RE: [Harp-L] Jaming/Gigging on harmonica with a Multi-Effect processor

[Richard Hunter <turtlehill@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Buck Worley wrote:
>After purchasing a Zoom g9tt2?? or something like that, I spent hours and hours reprogramming >guitar pre-set patches to harmonica settings. What appealed to me about this unit is that it has >an AB channel each with its own 12ax7. It does have some nice analogue stuff. So, I tried lots of >amp models, EQ settings, a zillion effects; rotary, octave down, a million reverb and echo types >and on and on and on...
> 
>Maybe I should have gone the RP55 route and then spent another grand on the custom patches being >hawked for sale on this forum but the end result would probably be the same as the Zoom, except >way more expensive. These units are easy to program, once you get the hang of it. I have been >doing it since they handed me an old Line 6 POD at church years ago and even though all the amp >modeling stuff was cool for a guitar, I needed a clean harp patch and had to program it myself. 
 >
>So, after all this experimenting with effects consoles, I have switched back  to a small EQ and >delay stomp box(es) and just plug and play. Much less headache for me. Much better sound. Much >less "processed sound"! BTW: dont forget you tone comes from you, not a bunch of electronic >gizmos. 
> 
>Also, I think it is noteworthy to mention that here around Nashville, I have noticed that the >guitar players have now evolved past the effects console phase and are going back to putting >together huge stomp box boards with all their favorite classic pedals. I think the day of the >effects console is nearing it's end. Unless Richard can come up with a patch for that :D

Sorry you couldn't get your Line6 or Zoom to do the job for you, and of course delighted that you're so happy with your sound now.

I think that when you're telling people that some setup sounds great (or not), there's an obligation to provide a link to a recording so everyone can decide for themselves how great it sounds.  I frequently post examples of my work recorded with various FX so people can hear for themselves what the effects I use sound like.  (You can find almost all of them at http://www.hunterharp.com/category/hunters-music/recorded-performances-live-and-otherwise/.) I don't think there's any other way to evaluate someone's comments on the way gear sounds.  

I've recorded and released two CDs of solo harmonica recorded with no more effects than reverb and delay, and I agree that sound comes from the player.  Guitar players can do what they want, but if you're going to have a huge stomp box board with lots of classic pedals on it, what's the difference between that and an "FX console" (first time I've heard that term, I presume you mean a multi-FX device?) in terms of the sounds you can get?  I can take my RP355 in a shoulder bag on an airplane; can you do that with a huge stomp box board? 

In terms of the relative expense of these devices, you've got it completely backwards.  Your Zoom G9 2TT sells new for $299 right now on musiciansfriend.com.  A Digitech RP355 loaded with my patch set sells new for $225: $200 for the Digitech, and $25 for my patches.  So I really don't get your comment that "Maybe I should have gone the RP55 route and then spent another grand on the custom patches being hawked for sale on this forum but the end result would probably be the same as the Zoom, except way more expensive."  In point of fact, the end result would have been about 25% less expensive than your Zoom, and you'd have saved the many hours you put into programming sounds you didn't like into the Zoom.

I agree that it's not easy to program current devices like the Line6, the Zoom, and the Digitechs for harp.  They are in fact designed for guitar, and it takes a lot of time to figure it the right settings for harp.  But these devices, or some generation to follow, are the future of amplification. And if you take the time to set them up right, which I do, they sound great with harp. Or so my clips sound to me.   

Regards, Richard Hunter


 

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