[Harp-L] Harp-L Digest, Vol 175, Issue 5

Sat Mar 24 11:16:22 EDT 2018

  Michael Rubin wrote:
<If you are concerned about feedback, make sure your
<body is always between your mic and amp and spend some soundcheck time
<figuring out at what volume feedback arrives and lower the volume.  For
<future gigs, buy a feedback pedal.

I dunno.  Putting your body between the mic and the amp means that the amp
is behind you.  That's how feedback starts--when the mic is picking up the
sound from your amp.

I'd suggest standing to the side as opposed to right in front of the amp.
If you're using an omnidirectional mic, consider switching to a
unidirectional mic.

I appreciate that my next piece of advice is kind of sideways where this
question is concerned, but here it is: I very, very rarely have feedback
problems with my Digitech RP setup, and then only when I'm standing right
in front of a PA monitor speaker.

As a general observation, let me note that that louder a band gets, the
worse it is for a harmonica player.  No rig that I know of will allow a
harmonica player to compete at the volume levels that an electric guitar
can achieve.  Those guitars can get really effing loud.  Since the 1950s,
harmonica players have been losing ground, in large part because it's not
easy to make a harp loud enough for modern pop/rock/blues music.

That said, a Digitech RP certainly helps.

Regards, Richard Hunter