[Harp-L] Re: Original Hohner Pro Harp/painted covers

[Jonathan Ross <jross38@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

On Jan 28, 2009, at 7:33 PM, John F. Potts wrote:
> IMHO, the tone of harps with side vents is a little more diffuse  
> than those with unvented covers. This is consistent with the  
> recognition that the tone does change somewhat when the vents are  
> blocked.

I will agree that side vents do alter the sound projection somewhat,  
though I'd bet this is mostly noticed by the player not an audience.   
If one were to play in a rack I doubt listeners would notice at all.   
The vents don't necessarily alter the tone so much as the direction,  
allowing the player to hear more of the sound than other covers.   
When used, however, the vents can allow for certain effects which are  
harder to obtain on enclosed covers.

> One of the things some of us do when we play is to hold the  
> harmonica in very close proximity to a microphone element  
> surrounded by a tight or loose cup formed by our hands. Among other  
> things, this can and will magnify (amplify?) those very small  
> differences in timbre and make them, perhaps, not quite so small.

The distortion caused by tightly cupping the mic is more likely to  
mask differences than amplify them--especially when paired with the  
distortion of tube amplifiers often run at fairly high gain--the  
usual set-up.  Besides, creating resonant chambers with the hands  
(cupping, etc...) and attaching the reed to a tuned resonant body of  
air (your lungs, throat and mouth) are two of the things which can  
change the timbre of a free reed.  That is why the small tonal  
variations are eliminated by my own personal tone.

> IMHO, it’s the little things that cause experienced players to  
> prefer one model over another.

IMO, people prefer things for various reasons, most of them having  
little or no bearing in reality.  Weight is an example.  Some people  
prefer heavier harmonicas.  Often then they make tonal claims for  
these due to the weight.  The two have no actual relationship, and  
the most likely explanation for that person's preference is that they  
simply like the feel of a heavier instrument.  Personal preference is  
a great thing, but it usually doesn't indicate anything more than that.


>

 ()()    JR "Bulldogge" Ross
()  ()
`----'