Re: Re: [Harp-L] Beyer mics/WAS Low Impedance Volume Control

["Tim Moyer" <wmharps@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Grbullets2 wrote:
> Just get yourself a decent TUBE amp and one of the more 
> traditional harp mic's(green bullet,JT30) and your set to go. 
> Theres no need to have your own trailer to sound good!

If what you're looking for is a "traditional" harmonica sound, then 
that works fine.  If you need more facets to your sound for the work 
you do, it's more complicated than that.  I play a lot of country, 
jazz, rock and R&B, and need at various times to sound like an 
accordion, a trumpet (or a horn section), a violin, a B3 organ, or 
just an acoustic harmonica.  Rather than have a separate amp and mic 
combination for every sound, I built a rig with a broader spectrum 
of sounds.  

It's pretty simple, really.  The main components are a tube preamp 
(I use a PAiA TubeHead, but the ART TPSII looks like it would do the 
job), a digital multi-effects unit (the Alesis MidiVerb is one 
example), and a good, clean power amp.  Think about it this way: 
color the sound in the preamp stage, add effects, and then drive it 
to whatever level you need with a power amplifier.  One side benefit 
is that you can branch off the signal you're sending to the 
amplifier and send it to the PA as well; it's a line-out.  

I have these three components built into a combo cabinet with two 10 
inch speakers, and the whole thing is about the size of a Fender 
Vibrolux (25" wide by 20" tall).  

-tim