Re: [Harp-L] Stick mic of choice...

[Richard Hunter <turtlehill@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

"Rick & Dana Siekmann" wrote:
Just wondering if there's any kind of concensus here.  Most of the harp
mic talk seems to focus on bullet styles, with a
preference toward vintage.  But is there any one stick mic that stands
out head and shoulders above the rest?  SM57, perhaps?
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You might want to take a look at the Pro Pages at my site to see what
"stick" -- I suppose you mean vocal? -- mics are used by various pros:
http://hunterharp.com/propage1.html

A couple of the pros I interviewed use the Shure SM57 or SM58. Toots
Thielemans once said that he likes the SM57 because every studio in the
world has one, so he knows he'll be able to get the same sound anywhere
he goes.  Lee Oskar uses a Beyerdynamic double ribbon.  I don't recall
whether any pros on my page mentioned the Electrovoice EV-10, but that's
recently surfaced as a popular mic for many pro harp players.

In short, there lots of different mics that work well for harp, and
while various models have unique and perfectly usable sounds, no one mic
can be said to be head and shoulders above the rest, precisely because
there are subtle or obvious differences in sound between various models,
and no one sound is "best."  

I recommend that anyone looking for a vocal mic for harp decide on a
budget, pick up his or her amp, and carry it to the nearest full-service
music shop, where he or she can try every mic in that price range.  The
one you like best IS the best -- for your sound.  

Regards, Richard Hunter
hunterharp.com