Re: [Harp-L] Recording / Lee Oskars / Air leakage

["hazcon" <hazcon@xxxxxxxxxx>]

That's interesting because a few months back i bought a L/O (Key A) and 
found it extremely leaky.I have been buying L/Os for around 15 years now and 
this is the first one that i have ever had a problem with.
                 I just put it down to just one of those things that happen 
sometimes.Even after re gapping and some embossing it still wasn't really 
that great.
Still (unless its a trend) one bad one out of about 25 or so isn't too much 
i suppose.

Rick
in NZ
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Alexander Savelyev" <Alexander.Savelyev@xxxxxxxx>
To: <harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Tuesday, November 11, 2008 3:02 AM
Subject: [Harp-L] Recording / Lee Oskars / Air leakage


> Hi,
>
> I decided to use the same rig as Lee Oskar does/did for recording 
> harmonica - Beyer M160 mic, Lee Oskar harps, decent preamp. I added M130 
> to M160 and recorded a couple of solos in the M/S mode. Result? Wow, I 
> couldn't believe my ears, these ribbon mics get you such a mellow tone 
> given you have one in your head and throat:) With a decent reverb - just a 
> bit, the sound is huge and pleasing to the ear. No blues here, just some 
> melody lines.
>
> Apart from success with the tone, etc., I had an extreemly annoying 
> problem associated with the air leakage that my Melody Maker appeared to 
> have. As I listen to the recorded tracks and then again check it in live 
> by playing to myself and listening I discover that harps leak air like a 
> pump%$&???  I check my another Melody Maker and the same story with that 
> one. Then I pulled out a couple of other Harmonic Minor harps - more or 
> less same story depending on the register - low keys primarily. Good 
> sound, but in holes 1 thru 4 these harps have obvious air leakage. I 
> didn't expect that from Oskars - I check the positioning of the 
> reedplates, tightened the screws, checked the gapping, etc. Almost no 
> difference - I guess the comb and the reedplates are not flat and 100% 
> sealed - hole dividers must be of different hight.
>
> Now a question goes like this:
>
> I know pretty well what to do with these harps in terms of gapping, 
> sealing, etc., I'd rather would like to know your experience with the 
> newly purchased Lee Oskar harmonicas (I know the harps are laying in the 
> warehouse for a couple of years before the get sold, but hopefully yours 
> are fresh - I bought mine some 6 years ago and didn't play until now)? Any 
> comments on air leakage of Lee Oskars bought lately? Will I be free of 
> extra fuss with finetuning them or it's inevitable anyway? I'd rather buy 
> a bunch of new harps free of such unacceptable artifacts (if you compare 
> such a harp wih the SP20 - it's like night and day, I guess some bad 
> quality control). Yes, and I talk about Lee Oskar harps only.
>
> Thanks in advance,
>
> Alex
>
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