[Harp-L] A kind word on the oft ignored Shure Sphere O Dyne 533



I notice Paul Hoffman has a 533 mic for sale. I don't know Paul, so don't
take this as a booster ad,  but it occured to me that the 533 just doesn't
get very much notice. It's kind of a "sleeper" in the harp mic world. I've
got three of them and I have to say they are really great mics.

First off, they're cheap. Paul is selling his for $100 with ship. If that
sounds like an expensive harp mic...you probably build your own.

Second, They're durable. Mid 1960's Shure build quality. Dynamic element
makes them, if nothing else, a great back up mic.

Third. Sound. (I wont say "tone" cause that's up to us.). I love these mics
for maintaining the iconographic electric Chicago blues sound while still
keeping note definition during really fast runs on the harp. They are stone
killers through my Sonny Junior amps (but mic what isn't?). It has a dynamic
element, which may be one of the reasons it isn't extremely popular, but the
knee-jerk reaction dynamic mics get by fans of the gritty, overdriven
Chicago sound usually associated with CMs, CRs, and Crystal elements, is not
justified here. The 533 does indeed have all the characteristics of a
dynamic mic such as clarity and definition, but where it really stands out
is that it also has a representable amount of gritty overdrive. More so than
the 545s, in my experience (hmmm, I wonder if Butterfield ever tried one?).
I'm not saying the 533s sound as good as black label CR bullets or CM
bullets, but it does have warmth, bottom and grit. These mics really shine
when plugged into amps with a really "brown" tone as they add warm clarity
to the amp's darker sound (in my case a white Tolex early 60's Gibson
Discoverer). I guess "clarity" as opposed to "sterility" sums it up.
They also have "punch". Plug one into a Kalamazoo and it sounds like the
intro to Lil Walter's "Mellow Down Easy" (I can't play like him, but for
that one brief moment...LOL). My Harp Commander 3 loves it too.

Lastly, they are vocal mics, so they work well when you want to sing through
the same mic you play through and still want more warmth than provided by a
SM58 or SM57. And they are good for micing amps. All these benefits are
among the reasons I carry one as a back up mic...it's a back-up for harp,
vocals, and amp micing).

Of course, all this is only my opinion. I've got about thrity mics of all
kinds including all the icons like CRs, CMs,  crystals (127s, 151s, R7s,
AIWA)  SM57s, SM58s, 545s, etc and that's not including those I've tried but
don't own. In any case I know enough to know a little (and enough to be
dangerous;-)).

Thus ends my ode to the Shure Sphere O Dyne mic. The sad little mic that
can.



On 1/27/09, paul hoffman <phoff45@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>
>
> shure sphere o dyne 533 for $100 shipped,  high impedance mic w/
> switchcraft adapter, excellant shape w/ box and tags. great harp mic!  also
> 5 turbolids, chrome, red, black, blue, white like new $30 shipped. lower 48.
>                                           thank's
>                                           paul h.
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