waltertore
1089 posts
Feb 19, 2011
5:07 PM
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I have been messing with using a shure 57 and a $5 homemade tie clip mic to amplify my harp through my princeton reverb reissue amp. I started out with a toilet paper tube lined with a paper towel then tried a rubber beer can cooler. I had about given up on the beer can cooler idea because the compression on the tie clip mic was overloading it and making it cut out. The 57 worked fine but the size and weight of it was no fun and I kind of like the cheap mic sound better. It is different than the norm as am I :-).
Today I took the beer cooler idea and added a big hole in the bottom so air can escape. then I lined it with a paper towel. It all fit together in rack easily and I dig the sound. It is not noticably heavier than with just a harp in the rack. the tie clip mic is encased in a pen top. I used the clip on the pen to hold it on the beer can cooler via sliting the cooler and running the pen top through it. Here are my first attempts with this new set up. I want to thank Greg for corresponding with me on this and walterharp for donating the mic to me. I haven't been inspired to play amplified harp since about 1980! Walter
get help when you are down
taking you out of here
diagnosed blue
will you forgive me for my life
living on the lucky side
here are links to the harp rack rig
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walter tore's spontobeat - a real one man band and over 1 million spontaneously created songs and growing. I record about 300 full length cds a year.
" life is a daring adventure or nothing at all" - helen keller
2,600+ of my songs
continuous streaming - 200 most current songs
my videos
Last Edited by on Feb 19, 2011 6:15 PM
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nacoran
3827 posts
Feb 19, 2011
7:45 PM
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Beer COOLER! Okay, that's better. I thought your typo was about Coors. I thought, huh, he went through all that trouble and then he used a cheap beer!
That's a pretty cool mod. Are you going to develop it for market? I wonder if there is a way to develop a valve that would let you apply a 'hand' wah.
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Nate
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waltertore
1091 posts
Feb 19, 2011
7:58 PM
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narcoran: I misspelled the title. I am terrible at seeing spelling errors. I am sure someone could figure out the wah wah thing but it seems like it would involve too much thinking while playing. I need to have no mind when I play. That is why I went to micing the harp on the rack verse hooking it up to a mic stand. Having to think about moving my mouth from the vocal mic to the harp mic takes the sponto out of the beat.
Thanks for the suggestion to market it but I am no businessman. That side of life doesn't interest me. I am sure someone could have a slick looking cooler made, fit the mic in it, and sell them. I am just a few days into this experiment. I will be tinkering with the whole thing more tomorrow. I am liking the general sound. The mic has a buzz in it that can be heard on the quiet songs. I don't know anything about how to fix that. Walterharp suggested a new battery and moving the chocolate tin box around to see if the buzz can be made less present. Neither helped.
Walterharp: I am pedaled and twitched out ;-)
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walter tore's spontobeat - a real one man band and over 1 million spontaneously created songs and growing. I record about 300 full length cds a year.
" life is a daring adventure or nothing at all" - helen keller
2,600+ of my songs
continuous streaming - 200 most current songs
my videos
Last Edited by on Feb 19, 2011 8:07 PM
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nacoran
3832 posts
Feb 19, 2011
8:16 PM
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I'm a terrible speller too. I've just got a good spell checker! I'm even worse at tinkering. I get crazy ideas but I always get distracted. Looking at this, it looks like the sort of thing the Turboharp guys might come up with. They've got light up stickers for their harps so you can see the key in the dark and light up harmonicas and magnetic benders and built in pick-ups. Sometimes the biggest impediment to invention is tradition. You get conditioned to think the problem can't be solved because it's been around as long as anyone remembers and no one has fixed it. :)
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Nate
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oldwailer
1539 posts
Feb 19, 2011
8:39 PM
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The sound you're getting is really good, Walter! I'm still working on the toilet paper roll idea--and I think I'm onto something--I just hope I end up with something at least approaching the sound you're already getting.
I'll post something if my rig turns out--otherwise, I'll just steal your latest idea--if I can just get some of the ugly off it ;) . . .
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Always be yourself--unless you suck. . .
-Joss Whedon
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waltertore
1093 posts
Feb 20, 2011
5:38 AM
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I hear you narcoran! My approach to music goes so against tradition it is just plain ignored by the business. They prefer to sell what is easiest with the minimal amount of effort. You should hear the things people have said when I play gigs. I think I will make a post about it!
I look forward to hearing your idea old wailer. I post everything with my new ventures. I know often it sounds bad but for some reason I am compelled to share the learning process. I was posting my 1 man band songs as soon as I got my drum kit going again and had just started recording. I enjoy the joyful noise of the learning curve. the toilet paper idea will not hold up well with gigging and changing harps from my experiments. Feel free to steal my idea because it is ideas I stole. Walterharp gave me the mic and somebody mentioned using a beer cooler. I just put it all together. Walter
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walter tore's spontobeat - a real one man band and over 1 million spontaneously created songs and growing. I record about 300 full length cds a year.
" life is a daring adventure or nothing at all" - helen keller
2,600+ of my songs
continuous streaming - 200 most current songs
my videos
Last Edited by on Feb 20, 2011 5:41 AM
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waltertore
1099 posts
Feb 20, 2011
4:42 PM
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I added some more paper towel lining to the cooler and did a session with the guitar driven 1 man band and piano driven 1 man band.
Piano 1 man band
I got the urge to play some keys with the drums on my feet and harp in the rack. Walter
fun on the side
grandpas corn liquor boogie
I cry every morning
time travel with me
Here are some from this mornings session with the guitar driven 1 man band. It is cold and snowy. Makes for lots of recording time!
easy and long
hitting the street running
I want to take you away
wondering if she will ever take me back
make belive truths
I really don't like working
opened the window
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walter tore's spontobeat - a real one man band and over 1 million spontaneously created songs and growing. I record about 300 full length cds a year.
" life is a daring adventure or nothing at all" - helen keller
2,600+ of my songs
continuous streaming - 200 most current songs
my videos
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