Tips for recording a harmonica

[Gripthegrip]

Any suggestions

[BertKoor]

For the bluesy screaming sound: get a Shure 520DX "Green Bullet" mic and run it through a guitar amp with slight overdrive.

[AnX]

put the harmonica in one room, put the mic in another room

job done

[vurt]

im looking forward to the modular plus harmonica jams

[jochicago]

Does this not work?:
1. Put mic on stand
2. Stand ~6 inches from mic
3. Play harmonica

I see people do the thing of holding a dynamic mic pushed into the harmonica, holding both to your face. That may be a convenient way to hold the mic, but I don't think it makes for the best sound.

[BertKoor]

Does this not work?:
1. Put mic on stand
2. Stand ~6 inches from mic
3. Play harmonica

I see people do the thing of holding a dynamic mic pushed into the harmonica, holding both to your face. That may be a convenient way to hold the mic, but I don't think it makes for the best sound.

This legendary guy had an incredibly clean and good sound every single gig, so no...

[BertKoor]

[double quote]

[jochicago]

This legendary guy had an incredibly clean and good sound every single gig, so no...

I think that's going to depend hard on the mic and the treatment (eq, etc). Typical vocal mics are not made to be used that way, so I think you are going to want a combination of a harmonic and mic that make the distortion complimentary.

I was actually working on a harmonica track that was recorded this way with a Telefunken, and it sounds like death coming to knock on the door. So much harshness, even my best tools could not take it out. It probably has to do with the fact that the Telefunken is more sensitive than your average dynamic.

So anyone that has a "legendary" sound with their harmonica playing, I would bet they also have a preferred mic they would never let go.

[logifuzz-vst-plugins]

Any suggestions

Helps if you say what have you tried and where the results didn't meet the expectation.