Re: Commander line out adjustment

["M. N." <mnessmith@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

john k. wrote:
"... both times (with two different PA's and sound guys), the sound guys 
said the [Harp Commander's] signal was too hot when using the line out (BTW, 
chose the 1/4" option). <snip> (I hope I didn't just come across two quirky 
PA's and someday I'll regret lowering the line out when I can't compete with 
drums and amps that are mic'ed to a PA."

===========================

Interesting post, John. Back on Oct. 9, I wrote about my experience sitting 
in with a band using my Harp Commander into the PA. In that post, I wrote 
that I had run a guitar cord from the Commander's instrument output to the 
PA, knowing that this wasn't the "right" way to do it. But while my HC has 
both 1/4" and xlr outputs, I?d only brought a 1/4-inch cord with me. Ron 
Holmes had assured me this would work just fine, and he was right. It 
sounded great.
At any rate, a week or so after that post, I played a festival gig in the 
Czech city of Hradec Kralove with my regular band, again running the 
Commander straight into the PA. This time, the venue's PA only had XLR 
inputs, so I had no choice but to use the "correct" line out to the PA. I 
had the same experience as John: The signal was too hot for them to deal 
with. I had to throttle the HC way down and still fought with the feedback 
beast much of the night. The problem, I?m sure, was exacerbated by the sound 
guy's lack of knowledge, by the language barrier, and by the fact that we 
were rushed when setting up and sound checking. After reading John's post 
though (and G.'s response), I'm certain the problem is that that signal is 
just too hot. In the future, I plan to use only the lower-gain 
instrument-output and then, at some point, send the unit back to Ron to 
adjust. I'm not real anxious, though, to pay postage for mailing it over to 
America and back (not to mention the risk of losing it).
I love my Harp Commander but this is certainly a drawback. I was glad (but 
not surprised) to read that Ron will mod them at no charge, and that he's 
tinkered with the design to avert the problem on new units. In my book, Ron 
Holmes is up there with respected harp gear developers like Gary Onofrio and 
Joe Filisko.
MN

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