Garage Band settings for recording harmonica
I'm curious about the settings any Garage Band users use for recording their harmonica playing. I'm currently just selecting the Classic Vocal setting from the stock Voice Library and turn the Echo control down a notch. I haven't done much exploring but wonder if there are settings that could emulate the sound of an amplified harp.
Thanks,
Mike
Thanks for the reply UkuleRob. I'm a rank beginner and my set up is very basic, just a Shure MV5 USB microphone plugged into my Mac to record sumbissions to the jam tracks for David's evaluation. Hoping to see myself clear to buying a decent small amp and mic next year.
The Harp Attack/Dano delay combo looks interesting. What microphones do you use with your harmonica?
Mike
Thanks for the reply UkuleRob. I'm a rank beginner and my set up is very basic, just a Shure MV5 USB microphone plugged into my Mac to record sumbissions to the jam tracks for David's evaluation. Hoping to see myself clear to buying a decent small amp and mic next year.
The Harp Attack/Dano delay combo looks interesting. What microphones do you use with your harmonica?
Mike
Hi Mike. I have four harp mics, in order of playing time:
!. A Greg Heumann (BlowsMeAway Productions) custom wood mic, with The Heumann Element. With the buit-in volume control where the wood grain lines up when the volume is full on. Greg found a really nice block of walnut for it, which I'd asked for, as my family's farm had a walnut orchard when I was growing up. This is the mic that's usually hooked up for my practice time, so obveiously gets the most playig time.
2. An ancient Shure 9846B ("brown bullet" or "small bullet") with almost as ancient Black Label CR element. This is the mic I use most for public performance, as it has great volume and really honking tone. I recently sent it off to Greg because it was cutting out, and he sent it on to Mark Wilson in Oregon (see my recent post in this Gear thread) for complete repair of the element.
3. An "Ultimitized" Shure SM57, a mic I'd used for years for acoustic instruments (e.g., ukulele and plectrum banjo), that I sent off to Greg to have converted to one of his "Ultimate" mics, with volume control, collar, etc. Due to its higher-fidelity characteristics, it's the mic I use most for chromatic harmonica, as well as for diatonic when I'm working cabaret shows where the performers I'm backing up are doing more pop and jazz, and that bluesy Chicago-style crunch isn't what the music director is looking for. Have also used it performing in church, into a DI box to go directly into the PA system.
4. Finally, a Shaker Dynamic that I bought years ago because it was inexpensive, and Madcat Peter Ruth is a Shaker fan. Very small, very light weight. David gave it an unenthusiastic review in his mic series, but the most common use I get out of it is taking it to harmonica camps and loaning it to attendees who don't have mics. One thing a lot of players who don't like the mic don't understand is that unlike the above three mics, it's a low impedence mic, and won't really work plugged into an amp unless you use an impedence converter. So I carry a separate cable with a converter, which gives it enough "ooomph" when plugged in. It's gotten use by other players over the years, and when I get home I drop it into my TurboHarp BugBlaster to clean it, and then put it back into a bag until the next time I go to a camp or workshop.
I'm trying very hard to avoid becomeing a mic collector, but I do have a wish list. That includes things like an Ultimate SM58 (as used by Toots Thielmans); one of those super-cool-looking Turner Challengers with the Buck Rogers-looking fins on the top; and maybe an expensive condenser mic that I can use for chromatic and vocals. Or maybe not, and I can spend the money on more harps!
Cheers!
Thanks for the mic descriptions. Quite a stable. I'm considering purchasing an amp and mic next year. Considering a Bulletini for my first mic.
Mike
Mike:
Hoping more than a few GarageBand users check in on this. I'm not much help. Like you, I use the Classic Vocal setting. But on the way into GarageBand, I run my harps through one or another of my harp mics, into a Lone Wolf Harp Attack and Dano delay, and then into my audio interface. So I ignore GarageBand effects. I do some backing tracks using ukulele or banjo, and just run those instruments into the same input as my harp mics, but adjusting tone on my Harp Attack (so that it functions as a preamp - my ukes and banjo all have passive pickups).
But then, I only use GarageBand to submit recordings to David, so I'm mostly concerned about the harp being heard over whatever backing track I'm using. I.e., my recordings on GarageBand aren't for public consumption.
Folks who record for more public purposes may have a lot more ideas, and I'll be interested in reading them.