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Microphone Choices: Sound and Workability (Under the ASTATIC's Hood)

"At The Harmonica Microphone Bench" with Fritz Hasenpusch

by Fritz Hasenpusch

We've taken a cursory look at the shortlist of pioneering "pre-hand-held" microphones that have found their way into the hungry hands of countless harp players, making them "hand-held" beyond the intentions of their designers. As a matter of opportunity or necessity, you can bet that any and every model of microphone that has appeared as even remotely promising has been taken for a test drive by some adventurous harpster. Some of these mics have become legendary as those who have utilized them, whether justified or not. Some have gained their reputation due to specific qualities or traits. Some are coveted for their rarity. Some have been dismissed or disregarded as unsuited to the task, too problematic, not as rewarding a choice as another available mic, or simply overlooked. Why?

Let's look at a few examples of SOUND and WORKABILITY. Of the mics from the "Pre-Hand-Held" period listed in our previous installment, the two most widely recognizable manufacturers are Shure and Astatic. A seemingly countless number of examples remain in circulation today, many in use as harp mics. Being born in the same general period of design, they both produced a variety of "Bullet" mics. For our purposes, "Bullet" is a generic descriptive term referring to the shape of the Art Deco-derived swept-back teardrop taper of the bodies utilized in various mic designs developed during the '30s. Think of it as the La Salle Headlamp Factor…

ASTATIC was founded to produce the new crystal technology products pioneered by the Brush Development Company, and that's where they made their bones with harp players: High-output crystal elements, many packaged in hand-friendly "Bullet" or "Biscuit" shaped shells. Let's look at three examples from Astatic: The "30", or "Biscuit"; The T-3; the JT-30 family. They all share a common internal component: Some minor variation of the 101 or MC-151 crystal element (in some cases the element is the ceramic variant, which we'll deal with in the future). These crystal elements were simple, cheap, produced a remarkable amount of output over a broad audio spectrum, and easily coupled with the high impedance inputs of the tube equipment available at the time. So, under the SOUND heading, they've found great acceptance. As for WORKABILITY, they succeed in varying degrees. First, looking at the element they share in common, it should be noted that the crystal is known for its frailty nearly as well as its sound. Being a form of salt, it is water soluble, susceptible to heat, cold, and impact. Onward…

The "30", or "Biscuit", has a broader, deeper (more hemispherical) grill than the other two examples, and a body that's proportionately shallower. Many players have found this shape to their liking. All "30"s were supplied with a permanently attached, or "hard-wired", cable with a wire or rubber strain relief at its point of connection with the mic. The disadvantage in going "hard-wired" rather than with a removable "modular" cable is clear: If the cable fails, the mic fails. Many players who utilize the "30" will have a modular connector installed, upping its dependability, therefore its WORKABILITY.

The T-3 has the appearance of a chrome goose egg perched on a tilting stand mount. Many players like the compact size of the shell, the smaller hemi grill, and the easy to hold ridge between the grill's circular frame and the shell. Its WORKABILITY is affected by three principle factors: Chrome encourages perspiration, and the combo of sweat and chrome make for a super-slippery surface; The gasket holding the element in place within the T-3 has a nasty tendency to dissolve into powder with the passage of time. Luckily, new gaskets can be fashioned; The three-pin male Amphenol connector the T-3 came furnished with was intended to mate with the Astatic Model "G" desk-top stand and the corresponding female cord-end connector is very difficult to find. Thankfully, there are stand-top cord adaptors and direct output mods available.

This brings us to the third member of the group, the JT-30 family of designs. Whether as a Hohner Blues Blaster or one of the original chrome "Spokesman" models, they all share the same body castings and Art Deco grill. Its diameter and taper are easier to handle with average hand size than the Shure 520 family, and they are good candidates for mods of all sorts. The Astatic models were typically equipped with the 5/8" thread-on connector, though some models did come hard-wired. Later models, including the Blues Blaster and the CAD, were supplied with a Switchcraft L3M glued into the 5/8" stand hole. Many players choose retrofitting with the thread-on or even a dedicated ¼" phone jack or adaptor. The JT-30 has become one of the acknowledged benchmarks of SOUND and WORKABILITY.

Next time, for SHURE on the Mic Bench…

For pictures and descriptions of most of the microphones listed visit
http://www.harmonicamasterclass.com/vintage_collection.htm

To contact Fritz for his Custom Mics or Repair email him at
harpmicman@earthlink.net