[Harp-L] Re: RP250 patch set enters beta testing

[Richard Hunter <turtlehill@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

"kdvegas" wrote:
<I see on the Digitech site that the models have changed slightly. what
<was the 250, looks to be the 255 now, and the same with other models
<also. I looked on American Musical Supply and the new models are not
<shown yet. while I am sure the patches will translate fine to
<the newer models, I am wondering if anyone has tried them or knows
<what differences there are, price-wise especially!

I have an inquiry in to Digitech asking whether the patch data is compatible across the old and new devices.  My guess is that the answer is yes, but I will advise when I hear from them.

Musician's Friend doesn't list the new devices as available yet either, so at this moment they're probably in some stage of pre-release.  My guess is that pricing for the RP255 will be the same as the RP250--that's the pattern Digitech established with the RP200, and it would be very foolish for them to raise prices in the current economy.  

The big feature differences appear to be a few new amp, cabinet, and effect models, a better audio interface for computer recording, and a 20-second looper.  It's also likely that the RP255 will clean up whatever known bugs exist in the RP250--that's pretty much product engineering 101. I very much doubt that there's a brand-new sound engine inside the box, as was the case when the RP200 was replaced by the RP250.  None of these features are make-or-break factors in my opinion.  But if you want the most for your new purchase, and you can afford to wait, it's not a bad idea to wait for the RP255.  (If you want the very most for your money, you might be well advised to wait until the RP255 is introduced, then buy a used RP250.)  

One thing I am constantly reminded of with these devices is how deep they are.  I keep learning things about the RP250 as I work with the device.  There is a nearly endless interplay between the amp models, the effect models, the distortion models, etc., etc., and new combinations sometimes yield dazzling results. As I complete the patch set, I'm having to make choices between patches that produce dazzling sounds that most players will never use, and bread and butter stuff that's bound to be used every day just because it so much more "normal."  I'm tending to lean to the bread and butter, but I'm determined to throw some stuff into the box that will change people's ideas about the kinds of sounds harmonicas make.

Another thing that's really interesting about these devices is what they reveal about microphones. The current set-in-progress includes patches for 4 different mics, and it's very easy to hear what these mics do well and not so well.  The Shure 545 has tremendous punch and power in the low and middle register, but it produces a lot of intermodulation distortion in the top octave of the harp.  The Audix Fireball has a little less punch in the low and midrange than the Shure, but it is SO smooth from the middle octave up, and effects like chorus and flange just bloom when you play them.  The Bottle o' Blues produces very little output in the top octave at all, and both it and the Astatic JT-30 have a noticeable sameness to the tone regardless of what amp model and effects they're playing through--they sound like blues mics.  You can hear these things with real amps too, of course, but it's really apparent when you're running the mics through 8-10 different amp models in sequence.  It's very clear that no single mic, like no single amp, does it all.

Regards, Richard Hunter
latest m3s and harmonica blog at http://myspace.com/richardhunterharp