[Harp-L] Re: More grist for the SS pedal mill

[HTownFess <Spschndr@xxxxxxx>]

What with all this, ahem, spirited discussion of SS amplification
going on, I thought I'd post links to a couple of videos of the same
song in the same jam venue on different occasions, the first with a
premium tube amp rig and the second with the new Lone Wolf Harp Break
SS pedal, with the same non-premium frontperson (me).

First up is the self-tweaked Sonny Jr. 1, actually using a cheap
Superlux mic into a Kinder AFB+ and DanEcho delay with optimal
foregrounding of the harp in the mix:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7pQdnV89WoM

Then we have the Harp Break pedal straight into the PA, using a
borrowed CM GB, no monitor, no sound check, no sound person, brand new/
unfamiliar house PA head at that, very different band dynamic, lotsa
challenges:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZwKztMmCRCs

The videos are really too long to watch back to back, but you will get
the idea pretty quickly: the Harp Break hangs in just fine when it
comes to reaching the audience, if that's what you're out to do.  If
you're setting yourself up in the PA, it's hard to get used to the
idea that the loudest the harp can get should be louder than the
loudest the vocals can get, because the harp is likely to need to get
up & over a big buildup by the band, whereas the band likely won't do
that under the vocals to the same degree.  Thus the harp level will
seem *really loud* if you try to test that during the relative quiet
beforehand, and here I had made my best guess and it could have been a
little louder for the harp solo at the end.  The Harp Break is also
set more distorted than I'll do it the next time, but face it, that
nasty edge works on a song like this and guitarists and audiences like
to hear it, at least for three songs anyway :-D.

The Harp Attack tube pedal is warmer and sweeter, but the HB is the
best SS device I've used: how it sounds, how it responds, how
forgiving it is to set up, how big it is, how much it costs and how it
can run on a single 9v.  I liked the beta version immediately and the
production one is better.  You can also turn the distortion off and
use it as a simple mic buffer to solve impedance issues, and/or as a
bass booster to put more meat in your tone.  A Harp Break and a
Superlux mic and a cord to go into the PA is an awfully cheap way (ca.
$200 total) to get amped up this effectively.  The pedal uses an LED
for its distortion to get a softer clip than op amps, transistors,
etc. do: more innovative thinking from Randy Landry at Lone Wolf.

Some of you may recognize John McVey from his stints backing Hook
Herrera, Paul Orta, et al., or Jonn Richardson from his work w/ Otis
Taylor, Diunna Greenleaf, etc.  Kudos to the Mighty Orq for playing a
2x12 BF Bassman as quietly as he does, and sparsely too: there can be
advantages to having a guitarist who's not schooled in backing harp.

Stephen Schneider