[Harp-L] amplification question.................

["Jeffrey Spoor" <jeffrey@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Steve,

I realize I was going off topic a bit, but I'm more of a mic "nut" than a  
"fifth position" guy and I couldn't restrain myself........:D

To me, just my opinon, USA CM's and Mexican CM's sound little different to  
my ear.  I don't pay a whole lot of attention to the meter other than  
testing to see if in fact the element works and it gives me a base-line  
for were on the scale it will fall......nearer hot vs. fat so I know where  
to begin..... I've got a little of most everything that's been avaiable at  
one time or another so here's "my take" (my opion doesn't mean much) so  
it's just my take:

I love the warmness of crystals although I recently got rid of all my  
crystals for fear of loosing their "value" when/if they go bad.

CR's give me a "perma grin".........FAT deep basses........

CM's, depending on model are the work-horse of the bunch.  Far more of  
them were made than anything around and do a good job in most  
cases.........some are hotter than others and some have more bottom than  
others.  They ALL have their own personalities just like people.  When I  
mentioned "going nuclear" I was in fact refering to being able to cut  
through the basses of the band.  The problem when cranking it up and goin'  
nuclear is that feedback becomes an issue.  Folks swear by the Kinder  
AFB's of which I don't have one.........YET, and they even tell me that  
they kill it completely with it.

I NEVER turn down an element.......ever, the price is going up and up and  
they're not gonna come down...........

Please keep in mind that my opinon is just that, my opinion, others feel  
completely opposite.

Jeff



Interesting, Jeff.
A pinch off the topic, but going Nuclear has got me interested in your
findings.

I"ve got several HiZ ones laying around and only 2 have hot output and
neither are hotter than any USA CM I've ever had.   THe shrill factor was
unbearable unless ran through a very warm amp, although, I've had so many
hot USA CM's over the years that I haven't bothered given them my sneaky
warming up mods.  Next on my list of to do's.  Of course with a loud and
warm amp one can just turn it up, but the crunch factor is something I've
never heard in a Mex CM like the USA CM's have.  (I'm getting that mad
scientist feeling again since I have so many laying around and I have an
idea).

A friend of mine bought a custom mic from a fairly well known guy with a
Mexican CM with a high 1.48K ohms (I don't pay attention to the ohm rating
in the majority of CM's....it's all in the ears), but the output on the HI  
Z
side was only about 60% of a good USA CM with no crunch factor
whatsoever......go figure.  You Hi Z a Low Z CM and you'll get about 1.9K
but they just don't have the usual screamin' parameters that the HiZ  
vintage
ones do, but I do know a sneaky little secret with oddball tranny's.
***One exception I've found in terms of screamin' output is one oddball CM
99H561 1H  I have that's about as hot as it gets when HiZ'd......I kept  
that
one.

You read Dave Kott's info and he'll tell you that he can't hear much
difference in the Mex and the USA.   If he's right then the quality control
must be such a crapshoot that one never knows what he's going to get with
those Mex CM's.   I've never had one even close to any of my custom USA  
CR's
and CM's, Dynamics, Crystals or Ceramic mics....ever... and that's why when
somebody sends me a mic with a Mex CM they just tell me to keep the
element.....and I keep them as one can never have enough elements.   Back  
to
the Laboratory......LOL



On Sun, Nov 2, 2008 at 5:05 AM, Jeffrey Spoor  
<jeffrey@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>wrote:

> Jim,
>
> If you are using an early 90's green bullet with a Mexican Shure CM  
> element
> instead of the current Mexican Dynamic element, that is why you're  
> having NO
> problem cutting through the guitar player.  They have powerful highs and  
> are
> a little thin on the bottom end but blast straight through on the highs.
>
> I just answered an email this morning concerning the same thing.  I've  
> got
> several mics with that same element in them and they ALL can go nuclear  
> if
> needed...........:)
>
> Jeff
>
>
>
> I use a Mexican green bulet and Lee Oskar harps. I need much less of an  
> amp
> than the guitarist. 9 watts can be too loud in most small bars. I use a
> 2x12
> speaker cab.
>
> --
> Rainbow Jimmy

--
Jeff Spoor
Harpmicgaskets - Cumberland Custom Cases
www.harpmicgaskets.com - www.cumberlandcustomcases.com

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