[Jodi Ann Tolman]

Thanks so much for everyone’s advice and input! After researching yet some more, I think I’ve decided to go with the Blue Yeti Microphone. It is a USB microphone (which I was avoiding at first) but I’ve also learned online that I can connect the Yeti’s headphone output into my camera’s mic input with a simple 3.5mm audio cable to record onto my camera! And if for some reason I don’t like doing it that way, I can record the audio to my computer with the USB and then sync up the audio with my video software. This option also allows me to make just audio recordings (no video) easily if I ever want to.

This option seems the cheapest and simplest (I don’t need to buy additional microphone cables, phantom power, or preamps). Plus I’ve read tons of really great reviews about the Blue Yeti and how versatile it is. I realize that this option eliminates the amplification abilities that a pickup would give, but I’ve never been in a situation (yet) where I’ve needed to amplify. So I can always get a pickup later if I find I need it.

The next step for me will be figuring out the best placement for the microphone and which pickup pattern (cardioid, omnidirectional, etc.) will record the harp best. If you have tips on that, I’d love to hear them! 🙂

[Jodi Ann Tolman]

I’ve been looking at different set ups. I have two routes I’m interesting in taking but I don’t know which would be better…

1. I could use a pickup with a pre-amp to connect into my camera. That would require:
-pickup (I’m looking at the K&K Big Twin $61 on Amazon)
-pre-amp (I’m looking at the K&K Pure Preamp $99 on Amazon)
-1/4″ male to 1/4″ male TRS cable to go between pickup and preamp, ~$5
-1/4″ male to 1/8″ (3.5mm) male cable to go between preamp and camera, ~$5
Total cost: about $170 (Is it possible to get by without the preamp and plug the pickup directly into the camera with the 1/4″ to 1/8″ cable?)

OR

2. I could use a condenser microphone with phantom power to connect into my camera. That would require:
-condenser mic (I’m looking at Behringer C-3, $70)
-phantom power supply (InnoGear 1-channel phantom power, $20)
-XLR male to XLR female cable to connect mic to phantom power $5
-XLR female to 1/8″ male cable to connect phantom power to camera, $9
Total cost: about $105

Are each of these setups correct? Going with the condenser microphone is cheaper, unless I don’t really need the preamp with the pickup, but can anyone comment on the sound quality between these two options? I don’t know which route to go, although I do realize that going with the pickup would also give me additional ability to amplify if I ever needed to. Advice?

[Jodi Ann Tolman]

Can you use these pickups to record? Is it possible to plug these pickups into my DSLR camera if I have the right cables? Would that require a preamp? Or since the Schatten has an integratted preamp, would anything additional be required?

[Jodi Ann Tolman]

Will the pickup work without the preamp? If I have a jack adapter, can I plug the pickup into my camera’s mic input without using the preamp? Does the pickup require phantom power?

[Jodi Ann Tolman]

I’m beginning to wonder if my money might be best spent on a scanning software product or a PDF-to-MusicXML converter that I use with Musescore for the editing/composing. Has anyone gone this route? But even still, there are so many different options in a huge price range.

[Jodi Ann Tolman]

Can you tell me what the name of the separate scanning music program was that you purchased? Does it seem to work much better than scanning with Finale?

[Jodi Ann Tolman]

Thank you so much for your insights, Christie. That’s very helpful. It’s so hard to judge a piece when I can only see 1 or 2 sample pages. I might hold off of Celestial and look into Above the Clouds instead. Thanks for your feedback!

[Jodi Ann Tolman]

Thank you, Alison! That’s very helpful to know. I think I’ll move Charades to the top of my list. Thanks for your insights!

[Jodi Ann Tolman]

My Thormahlen Serenade came today! I can’t stop playing it because the sound is just so beautiful! My hands are still a little sore from nerve pain (maybe carpal tunnel?) but it doesn’t hurt to play and I just want to keep hearing this harp and feeling the strings on my fingers!

[Jodi Ann Tolman]

Thank you for the excellent advice. I do believe it’s a nerve problem. My teacher has caught me with my wrist a little too high at times but only ever on my right hand and only rarely. Yet both hands, particularly both thumbs, are sore. I also have aches in both of my elbows, despite not playing for almost two weeks. I’m on a course of anti-inflammatories and if those don’t help I’ll take the next step.

What’s more depressing than the pain is that my new Thormahlen harp is being delivered next week and I’m devastated to think that I won’t ever be able to play it. 🙁 Any bit of hope is appreciated.

[Jodi Ann Tolman]

Fantastic! Thank you for these resources!

[Jodi Ann Tolman]

Fantastic! I think I’m sold on the Snark. I might as well try it out since it’s so inexpensive anyway. Thanks for all the feedback!

[Jodi Ann Tolman]

That’s an interesting insight, Angela. I’m eager to play on the nylon. Maybe my skills will improve! 😉

[Jodi Ann Tolman]

That is a fabulous explanation. Thank you!

[Jodi Ann Tolman]

So after reading a bit more online, I’m understanding that it’s not so much the brand of the harp that determines the string tension, but the type of string the harp is strung with. Is that true?

So it sounds like concert gut is the highest tension,
Nylon is medium tension, just lighter than concert gut,
Lever Gut is lighter tension than Nylon,
and Fluorocarbon have the lightest tension.

Is that correct?

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