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Dirty-South Blues Harp forum: wail on! > I bought an amp and have a few qeustions
I bought an amp and have a few qeustions
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undertheradar
63 posts
Mar 12, 2014
5:59 AM
Last year I got a super deal on an 8ball amp that was built locally for harp. I have 4 inputs and they go from dirty to clean. I also have a tone knob and volume knob. In any case the tone sounds good but I would love to have some sort of equalizer pedal or adapter to get it just right. Is there something like this out there? I dont want any more over driven sound just want to be able to adjust more than "tone".

The amp does have a 1/4 inch line out feature in the back. I dont know if I need the same 1/4 to xlr adapter like the one I have going from my mic to the amp for the line out feature going it back thru the PA?

Last Edited by undertheradar on Mar 12, 2014 6:00 AM
rogonzab
492 posts
Mar 12, 2014
6:32 AM
I use a Behringer EQ700. Is going to do what you want and is cheap, but my advice is not over use it (all the bass up, all the treble down), you will kill your dynamics.

read this:
http://www.modernbluesharmonica.com/board/board_topic/5560960/5347921.htm
HawkeyeKane
2364 posts
Mar 12, 2014
7:39 AM
I use a Danelectro Fish n Chips EQ pedal with great results.

Best way to send it through a PA is to use a DI box, preferably one with a ground lift input or switch on it. That way, if you have a buzz in the mains when you try it, you can lift the ground on it, and in most cases, this will kill the buzz.

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Hawkeye Kane
Rick Davis
3060 posts
Mar 12, 2014
10:00 AM
Undertheradar- Are you certain the 1/4 inch jack on the back of the amp is a line out and not a speaker extension jack? If it is a line out you just need a typical 1/4 inch instrument cable. Connect it to the LINE input on a PA channel. I do this every gig with the Memphis Mini amp and it sounds awesome.

If for some reason the PA or snake has only low-impedance XLR jacks then you will need a DI box. The basic ones are inexpensive.

The EQ pedal I used for years (but I never use anymore) is the Boss GE7. It worked well, but I got out of the pedal thing.

Edited to add: A friend has the Behringer EQ700 pedal that roganzab mentioned. I've played it and it works just fine.

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-Little Rick Davis
The Memphis Mini harp amp
The Blues Harp Amps Blog
The Mile High Blues Society

Last Edited by Rick Davis on Mar 12, 2014 10:05 AM
arnenym
270 posts
Mar 12, 2014
12:26 PM
Harptone+ is a great pedal for adjust bass and treble. Its made for harp and do not give extra distorsion
undertheradar
64 posts
Mar 14, 2014
5:07 AM
ok sorry for late reply, I just got back around to getting online. Yes Im sure it has a 1/4" line out jack in the back. So if the PA im running it back to is XLR, how do I go about doing that?

Also I noticed on the back is a 3 position switch that have different values of resistance. What / When would I need to change that. Id take a picture of the amp but have no idea how to add it to the forum
Goldbrick
345 posts
Mar 14, 2014
6:34 AM

Last Edited by Goldbrick on Mar 14, 2014 12:48 PM
HawkeyeKane
2378 posts
Mar 14, 2014
7:22 AM
The impedance switch is most likely used for switching between impedances of extension speaker cabs. Lemme guess....4 ohm, 8 ohm, and 16 ohm?

In terms of connecting your line out to the XLR on the PA, I still stand by my original response. Use a DI box. Not only will adapt your connection between jacks, it also sends a balanced, and better shielded signal to the board. If you're a fair distance away from the mixer, that will prove very beneficial against outside noise that could otherwise make itself heard through a 1/4" unbalanced cable.
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Hawkeye Kane - Hipbone Sam
Rick Davis
3071 posts
Mar 14, 2014
7:46 AM
undertheradar-

Are you SURE the quarter inch jack on the back of your amp is a line out? The impedance switch strongly suggests it is a speaker out, which is very different from a line out.

You say the amp was built locally. Can you contact the amp maker and find out? If there is only one quarter inch jack on the back and there is also an impedance switch I think you better make sure.

As for XLR connection, yeah, if that is the only connection available on the snake or or the board you will need a simple passive DI box, like this:

Live Wire DI

In most cases a regular instrument cable will do just fine. If not, use the DI.

It takes me maybe two minutes to set up my rig in a club, and most of that time is looking for a chair to put the amp on. I run a regular instrument cable from the Memphis Mini to the board, tweak the settings just a little, and it is time to boogie.

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-Little Rick Davis
The Memphis Mini harp amp
The Blues Harp Amps Blog
The Mile High Blues Society
Rick Davis
3072 posts
Mar 14, 2014
7:52 AM
When I need a DI this is what I use. Old school. It has awesome analog speaker emulation.



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-Little Rick Davis
The Memphis Mini harp amp
The Blues Harp Amps Blog
The Mile High Blues Society
undertheradar
65 posts
Mar 14, 2014
10:38 AM
Rick, it says "line out" on the jack. It was dremeled in just like the his name on the back. BUT that it. Just his name, no number or nothing. Im going to look him up on FB and see if I can locate him that way.
Rick Davis
3078 posts
Mar 14, 2014
3:57 PM
If it is labeled "Line Out" it probably is. No worries. Just me being paranoid. But I still don't understand why it would have an impedance selector on the back. That is always for external speakers, isn't it?

Turn the amp down low, plug it into the PA mixer and see what happens.

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-Little Rick Davis
The Memphis Mini harp amp
The Blues Harp Amps Blog
The Mile High Blues Society


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