[Harp-L] RE: Microphones.........Hot VS Not

[Ray Beltran <raybeltran@xxxxxxx>]

> I'm not sure if this has been covered before here on the "L", but I  
> have been polling some of my mic builder friends lately about their  
> opinions on Hot mic VS NOT hot mic elements.  The opinions I have  
> gotten are varied and I'd like to get more opinions from more players.
> Personally....I have found that an element that is NOT real hot  
> works best, especially if you've got an amp that is 30 watts or  
> more.  In MY experience.......the hotter the mic......the more you  
> are prone to have feedback issues.  There are clearly a bunch of  
> things that go into the equation of good harp tone. Technique is  
> surely at the top of the list. For exaple...if you have poor cupping  
> technique, you're going to have more problems.
> Anyway...........I'd like to get a wide variety of views on this  
> subject that also includes reasons and explanations of what you  
> currently use (including the amp) and why you feel that this is the  
> best set-up for you.   Any horror stories about bad mics and the  
> like would also be great for my research on this subject.  Feel free  
> to contact me off-list and let me know about you views.  I'm not  
> trying to sway anyones' opinion and I know we all have a favorite  
> mic that works BEST for our own personal vibe.
> Thanks,
> Wezo
> www.megatoneamps.com
> www.bluesworldorder.com


Now more than ever I realize matching mic to amp pays off. I have a  
mic I nicknamed "Jericho", built by Dave Wren. VERY hot. When I run it  
through my Super Reverb, it really pushes the preamp section and the  
sound breaks up more quickly than I'd like. On smaller amps, it's more  
in it's element, no pun intended.

I have another mic built by Steve Warner, not as hot as the Jericho,  
that is more suited to the SR. More of a horn-like sound due to less  
brea-kup and less top end. I can still get break-up on it, so it's  
maybe a little more flexible.

There are times when I'm playing the SR at lower volumes where I want  
more of a breakup; I'll use the Jericho.

I don't experience feedback issues due to the use of the Kinder AFB+.

It's important to evaluate at the gig. Working stuff out in the living  
room gives you SOME idea, but there's no substitute for a real world  
evaluation. Acoustics, band volume, etc. play an important part in the  
evaluation.

Ray.


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