[Harp-L] Digitech revisited

[Michael Easton <diachrome@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

After being a diehard vintage amp man for years I've finally succumbed  
to hi tech. Mostly out of need.  Lately the clubs we've been playing  
in are getting smaller and smaller in size.
This makes it difficult for a 5 piece band to spread out our gear  
without having to have some amps on stands and others below them.  Too  
small to use my Avenger and too narrow for
my vintage tweed to carry the length of the room. Forget about miking  
it since the other amps are so close together.  I did buy a Sennheiser  
amp mic but only used it once.  I'll save it for larger venues
and outdoor concerts.

I purchased a Digitech 200A a couple years ago but after only a month  
of fiddling with it it went back in the box and on a shelf.  I think  
my disappointment had more to do with
my narrow scope of what Digitech products can do. I was looking at it  
as more as an effect pedal rather then amp modeler.  This time around  
I took a different approach to how to use it and set
up 6 amp modeling patches.  5 are based on using with my amps.  One is  
based on using it thru the pa as an amp.    The remaining 9 patches  
are set up only as effects to compliment the amp rather then
bringing out a pedal board full of reverb, vibrato, delay, octave, etc.

While I love my tweeds I miss my vintage '65 Deluxe reverb.  Most of  
the amp patches are based on that model. One dry. One with reverb, One  
with delay.  the 4th one to emulate my blonde Skylark, and the last
to emulate a tweed somewhere between my  Avenger and '48 tweed.

While these setups are great with the amps I use they don't cut it  
when running thru a pa. They tend to sound a little muffled.   So I  
created an amp emulation just for pa use that I've used on 2 gigs so  
far.  The last one last night where the stage area is about
10x10 in size.  The setting had plenty of tone and  and cuts like  
glass thru the audience.  The audience could finally hear me. I could  
hear me and no feedback problems.  Nobody knew I wasn't using an amp.   
I did get a compliment from a stranger that said my sound fit better  
with the  band then another local gigging harp player. The guy then  
offered us a wedding reception gig.

So will the Digitech replace my other amps.  No.  Will it be added to  
the choice of amp options for a gig. YES.   Btw, the first gig I used  
it on was through the house pa which had large 15 inch ceiling mounted  
cabs.  The gig last night was thru
a Fender 250 Passport pa.  Big or small a Digitech will come to the  
aid.  No need for direct box.  I just plugged it directly into the pa  
via 25 ft. 1/4 inch cable.

Even if just used as an effect pedal, if tweaked correctly it can  
lessen your stage footprint.

Take Care
Mike
www.harmonicarepair.com