[Harp-L] Richard Hunter RP500 patch update

[Richard Hunter <turtlehill@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Hi all,

I've been steadily developing a new set of patches for the Digitech RP500, whose stompbox-inspired footswitch setup begs for patches that include every category of effect Digitech puts in the box.

The new patches are designed to take full advantage of that footswitch array for performance.  Any of these patches can be thoroughly transformed with a single footpress, so that, for example, you can go from a simple direct sound with reverb to the same patch slathered in distortion, then modulated with a vibrato or pitch shifter, in two (literally) steps.  I'm also including patches in this set that substitute the RP's distortion models for amp models, which opens up some hard-edged territory for the box.  I've set these things up so that the simple version is what you hear when you select the patch, and you can just hit the dedicated FX footswitches one at a time to hear how gnarly the thing can get when the FX are engaged.

These sounds will allow a player to work the RP500 as if it was an amp fronted with stompboxes, only with far more flexibility than any single amp and collection of stompboxes could provide.  When you couple the ability to turn any effect on or off instantly--which is what most players do with their stompboxes on stage, i.e. turn them on and off--with the ability to shift into a different sound completely, with different FX, amp, and cabinet, again with a single footpress, you've got a lot of tonal power working for you.  And it's plenty loud--when I played the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame gig last month, the harp was actually too loud in the mix (to my dismay, but I wasn't mixing it, so that was that).  Check out the video at one hour 23 minutes in: http://www.hunterharp.com/check-out-the-video-from-the-2015-battle-of-the-bands-playoffs. 
Like I said, the harp's too loud, but that generally makes it easier to hear what's going on with the sounds and FX. 

There are about a dozen new sounds in this set, and I'll ship them as singles, not a bulk load.  The update will go to all RP500 licensees.  I'll convert these patches to the RP1000 next, so RP1000 licensees should stay tuned.  It'll take some time convert these patches to the RP360/360XP.  The fact is that the 360 has 3 footswitches maximum for turning stuff on and off (in Stomp mode), not 5 like the RP500. When you put the 360 in Stomp mode you can't use the footswitches to move up and down in your patch set, which limits your ability to pull of REALLY dramatic changes in tone, like you might need, for example, if you were looping the parts for a song and wanted to follow a bass sound with an organ sound (or a clean reverbed sound, or an amped-up Chicago sound...).  So the sound designer has to make more and potentially tougher choices about which FX get a dedicated on/off switch. That said, all the FX available in the RP500 and the RP1000 are available also to the RP360, so I can apply the new setups in their totality when I get to it.

Thanks, Richard Hunter 

author, "Jazz Harp" (Oak Publications, NYC)
Latest mp3s and harmonica blog at http://hunterharp.com
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Twitter: @lightninrick