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Dirty-South Blues Harp forum: wail on! >
SP20 vs SP20 Open Covers vs Crossover
SP20 vs SP20 Open Covers vs Crossover
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HarpNinja
3276 posts
Mar 31, 2013
5:37 PM
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http://mikefugazzi.com/files/SP20vsSP20vsXO.mp3
And the same thing amped...
ttp://mikefugazzi.com/files/SP20vsSP20vsXOAMPED.mp3
I have a MXL 990 condenser, which is not a great mic. Even so, I took three stock Hohner's in A to compare. I had two new SP20's, so I opened the covers on one. I also had a Crossover.
None of these harps are modded in anyway besides the cover plates on the SP20. I played everything in real time at relatively the same distance from the mic. I tried to play everything the exact same, but there is user error.
I play the same thing three times moving from the stock SP20 to the open one to the Crossover every single time.
On studio monitors, I can hear a difference between all three. Some of that is based on my inability to control all variables, but I've reached an overall conclusion, lol.
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Mantra Customized Harmonicas
My Website
Last Edited by HarpNinja on Mar 31, 2013 5:46 PM
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HarpNinja
3277 posts
Mar 31, 2013
5:54 PM
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My conclusion is that I am going to play more Special 20's! Matt Smart made me a convert a few months back and even argued that modding the coverplates may not be worth my time because the impact is so inconclusive.
Granted, these are all stock reed work, but as I finish a few for customers, I'll do an A/B vs stock and how I set my personal harps...I tend to NOT want the end product to be too much different sonically, and I get paid to work on other peoples' harps, so I basically just flat sand, profile, and tune my personal harps. Occasionally, I put some effort into taming overdraw squeals if need be. The key here is my personal harps have the full attention to profiling that I do on my most elaborate custom builds. I just don't do much embossing, etc.
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Mantra Customized Harmonicas
My Website
Last Edited by HarpNinja on Mar 31, 2013 5:55 PM
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528hemi
364 posts
Mar 31, 2013
6:00 PM
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Try 1 other sp20 with MB cover plates.
528hemi
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arzajac
1023 posts
Mar 31, 2013
8:23 PM
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A very relevant comparison, Mike.
On the acoustic sample (the first sound clip) I do hear a difference between all of them with the middle one being my favourite across the board. In the second sound clip, the two first harps sound identical and the third one is tuned differently so I reckon that's the Crossover.
I would suppose the second harp has the open covers. And that would be consistent with better sound projection with the open covers, but no change in tone and no appreciable difference when cupped.
This is a small sample size, though. I like the second harp, but it may just be closer to well set up out-of-the-box than the others. It would be interesting if you set the reeds up and adjusted the tuning the same on all harps and then did the test again. That would eliminate some variables.
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HarpNinja
3278 posts
Apr 01, 2013
8:08 AM
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When I was testing to make sure the mic was going to record the acoustic stuff, I didn't pay attention to which harp I was grabbing. The XO was easiest to tell from the feel, but I had no idea if I was using the open or closed SP20...I did, though, when recording the posted tracks.
I, too, felt the SP20 with open covers sounded best of all three. I swear I did when sound checking too. I was right on my guesses as to which SP20 was which, but it was clearly more noticeable while playing then while listening to play back.
I tried really hard to be consistent in testing, but I know I wasn't. It is impossible to isolate everything. I think having the same reed work and tuning would make it better, but in the end, my hypothisis, which I've tested before, is that a hot rodded SP20 is going to sound louder and brighter than stock.
For me personally, I don't think open vs closed covers at that stage is a big deal. When playing the stock harps, mostly in the middle where setup isn't as a big a deal, the SP20 feels softer than the XO. It is hard to hear that difference on playback.
After listening to this several times, I have no preference for amped sounds. With a full band live or in studio, there isn't enough of a sonic difference for me to care which I play. Acoustically, though, which I am currently doing, the SP20 sounded great either way.
Conclusion:
If the harp plays well, no one is going to tell the difference in the audience, lol.
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Mantra Customized Harmonicas
My Website
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HarpNinja
3279 posts
Apr 01, 2013
8:17 AM
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Regarding tuning, temperament is a tricky thing. I think the Major scales in the middle of the harp sound flat on the SP20. The chords sound better, but I almost never use chords like that. If I had to choose between the XO or SP20 compromise, I think the XO wins.
Any out of tune bends on the bottom half of the harps in these clips is user error. The 2" sounds flat and that is my fault. Obviously I have a bias, but stock harps are hard to play on the bottom octave for me. I have to at least change the gapping.
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Mantra Customized Harmonicas
My Website
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nacoran
6630 posts
Apr 01, 2013
11:25 AM
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Have you tried a Sp20 with a Turbolid? It kind of takes open backs to an extreme.
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Nate
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