I had a chance to compare my newer version of Harp Attack (Russian tube) with Harp Break. I tried it with my Audix Fireball (with impedance transformer) and SUKM custom Bullet (not mine) to PA and to solid state peavey transtube series amp. Harp Attack has more dynamic than HarpBreak, Harpbreak slightly overcompressed for my taste. Actually HarpAttack is more sensitive to way you're playing. More attack and breath - more distortion and more highs, less attack, less breath - more mellow tone. HarpBreak gives more uniform tone. Harp Attack sounds harsher, HarpBreak sounds softer, but both cut the mix enough good. Who told that HarpAttack is warmer??? My experience is completely opposite. HarpAttack has more distortion, to get the same distortion as with HarpAttack around 11 o'clock I turned HarpBreak's drive knob all way up. Actually I never use more distortion than 11 o'clock with harp attack. Harp Break have sweet bass knob, to achieve the same bass with Harp Attack you have to add bass on the amp or on the board. From the other side I miss some highs with HarpBreak. HarpBreak is slightly dull for me, HarpAttack is slightly bright. Extra brightness of harpAttack can be reduced by tweaking PA or amp. HarpBreak need regular 9v (one AC-DC adapter for whole daisy chain), HarpAttack needs separate 18v AC-DC adapter.
My conclusion. Both pedals are nice, both have pro's and con's. With Fireball both are nice. HarpBreak seems better for traditional style (more compression, less distortion, less highs), HarpAttack is better for modern (more distortion, more highs). With bullet HarpBreak sounds more fat and natural, than HarpAttack. I'd prefer to have both, but now I can't afford me HarpBreak yet and I'm almost happy with my HarpAttack. Harp Attack seems slightly better to SS amp, a bit too harsh to PA, HarpBreak is preffered to PA for my taste, a bit muddy to amp, nice to PA. ---------- Excuse my bad English. Click on my photo or my username for my music.
For modern playing, I really like the Tech 21 Sansamp Blonde.
I had a Harp Break for a bit, and gigged with it both straight to PA and to an amp, and it didn't do much for me. It was a nice pedal, but the Blonde gets me what I want and works great direct to a PA speaker. I wish this video did the bass response and volume justice. Just that one PA speaker destroyed my VHT and was a solid rival for my HG50.
FOH through two mains and my subwoofer and it would kill a 4x10 for a huge sound...the only con is it, IMO, is more of a modern sound (perfect for me). Very Blackface for how I have it set, but with very little sag...great for cutting through a band.
The Bassman-ish settings are good too, but not my thing. The more I noodle with this thing - and my live gear playing at home is only about 30min a week - the better it sounds.
I originally got it as a silent recording amp to use with headphones, but I think it could be easily gigged with. I am running really low on shows, but will try it either this weekend or at the end of the month. Both are clubs I know very well, and, worst case scenario, if it starts sucking I can go straight to the PA anyways.
FWIW, I will post better quality audio in the next week or two using an interface for recording. It should be here this weekend. So far, I've found it better for a one man band amped sound - including using a POG2 and beatboxing - than either of my amps.
I think they have a few options, like the Para DI and Bass Driver that would work great with harmonica. ---------- Mike Quicksilver Custom Harmonicas
Last Edited by on Sep 08, 2011 6:02 AM
Ya'll people drive me crazy, but I reckon I appreciate it. The Tech 21 sounds like a whole lot of fun. The idea of carrying 1 pedal to a jam is great -to say the least. As always, the only limit is the PA and monitors. That's a giant issue in many cases but it sounds like a great option. A Question, what benefit would there be to using the Tech 21 with a vintage 4-10 (Brown Concert)? Any problems? Does it really work if I by-pass? BTW, yeah, I'd love to go try these out but I live in the sticks and can't much get to anyplace that has gear. Thanks
I've tried some tech 21 pedals, Sansamp GT-2, Bass Driver DI about 5 years ago and they sounded too harsh for me, but I think I have to try them again. ---------- Excuse my bad English. Click on my photo or my username for my music.
IMO, I don't think using the Tech stuff as a preamp/distortion/overdrive pedal for harp is the best use. I mean, it was designed with that option in mind - hence the ability to turn the speaker emulation on and off - but I don't think it would be very efficient.
By this, I mean that it has too many dials to play with in relation to a tube amp.
If I were looking to take an amp like that and make it more harp friendly - either in eq or breakup - I would only look at the Lonewolf stuff. The Ocatve and Tone+ look like fantastic options.
I got the Blonde to use to record/jam through an interface with headphones while the kids are asleep. I wasn't too worried about it being really harp friendly, as with the headphones, the likelihood of feedback was not an issue.
In trying to maximize the use of the interface with headphones vs the sound on computer speakers and such, I thought I would plug it into a powered speaker just for kicks. I then a/b'ed the tone with my modded VHT and quickly realized that the analog Blonde was a keeper for direct to PA use.
I did not try to set it up for tweed tones, though. I think the mids and highs are very useable for harp and can give a very warm or dark tone if desired, but I was aiming for cut through a band tone.
I haven't shared direct recordings because I was using the Zoom H4n as my interface and the monitor out wasn't as consistent with volume/tone as what I got on play back through the same headphones. Honestly, I was using it for something it was not opitmized for. I ordered a new interface and should be able to whip stuff out rather quickly. ---------- Mike Quicksilver Custom Harmonicas
