Re: [Harp-L] Why use a Harmonica Mic?

[Richard Hunter <turtlehill@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

"46long Blake" wrote:
<I've been playing for 18 years. I've always played through a "harp
mic."
<What I don't know, is why - what makes for a good harp mic? I play
<through a
<'94 Sure Bullet Dx and a '90 Blues Blaster with a replacement Ceramic
<element from the JT30 store. I still don't know what the hell
<difference any
<of this makes, and I don't have the resources to compare. So what?
<That's the question. 

Books have been written on this topic.  I'll try to sum it up in 2-3
sentences.

Mics differ in many ways, but the sound is what's at issue here. 
Different mics respond differently to the sounds that happen within
their range -- they emphasize high or low frequencies, they catch short,
sharp sounds better or worse than they capture long, deep sounds, or
vice versa, etc., etc.  These differences account for the differences in
how mics sound.

"Harp mics" like the Shure Green Bullet, Astatic JT-30, Labtec AM-22 (my
favorite, not yet a classic) tend to emphasize low-midrange (250-1000hZ)
and midrange (up to 6000 hZ), and cut off a lot of high frequencies. In
other words, they punch up the body of the sound and cut off the top. 
Coupled with a tube guitar amp, this creates a sound that's been popular
since the 1950s.  It's a very different sound from playing, say, through
a vocal mic (which doesn't cut off all those high end frequencies) into
a PA system.

There are lots of mic and amp combinations that produce "good" harmonica
sounds.  Many have been discussed on this list.  Check the archives for
more.

That was 10 sentences.

Regards, Richard Hunter
hunterharp.com