Hi. Does anyone know who to DIY electrify a harmonica for use in a holder? Would a clip-on, stick-on, or rod piezo work?
Also, are there any good CBG specific harmonica courses? Thanks. — looking for recommendations.
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Clip on mic a few inches from the front. If too close, it will pick up the nearest holes more than others. Neil Young on 'Rust Never Sleeps' seems to have 2 mics mounted on his rack. Some sort of Piezo might work but again it might pick up some notes more than others.
or what this guy did <iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/66cBRiZQOTU" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Taffy Evans > Fergus LesterAugust 14, 2018 at 7:34pm
Hi, Dustin
In the photo you see a harp with a contact Mic/transducer attached, I just tried it and it picks up the nearest reads ,as mentioned by Fergus, but also all the touching and extra noises.
Then I thought that this might work. Also in the photo is my Green Bullet Shure harp mic, it is normally mounted on a mic stand [you can see the modified fitting]. It is the same stand that I use for vocals, but has two booms side buy side, one for vocal mic and the other for the harp. I just swap between them as needed, but I play using my hands. If I wanted hands free I would mount my neck harp holder to the boom and then have the harp set up for best sound in front of the mic. I am constantly swapping keys so having the mic not attached to the harp is good. Food for thought.
I'd do it the same way musician's have done it for decades. Small lightweight bracket around your neck that holds harmonica and has a clip on mic. A mic like that will work so much better than a piezo. You could use the C.B.Gitty Tin Can Mic if you want that old time echo effect.
image.jpegHey ,I've been.making hands free harp holders so I can play harp one handed since I lost my left hand years ago . I have one you mite find useful. I make them from aluminum stock and they screw onto a Shure 58. The slot has wiper blade that hold the harp and act as a seal.Here are some photos .image.jpeg
Regarding my electric harmonica post, I started constructing a rig to get that vintage/AM radio sound, without breaking the bank on a new mic. Hacks take skills and parts, and all I had was a dynamic mic from my old karaoke days. I wanted this for singing, talking, and harmonica.
What I did:
1. Ever talk into your hand, or a cup? Sounds similar to that sound, right? I took Solo cup, and tried to cut the bottom off. That didn't work well. Again, skills. I had a Stanley water bottle with screw-off lid and cap. I tried the mic. It worked, but the mic switch is inside. Gonna try the cup idea again later. It might sound better. You can even use a funnel, but it needs to be somewhat deep, so you can get that hollow muffle,and the bottom has to be wide enough to string a cable through it.
2. For harmonica, I've heard of folks cutting the bottoms off can koozies, and stuffing harps in them, and clipping it to S mic stand. Find a thick, foam, retro koozie, and cut out the bottom. I had a plastic NASCAR koozie with the foam around it. No cutting needed. I stuffed the koozie down the water bottle top, and inserted the harp. They say that necessity is the mother of invention. It's still a prototype, but I think it'll work. Just need a stand.
Replies
Clip on mic a few inches from the front. If too close, it will pick up the nearest holes more than others. Neil Young on 'Rust Never Sleeps' seems to have 2 mics mounted on his rack. Some sort of Piezo might work but again it might pick up some notes more than others.
or what this guy did <iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/66cBRiZQOTU" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Hi, Dustin
In the photo you see a harp with a contact Mic/transducer attached, I just tried it and it picks up the nearest reads ,as mentioned by Fergus, but also all the touching and extra noises.
Then I thought that this might work. Also in the photo is my Green Bullet Shure harp mic, it is normally mounted on a mic stand [you can see the modified fitting]. It is the same stand that I use for vocals, but has two booms side buy side, one for vocal mic and the other for the harp. I just swap between them as needed, but I play using my hands. If I wanted hands free I would mount my neck harp holder to the boom and then have the harp set up for best sound in front of the mic. I am constantly swapping keys so having the mic not attached to the harp is good. Food for thought.
I'd do it the same way musician's have done it for decades. Small lightweight bracket around your neck that holds harmonica and has a clip on mic. A mic like that will work so much better than a piezo. You could use the C.B.Gitty Tin Can Mic if you want that old time echo effect.
Just sent a post with some photos ,but the ones displayed aren't the ones I sent ? How to fix ? Ron
image.jpegHey ,I've been.making hands free harp holders so I can play harp one handed since I lost my left hand years ago . I have one you mite find useful. I make them from aluminum stock and they screw onto a Shure 58. The slot has wiper blade that hold the harp and act as a seal.Here are some photos .image.jpeg
This is one of those Bottle Mics Got the Pic from rick it seems to work real fine !
Kids toys hardly cost any and give great effects for recording!
What I did:
1. Ever talk into your hand, or a cup? Sounds similar to that sound, right? I took Solo cup, and tried to cut the bottom off. That didn't work well. Again, skills. I had a Stanley water bottle with screw-off lid and cap. I tried the mic. It worked, but the mic switch is inside. Gonna try the cup idea again later. It might sound better. You can even use a funnel, but it needs to be somewhat deep, so you can get that hollow muffle,and the bottom has to be wide enough to string a cable through it.
2. For harmonica, I've heard of folks cutting the bottoms off can koozies, and stuffing harps in them, and clipping it to S mic stand. Find a thick, foam, retro koozie, and cut out the bottom. I had a plastic NASCAR koozie with the foam around it. No cutting needed. I stuffed the koozie down the water bottle top, and inserted the harp. They say that necessity is the mother of invention. It's still a prototype, but I think it'll work. Just need a stand.
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I had run across this a little while back, quick search and found it again, DIY clip on mic for harmonica in a rack
https://youtu.be/zt-emjO5iv0