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[Andy]

Looking to have a go at amplified harmonica playing
Not a whole lot of money available for a microphone so the obvious choice seems to be the Superlux D112C

But then it occured to me that a lot of harmonica microphones are aimed at the blues market with the emphasis on that 'dirty' blues sound.
While I enjoy listening to blues, what I play is mostly traditional Scottish and Irish tunes so this raw/dirty sound may not be the best.

The three harmonicas which I play most are all Hohner SP20s which I have Paddy Richterised, converted to equal temperament and opened up the backs of the covers. Keys G, A and Low D.

Any thoughts/Advice /Experience
Thanks - First post

[Graham Spencer]

If you don't mind the extra bulk & weight, an ordinary hypercardioid dynamic mic can work well - a Shure SM58 would be the obvious choice, but I've used Beyer Dynamic and AKG equivalents (both lighter in weight than the SM58) successfully.

[Sage Herb]

I haven't tried the Superlux, but in general mics aimed at blues harpists (eg Green Bullet) cut off at lower frequencies (around 5K) than you might want for more melodic music. Also, impedance is an issue; mics designed to be plugged into guitar amps (eg Green Bullet, Blues Blaster) are high impedance and will need a DI box to go into a mixing desk.

Vocal mics such as SM58 or instrument mic such as SM57 work well. I have an Audix Fireball V which is wonderful and never feeds back; they are expensive but do turn up on eBay or other second hand sales places. Vocal mics will almost certainly be low impedance and able to plug straight into a mixer, but may need an impedance transformer if you want to plug them into a guitar amp.

[Tom]

I have an Audix Fireball V which is wonderful and never feeds back;

Deeply amused to discover that the Fireball is good for Harp! I'd only encountered it used in the Beatbox world; my mate Hobbit endorses the Fireball for Audix
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o0qdLv8YK-o

[Graham Spencer]

I haven't tried the Superlux, but in general mics aimed at blues harpists (eg Green Bullet) cut off at lower frequencies (around 5K) than you might want for more melodic music. Also, impedance is an issue; mics designed to be plugged into guitar amps (eg Green Bullet, Blues Blaster) are high impedance and will need a DI box to go into a mixing desk.

Vocal mics such as SM58 or instrument mic such as SM57 work well. I have an Audix Fireball V which is wonderful and never feeds back; they are expensive but do turn up on eBay or other second hand sales places. Vocal mics will almost certainly be low impedance and able to plug straight into a mixer, but may need an impedance transformer if you want to plug them into a guitar amp.

Wouldn't the shape of the business end of an SM57 make it a bit harder to hold than a mic with a more-or-less spherical screen/grille? Just a thought......

Graham

[Sage Herb]

Sure, some people might find the ball end of a 58 more comfortable, but I've not personally found the SM57 difficult to hold, and they (and some of their ancestors in the Shure range such as the 545) are pretty widely used for harp. They will overdrive a bit if you want and hence not sound as clean as the Audix.

One thing that you do have to watch is that the plastic rim round the grill on a 57 can rotate freely and thereby add unwanted handling noise if you're not careful. Some users apparently add drops of glue to fix this, but I haven't needed to do this and of course you might want to be careful about voiding warranty if the mic is new.

The size of your hands and whether you intend to play harp for a whole gig or only the odd tune will also make a difference to what's comfortable. Definitely try before you buy if at all possible.

[Harmonicatunes]

I recommend the Audix Fireball V. Since its introduction a few years ago it has been used by many leading players. It is not particularly expensive, you can get it online at coast2coastmusic.com/cgi-bin/cart/AUFIREBALLV.html

To hear how the Audix Fireball V sounds with harmonica, check out the tracks at www.harmonicaacademy.com/articles/20111224

[Andy]

Thanks for all the  informative and useful responses.