[Harp-L] Re: Horses for courses and the Shaker Madcat microphone

["Chris Canning" <chriscanning@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

I have noted that Shaker have made a new version of the Madcat called the
MadDog with it is claimed greater bass response.

http://www.shakermicrophone.net/productspricesbuy.html

 I for one have been saying that the Shaker Madcat, whilst a great mic,
needs just this. I am thrilled they have been listening to us. I will be
getting one of these as soon as I can afford it. Has anyone tried it yet? 

Cheers Chris Canning. (no affiliation with Shaker)

>
> I tried the mic with my RP350 a month or so after that, and I was  
> thoroughly unimpressed.  The mic distorted in a way that didn't play  
> nicely with the RP350, and to my ears it made a sound that was a lot  
> less interesting than the sound of my Fireball.  So I put the mic  
> back in the box and forgot about it.
>
> Tonight I was cleaning up my home studio and putting unused gear in  
> a box for advertising on eBay, and I came across the Madcat.  I  
> almost put it in the box with my Calrad DM-9, but then I remembered  
> that different mics work very differently with different amps.  So I  
> took out the Madcat and plugged it into my Ron Holmes-modified Crate  
> VC508 5 watt tube amp, and holy s---, did that amp come alive.
>
> I see now what Greg Heumann means when he talks about mic distortion  
> with tube amps.  The Madcat into the VC508 produces a huge,  
> screaming blues sound with lots of edge and body.  As per Peter  
> Ruth's recent comments about the Madcat on this list, it's also  
> practically impossible to force it into feedback, even when I crank  
> the gain on the VC508 up to 8, which is a lot louder than I can get  
> any other mic in my collection before feedback.
>
> I'm glad to have gotten this reminder that you shouldn't give up on  
> a mic until you've run it through every amp you own.  The Madcat  
> still sounds pretty lame through my RP350, but that's what the  
> Fireball is for.  From now on, the Madcat is going with me to every  
> blues gig I play with the VC508.
>
> Regards, Richard Hunter