified harp.
I know that sounds crazy as much as I love the instrument, but I only have a taste for the dirty distortion Chicago blues harp.
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Greg Heumann
148 posts
Oct 14, 2009
8:07 AM
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Playing with a mic is like having a brand new instrument in your hands. It is indeed very different than playing acoustically and offers a wide range of expressive options that aren't available to you when playing acoustically. But it DOES take practice. A lot of practice.
It takes a while to develop a proper cup on a bullet mic and hear what that does for you. And if you walk up to a standard SM58 set up for vocals, grab it around the ball and blow through it, the unaccustomed player is going to make people's ears bleed. But you can get great sound through either. It takes practice. A lot of practice.
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/Greg
http://www.BlowsMeAway.com
http://www.BlueStateBand.net
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tookatooka
634 posts
Oct 14, 2009
8:21 AM
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@Preston@ Know what you mean about not liking accoustic harp. I haven't used my amp long enough yet to realise its full potential. I am a fan of accoustic but may come round to your way of thinking eventually.
@Greg@ I was hoping nobody would say "It takes practice. A lot of practice". I've allowed five years to learn the harp, then I'll need another five years to perfect playing with a mic. By the time I'm any good, I'll be brown bread. Damn! Screwed again.
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wheezer
116 posts
Oct 14, 2009
10:09 AM
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Preston, I have to say I'm with you on amplified harp.
That dirty tube sound is what gets me going.
I can admire someone's accoustic technique but the sound doesn't get me riled up to play. Same goes for jazz on a diatonic or chromatic, I can appreciate the skill involved from a good player but I don't want to join in.
On the other hand something like Boogie Walk with Studebaker John makes me reach for a harp.
There again I could have the musical taste of a
Neanderthal but I like what I like.
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Aussiesucker
395 posts
Oct 14, 2009
4:00 PM
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I also have just ventured into the world of amplification albeit with a buskers amp, delay pedal, Shure PG58 mic. I experienced exactly what you get Tooka ie hand noise, breathing noise, when cupping the mic.
My mic came with a clamp fitting so I made up a stand from pieces of old alloy adjustable tent poles which I had left over from my camping days. Still camp but these days in the comfort of a caravan. Now have no problems using the mic ca 5 -7 cm away. Still a lot of experimenting to do to get it up to speed but its a quantum leap in improvement.
I still prefer the sound accoustically but there are times when a mic has to be used and practice can only improve ones technique.
My wants are a bit different ie I was preferring a more clean sound for some of the stuff I like to play.
Its funny to experience some of the quirks ie I have noticed with no change in technique and using the same key of harp that different harps create different sounds. My Harpmaster in A sounded vastly different to a Promaster in A ie when mic'd amp'd and recorded. The Promaster had a tinny ring & the Harpmaster a more mellow sound. I think the Promaster accoustically has possibly a brighter & louder sound so it could probably be fixed by turning down the volume a tad?
Wheezer don't think you are the only one with a Neanderthal taste in music.
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BillBailey
22 posts
Oct 15, 2009
4:59 AM
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I sympathize.
Seems putting the mic on a stand helped me (dang, that assumes I can be helped!).
It ain't perfect and perhaps just a lazy man's way out of proper cupping and other fancy techniques. But it reduced hand and breathing noises for me. I'm a hack, but still got decent "dirty" sound and all that. Maybe it's a bridge as you (or should I say, "we") develop proper microphone-holding skills. I also got used to backing off the mic, sneaking up on the mic and articulating notes in new ways. I don't know, I kinda like, but I'm not a purist---either are most listeners.
Perfect sound is illusive and subjective. There's something for everyone, I guess.
A more expensive solution is to bring a bag of money and buy lots of rounds for the crowd. Hey, why practice when you can bribe the crowd with free booze.
Have fun. It is about fun, sometimes I think folks on the forum forget that. If you have fun most of the time the audience will too.
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Preston
526 posts
Oct 15, 2009
5:05 AM
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Well said Bill. I started playing harp because (1) I loved the sound of it, and (2)I thought it looked like alot of fun to just make music with something.
Lord knows I get so caught up in trying to perfect tone, technique, etc, etc. that I lose sight of the fun of makeing music.
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harpcrab
23 posts
Oct 15, 2009
5:49 AM
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I agree, my mic feels big, heavy and clunky in my hands- I feel like it slows me down a lot and I'm paying more attention trying not to drop the thing than I am playing (old Astatic 10-DA).
Which brings up another mic I've seen ads for- anyone tried the "Suzuki Harmonica Microphone"?. Its very small and comes with a finger ring to hold it inside your cupped hand. Seems like it would prevent much of the "clunkiness" (is that a word?). I'd like to hear your opinions if you have used one- I'm considering it.
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jaymcc28
169 posts
Oct 15, 2009
10:20 AM
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OK, I have a question regarding amplification that I think "fits" in this thread. I want to play amplified sometime and acoustic but in to a microphone other times. I have an "i-mic" that I made that I can hold in my hand but it wouldn't really fit on a mic stand. I have a couple cheap vocal mics though that fit on stands. Would it make sense to just play in to the vocal mics when I want to play acoustic/amped? Now, I don't go on stage, this is just on the 'back porch' with my wife and friends when we are screwing around.
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tookatooka
639 posts
Oct 15, 2009
1:41 PM
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Wish I had a back porch. Guess that's where we Brits are getting it wrong.
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eharp
327 posts
Oct 15, 2009
2:38 PM
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go to harpgear.com for a quick tutorial.
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