What's the best mic for harmonica?

[nuemes]

What's the best mic for harmonica?

 

[kid klash]

It depends on the tone you want. I've recorded some great-sounding harp tracks with an SM-57... clean, present, well-detailed. If you're doing a dirty blues thing, you'd probably want tp use a Shure "green bullet" or an Astatic carbon mic... what type of sound are you going for?

 

[nuemes]

I was using a Green Bullet plugged into a 74 Fender Twin but my lips get electrical shocks whenever it touches my mouth. I was thinking I could keep a condenser farther from my mouth to avoid the shocks(?)

 

[nuemes]

Also, will a preamp have a difference on a Green Bullet's voicing? If so recommend one?

 

[Robert D]

The green bullet is the de-facto standard, and was not the culprit for your lips getting shocked. You've got ground issues to sort out on that twin, or more likely in the socket it's plugged into. That combo should sound great.

-RD

 

[AGCurry]

The green bullet and similar mics are for the Little Walter/Paul Butterfield style, where you cup the mic in your hands and go through a guitar amp in order to get the resulting distorted sound. There is really no way to get that sound otherwise. Harpists who play this style generally like cheap mics - some even go for crystal or ceramic mics. You would obviously destroy a condensor or ribbon mic with this technique.

But if you want the "natural" harmonica sound, go for a mic which has even response and a smooth high end, at a distance of at least a foot away.

 

[Bambi Busboom]

the Shaker "Madcat" -specialised harmonica microphone

nuemes,

I've never used -and only ever seen a real one once, but I've long been intrigued by the special harmonica microphones by Shaker Microphones. These are said to work really well, the company is very helpful, and they're beautifully made:

http://www.shakermicrophone.net/pages/1/

Love the Shaker "Madcat" design !

This is as about as specialised as I 've ever seen for any microphone.

Cheers,

Bambi B