Re: [Harp-L] Amplifying the acoustic sound Live: Mic choice

[Ken Deifik <kenneth.d@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

> I am about to go into the studio and lay down some harp work over a track 
> and it is only my second recording. I will be working with professional 
> engineers, but wanted input from players here who have recorded

The first thing I'd say is to let the engineer select the mic.  It's a 
courtesy.  He's the expert, you're not. If you like the sound on playback, 
great.  Find out what mic he used and write it down.

Very importantly, if you don't like the sound, now's the time to speak 
up.  Politely and cheerfully.

It's important that you make a list of the mics that people tell you to use 
here, but to NOT instantly hand it over to the engineer.  Learn by 
listening, first.  If the engineer asks if you have any preferences, by all 
means, tell him about the suggestions you've gotten from other harp 
players.  I didn't used to get this question very often, but now I get it 
alot, on account of I have lots of gray and white hair, which gives a false 
impression of wisdom.

If you do pull the list of mics out of your pocket, make sure the engineer 
knows that this is a list of suggestions from other harp players.  If you 
act like you like a certain mic from long experience that you don't have, 
you may hear the sound it gives and hate it.  Then there's an awkward bit 
where you have to choose whether to say you suddenly don't like the sound 
of that mic, or just clam up and accept the sound you don't like, and 
neither is a very good choice.

Though I like the sound of the Neumann U-87 and the RCA 77, among others, I 
do not give an opinion up front unless I am asked.  But when I hear the 
playback, if the sound is wrong, I say so, very politely, to the guys at 
the board.

A couple of weeks ago I laid down a guitar part at a studio I had never 
been to before.  Went in for a listen and it didn't sound very good at 
all.  The engineer tweaked a few knobs and it began to sound pretty 
good.  I was going back in for another session the next day and I decided 
to ask for a second, different mic and a direct box.

I came in the next day for a second session and the engineer had had 
exactly the same idea, and he had already set me up with two mics and a 
direct box.  I didn't ask him why, but when I thought about it later I 
realized that he now knew something about how I sounded, and he now wanted 
options in the mixdown.

This is a bit of a touchy point, but harp is sometimes an afterthought on 
the part of the producer.  He just wants to get it done and get you out of 
there, and sometimes you won't even know it.  (Don't ever presume this is 
so.  If they want to get some token harp sound, you'll know soon 
enough.)  So if you hear the playback, and it doesn't sound the way you'd 
want it to, speak up, but don't be insistent.  If the producer is 
satisfied, that's the game, babes.  Pack up and take your check.

Sometimes when you speak up even an impatient producer will cut you more 
time.  He may be relying on your ears.  But it's his decision.

Even touchier: some or many engineers have no idea how to record harp and 
do not worry about this fact in the least.  Some engineers are known for 
their guitar sound, or their drum sound or their overall sound, but no 
engineer gets business because he's famous for his harp sound.  If, when 
you hear the play back, you don't like it, an engineer may tweak what he's 
already recorded, like at my guitar session a few weeks ago.  If that still 
doesn't do the job for your ears, you should now suggest that he try a few 
of the mics that will be suggested in this thread, as you may be the only 
one in the room who really cares.

If this is the case, where you don't like the sound and nobody else cares, 
speak up, explain what you don't like about the sound, (muffled, tubby, 
brittle, etc.).  If it's a good day the engineer will be glad you said 
something.  This is when the harp-l mic suggestions will come in handy.