SuperBee
1460 posts
Oct 05, 2013
7:28 PM
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"you're getting a bit of distortion on the mouth organ" said the fruit seller. i was playing at a large open air market, in a trio with bass and guitar. i was playing and singing through a CR mic connected to an early model Lectrosonics Mouse amp.
this was the second time this guy had made the remark in the last couple of weeks. he thinks buskers should have to pass auditions (but we'd pass)...yadda yadda yadda ... i wouldn't pay it too much attention except...
when i went to the cafe at work, the guy who took my money asked me "did you get that microphone fixed?"
i asked what he was talking about, and he said he'd seen me at the market and thought the rig sounded like it was breaking down, quite distorted
now THIS guy has heard the trio play at the market before, and on that occasion came up to say how much he liked it, and then bought us all expensive pints to emphasise the point.
so i take his comment more seriously
now, the mouse does break up i know, and its maybe not such a good kind of clip. but it doesn't sound to me like there is anything going on with the amp. to me it sounds like it has all the time ive had it.
maybe i should look for a cleaner sounding mic to use with this amp?
i'm interested to hear from those with experience of using the amp for harmonica... if you have any advice... i'm all ears
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LSC
514 posts
Oct 05, 2013
7:44 PM
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Might be because you had the amp turned up louder than at the cafe due to being outside. Distortion can be quite subjective especially if the listener isn't aware of what you're going for and that it's intentional. Could you have accidentally put the eq switch in the wrong position? Battery fully charged? Failing all that, perhaps experiment with a cleaner mic or a guitar set up clean and see what happens. If it still sounds unpleasant have a close look at the speaker for any tears or separation. Could also be blown with nothing immediately obvious. If it is blown replacements direct from Lectronics are pretty cheap. Seems like I replaced one for like $25 but I couldn't swear to it.
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LSC
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SuperBee
1461 posts
Oct 05, 2013
8:32 PM
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thanks timeistight &LSC:
both commenters heard the band at the same place.
this is the thing...to me it sounds ok but i may not be well placed to hear what the punters hear.
the first time, its possible the battery was low. the guy whose remark bothered me only heard it the first time. the fruit seller commented both times.
the first time he said "youre getting some horrible distortion"
the second time he said "youre getting a bit of distortion" . he also said its hard to know if its intentional. these days etc
i would have had the volume at about 9 oclock. its starts at 730, finishes at 5.
this is the original mouse, no eq switch. there is a -10dB switch, which i would have had in the lower position the first time
i dont think i was running it louder than when Eddie (the cafe man) heard us the first time.
both days were rather gusty.
i mean, i dont turn it up much. the bass is fully acoustic. i'm going for balance. most folks seem happy...kiddies dance...people take photos, videos...but Eddie's comment i take seriously
speaker seems ok to me...i can plug my ipod into it and play ray charles with the mouse volume up on 4 oclock and the ipod halfway...i'd turn the mouse up more but its a bit loud...not distorting to any great extent though...
maybe next time i'll try a modern dynamic mic...
i was wondering about the battery that first time...i realised i hadnt charged it and that i had been using the amp quite a bit...i use it as an ipod dock and for house jams...so i was fairly intent on keeping volume as low as i thought i could get away with. Do they break up more when the charge gets low?----------
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Greg Heumann
2402 posts
Oct 05, 2013
9:06 PM
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Go for the tone YOU like. You can only satisfy yourself. That guy might have had Dylan, Neil Young, Bruce Springsteen, Tom Petty as tone role models.
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BlowsMeAway Productions
See my Customer Mics album on Facebook
BlueState - my band
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JInx
564 posts
Oct 05, 2013
10:25 PM
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yah, be careful, screaming harmonica through a mouse amp is one of the most god awful sounds on earth.
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SuperBee
1462 posts
Oct 06, 2013
1:06 AM
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A bit of a sound check this arvo. Dunno why I didn't do this before. Compared the 57, 58, with IMT, and a CR brown bullet.
With and without delay. across a working volume range.
I think the 58 is the best. Probably better for vocals too.
Thanks for getting involved. Helps me somehow.
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Miles Dewar
1512 posts
Oct 06, 2013
6:37 AM
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@SuperBee,
I currently use an SM58 will all my Mouses. I bought a green bullet a while back and never use it, pretty much because of the distortion (I like a cleaner sound).
I don't like the windscreen so I removed it and covered the mic top with a plastic grate that was inside an old mic screen (works great this way). It is pretty much the only mic I use now.
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Miles Dewar
1513 posts
Oct 06, 2013
6:41 AM
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Also, I notice a couple of my Mouses make slight cracks and pops when turned up loud. I am the farthest from a tech-guy, so I am not certain why it happens. Perhaps there are some small cracks or pops being heard by the audience, leading some to think something is broken.
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SuperBee
1464 posts
Oct 06, 2013
8:58 PM
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Thanks Miles. I think the 58 will take the hard edge off. I play tongue blocked about all the time and In my test session I noticed particularly that the slaps and chords sound kinda harsh through the CR/mouse rig.
This amp came from a goodwill store, but I can't find any fault with the amp. However, it is the only one I have ever heard so I have nothing with which to compare
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kudzurunner
4294 posts
Oct 07, 2013
1:47 PM
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When the Mouse batteries are beginning to weaken, the amp breaks up more quickly. One way of weakening them is just to play them, use them, over time. Eventually they go. The other way is to play until they fully discharge--at which point, for the last 15 minutes or so as you head in that direction, the sound will break up badly, slowly growing more soft, and the red charge/discharge light will start to pulse with every note you play. Once you've fully discharged them that way, they'll never be quite as strong. Do it two or three times and you'll quickly kill them.
I suspect that your batteries are weakening. You may want to replace them.
Last Edited by kudzurunner on Oct 07, 2013 1:48 PM
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SuperBee
1467 posts
Oct 08, 2013
12:42 AM
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thanks Kudzurunner. i'm glad to have your advice. i put new batteries in this amp when i bought it, and ive seen no warning light. i actually wasn't aware there is a warning light; its a comfort to know that.
of course i guess there is a chance my warning light isnt working...
its quite possible the batteries were getting low that day though.
i'm not sure how much playtime one should expect from a fully charged mouse. i realised i'd been using it for at least a couple hours, but when i started adding up it seemed possible i'd had maybe 4 or more hours of use since the previous charge. i probably did another 2 hours busking with it before recharge
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