Now Playing: Amplified Benefits
Amplified Benefits...
I started out with a steel stringed acoustic guitar purchased at age 11. I loved everything about that old guitar from the woodsy smell to the feel of fretting those first chords. I never even thought about playing an electric guitar. The tone of my acoustic was so warm and mellow. Later on, I discovered the Autoharp and began playing at folk festivals, camps and schools. I even played on television with a lapel mike clipped on which picked up the sound as I played and sang, “Freight Train”.
Today in addition to playing live and in concert, I have a fully blossomed music ministry called Harp Hymns playing in much larger venues than before. The sound systems where I perform are not always reliable so I have assembled my own stage equipment “to go” to avoid unwanted surprises. One question you might ask is, “Am I at the point in my performing career that I need pickup amplification?” The answer to this question became painfully clear to me when while doing a performance at a very large church, one of the ministers came running up to me with a microphone and kneeled by my harp for the whole song! It was so distracting, I could barely finish. Lightening struck twice when at yet another church, the guitar player ran up with a mike and did the same thing while I was performing. That was it. When Oscar Schmidt, (Washburn Guitars), came out with their OS150FCE Ltd Edition solid body Autoharp with a pickup, shown here on the lower right, I was ready. However, what I got was far more than just amplification.
What is the best way to amplify? Some seasoned acoustic performers like Brian Bowers have used a lapel microphone to amplify his acoustic, single key harps. This man travels and does concerts all over the country and seems to have this problem in check. Also Mr. Bowers will use 5-6 single keyed harps during his performance so it really would be a lot to have pickups on ALL those instruments. So for his style and performance needs, the lapel mike works quite well. As mentioned before, I have used a lapel mike myself for a television appearance, (this is standard equipment on a television set), and it was fine for sitting down and playing. However, in actual performances, I use a Slider Strap and play standing up. If you move around too much while playing, your harp can knock into the lapel mike or even move out of range to pick up the sound. You also do not have the luxury of equalization to fine tune the “tone” of your instrument for the performance. OS150FCE Ltd Edition Autoharp has a three band equalization on board as well as a volume control knob so you needn’t go back to the amp to adjust those settings. They can be done on the fly in between sets or even while performing. Sort of makes a lapel mike seem pretty primitive by comparison, doesn’t it?
Electronic pickups can also be added to acoustic harps but if your instrument has a large sound hole it could cause feedback when a pickup is added. That’s why most electric guitars today are “solid body” in construction. A sound hole, which is wonderful for acoustic playing, will often feedback into the pickup, causing undesirable sounds and results. Not exactly what one would be looking for while playing before a large crowd. An instrument with a smaller, decorative sound hole which is higher up and further away from the pickup would most likely be a good candidate for amplification. Keep in mind too that where increased volume on an acoustic Autoharp came from more vigorous strumming, with an electric harp, it comes from turning up the amp. This has actually allowed me to work on more precise picking and gentle strumming without trying to force more volume out of the instrument. The OS150FCE is hands down, the best Autoharp Oscar Schmidt has made to date but it has far more to offer than a beautiful flame top finish. This instrument has got, well, soul!
What is the best type of amp to use with an autoharp? Well, what you don’t want to use is a guitar amp. An autoharp is best amplified by a keyboard amp which will help retain its original, sweet tones and sounds. The range of a keyboard amp is actually closer than that of a guitar amp for the Autoharp. I use an Ultratone K450FX, 45 watt keyboard amp with three separate channels.
It has a rich 10" Bugera speaker which faithfully reproduces both my harp and drum machine signals. Weighing in at about 32.19 lbs it is a fat-heavy amp but has a 24-bit digital FX with 100 presets, Feedback Detection, full 3-channel operation with separate volume controls and FX sends per each channel plus an additional XLR mic input for connecting dynamic microphones. The 5-band EQ section allows me to truly fine tune my sound. There is even a CD input plus a headphone output. All of these extra channels mean that I can hook up my XLR cabled vocal microphone, (the Shure SM58 is the industry standard as far as vocal mikes are concerned), and my Autoharp as well as an extra microphone and/or drum machine. I have a music ministry to nursing homes and hospitals so it is always great to get one of the patients up to sing a hymn. Having multiple channels for an extra microphone is really necessary for this sort of application. Depending on your playing needs, anywhere from a 20 to a 50 watt amp should be enough to amplify your harp without getting too heavy to tote from gig to gig. Bigger venues will often have their own amps and PA systems that you can and should plug into unless you enjoy lifting amps weighing over 60 lbs.What about stompboxes and foot pedals? These are commonly known as distortion pedals and mostly used with electric guitars to heighten its range of effects. Depending on your level of comfort with “tampering” with the purist sound of an acoustic harp, you have your choice of various enhancements. One that I like to use is a chorus pedal. It swells the sound of the harp so beautifully that its almost like a “chorus” of harps playing along with you. I use a BOSS Super Chorus Ch-1 which came out in 1989 for guitarists as shown in this this very cool, vintage ad.
So why should guitar players only have all the great effects? I’ve heard of an Autoharp player down in Nashville Tennessee who uses a flanger pedal with amazing effects. What is so fantastic about stomp boxes or foot pedals is that you control the amount of distortion by dialing in your settings on the pedal. Therefore you can have a slight amount of distortion or a lot, your choice. One thing is for sure, I don’t believe any instrument sounds good when these effects are overdone.What other things can I add to enhance my harp’s performance? Well, one thing you will definitely need now is a chromatic tuner. Tuning by ear with a keyboard is fine if your are playing alone but with an electric Autoharp you will be asked to play along with others because you can now compete with volume. If you can only afford one tuner for both your acoustic and electric harps, I would pick the KORG CA-30. It has a built in mike to listen to your acoustic and a ? jack to plug into your electric harp. If you only have electric instruments, then the BOSS TU-2 Foot Pedal Tuner is the best choice. It has a bright red LED display and can be used for silent tuning even on a dark stage between sets. Very easy to use and quite accurate. The BOSS TU-2 is just another accessory that can be found in nearly every serious musician's gig bag.
The second thing you might consider is using a drum and bass machine. I came upon this revelation quite by inspiration. I am also saving you a lot of time and gas by telling you just what works and what does not here! After returning a Digi-Tech guitar modulator that kept cutting off my Autoharp’s pickup, I purchased a used BOSS DR Rhythm DR-3 from my local music shop. I never saw a drum machine before and only by divine providence did I even know to ask for one.
It had no instruction booklet because I purchased it second-hand but within that weekend, I had it up and running to accompany me on many of my harp hymns and contemporary Gospel songs. I suddenly sounded like a trio! I sang the melody, did the chords with my Autoharp and the bass and drums were added by the machine. I often use two amps for stereo effect and plug the drum and bass machine into both amps. You really can’t beat that combination as all of the layered sounds explode from the drum machine when you hook it up that way. The DR-3 offers various keys and rhythms to suit the style or genre you play. With 100 preset rhythms, it is also very useful for song writing. I've only needed to purchase the Foot Pedal accessory, (BOSS FS-5U), which starts and stops the drum machine for me without my having to take my hands off the harp. I now can give very polished performances of my ministry music that people can both hear and enjoy. So that is what amplification is all about. Enhancing, not over-powering the sound of your instrument. One patient said to me after my performance using all the equipment that I have described here, “At least you know that now we can hear you.” Many of the people whom I play for are hard of hearing. These words truly hit home and confirmed that I’m on the right track in reaping amplified benefits. Praise God! END By Dr. Marie J. Miczak Be sure to visit Dr. Miczak's Author's Website
To see the equipment and instruments mentioned in this article, visit the linked websites below:
Oscar Schmidt Autoharps-Washburn Guitars
BOSS / Roland DR-3, Super Chorus & TU-2
Roland's Christian Worship Connection Newsletter
Slider Instrument Straps
Behringer K450FX Keyboard Amp & PA System
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Updated: Wednesday, 9 May 2007 9:38 PM EDT
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Updated: Wednesday, 9 May 2007 9:38 PM EDT
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