Re: [Harp-L] How did i do it?Just lucky?



My favorite amp is the valve amp of a portable recordplayer from 1956.
I play it stock, mic plugged to the phono in. Back in those days most pickups were crystal, so i guess they match with many mics. The dynamic element of my mic was intended for use with those old valve audio tapes (you know, the ones that weighed about a ton). Those early tapes often had only one input for both microphone and phono, so I guess my mic is hi-z. It has a little transformer built in.


I tried a bunch of different record players of different brands and sizes and even some radios and radiograms, all in perfect working order. Not all worked well with my mic and harp. I guess it depends on the amp's circuitry. One radio clipped badly, one radiogram had a nice and clean sound but no volume, one recordplayer hummed like mad and was very shrill. I own 3 different amps of my favourite amp's brand. All have different valves but all for the exact same pickup. Only one works great, one clips like hell and one gives no volume.

If you're lucky the preamp has enough headroom for the higher level of your mic and has enough gain to saturate the output valve. That adds compression and if that valve is not overdriven too much it should result in a really nice and warm tone.

grüßle
r

hazcon schrieb:
... So what I did is buy an cheap old second hand Valve Radiogram* take the amp out of it and (heres the odd bit) in my ignorance of all things electronic I ditched the turntable pickup and then I hardwired my mike to the pickup leads.(Mike was,is, a CM 520 bullet)
It worked!
This thing had huge old valves in it and for a year or so gave me good service and a real nice tone.
Now was I just lucky here or is this a feasible option on just about any old valve radio amp?
Reason I ask is that a friends granddad has an old Radiogram for sale and id like,out of curiosity, to try the same thing again.Trouble is they are no longer cheap so i'd like some idea of my chances of success if possible.




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