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Happy Hour Harmonica Podcast

Greg Heumann interview

September 18, 2021 Neil Warren Season 1 Episode 46
Happy Hour Harmonica Podcast
Greg Heumann interview
Chapters
Chapters
0:56
Greg is the owner of harmonica gear company, BlowsMeAway Productions.
1:33
Plays harmonica himself, which he picked up after classical training on the Oboe
2:15
First started learning from a Jon Gindick tuition book and cassette
2:31
Lessons with Dave Barrett led to development of first product: volume controller
4:30
How Greg first started his harmonica products company, with the help of his dad
5:41
Jason Ricci asked to build his volume control into the mic to create the Ultimate Series of mics
6:40
How Greg was able to give up the day job to start selling harmonica equipment
8:21
Where he developed the skills needed to produce the harmonica gear he sells
9:25
Some of the skills from his previous work helped in getting Blows Me Away Productions going
10:12
Greg uses his own knowledge of the harmonica in developing the products
10:24
Has released an album called Duracool
12:06
Some of the problems Greg wanted to solve from his own experiences of playing
13:09
Early considered developing a monitoring system but it wasn’t the right thing
14:37
More on the volume control and the benefit of these
18:19
Custom wood microphones, how they’re made and advantages they bring
21:40
The wood used for the microphone shells
26:03
People sometimes provide their own wood, with sentimental meaning to them, to make a mic from
27:00
The wood mics also come with custom grilles, which can include letters and symbols
29:38
Waiting time for a custom wood mic
30:09
Greg developed his own mic element, called the Heumann element
31:04
Bulletini microphone contains the Heumann element
32:18
How Greg came up with the Heumann mic element
33:47
What makes a good mic element
36:11
How does the Bulletini element compare to vintage elements
38:56
More on the Bulletini mic
40:21
Modern Green bullets don’t have a very good mic element
41:15
Ultimate series of mics: the Shure SM57 and SM58
44:59
Greg also sells the Bulletizer, to allow cupping of SM57
46:07
RackIt harmonica rack with Bulletiser mic for a cupped distorted sound
49:17
BlowsMe Away also sells Wireless mics for harmonica
50:12
Used to sell restored Kalamazoo amps, but these are hard to come by now
51:21
Many top professionals endorse Greg’s products
51:49
Greg has written an “All About Microphones” guide
53:25
10 minute question
55:25
Greg’s harmonicas of choice
56:25
Mics and amps of choice
56:58
Effects pedals
57:46
Future plans
Info
Happy Hour Harmonica Podcast
Greg Heumann interview
Sep 18, 2021 Season 1 Episode 46
Neil Warren

Greg Heumann joins me on episode 46.
The focus of this episode is all about gear, as I talk to the founder of BlowsMeAway Productions.
Greg has released an album of his own and uses his knowledge of playing harmonica to understand what is needed to make great harmonica products.The first product in this line was the volume control which later on Jason Ricci asked Greg to develop into the actual mic, which led to the Ultimate Series of mics.
He also hand crafts beautiful custom wood microphones and grills which can include your own initials and designs.
On top of this Greg also makes his very own mic element, which is included in his successful smaller diameter ‘Bulletini’ microphone.

Links:

Gregs website:
http://www.blowsmeaway.com

All About microphones guide:
http://blowsmeaway.com/all%20about%20harmonica%20microphones.pdf

Videos:

Workshop video of creating wooden mic and metal grille:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tbYGs58nW2g

Nic Clarke playing wood mic:
https://youtu.be/HBflXFYi1kE

Hermine Deurloo playing Ultimate SM58:
https://youtu.be/zBxEWyGrbmA

Mark Hummel playing the RackIt with Bulletini:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BBg3D6xZmUQ

Harpin’ By The Sea festival 2021:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ysr5Pep81QU

PT Gazell interview as part of Seydel Overtones:
https://youtu.be/2FdkEYT6ggs

Email:
greg@blowsmeaway.com


Podcast website:
https://www.harmonicahappyhour.com

Donations:
If you want to make a voluntary donation to help support the running costs of the podcast then please use this link (or visit the podcast website link above):
https://paypal.me/harmonicahappyhour?locale.x=en_GB

Spotify Playlist:
Also check out the Spotify Playlist, which contains most of the songs discussed in the podcast:
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5QC6RF2VTfs4iPuasJBqwT?si=M-j3IkiISeefhR7ybm9qIQ

Podcast sponsors:
This podcast is sponsored by SEYDEL harmonicas - visit the oldest harmonica factory in the world at www.seydel1847.com  or on Facebook or Instagram at SEYDEL HARMONICAS
and Blows Me Away Productions: http://www.blowsmeaway.com/

Support the show

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Greg Heumann joins me on episode 46.
The focus of this episode is all about gear, as I talk to the founder of BlowsMeAway Productions.
Greg has released an album of his own and uses his knowledge of playing harmonica to understand what is needed to make great harmonica products.The first product in this line was the volume control which later on Jason Ricci asked Greg to develop into the actual mic, which led to the Ultimate Series of mics.
He also hand crafts beautiful custom wood microphones and grills which can include your own initials and designs.
On top of this Greg also makes his very own mic element, which is included in his successful smaller diameter ‘Bulletini’ microphone.

Links:

Gregs website:
http://www.blowsmeaway.com

All About microphones guide:
http://blowsmeaway.com/all%20about%20harmonica%20microphones.pdf

Videos:

Workshop video of creating wooden mic and metal grille:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tbYGs58nW2g

Nic Clarke playing wood mic:
https://youtu.be/HBflXFYi1kE

Hermine Deurloo playing Ultimate SM58:
https://youtu.be/zBxEWyGrbmA

Mark Hummel playing the RackIt with Bulletini:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BBg3D6xZmUQ

Harpin’ By The Sea festival 2021:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ysr5Pep81QU

PT Gazell interview as part of Seydel Overtones:
https://youtu.be/2FdkEYT6ggs

Email:
greg@blowsmeaway.com


Podcast website:
https://www.harmonicahappyhour.com

Donations:
If you want to make a voluntary donation to help support the running costs of the podcast then please use this link (or visit the podcast website link above):
https://paypal.me/harmonicahappyhour?locale.x=en_GB

Spotify Playlist:
Also check out the Spotify Playlist, which contains most of the songs discussed in the podcast:
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5QC6RF2VTfs4iPuasJBqwT?si=M-j3IkiISeefhR7ybm9qIQ

Podcast sponsors:
This podcast is sponsored by SEYDEL harmonicas - visit the oldest harmonica factory in the world at www.seydel1847.com  or on Facebook or Instagram at SEYDEL HARMONICAS
and Blows Me Away Productions: http://www.blowsmeaway.com/

Support the show

0:56
Greg is the owner of harmonica gear company, BlowsMeAway Productions.
1:33
Plays harmonica himself, which he picked up after classical training on the Oboe
2:15
First started learning from a Jon Gindick tuition book and cassette
2:31
Lessons with Dave Barrett led to development of first product: volume controller
4:30
How Greg first started his harmonica products company, with the help of his dad
5:41
Jason Ricci asked to build his volume control into the mic to create the Ultimate Series of mics
6:40
How Greg was able to give up the day job to start selling harmonica equipment
8:21
Where he developed the skills needed to produce the harmonica gear he sells
9:25
Some of the skills from his previous work helped in getting Blows Me Away Productions going
10:12
Greg uses his own knowledge of the harmonica in developing the products
10:24
Has released an album called Duracool
12:06
Some of the problems Greg wanted to solve from his own experiences of playing
13:09
Early considered developing a monitoring system but it wasn’t the right thing
14:37
More on the volume control and the benefit of these
18:19
Custom wood microphones, how they’re made and advantages they bring
21:40
The wood used for the microphone shells
26:03
People sometimes provide their own wood, with sentimental meaning to them, to make a mic from
27:00
The wood mics also come with custom grilles, which can include letters and symbols
29:38
Waiting time for a custom wood mic
30:09
Greg developed his own mic element, called the Heumann element
31:04
Bulletini microphone contains the Heumann element
32:18
How Greg came up with the Heumann mic element
33:47
What makes a good mic element
36:11
How does the Bulletini element compare to vintage elements
38:56
More on the Bulletini mic
40:21
Modern Green bullets don’t have a very good mic element
41:15
Ultimate series of mics: the Shure SM57 and SM58
44:59
Greg also sells the Bulletizer, to allow cupping of SM57
46:07
RackIt harmonica rack with Bulletiser mic for a cupped distorted sound
49:17
BlowsMe Away also sells Wireless mics for harmonica
50:12
Used to sell restored Kalamazoo amps, but these are hard to come by now
51:21
Many top professionals endorse Greg’s products
51:49
Greg has written an “All About Microphones” guide
53:25
10 minute question
55:25
Greg’s harmonicas of choice
56:25
Mics and amps of choice
56:58
Effects pedals
57:46
Future plans