Tips for recording harmonica?

Author
Dave King
Max Output Level: -46.5 dBFS
  • Total Posts : 2862
  • Joined: 2005/11/13 14:19:48
  • Location: Connecticut, USA
  • Status: offline
2014/03/18 17:41:38 (permalink)

Tips for recording harmonica?

Hey,
 
I'm working on a song that includes harmonica as a main melodic element.
 
Unforunately, the harmonica sound is quite shrill and harsh to my ears.  I recorded it using a Shure KSM-44.  In hindsight, I'm wondering if I would have been better off using a dynamic mic such as a SM7 or 58.
 
So that got me thinking...  Perhaps I can re-amp the existing recording by playing it through my studio monitors and then re-record it using a dynamic mic.  Might this result in a more pleasing harmonica sound?
 
I think I'll try it!
 
Anybody here use this method, or have other suggestions on getting a harmonica sound when recording?
 
Thanks.

Dave King
www.davekingmusic.com

SONAR X2 Producer 64-Bit 
StudioCat PC
Windows 7 Home Premium, Service Pack 1 
Intel Corel i5 3450 CPU @3.10 GHz 
RAM 8 GB
M-Audio Delta 44

M-Audio MidiSport 2x2
 
#1

10 Replies Related Threads

    rumleymusic
    Max Output Level: -60 dBFS
    • Total Posts : 1533
    • Joined: 2006/08/23 18:03:05
    • Location: California
    • Status: offline
    Re: Tips for recording harmonica? 2014/03/18 17:44:11 (permalink)
    Why don't you try EQ first?

    Daniel Rumley
    Rumley Music and Audio Production
    www.rumleymusic.com
    #2
    Dave King
    Max Output Level: -46.5 dBFS
    • Total Posts : 2862
    • Joined: 2005/11/13 14:19:48
    • Location: Connecticut, USA
    • Status: offline
    Re: Tips for recording harmonica? 2014/03/18 18:22:32 (permalink)
    Naturally I tried that. But still want better results.

    Dave King
    www.davekingmusic.com

    SONAR X2 Producer 64-Bit 
    StudioCat PC
    Windows 7 Home Premium, Service Pack 1 
    Intel Corel i5 3450 CPU @3.10 GHz 
    RAM 8 GB
    M-Audio Delta 44

    M-Audio MidiSport 2x2
     
    #3
    Rimshot
    Max Output Level: -29 dBFS
    • Total Posts : 4625
    • Joined: 2010/12/09 12:51:08
    • Location: California
    • Status: offline
    Re: Tips for recording harmonica? 2014/03/18 21:47:50 (permalink)
    I would redo it and use a SM57 about 12" away with some lows boosted.  

    Rimshot 

    Sonar Platinum 64 (Lifer), Studio One V3.5, Notion 6, Steinberg UR44, Zoom R24, Purrrfect Audio Pro Studio DAW (Case: Silent Mid Tower, Power Supply: 600w quiet, Haswell CPU: i7 4790k @ 4.4GHz (8 threads), RAM: 16GB DDR3/1600 
    , OS drive: 1TB HD, Audio drive: 1TB HD), Windows 10 x64 Anniversary, Equator D5 monitors, Faderport, FP8, Akai MPK261
    #4
    The Maillard Reaction
    Max Output Level: 0 dBFS
    • Total Posts : 31918
    • Joined: 2004/07/09 20:02:20
    • Status: offline
    Re: Tips for recording harmonica? 2014/03/18 23:09:02 (permalink)
    Maybe try the KSM44 in omni? The hi freq boost starts at 5kHz in Omni while it rises at 3kHz in Cardiod. Plus the off axis in "Omni" has quite a bit of fall off, as the frequency rises, so you can tailor the tone of the hi end by positioning the mic to the side  or at an angle to sculpt the EQ curve of what you capture.
     
    I think that harmonica could really challenge a condenser mic. Some may work while others others probably will not.
     
    I don't want to seem argumentative, but I think your (Dave) response makes sense to me; If there is something about a mic's EQ response that I don't particular like it seems to persist regardless of attempting to use EQ to make that aspect go away.
     
    Have fun!


    #5
    Dave King
    Max Output Level: -46.5 dBFS
    • Total Posts : 2862
    • Joined: 2005/11/13 14:19:48
    • Location: Connecticut, USA
    • Status: offline
    Re: Tips for recording harmonica? 2014/03/18 23:21:55 (permalink)
    Huh, okay.  Maybe I'll try the KSM44 in Omni mode as you suggested too.  Might be nice to pick up a little "room" in the recording as well.
     
    Ran out of time tonight, so I'll try to give it a try tomorrow night.
     
    Thanks!

    Dave King
    www.davekingmusic.com

    SONAR X2 Producer 64-Bit 
    StudioCat PC
    Windows 7 Home Premium, Service Pack 1 
    Intel Corel i5 3450 CPU @3.10 GHz 
    RAM 8 GB
    M-Audio Delta 44

    M-Audio MidiSport 2x2
     
    #6
    Jeff Evans
    Max Output Level: -24 dBFS
    • Total Posts : 5139
    • Joined: 2009/04/13 18:20:16
    • Location: Ballarat, Australia
    • Status: offline
    Re: Tips for recording harmonica? 2014/03/18 23:57:32 (permalink)

    Specs i5-2500K 3.5 Ghz - 8 Gb RAM - Win 7 64 bit - ATI Radeon HD6900 Series - RME PCI HDSP9632 - Steinberg Midex 8 Midi interface - Faderport 8- Studio One V4 - iMac 2.5Ghz Core i5 - Sierra 10.12.6 - Focusrite Clarett thunderbolt interface 
     
    Poor minds talk about people, average minds talk about events, great minds talk about ideas -Eleanor Roosevelt
    #7
    rumleymusic
    Max Output Level: -60 dBFS
    • Total Posts : 1533
    • Joined: 2006/08/23 18:03:05
    • Location: California
    • Status: offline
    Re: Tips for recording harmonica? 2014/03/19 00:25:40 (permalink)
    The SOS article seems rather spot on.  For harsher instruments: Harmonica, accordion, bagpipe, etc.  I usually reach for the most neutral and warm condenser in my kit.  A good ribbon would also be great.  I think the SM57 might have too much nasal mid range and not help the situation other than castrating the high frequencies.  The KSM44 is not a microphone that has a noticeable weak area in the frequency response, and should take EQ well, but most problems can be solved with positioning while recording and that is always the place to start.  

    Daniel Rumley
    Rumley Music and Audio Production
    www.rumleymusic.com
    #8
    The Maillard Reaction
    Max Output Level: 0 dBFS
    • Total Posts : 31918
    • Joined: 2004/07/09 20:02:20
    • Status: offline
    Re: Tips for recording harmonica? 2014/03/19 12:16:16 (permalink)
    I have always thought of harmonica playing and blues harp to be two distinctly different styles of music. I usually mic the blues harp on the players amp and I think of harmonica playing as soft melodic stuff like German folk songs. I think of harmonica as a reed instrument.
    post edited by mike_mccue - 2014/03/19 12:36:31


    #9
    Dave King
    Max Output Level: -46.5 dBFS
    • Total Posts : 2862
    • Joined: 2005/11/13 14:19:48
    • Location: Connecticut, USA
    • Status: offline
    Re: Tips for recording harmonica? 2014/03/19 13:49:48 (permalink)
    The SOS article was very good. 
     
    Of the reference audio samples accompanying the article, I like the SM58 best (although I did not use the "cupped" method of playing when I recorded).  Nevertheless, this gives me a good reference to compare and tweak my recordings to.
     
    Thanks.

    Dave King
    www.davekingmusic.com

    SONAR X2 Producer 64-Bit 
    StudioCat PC
    Windows 7 Home Premium, Service Pack 1 
    Intel Corel i5 3450 CPU @3.10 GHz 
    RAM 8 GB
    M-Audio Delta 44

    M-Audio MidiSport 2x2
     
    #10
    tlw
    Max Output Level: -49.5 dBFS
    • Total Posts : 2567
    • Joined: 2008/10/11 22:06:32
    • Location: West Midlands, UK
    • Status: offline
    Re: Tips for recording harmonica? 2014/03/22 00:18:47 (permalink)
    Blues harmonica? Country harmonica? Old time/traditional folk harmonica? Tremolo tuned or not?
     
    All sound different and require different techniques.
     
    As a general principle though, harmonicas are much louder close up then you'd think and can overdrive many microphones without a bit of distance (though blues harp in particular relies on overdrive). They also tend to lack bottom end and have a big upper mid spike, especially if tremolo tuned. If playing into a guitar amp it's usual to have to reduce the treble a lot and boost the bass.
     
    I consider distance miced harmonicas as essentially a woodwind instrument. Close micing gives more of a "Chicago" sound and hand cupping/uncupping doesn't have anything like as dramatic effect as when using a more distant mic.

    Sonar Platinum 64bit, Windows 8.1 Pro 64bit, I7 3770K Ivybridge, 16GB Ram, Gigabyte Z77-D3H m/board,
    ATI 7750 graphics+ 1GB RAM, 2xIntel 520 series 220GB SSDs, 1 TB Samsung F3 + 1 TB WD HDDs, Seasonic fanless 460W psu, RME Fireface UFX, Focusrite Octopre.
    Assorted real synths, guitars, mandolins, diatonic accordions, percussion, fx and other stuff.
    #11
    Jump to:
    © 2024 APG vNext Commercial Version 5.1