RE: Subject: [Harp-L] Re: RP200, 300, etc, versus Harp Commander

[G <gigs@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

At 10:09 12/12/04 -0500, Rich Beaubien wrote:
>> Sent: Saturday, December 11, 2004 7:59 PM
>> To: harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx
>> Subject: RE: Subject: [Harp-L] Re: RP200, 300, etc, versus Harp Commander
>>
>> Its already been discussed that the Harp Commander and Vocal 300 can't be
>> compared, they do two totally different things.
>> -- G.
>I must be missing some key item here. It seems to me the Harp Commander and
>the DigiTech Vocal 300 can be compared.  
>Let's see if I've got this right....
>The Harp Commander is basically a solid state preamp, with some EQ and a
>built in compressor, which emulates a tube circuit. It does much of the
>impedance matching that a harp player might need (especially when switching
>mics). 
>Now the DigiTech Vocal 300 does all of the above (except it does not emulate
>a tube amp) and then adds in the effects.
>So other then the tube emulation are they that different ?
8<
>Am I way off here? Please point out my error.
>TIA
>--Rich

Hello Rich,
  The Harp Commander does not emulate anything, it _is_ an analogue Class A
preamp, but it uses jFETs rather than vacuum tubes.  Its the main feature
of the unit, and one of the key reasons for getting it.   If you have no
use for that, then you won't give that feature  much weight - as appears to
be the case here.

A few other differences with the Vocal 300 to take into account 
- its a digital effects emulator, albeit 24 bit - not analogue
- cannot be run off a battery pack
- it has no amplifier emulation
- although the Vocal 300  handles high impedance unbalanced line signal, it
is not designed for a 5 Mega Ohm mic like the original JT-30 with MC151
element. 

And for myself, I've come to appreciate the simplicity of a unit that has a
few basic dials, over digital units with extensive menus and special key
functions and such.  Emulators take a lot of effort to get the sound you
want from them - definitely the case with the POD 2.0.  But thats just my
opinion.

Otherwise you're spot on.  It depends what you're looking for from a unit.  

But if you're going to make comparisons of this nature, be sure to include
Mixers like the Behringer UB1204FX-PRO, Multi effect racks like the Lexicon
MPX-200, other preamps like what LR Baggs & bARCUS bERRY offer, etc.

-- G.