FYI-- Got a Guitar Center flyer for the upcoming sale Apr 2 to 14 , includes Red Howler bullet mics for $49.99. "Select stores & guitarcenter.com" I got one at that price in 2013. (Took forever then -on backorder right away) Solidly built, nice volume knob, great red color, a decent dynamic bullet mic for starting out imho. In the garage with Superchamp XD, Roland microcube: sounds great! feedback at higher gain settings. No experience with stage volumes, but other reviewers who bought seem satisfied.
I repaired one that was two weeks old. Crappy dinky pot, tiny wires, hard wired cord that is in the way for putting in a full size pot. Tone is OK, somewhat dark. Nice shell, easy to hold. For that price, OK.
I wish I could teach the world of new players that looking to Musicians' Friend, et. al for their harp gear is a mistake. All they see is mass-produced, designed for maximum profit, highest volume stuff aimed at the very bottom of the market. If they KNEW they might give myself, Dennis Gruenling, James Waldron, Johnny Ace, Dennis Oellig, Dave Wren, Mark Overman, Kevin Coleman and a host of other builders out there a shout. ANY of these guys will build you a better mic with better tone than one of these mass produced, $2 chinese element, lousy cable, lousy connector wonders.
Oh well, what can I expect. When I was a new player, I did the same thing. ---------- *************************************************** /Greg
They are built with the cheapest materials and generally fail more quickly. What Greg said. The current crop of mic builders and reworkers- a sort of high end cottage industry- has researched what we harpers need and want, and developed procedures and designs to accommodate our needs. I have a mic Greg modded for me about 5 years ago and it's far better than any current offering from ANY current big box big name builder. Even the venerated Green Bullet has descended in the past 20 or 30 years.
You can buy a $10 socket set and break all the important ones the first time out. Or you can go Snap On and have tools that last a lifetime. ---------- http://www.reverbnation.com/jawboneandjolene
Maybe cost is the issue here, not knocking Greg's gear or anyone else's for that matter and I know what Greg is saying here, we have all been there (if I could afford your gear I would buy!) but if your on a small budget or no budget it's $50 against double or triple that??? And besides, I would not encourage any new player to buy expensive top end gear until they are sure they are going to stick with it for such a niche market the prices are really up there and I know that Ebay and the net has a lot to do with that but hey,you pays your money you takes your choice! I ain't knocking anyone's gear I know a lot of the top notch stuff worthy of the price tag!
I would not buy a Red Howler or any new massed produced 'harp mic' I have been playing since the 80's and love my Astatic JT-30's and I know what I like but I can understand folk buying cheaper mics and I know that spending say $300 on a great built mic will be better in the long run but hey, folk's just trying to get by on the economics of the day and to each their own blah blah blah!
Bloweth througheth what thy please's..haha made myself laugh there!
Last Edited by marine1896 on Mar 31, 2015 5:35 AM
Greg is so right. Many of us bought the $50 mics several times when we could have invested the same amount of money on ONE good mic. Same with amps. I could have probably bought a Harpking for what I spent experiementing with guitar amps that were barely marginal for harp. ---------- Music speaks where words fail.
How true the old adage, "You get what you pay for." Cheap harps, cheap mics, cheap amps, cheap sound and issues in no time. You don't have to own the very best, top-of-the-line equipment, but definitely stay away from the over-rated, price-oriented low-end stuff. There are plenty of good suggestions on this forum about all equipment. Each player has his own preferences as to what works best for him, and eventually newbies will develop their own sense of good and bad based on experience, recommendations from seasoned players along with some trial and error.
I bought one like this knowing that it was at the low end of things specifically to learn how to play with a bullet mic (vs a stick mic), see if I got on with it, and to inform my choice when I get good enough to justify something better. I learnt all kinds of useful things, much better and more fun to experience it than be told it. Money well spent in my case, to avoid expensive mistakes.
Discussing it on MBH gave Greg the opportunity to explain in detail why his mics are that much better, so that was useful too (and not just to me hopefully). It made me consider not just the sound, but comfort and other practical issues.
I didn't get this particular model, but I believe it's similar. I took it apart and I'm confident I can repair it if/when there is a lead failure.
Last Edited by MindTheGap on Mar 31, 2015 8:03 AM
Good comments! - it works for me, in these learning stages. Yeah, you get what you pay for - good analogy to the tools jbone. Its a bummer that the Howler design gets in the way of upgrading. Can you change/upgrade the element at least? Kinda like buying and entry-level performance bicycle, but not being able to upgrade the derailleur, shifters, cranks, etc. Greg: My playing is the weakest link in the musical signal chain; when I get more confident, I'll look to fine Mic customizers. (Ultimate 57+Bulletizer?- I'd love to check it out in person someday.) Gap: I bought this like you, to try bullet vs. a stick mic. I put a wide rubber band around the bezel to improve grip, Also doing the same trick with a SM58 look-alike. Still sorting that out. Now, back to it!
Every low dollar new issue mic I have ever bought has been much less than satisfactory. You want a good tool for the price, there are only three options: Luck out on Ebay and get something good for a low bid.........Have a pro redo one or build you one......do it yourself. Or inherit one?
The components of these latecomers are low low quality. You can expect to have issues much earlier than with the real deal.
I don't have a lot of dough, always been a blue collar man, but when you need something you find a way. My first amp was a ss Crate, and I got a little lavalier mic to go with it. Dry dry dry. So I spent another chunk of cash for a digi delay, upping the total to the price of a good used GB mic and a Champ to plug it into. That could have change3d my music history. I may have gotten really turned on by that tone and taken a different path to learn more. As it was I suffered with the wrong gear of 7 or 8 years before i lucked into a Princeton Tremolo and then got a deal on a GB. That same $50 could likely get you a decent Shure 585 or Astatic 332. ---------- http://www.reverbnation.com/jawboneandjolene
jbone - I think in general it's good advice to buy the right thing, not the cheap thing. But in the particular case of wanting to try and learn to use a bullet mic, I don't think there is an option between this mic and something pretty expensive. It's true that you can find e.g. a Astatic 332 for little money (I found a 336 which is similar, no on/off switch) but the market on the classic big bullets seems sewn up. That's my observation, glad to be proved wrong.
I don't think the Superlux/Red Howler is 'wrong' kit for harp in the way that a SS Crate + lavalier mic is 'wrong'. If I learn to get a good cup on this mic, it will transfer directly when I do buy a better quality one.
Good points guys, thanks! I finally figured out my grip for a bullet, and that is a BIG boost! $ well spent.
I hear you Jbone, when you play through something really nice, it sparks creativity & energy into one's work! I know maybe this mic won't last as long as others. I like it right now. And it's a start in the right direction, like MindtheGap notes.
You can always save up and get a better element and install it with a good vol pot and the higher quality cable. If you want. I was expressing my opinion based on my years of experience is all. Everyone has one. Peace. ---------- http://www.reverbnation.com/jawboneandjolene
jbone - I value your opinion particularly because of your years of experience and open approach in describing what you've done. And your obvious joy in making music.
What I learned from this mic (aside from learning how to play with a bullet) is that I'd prefer one of those wooden mics: grippier, lighter, with a slighter smaller diameter, with the volume control at the back, and a removable rather than captive lead. So I won't myself be trying to modify the Superlux. It would be a spare. And I won't be looking around for a GB or JT30.
Last Edited by MindTheGap on Apr 03, 2015 12:42 AM
I guess a $50 lesson beats a $150+ lesson about size and grip! You know, Shure did build the 707a mic, a somewhat smaller bullet body with a crystal element. I switched to a cm element in mine. Sold off last year. As you can afford, you owe it to yourself to try different mics. Also sometimes at jams/open mics a harp guy in the house band will have something cool to try out. I do occasionally use the Astatic 332, very easy grip, crystal element so it has less bass response than the vaunted cm bullets. Probably my favorite smaller bullet mic is an Electrovoice m43u. Problem is, they are low impedance. I had Greg H mod mine and it did cost a bit but it's a super tool. For a more budget-y mic though I find the Shure 585 hard to beat. Under $100, hi z, looks like an sm58 but sounds dam good in a tube amp.
Just a couple of thoughts. ---------- http://www.reverbnation.com/jawboneandjolene
There are two schools of thought - one is "go cheap until you know you're gonna stick with it". The other is "buy good gear from the start - it will save you money in the long run."
My personal story is that I started with cheap gear and, somewhat subconsciously, I blamed it for not getting the tone I thought I should have. Then I learned more and got good gear - gear the pros were using - and realized the problem was me. But I KNEW THAT gear was capable of the tone I was after and it pushed me to develop my own tone.
CUPPING is an art. It does not come naturally and the majority of players can't do it well. This is a fact - I've been paying very close attention to this for years because of what I do. The worst thing about most of the cheaper mics is that they will make a beginning or intermediate player sound EVEN WORSE because they have too much high frequency response and not enough bass. When you cup really well, you naturally mute the highs and bring out the bass, so you can make any mic sound decent. But when you're starting? Not so much. (This is one of the reasons The Heumann Element is getting such great reviews - it really helps most players sound better!)
I have also had the opportunity to hear lots and lots of mics. Sometimes I'll say to myself "hmmm, that sounds pretty good." But then I will A/B it with some of my tried and true favorites - in particular a good Shure CM or CR, or THE, or Brush Crystal - and play them back to back. Then I can easily here that the mic in question just doesn't sound as good.
It's really that simple. ---------- *************************************************** /Greg
Greg - The advice I read on MBH has generally been that technique trumps equipment - often said with some vehemence! That beginners won't benefit from pro gear, and in fact it can hinder learning (like the questions about custom harps for beginners).
What you're saying here is interesting and very different. That having the good mic will help us learn the right technique.
It is possible, I throw out an analogy. Originally I had a vocal mic with a ball mesh, it responded a bit to cupping but not much. When I tried an SM57, it was a radically different thing - a real 'Aaah, that's what they mean' moment. I learnt how to cup with it because it did respond like that. I couldn't have with the original mic.
What I asserted above was that learning to cup with a cheapo bullet would transfer to a quality bullet. What do you think? That's a genuine question, not a challenge.
Last Edited by MindTheGap on Apr 03, 2015 8:46 AM
Awhile back, I fell prey to someone's "$49 JT-30(or something like that) @ Musician's Friend/Guitar Center/Whatever" thread. I now have a, made in China, Hi-Z, dynamic mic in a bullet frame with a volume knob. It lives in a suitcase with a lot of other mics I don't use. The Red Howler is probably very similar and maybe even better. No reason for buyer's remorse.
Maybe I will get it out today? Maybe I'll order one of Greg's custom bullets? It's all good.
You can learn with anything. But if you blame your gear AT ALL when you shouldn't be - you're slowing yourself down. Can you learn to cup with a cheap bullet if you don't get to hear what good cupping through a good mic sounds like? You'll never know if your "not there yet" is you or the mic!
I will add that a great player can make any gear sound good. But he still chooses great gear to sound the best. You don't see any pros playing through Red Howler mics, for example.
Yes good points. Learning the harmonica is unusual in that we have access to pro gear. Unlike with most other instruments where it would be out of reach and a good student model is expensive enough.
I do like jbone's thought that it's good to try out a variety of equipment. When I learnt piano, because I was travelling a lot at the time, I ended up practicing on whatever I could find. Sometimes good, sometimes bad. But it meant that I didn't get too tuned in to the feel of one piano - the weight of the keys, the velocity needed, the response of the pedals etc. I liked that.
Last Edited by MindTheGap on Apr 04, 2015 12:19 PM
I agree with who ever already said that acoustic tone is the first step! You really can't beat starting out with learning acoustic tone. The various coloring and cool effects done with our hands is amazing.
Practice practice practice practice... Step 2 listen, listen, listen, ..then listen some more. ..then repeat step 1.
THEN call Greg! ----------
Why is it that we all just can't get along?<
Last Edited by Mojokane on Apr 04, 2015 3:13 PM
One of these days I may find a way to give in to G.A.S. and get a new Heumann element mic. Truthfully I have what i need and like and have pared down in the past two years. But my rationalizer goes "What's one more mic? Won't take up any space at all!"
My first bullet/tube rig was a Green Bullet- pre 80's so a great element, no volume pot- and a Fender Princeton Tremolo from about 1962. It was truly a great sound and way above my skill set at the time. That didn't stop me. I took it out to jams and could barely hear myself most of the time but I did learn. And on some songs that thing just rang like a bell. I was addicted. Along the way, yes, I did learn better cupping and how to avoid the squeal thing. I went on to a bigger amp- less manageable too. But I kept that GB for years. Eventually I discovered ebay and also swapped some stuff around. I got a couple mics I really didn't like and pretty quickly moved them. Went through several amps over the years. Now all this time, I was struggling to be a better player. And every single change I made to my gear set gave me a different challenge! Along the way I realized, I didn't want to be one more bowling shirted frontman of a swing band. There were plenty of them. I didn't need to play with a rhythm section always. I got into duos and even a duo with a percussion guy. I learned to play on the street much better as a duo. When I began playing amped in a duo- there you go, my sonic needs changed again. More focus on tone and less on raw volume. Also more focus on different strains of tone. I began trying stuff like mounting a bullet on a mic stand and tweaking settings to let me cup without holding the mic. I changed mics to a ball mic, same thing. I tried the aforementioned Astatic 332, light, easy to hold, easy to cup, and had to learn to compensate for the lighter low end the crystal gave me by upping the bass and dropping the treb.
One mic I got a deal on was a Nady/Bushman Torpedo. Fitty dollah. Really cool look, polished pot metal or aluminum, with machined in side vents behind the element. Supposedly you could get different sounds by covering the vents or not. But honestly I just did not like the initial sound of the mic and never worked much with it. I let it go cheap a couple of years ago. I had thought maybe I'd put a hot hi z element in it but I just had to decide to let it go as one more "pending project" that was taking up space here.
My sonic pallette is pretty broad these days between the 3 mics I have and use, the Vibro Champ, the Silvertone 1482, and the Lone Wolf Delay pedal. Since I don't play big halls or with loud bands my amps are smaller. I can always get the amp mic'ed off if needed. In short I have what I need and it took what it took to get it together.
All these things took time to learn and I chose one path. We each do choose differently and for different reasons. If Mind the Gap has learned something valuable from his purchase, so be it! I'd wager it's just one part of the learning experience. ---------- http://www.reverbnation.com/jawboneandjolene
Nice post jbone. That hit a spot. People will be after different things - myself I can't help experimenting. Others will want to get straight to the sound they want and that's fine for them too.
When I started this lark, I had the impression that everyone was going for a more-or-less a known target sound. Something with a tight cup, heavy on the bass, light on the trebles. Then after listening to many, many records and a few live acts, I world out that there are lots of good amped sounds to be had (let alone the acoustic/mic'd sounds). That the tones with a lighter, cleaner, cutting feel are actually good too, not just falling short of the 'heavy cupped' sound.
Then there are the practical considerations that outweigh pure tone like actually getting heard and avoiding feedback as part of a loud band.
So I've got mixed motives in wanting one of Greg's mics. Partly (as Greg says) so I know it's me not the equipment, partly to see if I can learn that Dave Barrett(or Greg?) kind of target sound, partly to enjoy the tone itself, partly just out of curiosity, partly a bit of G.A.S. of course.
It's like bicycles isn't it? You don't work up to the 'ideal' bike, then stop!?
Last Edited by MindTheGap on Apr 05, 2015 12:01 AM
I have a SM57 copy that responds to cupping in the same way that a real one does. From what I've read, my understanding is that these characteristics are dominated by the geometry of the enclosure round the capsule. The free-air response is carefully designed in, the cupped response is a happy accident.
Aside from the overall tone, does the Red Howler/Superlux respond in a similar way to cupping (tight cup, loose cup etc.) as a real Green Bullet? It has similar geometry.
I can hear for myself that it does respond, but I don't how that compares to a GB. I don't want to buy a GB to find out (I'd like a wooden mic) - so I ask instead!
This is the exact same type of question I had about custom vs stock harps, and comes up from time to time here. In the end I had to try one to find out the detail I wanted (beyond 'It's awsome!' :) ). But it makes sense to ask, somone may have both mics and can say.
Last Edited by MindTheGap on Apr 05, 2015 3:14 AM
Re: " these characteristics are dominated by the geometry of the enclosure round the capsule." No - although that is true of the directionality of a mic in free air, it is not true about cupping. Cupping focuses a huge portion of the harp's sound pressure on the element, overdriving it like crazy. Its response is a function of the actual element design and NOT the shape of the enclosure. Although it should be said that the shape of the enclosure MAY have something to do with how complete a cup one can achieve.
