RE: [Harp-L] Shaker microphones

["John Balding" <John.Balding@xxxxxxxxx>]

Ian,

I like a thick Blues tone. I have a Shaker Dynamic with the 1/4" jack. It is a great mic. It's not the "perfect" mic for me but I always keep it in my gig case - always! It is small, light, dependable, "dual-impedance" (can be plugged into a guitar amp or a PA board without any adapters/modifications) and has a GREAT tone. The tone is a very nice compromise (to me) between a "crystal" (JT30) and controlled magnetic (old Green Bullet) sound. It gives a good tone that is "rough around the edges" and a surprisingly good bottom end. Cupped tightly, it has the bottom end of a Shure 545 or SM57. Not bad.

The mic is very comfortable to hold - you hardly know it's there. It has a "lip" at the top, making it easy to hold even when your hands are sweaty. If you drop it, it bounces; it doesn't bend or crack like metal mics.

I haven't tried the Madcat or the Retro. The Retro looks cool, but uses a small crystal element. That's not a bad thing; it's just that I prefer a different element. The Madcat is its own animal. Love it and use it for what it is.

The only reason that the Shaker is not my main mic is that I play chromatic on several songs and a larger mic just seems to accommodate the larger harp better. I know that sounds counter-intuitive, but to me, it just feels better. With a big harp and a narrow mic in my hands, the mic has a tendency to "creep" when I play. It ends up pointed different directions and squirming around too much. I run into the same issue when using my Shure 545 mic as well. A larger mic stays put better. BUT - If I had to vote on the most versatile harp mic out there, I would have to say that the Shaker Dynamic takes the cake for me. To ME, it gives the best compromise in all respects: weight, tone, dependability, ease of use and price.

If you are sold on the Shaker mics, I would recommend the original Shaker design, (crystal for a cleaner sound or dynamic for a dirtier sound) with the 1/4" jack. They are both great mics for the money and should last you for decades.

John Balding
Tallahassee, FL

-----Original Message-----
From: harp-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxx [mailto:harp-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Ian Chadwick
Sent: Sunday, December 09, 2007 4:27 PM
To: harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [Harp-L] Shaker microphones

I'm looking at getting a Shaker microphone, but am not sure which might be best. I like the small Madcat because it fits into the hand and still lets you use hand action when playing. But the Retro seems nice too...
 
Any comments, suggestions or recommendations? Anyone here use them? What sort of sound do they have and are they any better or worse than other mics?
 
I borrowed a Bullet clone from the local music store and really liked the sound it gave - very responsive it seems to my ears - but I find it a bit big, heavy and clunky. I want something smaller.
Ian
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