Destin
145 posts
Nov 15, 2015
8:05 PM
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I'm using greg's volume knob in a different way, on my vocal mic. We don't ever have a sound man that watches every song, so when I want to use cupping techniques and switch to acoustic, I just turn up the volume myself, it works great.
Cheers
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MN
403 posts
Nov 17, 2015
6:27 AM
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I do the same. Lets me kill the volume completely until it's time to blow some clean harp, or (shudder!) do a little singing. Great product.
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mlefree
459 posts
Nov 17, 2015
8:46 AM
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For a long time I couldn't understand the trend towards wanting/needing a volume control at the mic'.
After all, the original masters didn't have one. Most of the players I saw use them did so to adjust their playing volume during songs, lowering to play backup and raising for solos. That never really made sense to me since it's always been easy for me to just use less breath to reduce my volume on stage. It's all about dynamics anyway.
Then I started playing at open mic's and jams. Different world entirely. Harp players are at the bottom of the PA food chain so to speak. Usually the sound man, if you could call them that, comes from an electric guitar background and wants them to stand out. Not so with the harmonica player. Often the sound man will deliberately turn down the harp channel because they are wary of having it too high in the mix. There are, after all, some bad harmonica players out there.
And, you can usually forget playing acoustically (away from the mic'). You really need some juice for that and in my experience it's a rare sound man indeed who will give you enough.
The solution: Trick the sound man using your volume control. I turn mine to half volume when the sound man sets me up. That way I can do exactly what Destin does -- turn my volume to whatever level ~I~ like.
Problem solved.
Good on ya, Destin! Took me a long time to learn that one.
Michelle
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SilverWing Leather - Custom leather creations for musicians and other eccentrics.
Last Edited by mlefree on Nov 17, 2015 8:48 AM
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walterharp
1695 posts
Nov 17, 2015
2:03 PM
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i also like it for playing first position high notes. roll of the volume a bit for that...
also if i know a guest player is coming up with less convincing tone, set it up at lower volume for me then pump it up a bit for the other player when they use my mic
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SuperBee
2969 posts
Nov 17, 2015
7:15 PM
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that's interesting approach...i started playing that style, back off the mic, because i found them often set too high to hold, so i just started using the mic in the stand...hadnt thought of using a volume control on it. i like a VC to kill my hand held mic when its not in use. thinking of the high end reminded me of hearing Cotton last year...whoever had charge of the sound wasn't well-prepared for his piercing high notes...that was painful at times...he was great but that harp was startling to say the least...i started to protect my ears anytime i saw him prepare to play
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nacoran
8785 posts
Nov 17, 2015
9:26 PM
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I keep thinking that with modern tech there should be some newer options. I know there are decent USB mics like the Yeti. It's got a volume knob for it's built in headphone jack, a mute, a gain and a 4 mode switch. It's a bit big and clunky, but I can't help thinking that it wouldn't be hard to modify a mic to have some extra controllers. Personally, I'd like on/off, controllable volume with a toggle between two presets (vocal vs. harp). The headphone jack essentially gives you a monitor. The 4 recording mode and extra pickups is what makes it big. If we could get someone who knows a bit of computer wiring hooked up with one of the guys who knows mics...
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Nate
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First Post- May 8, 2009
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didjcripey
991 posts
Nov 17, 2015
11:52 PM
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A high tech harp mic? Why not, to each his own. Personally I like old school. I used to build VC's in to all of my mics but now I prefer to leave them out. I use a passive foot pedal volume control now, but really only use it as an on/off switch. I prefer the full signal from the mic to reach the amp; if its too loud I just turn down the amp down or play softer (nothing wrong with that eh BBQ Bob?)
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Lucky Lester
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SuperBee
2970 posts
Nov 18, 2015
12:32 AM
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Brod Smith opined to me that volume controls are to blame for many mic problems. He also favoured a pedal in line. Of course, he wasn't talking about the in line controls that Greg supplies.
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Greg Heumann
3131 posts
Nov 18, 2015
9:01 AM
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Here's a another "trick". Feedback happens on stage. It might be you, it might be someone else, it might be the sound guy. But everyone assumes its the harp player. If you have a volume control, you just turn it down. If the feedback was you, you just killed it. It If you caught it fast enough, look innocent. Problem solved. If the feedback persists, it ISN'T you. Hold up your hands, shrug your shoulders, point at your volume control, raise your eyebrows and give that "hey it ain't me!" look with confidence.
@Nacoran - USB supplies power to the connected device. Once you have power you can have active circuitry. Without power there is far less you can do in a microphone - and everything you do takes room/space/weight.
@SuperBee - volume controls, like every other piece of equipment in the entire chain, CAN be responsible for mic problems. But (at least mine) are very well made and rarely, rarely do. I have built THOUSANDS of controls over the last 10 years. I have had to service or replace fewer than 25 controls in all that time. Musselwhite has had one of my controls he uses with two of his 3 BlowsMeAway mics - and he has been doing close to 300 shows a year with it for EIGHT YEARS. Jason Ricci must adjust the volume on his Ultimate 57 10 times every song - if you've watched his videos you know this to be true. He's never had a problem with the volume control.
The message here is "don't let reliability concerns influence your decision of whether to use a volume control!" DO buy your volume controls from BlowsMeAway.
Cheerleaders:
We're number 1!
We're number 1!
We're number 1!
and now, back to our regularly scheduled programming.
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***************************************************
/Greg
BlowsMeAway Productions
See my Customer Mics album on Facebook
Bluestate on iTunes
Last Edited by Greg Heumann on Nov 18, 2015 9:02 AM
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Littoral
1298 posts
Nov 18, 2015
9:57 AM
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Greg, can you explain tapered -as in controlling volume but not reducing the effective "tone" of the output.
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dougharps
1053 posts
Nov 18, 2015
11:23 AM
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I haven't noticed a tone loss while using Greg's inline controls (high-z, extra high-z, and low-z) or in the Ultimate 58. There does seem to be a slight signal loss compared to the mics without the controls, but this is easily compensated for at the board or amp.
When playing to the PA I have been using the Ultimate 58 hand held most of the time, with it wide open for vocals (a little off mic, avoiding too much proximity effect on vocals), and cutting volume and tightly cupping for playing harp (using proximity effect to increase low end). I love the driven sound when playing to the PA and cupping this way. It is a sound hard to achieve when playing in front of a mic on a stand and varying the distance for volume adjustments for higher and lower pitched notes.
Greg has said he uses his Ultimate 58 in a stand, sings on the mic, and turns up when he backs off the mic to play acoustic harp. Obviously there are different approaches to how the controls are used.
I love the control that the volume knob gives me. When I sound check I do not keep the controls wide open. I have installed my volume knob on my Ultimate 58 so that I start with the control at about 12:00 (toward the ball end), but so that I can turn it up to 2:00 before it is wide open. I sound check at 12:00 at moderate playing volume. I can always adjust the control as needed.
I tell the person running sound in the house that if I am too loud they should turn up my monitor so I will play softer, and if I am too soft they should turn the monitor down so I will play louder.
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Doug S.
Last Edited by dougharps on Nov 18, 2015 11:24 AM
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TetonJohn
286 posts
Nov 18, 2015
1:50 PM
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While we're talking about it...
I use one of Greg's inline VCs on the microphone I use to mike my amp to the PA -- this gives me some personal control over the house volume, for example, if I get the "I can't hear you" sign from someone in the audience. Very versatile gizmo!
Last Edited by TetonJohn on Nov 18, 2015 2:21 PM
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Halffast
2 posts
Nov 19, 2015
4:47 AM
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Who makes the passive foot pedal volume controls mentioned by didjcripey ?
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didjcripey
994 posts
Nov 19, 2015
12:21 PM
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Fender
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Lucky Lester
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Thievin' Heathen
627 posts
Nov 19, 2015
9:08 PM
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For quite a while, when I was young & stupid, before the internet and Greg Heumann, I played through a Shure 58 into a Peavey Heritage. I found an on/off switch on the mic cord to be a very handy accessory. You can buy them that way.
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