RE: [Harp-L] Re: kinder harp maximizer and midbass cut - AFB+ Knobs

[chicago bluesman <chicagobluesman@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

I agree with these comments--the manual is cryptic and leaves you thinking that it's a mysterious, inscrutable little box.  I end up feeling pretty dumb that I don't seem to understand it.  You really are just left to fool with the gizmo till you find a sweet spot where feedback is reduced without sacrificing tone or volume too much.  I've read comments to the effect that the AFB+ adds "crunch" but I beg to differ: I reserve the term "crunch" for the lovely tube warmth one gets when an amp breaks up while playing.  I don't find that the AFB+ provides "crunch" -- I find that it can distort the tone in a less appealing way if the settings are too far forward.  On the positive side, I have been experimenting with it in recent weeks and I'm finding that if I dial back on the mysterious three knobs I can indeed reduce feedback while not damaging my tone too much.  I do find, though, that in addition to working differently with different mics (that's expectable--you have to find the right settings for each mic) it also it works differently when just fooling around at home vs actually using it in a playing situation.  I find that I have to advance the settings a bit when playing with a band to control feedback.  With the modified JT-30 I favor these days I'm getting reasonable results with the left knob around 9 or 10 o'clock and the other two only around noon or maybe at the 1 o'clock position.  I've got a new (to me--it's a used amp) HarpGear 35 and gigged with it for the first time last night--it was wonderful and I was very, very pleased with the tone.  I was pleased, even more, that I didn't have to use the AFB+.  I had sufficient volume out of the amp, with minimal feedback prob's, which got a bit of a boost with the line-out to the PA.  It's a killer amp, truly.  So, I guess the moral of the story is that it's all just trial and error...you just keep experimenting with amps, mics and effects boxes till you find what you're looking for.  For some people the AFB+ is an optional thing to utilize when necessary, for other is it's an essential piece of equipment.

> Date: Sun, 8 Nov 2009 15:45:02 -0500
> From: harp@xxxxxxxxxxx
> To: harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx
> Subject: Re: [Harp-L] Re: kinder harp maximizer and midbass cut - AFB+ Knobs
> 
> Ray Beltran wrote:
> 
>  > Not sure why this is such a mystery. It's all explained in the 
> owner's manual.
> 
> there's "explained", and then there's explained.
> 
>  > The left knob controls lower frequency feedback,
> 
> manual: "UB - Clockwise rotation adjusts the level of odd order 
> harmonics and reduces feedback."
> 
> are you saying the same thing?  if so, i wish the manual would have said 
> it. 
> is "odd order harmonics" equivalent to "low frequency feedback"?  is this
> obvious to everyone but me?  what's "UB" mean, anyway?
> 
>  > the center knob is for calibration purposes,
> 
> got that.
> 
>  > and the right knob controls high frequency feedback.
> 
> manual: "AFB - Clockwise rotation adjusts the level of odd order 
> harmonics and reduces feedback."
> 
> see comments above.  i guess the problem i have is that with no coherent 
> mental
> model of what the knobs do, i'm left with "tweak them until it sounds 
> good".  combine
> that with the fact that turning the knobs too far loses most of my 
> volume, and
> that it adds "crunch" that often combines in ugly ways with other parts 
> of my rig, and
> "sounds good" can be hard to attain. 
> 
> there's also this helpful tip: "the AFB and UB controls on the AFB+ 
> will  respond in
> a similar fashion as the controls on our HarpKing amplifier". 
> 
> if i had a HarpKing i  wouldn't have bought the AFB+.
> 
> 
> -- 
> We make a living from what we get, 
> but we make a life from what we give.
> - Kathy Moser
> 
> 
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