Instrument
Autoharp
A chorded zither: a wooden box with 36 (sometimes up to 47) strings and 12, 15 or 21 chord bars that press felt pads on to the strings, damping all but the notes of the chord. Played by strumming or picking, in country, folk and old-time music (Mother Maybelle Carter). Oscar Schmidt is the main maker.1,2
- Range
- F2–C6
- Peaks up close
- up to 95 dB SPL
- Sources
- 3 (3 independent)
Mics sources recommend
6 setups from 3 sources, 3 of them independent of any mic maker. Each mic shows how many sources name it for that role, and how many of those are independent. Listed alphabetically: there is no ranking.
Studio and stage
Clip-on
- Countryman B31 independent source
- DPA 40991 independent source
Multi-mic plan
- lavalier on strap picking up the back of the instrument, plus front mic on stage1 independent source
The 3 setups behind this: placement and quotes
- Clip-on Countryman B3back mic, strap-mounted
A very small omnidirectional microphone from Countryman, model B3, fits on the strap, picking up the back of the harp.
3 - Multi-mic plan lavalier on strap picking up the back of the instrument, plus front mic on stageback + front mic
A lavalier attached to my strap, picking up the sound from the back of the instrument; on stage I add a front mic.
3 - Clip-on DPA 4099clip-on, on shirt, picks up back
Attach a miniature lavalier like the DPA 4099 to the player's shirt so it picks up the instrument's sound from the back.
4
On stage
Clip-on
- Shure SM841 independent source
Close
- high-quality directional mic on a stand, with a sound engineer1 independent source
The 2 setups behind this: placement and quotes
- Clip-on Shure SM84back mic, clipped to strap
For years I have been using a venerable Shure SM84 as a back mic, but it is fiddly to keep in the right position.
3 - Close high-quality directional mic on a stand, with a sound engineerfront, stand
The best way to amplify an autoharp for public performance is with a high-quality directional mic pointed at it.
2
Studio
Close
- Neumann KM 841 independent source
- Oktava MK-0121 independent source
The 1 setup behind this: placement and quotes
- Close Neumann KM 84 or Oktava MK-012front
The autoharp can be miked from the front with a KM 84 or MK-012.
4
Range
F2 to C6187.3 Hz – 1.05 kHz
36-string chromatic model; the lowest octave has gaps
The sound
The strings drive the soundboard; the body has a guitar-like soundhole. The back of a good autoharp is "surprisingly full and rich" and has little of the chord-bar and pick noise.1,3
Where the sound goes
From the front soundboard and soundhole, and from the back, which is richer and quieter in mechanical noise.3,4
Recording it
Paul Stamler: from the front with a KM 84 or MK-012; if the player sings, one mic for both, or a miniature lavalier such as a DPA 4099 on the player's shirt to pick up the back; the back pickup "limits the mechanical noise and gives a fullness of sound" closer to what the player hears. Haisley's technique is the same idea: a lavalier on the strap behind the top of the instrument; his front mic adds the "picky" sound so it still sounds like an autoharp.4,3
On stage
Haisley used a Shure SM84 clipped as the back mic for years (unidirectional, fiddly to aim), then moved to a Countryman B3 omni on the strap (normal sensitivity is enough at 95 dB). The Creek Don't Rise article says the best sound is always "a quality separate microphone plugged into a good system"; magnetic pickups ignore chord-bar clatter and pick clack but lose the wood tone; piezo and attached mic pickups are the other options; attached condensers give the truest sound but feed back more. If the singer holds the autoharp upright, a vocal mic can be shared.3,2
Problems to watch
Chord-bar clatter, pick clack and handling noise on a front mic or contact pickup; feedback on attached mic pickups.3,2
About the range
A 36-string chromatic autoharp spans three and a half octaves, F2 to C6, though it is not fully chromatic across the range (the lowest octave has gaps).1
How loud
Sound pressure level measurements as published. Different kinds of figure (a playing level, a peak, a dose at the player's ear) can't be compared with each other, and neither can figures at different distances.
| Peaks | |
|---|---|
| 95 dB | at the back of the instrument3 |
Lindsay Haisley measured a maximum of about 95 dB at the back of a good autoharp (distance and weighting not given; informal measurement).3