mr_so&so
231 posts
Nov 06, 2009
11:42 AM
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Many of us here have gotten into amplified playing with an inexpensive solid-state amp, such as a Roland Cube, Vox DA-5, or Pignose. My first mic was Bottle-o-blues, which seems OK with my DA-5, but now I'm thinking about getting another mic. My reading on the topic tells me that most mic sellers and buyers are thinking about that Chicago sound, as achieved by overdriving a small tube amp with a high output ("hot") mic element.
But what is best kind of mic to use with a solid-state amp, where I can add various colorings to the sound through the built-in amp models and effects? Should I be using a "clean" mic, or is it still a good thing to use a "dirty" mic to supply the input signal? I still want that Chicago sound...
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isaacullah
446 posts
Nov 06, 2009
3:15 PM
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I use various low-z mics with my solid state amps. I like the Shure PE50 I have, and the DIY mic I made from an Audio Technica ATR30. A Shure sm58/sm57 would do ya too. They all take effects really well.
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The magnificent YouTube channel of the internet user known as "isaacullah"
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congaron
236 posts
Nov 06, 2009
3:41 PM
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Samson r21..cheap, low z all purpose mic that works out great for harp. It's what I gig with now...even wireless. I use a solid state effect pedal and a tube amp into two 12 inch jensens. Every sound i want is in there. It sounds good direct into the PA from the pedal too...solid state all the way. I prefer tubes, but I think a medium level vocal mic like this will serve you well either way.
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MrVerylongusername
613 posts
Nov 07, 2009
1:21 AM
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Hi-z / Low-z is about the voltage transfer from the mic to the amp. It doesn't really matter whether it's a tube amp or solid state, what matters is what the amp is designed for. If it is a guitar amp, it will have a hi-z input, therefore you still need a transformer or a hi-z mic to get the best sound (I'm talking about tone not drive/distortion). Same if you are using pedals, it is the first item in the FX chain that the mic needs to load into.
It is about the first thing in your signal chain after the mic. Whatever follows is not normally an issue. Pedals are generally designed to chain together without significant signal loss, but, like guitar amps they are not generally designed to accept a low-z mic signal.
Last Edited by on Nov 07, 2009 1:22 AM
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LIP RIPPER
134 posts
Nov 07, 2009
3:47 AM
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I don't hear many talking about the Shaker mic's. www.shakermicrophones.net I think it is. I have a Maddog that I was playing through just last night. I'll have to admit that my go to has always been my bullet but I stayed with the shaker last night and it's a real fine mic so check out their stuff.
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tookatooka
747 posts
Nov 07, 2009
4:08 AM
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Yo mr_so&so, I have the Roland MicroCube and didn't have a mic. I bought a really cheapo karaoke mic from a local £1 store and it works just great. It is 600ohm impedance and has a dynamic mic insert which is ideal for experimenting with if you are into fiddling.
There's a couple of threads here. The first is where you can hear my mic
http://www.modernbluesharmonica.com/board/board_topic/5560960/501900.htm
The second is thread of i-mic discussion where I have put an image of the mic I bought and modified.
http://www.modernbluesharmonica.com/board/board_topic/5560960/500529.htm
Personally I can't see the point of paying a fortune for a mic to get a degraded sound when you can pay just a little for a mic with the degraded sound already built in;)
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Last Edited by on Nov 07, 2009 4:24 AM
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rbeetsme
7 posts
Nov 07, 2009
5:40 AM
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I use the same mics I use with my harp tube amps, shure and astatic bullets.
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congaron
237 posts
Nov 07, 2009
6:53 AM
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Low Z mics simply need an inline impedance transformer. I got mine at radio shack. There are plenty of others who make them too. works like a champ. Without it the tone can be a little thin, but it may even be a tone you like..it's subjective. My valve junior will accept the low z mic with the thin tone and pretty decent volume. I just don't care for the thin (trebly, lacking bass) tone.
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barbequebob
57 posts
Nov 07, 2009
9:32 AM
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One thing you need to remember is the way the tone controls work on a solid state amp and they work far differently than it does on a Fender tube amp (other than the 4-10 tan Concert, 2-10 Super of the same era, and the Vibroverb). Solid state amps, like PA's have tone controls that are called active, and any side of 1/2 way you are boosting or cutting for real, wheras when you use and amp with what's called passive tone controls (Fender amps, early Marshall amps) have a soound that's already preshaped from the factory and all the tone controls actually do is cut and don't boost a damned thing at all, and so you have to set the tone controls often quite differently.
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Sincerely,
Barbeque Bob Maglinte
Boston, MA
http://www.barbequebob.com
CD available at http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/bbmaglinte
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mr_so&so
233 posts
Nov 09, 2009
11:00 AM
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Thanks everyone. But now I'm a bit more confused. My amp has a 1/4 inch guitar cord jack, which is usually used by a high Z mic. Why would I want to use a Low Z mic with it, and have to add an impedance transformer? I know that I can just use any high Z mic, but is there any disadvantage to using one that is designed to overdrive a tube amp?
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congaron
242 posts
Nov 09, 2009
11:20 AM
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I use my low z mic because of the proximity effect it has and better bass response. i also sing into it during some harp solos. It overdrives the amp just fine because of the transformer. Tone is really in you as a player, to a large degree and a low z mic gives you a wide variety of usable tone options.
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mr_so&so
235 posts
Nov 16, 2009
9:33 AM
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This past weekend tried out a small lapel (a.k.a. lavalier) microphone that I found in a drawer at home. This is one of those tiny things that clips to your lapel, for doing speeches, etc. It has a small watch battery in it and an on/off switch.
Anyway, I plugged this into my solid-state amp, and it sounded great. I just held it between my pinkie and ring fingers and could cup just like I do acoustically.
I had no problem with feedback at all, even when standing in front of the amp. Hand wahs worked great. Messing around with the various amp models showed that the "clean" sound was indeed very clean, just amplified. And the "blues" models sounded great. Interestingly, when I plugged it into the "microphone" channel of the amp, I did have some feedback issues, but not when it was plugged in to the "input" channel. I'll record something when I get a moment, so you guys can hear it.
I did some Googling and only found a few references to use of this type of mic with harp. Some chromatic players use one of these on their lapel, i.e. not cupped or even near the back of the harp. Not much mention of their use by diatonic players, although there are some such things sold as harp mics, e.g. the Shaker Madcat. You'd think that because of the ease of cupping it would be something to consider. I suspect that the dominant use of tube amps by harp players is the reason that they are not popular. But if you have a solid-state amp, you should give one of these a try.
Anyone else here played around with one of these mics?
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congaron
257 posts
Nov 16, 2009
9:37 AM
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I have one I made from cell phone mic element and a 9 volt battery..same idea. I made a custom ring for my finger out of 12 ga copper house neutral wire(romex). They do sound great. If I were not playing congas and trumpet I would use mine at a gig, but i am also wireless and I just hang my samson cutdown mic in a holder on my belt. My wireless pack will also run the one I made without the 9 volt battery.
I'm glad you tried it, they do sound good and give you hand wah control and flutter effects you might find harder to do with other mics. Electret microphones is what they are technically called. Google that and find the epanorama site for schematics to make yopur own. They can be phantom powered with the right circuitry. I have experimented with them for years and use them to mic everything from mandolins, to congas, to harp, to vocals, to acoustic guitars.
I have a headset mic I built for $12 that easily rivals the countryman used at our church in every way except size. My element is 1/4 inch diameter (dollar tree cell phone mics)..the countryman is tiny.
This headset will pickup vocal and whatever acoustic instrument you are playing for a one man gig into the pa or keyboard amp...etc.
If you like to tinker..I recommend electret mics.
Last Edited by on Nov 16, 2009 9:44 AM
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