Re: A few questions

[jterrasi@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx (Joe Terrasi)]

Philip Morgan <PHMORGAN@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> writes:
> Is this sound a result of the harmonica, the microphone, or an
> amplifier?

Yes.  It is a result of all of those things plus many others.  The sound is
also affected by:

  the way you use your hands to hold/cup the mic

  the position and/or shape of your mouth, toungue, teeth, sinuses while you
  play

  your personal playing style

...and probably a host of other things I'm forgetting.

I do not mean all this to sound flip.  Never underestimate the difference
YOU make in the sound.  Let me give you an example:  One night a couple
years ago, my band was playing here in Chicago.  As it turned out, Billy
Branch was in the bar, so of course I asked him to come up and do a couple
of tunes.  Now I wouldn't say that the sound I was getting was particularly
wimpy, nor would I say that it was great.  But Billy took the stage and,
using the same equipment I had been, unleashed a gut-wrenching TORRENT of
sound.  You would have thought he had switched equipment entirely.  He's
just THAT good.  Ever since, I've taken a LOT more resposibility for my own
sound regardless of the equipment.

Equipment is indeed important, but....  A real killer player is going to
sound good through whatever he has.  A bad player is going to sound bad
through the best equipment.

If your experience turns out to be anything like my own, you will
continually experiment with equipment setups in an effort to achieve the
sound you're looking for.  Whatever you wind up using, the real *soul* of
the sound will ultimately wind up coming from what you're doing, not your
equipment.  Play on!

Best
Joe

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