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Date: Wed, 20 Feb 2002 14:46:01 -0800
From: "IronMan Mike Curtis"
Subject: Re: Alas, to mic a Small Amp

The JT-30 requires a very high impedance. If the impedance of
whatever you're plugging it into is less than a meg, it will sound
very thin and shrill. By the time you get any volume, it'll feed
back terribly.

Plug the mic directly into the amp and set it for CLEAN. Compare
that tone and volume with that with the pedal. If it's thin, the
pedal has a low impedance input. You could build or buy a buffer amp
(like my MikeMojo). Or run the JT30 directly into the amp and use
the pedal with the PA mic. Personally I like this setup better.

I suspect you like the small amp for the distortion. Keep in mind
that distortion is at the expense of volume. If you want more
distortion, you will sacrifice volume before feedback.

It's also possible that the amp (or amp/pedal combo) has a rough
frequency response that exacerbates feedback. An EQ might be
helpful.

Miking a small amp adds the "feedback" of an additional mic. This
can be minimized by putting the mic as close as possible to the
speaker, so you don't need to turn it up as loud. Try both the front
and back of the cab.

On 20 Feb 2002, at 13:43, Mojo Red wrote:

>
> Hi gang,
>
> I recently acquired a very Very toneful small
> amp... it's a small (6/7 watts) 60s vintage Harmony
> 304C class A tube job (nicely modded by John
> Onofrio). Simple, yet a real tone monster. No
> reverb, so I acquired a Boss RV3 Reverb/Delay
> pedal.
>
> Okay, it sounded ~awesome~ in my bedroom playing
> through my JT-30 (didn't feed back even when I
> cranked the little bugger), but when I took it to
> my last gig and tried to mic it to the PA (using my
> SM57 mic), I found myself in Feedback City. Yikes!
>
> Feedback lessened when I took the harp out of
> monitors, but it was sill on the edge and, worst of
> all, I couldn't hear myself play (and neither could
> my bandmates). Grrrrrr!
>
> I swapped amps (back to my trusty Blues Jr.) for
> the second set to fill the glaring sound hole
> onstage, and had to disconnect the pedal altogether
> because now my BJ was feeding like never before.
>
> Now I'm not a real gear head (though I play one on
> TV), so I'm kinda clueless about this stuff.
>
> I had the amp behind and to my left, near the
> drums, set up on a chair. Would this feedback
> problem be eliminated if I placed the amp more
> forward?, say just past the monitors?
>
> Is the Boss RV3 (digital reverb) a poor choice for
> this kind of setup? I have 30 days to take it back.
>
> Your sage advice is very much welcome.
>
> Harpin' in Colorado,
> --Ken M.
>
> ====> "When you speak of Walter Horton, the first thing you think of is his
> tone, that big, fat tone." ---Li'l Ronnie Owens
>
> __________________________________________________
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>

- -IronMan Mike Curtis - harmonica, guitar, organ bass, vocals
Hear the #1 hit PLAY THEM BLUES, Top 10 on mp3.com Jump Blues
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