[Harp-L] Bass harmonica on stage

[George Miklas]

Good dialog Chris.

Chest Mics serve a purpose, but they may not be for everyone, nor every
stage situation.

My personal example where chest mics work is in the harmonica trio where
all three chest mics are built identically. Then when players switch
instruments, there are no dials to turn, it's just plug-n-play.

One of my personal experience where chest mic does not work is when I play
bass guitar with the Sgro brothers. There is one or two arrangements where
they want the bass harmonica. The chest mic does not work in this case
because of the time that it takes to set up the mic in between songs. In
this case I set up a mic on a stand. As recommended in an earlier post, I
use a Sennheiser e604 for this.

Another place that I found a chest mic didnt work for me was switching
between harp and bass harmonica is in the orchestra pit for Big River.  In
the pit I used a Shure SM-58 on a stand, and a Green Bullet in the hand. My
amp was in front of me tilted up so that I could easily access the EQ. So
when it was time to play bass harmonica, I just made quick adjustments to
reduce highs and boost lows, played the bass line, and then reset the amp
again.

George.

On Sun, Jun 25, 2017 at 7:29 AM Christopher Richards via Harp-L <
harp-l at xxxxx> wrote:

> Very good advice from George and Michael on this topic.  I would  add that
> the small crunchy Fender amp would NOT be a good match for a bass
> harmonica.  Use a dedicated bass amp or go through the PA.  Lower  the
> volume on the
> bass mic and then accentuate the low bass  frequencies via eq.  If need be,
> ask for more of YOU in the monitor  when playing the bass.  I've been
> riding
> herd on the sound crew  at the SPAH convention for the last six years, this
> advice is what has  come to me through people such as Tom Stryker, the Sgro
> Bros, George  Miklas and others who have spent decades working with bass
> harmonicas...  it works!
>
> Nearly always better to CUT the eq on higher  pitched instruments and
> vocals in order to bring out the  bass, than to ADD much boost above the
> center
> line of the eq.   There are exceptions, but in tried-and-true 'mixing 101'
> terms,  boosting ANY frequencies above the center line will often create
> more
> problems than it solves.  It is called a 'mix' for good reason, better  to
> attain the best overall balance than to optimize any one instrument or
> vocalist and then try to force the rest to fit in.  I something  needs
> more,
> pull the others down rather than boost.  Again, there are  exceptions, but
> you'll find most professional audio engineers to be in  agreement with
> this.
>
> Another option would be to use a 'chest mic', either wired or  wireless,
> but you'll need to be aware of where you stand, so the mic  doesn't point
> into
> the mains or monitors and create feedback  issues.  I think George could
> add a bit more in regard to chest  mic's.
>
> Christopher Richards,
> www. harmonicaplanet.com
> Staging & Production - SPAH
> Producer - International Blues Blowoff
>
>
>
> In a message dated 6/24/2017 9:07:59 A.M. Mountain Daylight Time,
> harp-l-request at xxxxx writes:
>
> Bass  harmonica on stage
>
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