Re: [Harp-L] Playing clean live

[Mike <mikefugazzi@xxxxxxxxx>]

I don't know how much gear I want to buy other than mics, maybe.  I keep 
trying to bond with the Fireball, but find I like the 58 more.  A tiny bit 
of compression and reverb seem to work well, however, when I hear Lee Oskar 
play, there is a fair amount of punch or mids or something.  It might be 
analog "warmth" from this rig that makes it more horn-like and punchy?

So in an effort to not schlep too much gear, I put a compressor model, EP 
Booster, and some reverb on a Zoom 100BT patch with the 58.  Being that the 
Zoom gear has so many models to explore, I am still interested in hearing 
what other clean players use for rigs beyond random mic to PA.  Thanks for 
the responses!

On Monday, May 5, 2014 5:03:32 PM UTC-5, Richard Hunter wrote:
>
> Mike Fugazzi wrote: 
> I am looking for a sweet live rig for playing clean, but cupped.  I get 
> asked to play in a bluesy fashion a few songs a night and have been using 
> a 
> LoneWolf HarpBreak as a distortion pedal. 
> *** 
>
> My first comment is that "clean" and "cupped" are not so easy to combine, 
> depending on what you mean by "clean."  When you cup the mic, your hands 
> inevitably absorb some of the high-frequency content in the harp signal, so 
> you lose a lot of the acoustic tone that goes with playing in front of a 
> mic on a stand.  If you're using an SM58 and cupping it, you're also 
> getting a big proximity effect bass boost on the mic, which is not a 
> natural harp sound even if it's not so distorted. Putting the SM58 on a 
> stand and playing in front of it might be all you need.   
>
> If you really must cup the mic, I'd suggest an Audix Fireball V.  It has 
> very little proximity effect, and its very low feedback will allow you to 
> add some treble back into the signal via EQ on the amp or PA.  Lee Oskar 
> does use a Beyerdynamic double ribbon mic, and his tone is relatively 
> undistorted, but a Fireball V will do that for you at a much lower price 
> point.  It won't sound exactly like Lee, but who does? 
>
> I happen to know that you've got a Zoom 100BT pedal in your kit, and the 
> Zoom Clean amp model is pretty nice for clean sounds (hence its name).  Use 
> the lowest gain setting you can get away with, adjust EQ to taste (making 
> sure to use the mic you're going to use onstage), add a little reverb, and 
> voila.  I'm a big fan of using the gear I already have to get the sounds I 
> want, so that approach would be plenty appealing to me. 
>
> Regards, Richard Hunter 
>
>
>
>   
>
> author, "Jazz Harp" (Oak Publications, NYC) 
> Latest mp3s and harmonica blog at http://hunterharp.com 
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>