Re: [Harp-L] Bass harmonica - chromatic

[Richard Hunter <turtlehill@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Eugene Ryan wrote:
<I recently acquired a Suzuki bass harmonica and it's a super instrument with
<a great sound.  I'm just starting out on it, and it will take some time to
<get familar with it. Jumping between decks accurately is a challenge.
<
<It strikes me that if you could get the same thing in a chromatic body
<("hello, I'm a bass in a chromatic's body, pleased to meet you" :-)), it
<might make navigation easier than jumping between decks. 

You can get the sound you're looking for with a decent pitch shifter.  If you use one of the Digitech RP models, you can just turn off everything in the FX device except the pitch shifter.  You could then shift the pitch down 1 or two octaves, as preferred, with good approximation of the sound of low-tuned reeds without FX added. 

Pitch shifting is mature technology and getting better all the time, especially now that most shifters are digital devices, and thus subject to the same rapid improvements as other chip-driven devices.  For both chromatic and diatonic players, I'm starting to think that a pitch shifter is the first effect to add to the rig after delay and/or reverb.  

Regards, Richard Hunter

author, "Jazz Harp" 
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