Fwd: [Harp-L] Acoustic mic technique

["John K." <jkuzloski@xxxxxxxxx>]

--- In harp-l-archives@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx, Jim McBride <jpmcbride@...> wrote:

Sometimes its the little things that make a huge difference ...
   
  I went to see Cephas and Wiggins play last night and I was blown away by the deep, full, 
acoustic tone produced by Phil Wiggins playing into the vocal mic straight into the PA. I 
also mostly play this way, and have been working on my mic technique and tone, but he 
really impressed me. One thing I picked up on was the way he placed the mic and used it. 
He put the mic on a boom stand and had the boom lower than his head, with the mic 
pointing upward. Not straight up, but upward at an angle. Then he cupped the harp tightly 
and played on top of the mic. He would shape the sound with his hands, and make a small 
hole in the bottom of his cup to let it get out to the mic. He also got great wah-wah hand 
effects  this way.
   
  I usually use a straight mic stand with the mic pointing at me, like a singer would. I had a 
gig tonight and I tried placing the mic his way and cupping the harp like he did and WOW 
did it make a huge difference! I was able to get much deeper and fuller tone with my 
hands and still get lots of volume into the mic. And I got much better hand effects. I was 
trying to do these things before with the mic my usual way (cupping the harp, etc...) but it 
was so much easier and more effective his way. Best harmonica lesson I've had in a long 
time and it only cost me $35 for the show :-)
   
  Jim McBride

Jim (and others):
See this link for recording acoustic harmonica.  Related to Jim's post, if you read the 
section on mike position, it discusses Norton Buffalo coming to the realization about the 
mike position that Jim describes Phil Wiggins using.  

http://emusician.com/tutorials/emusic_taming_shrill/


 
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