Semi-Random Q&A
Well this forum has been a little quiet lately, but this morning I was answering an email from a customer, and realized that the questions were quite common - so I thought I would post them here as well. The customer was asking about the BlowsMeAway Ultimate Series mics - how are they different from each other, and what's "impedance" all about? Here goes:
1) what sort of modification do you do to the mic except shortening it and adding the volume knob?
Those are the main advantages of the Ultimate series - they make these "already great" mics much more harmonica-player-friendly. Additionally, I offer a choice of impedance/connector setups which can help simplify your rig.
2) what is the diff between those 3 mics on the series ? I play blues, and of course I love that old dirty sound, but I also play other styles and need a sweeter more melodic option - which one will fit best for me?
Just like the mics they come from, the 545 gets the dirtiest when cupped/overdriven, although the 57 comes close. The 58 has a wider pickup pattern but is much harder to get a full cup - so it remains the cleanest. I use an Ultimate 58 into the PA as my vocal mic and play my acoustic harp solos through it. Having the volume control allows me to optimize its setup whether I'm singing or playing. It is a great mic for chromatic / jazz players as well because of the wider pickup pattern. The 57 is the most versatile - with a warm clean acoustic tone yet, if plugged into an amp, plenty of grit and mojo for blues. I suspect the 57 is the right one for you.
3) If I use one of your inline volume controls on a regular Shure mic like the sm 57/8 would it give me the exact same sound as an ultimate mic you sell?
Yes - the volume control circuit in the Ultimate mic and my inline VC are identical for the low impedance setups. The difference will be in handling comfort when hand-held. These mics are already heavy, and adding the in-line volume control makes them considerably longer than they already are. That increases the leverage that all that weight (including the weight of the cable) has to pull down on your grip.
4) what is the different between your wooden mics and the Ultimate sound in the aspect of sound only, what differ the from one another?
The vintage elements in the my Custom Wood Mics do not have as much high frequency response, and they get even more distorted when heavily cupped, so they're the best for people seeking the fattest possible amplified tone. They're less suited as acoustic/clean mics. But even those differences aren't that great. The most important thing is ergonomics. For hand holding - many people (myself included) find a bullet to be the most comfortable. And many customers have told me they simply like the "look" better.
5) Didn't quite understand the Low/ High impedance thing - is that just a different "Exit" like PL, mic cable, etc, or does it affect the sound as well? Would love to get an explanation about that maybe considering i dont know much about the subject..
Nobody understands until they ask. They don't teach this to you in high school! The long and short of it is that impedance and tone are NOT related. High impedance mics pre-date low impedance designs, so there's a natural correlation with "older, therefore dirtier" tone - but it isn't because of impedance. The ONLY thing that matters is to understand that for best performance, the impedance of the mic has to be "matched" to the impedance of what it is plugged into. The 3-pin XLR connector on a PA system is a low impedance input. You can plug a low impedance mic straight in, but you you need impedance matching to connect a high impedance mic to a low impedance input. The name of that device is a "direct input" or "DI" box. Most sound guys have them because they frequently have to connect high impedance sources on stage, like a keyboard or bass - directly to the PA.
The 1/4" jack on a guitar amplifier or pedal is a high impedance input. You can plug a high impedance mic straight in, but to connect a low impedance mic, you need to use an Impedance Matching Transformer. Note that this is one case where "if you can plug it in, it must be right" doesn't work. There ARE cables with XLR connectors at one end, and 1/4" male plugs at the other. Do NOT use these to plug a low impedance mic into a high impedance input. It won't hurt anything, and you will get some sound, but you will only get half of the mic's output and the tone may be very different from what the mic's designers intended.