****You can actually listen to an example of the "tone" he likes on his song here>>>http://www.reverbnation.com/markcameron I sat in with a band tonight that wants me to play with them formally. In talking with the band leader, he commented on really like a typical amped harmonica tone. Specifically mentioning the sound of a bullet and tweed amp.
The music isn't "blues". I can't really describe it well, but a lot of it is minor chords with jazz changes. My role would vary from playing Chicago type harp to using the harp to be a background vocalist, keyboard, horn, etc.
So if I wanted to get a raunchy sound (right now I am using an Ultimate 57 into a HarpGear HG50), would it make more sense to look at a different mic or amp for this gig? What about a pedal like the Lone Wolf stuff? (I feel like I should know the answer to this but don't).
I know that technique is a huge part of this...I did a lot of tongue blocking tonight,tight cupping, and used the 57 right into the board. Therefore, please do not take the discussion down that road as I know what I can do and work on in that area.
Also, I am just thinking ahead to what the band leader would want as a formal member of the band. I am in now way in a rush to drop money on gear. If it works out, I'd like to invest some gig money into having an appropriate rig for this specific group, as my needs are typically a cleaner rig that takes pedals.
Thanks! ---------- Mike
Last Edited by on Aug 30, 2010 10:14 AM
An MXR Microamp (clean boost pedal) works great with certain tube amps to produce a "Chicago" tone for harp played through a PA style mic. Don't know how it would do w/a Harpgear, though.
I recently ordered a Greer Ghetto Stomp to use for this purpose, but i don't have it yet, so I cannot pass along an informed opinion on that pedal.
An ART preamp can also serve this purpose depending on the amp you are using. Very reasonably priced device.
IMHO, you do NOT need to change your mic.
Last Edited by on Aug 27, 2010 11:08 PM
Mike, a Lone Wolf would be a good choice to change up your tone. The SM57 and HG are never going to get you over the line into bullet/tweed amp territory - but adding a LW will do it. Htownfess will be able to help.
I'm thinking the outfit sounds like the sort of thing Dennis Moriarty is doing. Big classic sound played over bluesy jazz and other grooves?
I have a HarpAttack by LoneWolf and it adds a lot of grit if need be and also can work like an attenuator if you set it right. Plus, it sounds nice through the PA, too.
Boris Plotnikov has been running his Harp Attack into bigger amps sometimes, with a mic more like yours, and covering a range from cleaner to more distorted depending on the context. Sounds great to me.
Funny thing--last night I got around to running a Harp Attack through a big tube amp for the first time & it worked fine. Amp was a BFSR RI that AFAIK is stock & I wanted to get away from that clean/scooped-mid sound; the Harp Attack front-loaded a warm, fat overdriven sound without being overly touchy on feedback. People are reportedly getting good results doing that with the SS Harp Break too, Ron Sunshine had a video demo up, but I'd still go for the tube Harp Attack instead--worth it the first time you go straight in a PA with the HA.
I can't help thinking that often what other musicians think of as amplified harp can be virtually a caricature, too overdriven/nasty, at least judging by tones they express approval of. But the Harp Attack gives you plenty of control over how dirty it runs and even cranked up it doesn't get harsh the way that SS pedals do. You ought to be able to tailor the tone to suit that band.
Preamp pedals not designed for harp seem to have the twin problems of that caricatured nasty tone (that thing Madcat used to use was truly wretched) and feedback (guitar gain factors). Avoid, IMO.
I was thinking that one of Greg's Bulletizers might be a game-changer for your 57 in this situation. That difference in shape/diameter makes a huge difference with my hands/cup but may not do so for you. It might spare you the humiliation of actually owning a bullet mic :)
The sound guy certainly put a lot of echo on in that Antones video and of course the Low F harp adds a certain timbre, but I think it's still a good demo of how right the basic voicing of the Harp Attack is.
Get a used Meteor or a Mini Meat and a bullet with a Shure CM. Sell them when you get bored with this band. Nothing does overdriven distortion like a Meteor. Now is a good time to buy stuff. Gear prices are at an all time low.
"Preamp pedals not designed for harp seem to have the twin problems of that caricatured nasty tone (that thing Madcat used to use was truly wretched) and feedback (guitar gain factors). Avoid, IMO."
Generally speaking this is true. BUT certain non harp specific pedals are harp friendly. I've always shied away from harp specific gear because it's typically promoted with statements about how good it sounds w/ a bullet mic and i don't use a bullet--so i don't want to buy gear that's designed to work with a type of mic i don't use.
"I was thinking that one of Greg's Bulletizers might be a game-changer for your 57 in this situation. That difference in shape/diameter makes a huge difference with my hands/cup but may not do so for you. It might spare you the humiliation of actually owning a bullet mic :)"
Bulletizers don't change the sound at all. They only affect how comfortable or uncomfortable the mic is to grip.
"Get a used Meteor or a Mini Meat and a bullet with a Shure CM. Sell them when you get bored with this band. Nothing does overdriven distortion like a Meteor."
True enough as far as it goes. But this set up is truly a one trick pony. I've always been curious about how a Meteor would sound with a 545 or SM 57. But the only times I've played through one was in situations where the player who let me use it when i was sitting in was playing through a bullet. Meteors are interesting because they do distortion really well and you can sort of control the distortion with breath and mic technique--but we are talking about distortion all the time on every note of every measure of every tune in every set all night long. Meteors don't clean up at all--no way, no how.
Last Edited by on Aug 28, 2010 7:24 AM
Or..... Get a Kalamazoo. When you need the volume, run its line-out into the HG50. Now you have a complete usable low-power amp for smaller gigs. I used mine at a low volume gig last night - people love it. (Kalamazoo's don't come with line out but I can add the feature.) ---------- /Greg
With a larger amp like the HG50 ( Is it the 1210 or the 410 ), you should be able to tone it down by subbing a 5751 in the V1, and a 12AY7 or 5814A in V2.
@HarpNinja --- You can get by very well with an SM57 because I remember when I opened up for William Clarke in 1996, a few months before he passed away, and he was using an SM57 (with a matching line transformer), a Boss DD-3 Digital Delay Pedal, and going thru a real '59 Bassman and a real early 60's Fender tan 4-10 Concert in series and he had more than enough grit.
If you want a dirtier sound thru the board, consider the new Harp Commander or an amp emulator like a POD or Behringer V-Amp.
Even with your present setup, you should be able to get a dirtier sound by either messing with the bass in a different setting and maybe turning the treble down a lot more or even turn it off completely. ---------- Sincerely, Barbeque Bob Maglinte Boston, MA http://www.barbequebob.com CD available at http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/bbmaglinte
@hvyj: "I've always shied away from harp specific gear because it's typically promoted with statements about how good it sounds w/ a bullet mic and i don't use a bullet--so i don't want to buy gear that's designed to work with a type of mic i don't use."
The forum creed prevents me from expressing even a charitable assessment of the above statement. It is somewhat less logical than saying you wouldn't use a tweed Champ for harp because it was designed for guitar. Even "typically promoted" is not true, as Zack Pomerleau and Boris Plotnikov have been highly visible proponents of playing the SM57 through the Harp Attack. Here, for example, is Boris in a video he posted at the Lone Wolf forum:
I'll let Zack pick one of his vids to embed if he wants to put up an example. Since he and Boris are much closer to Mike's playing approach than you or I are, perhaps their reliance on the SM57/Harp Attack pairing carries some weight here. You might want to drop the "I don't play bullet mics so I don't use the Lone Wolf stuff" objection and switch to "I don't play overblows so I don't use the Lone Wolf gear," as the latter would make more sense, I suspect.
"Bulletizers don't change the sound at all. They only affect how comfortable or uncomfortable the mic is to grip."
Have you owned or even used one? Depending on the individual's hands and mic, a Bulletizer *may* make a substantial difference, and toward the sound of a bullet mic. Cup shape, volume, distance of mic from harp, reaction to hand movements all *may* change, especially for people with smaller hands. Mind you, I don't own a Bulletizer, but feel free to ask Greg where the idea for it came from :)
"But this set up [Meteor or Mini-Meat] is truly a one trick pony."
The OP indicates, however, that the prospective band has requested precisely that trick.
Given the availability of videos from Zack and Boris, you ought to post an example of you playing your rig, so Mike could better decide whether your sound would suit his needs better.
[Edit was fixing the paragraphing]
Last Edited by on Aug 28, 2010 2:19 PM
@htownfess: You may well be correct about the Lone Wolf stuff and other harp specific gear. I don't know. But if you look on the Lone Wolf and Harp Commander and Sonny Jr, websites the text on each of those sites makes repeated references to how well these products work with bullet mic elements. So, I assumed these devices were designed and/or optimized for use with bullet mics. I was not aware that Zack and Boris were doing promotional ads for Lone Wolf. But the info on those websites is what discouraged me from trying this stuff out. I may be wrong, but I do not consider my view irrational based on what the manufacturers themselves say. And, btw, I don't use a tweed champ because it is too high gain for my taste--probably because it was designed for guitar.
I have tried a Bulletizer. It's a hand grip. It does not affect tone. it may help or inhibit a player's mic handling technique depending on the size of their hands. Personally, i don't like them. I can get a better and tighter cup without one. Others may find that it helps them get a better or tighter cup. But it's a hand grip that may or may not aid technique. It's absurd to suggest that it affects tone.
As i read Harpninja's post, the bandleader was requiring him to do other things besides get a distorted Chicago sound. If my read is correct, it has been my experience that a Meteor would not provide that sort of versatility.
Forum creed or no forum creed, I will not be offended if you think I'm full of shit and i won't get angry or pull a Zhin if you tell me so. But, except for my being put off from buying harp specific gear because of what the manufacturers' websites tell me, my opinions are based on first hand stage experiences, not what I read on the web or try out in my living room. And, based on my live performance experiences playing in public with other musicians, I don't agree with a substantial amount of the conventional wisdom about harp amplification. But, of course, YMMV.
I have 3 different rigs, and Mike already knows what they are and how I use them. If you are curious, my primary gigging rig is an SWR Baby Baby Blue acoustic bass amp which has a tube preamp and a solid state power stage. Semi parametric EQ (sweepable freqs on all 3 bands) for almost complete control over tone shaping, 120 watts and does not feedback even at high volume. I use a 545 Ultimate through a pedal board into the low gain input. It gives me exactly the sound I am after and has an XLR direct out so i don't have to mic it on large stages. Obviously not a good choice for a distorted Chicago sound, but that's not the sound I am after for my regular gigs.
Last Edited by on Aug 28, 2010 4:59 PM
Well, I love the HarpAttack. I think the marketing is simply to get more customers because a good majority of blues harmonica players are using bullets, etc. But, hey, some of us are trying to get a more 'modern' view of this equipment out there. But, anyways...
Okay, here is one showing the difference between PA and HarpAttack on:
Here is one with me using it for a song:
I can get more clips if you need but it demonstrates the cleanness it can get rid of. I ALWAYS use it through my amp also so any somewhat recent videos of me with an amp will always have it, including this one demonstrating my pedals at the time (I demonstrate them all separately and then together, if I remember correctly):
It is my favorite pedal and really helps me achieve 'my sound.' Hope this helps!
@Zack: Out of curiosity, what does it do to your signal/tone when it's NOT on? Here's why I'm asking: The website says "The pedal is designed with a high impedence input buffer providing 10M ohms of resistance to get the best tone from your crystal, CM or other high impedence microphone." In general I do not like what buffered pedals do to my tone and signal when the pedal is not engaged. I use a low Z 545 Ultimate through a rat tail IMT. I am put off by the idea of a buffer.
So, if i want to use the Harp Attack only for certain tunes, what does it do to tone/signal when it is off? I am assuming that you don't isolate it with a dedicated true by pass loop. I mean, if you are running through it when it is off in the videos, it's not possible to tell how much the disengaged buffered pedal is eroding tone just by being in line as the signal runs through it.
Last Edited by on Aug 28, 2010 4:08 PM
Well, the HarpAttack was really meant to be always engaged but I can tell you I don't notice a tonal difference. If there is one I'm too deaf to hear it but I truthfully do not believe there is any difference. The pedal for me adds extra grit and a percussive treble effect to my tone that helps me cut through (I use the tone knob full-on).
I really loved the Lone Wolf that H-Town Fess had set up at the Dan Electro's jam in Houston.
It was very crunchy but also harmonically very rich. I would be very happy with that setup and I love that it is not dependent on room size.
It was set up with a bullet but I bet an sm57 would sound great.
To me the bullets have more squawk and the sticks sound hornier, but compression is a huge part of the tone equation and you can definitely overdrive the 57. ---------- Shane
Don't waste your money buying more pedals. If you really want a "Chicago" sound. Just buy a good bullet mic (JT30 or a Shure 520)and go straight into the amp using no pedals. Maybe lower one of the pre amp tubes if you really wanted to, although it isn't neccessary to do so. That along with technique should give you all the "grit" you want. If it doesn't then you need to look at your technique.
Kingley, Mike knows that. But he has his own regular sound and just needs to get there for these gigs.
Of course, we'll all say some Hail Marys and light some candles that his experimentation will bring him over to the testosterone-laden side of amp'd harp. (Mike: Clark Piedmont, Clark Piedmont, Clark Piedmont)
Ev630 - Lol! Yeah I know Mike knows it. My point was that if he uses a bullet mic into his HarpGear amp (and maybe a pre-amp tube swap if needed) he'll have that "Chicago" sound, which is of course a subjective sound. I mean Billy Branch, Little Walter, James Cotton and Junior Wells all sound completely different and yet all are "Chicago".
@hvyj: "I have tried a Bulletizer. It's a hand grip. It does not affect tone."
Well, Greg seems to think his Bulletizer can affect tone, so perhaps you should straighten him out--to quote his website,
"The Bulletizer[tm] is the solution. It gives you a larger surface to grasp and cup, and provides an acoustic chamber inside your cup to bring out the best of the mic's tone. You can even 'tune the tone' by varying the position of the mic inside the shell."
Though if Greg wants to be mistaken about his own product, I guess that's his prerogative :)
"Forum creed or no forum creed, I will not be offended if you think I'm full of shit and i won't get angry or pull a Zhin if you tell me so."
I did not say that and won't. We're near a new moon, not a full one :D
@htownfess: Greg makes great stuff. And, as a matter of fact I have discussed the bulletizer w/Greg. But maybe we are hung up on semantics. Technique certainly affects tone, the bulletizer can aid technique, so, yeah, in that respect it can affect tone. But it doesn't electronically alter the signal to affect tone like a pedal or a different type of mic or a tube amp does. That's what I meant.
Right, and what Stephen was getting at is that some guys get great tone from a bullet mic because of the acoustic chamber you establish (via technique) between the harp and the grill. The Bulletizer allows you to do that with an SM57.
It would be interesting to hear what the Bulletizer sounds like straight into a good valve amp when played by a competent player who has good technique. Just to see how much it changes the sound. A with/without Bulletizer video using same player, settings, amp, harp, tune and no effects would be ideal. Then compared to say a Shure 520 with the same parameters.
The only video I could find was Christelle using one with a Lone Wolf Harp Attack into a MacBook Pro. It's not a "real world" demo though, which would obviously be more beneficial to Mike and many others here (myself included). ----------
Just one more plug for Lone Wolf's Harp Attack – I had a gig outside last Friday night that I usually bring my Cruncher out for, and mic with a Sennheiser e609. I decided to just run without it that night to lighten the load. It was a really good sound. You can dial it in in just about infinite ways. And it was really sweet just to grab my pedal kit (Line 6 X2 wireless, Boss DD3, Harp Attack) and go. I had a couple harp guys come up and ask where the amp was. I also have used this in front of my Cruncher sometimes, but really don't need to as it does the trick on it's own quite nicely. Actually, very nicely. :^) -Bob
@hvyj - "I've always been curious about how a Meteor would sound with a 545 or SM 57."
Mike asked for recommendations on a traditional sounding amp that is overdriven. Nothing overdrives like a Meteor, except for a Mini-Meat. During the time that I owned a Mini Meat, I tried all sorts of stuff to get a slightly cleaner sound out of it.
1. A solid state rectifier. 2. Super clean 6L6 tubes. 3. Running cleaner dynamic mics through it. (A Shure 520DX, 545 and SM57. I also tried an EV 635A.)
If there were any changes, I couldn't hear them.
During my time with the Mini Meat, I changed my playing technique a little to work with the amp. I accepted the sound and ended up really enjoying my time with the amp. I settled on a Shure 520DX and got some acceptable tone out of it. (Yes, the shitty mic.) I needed a louder amp, so I flipped it for a Super Sonny.
"I've always shied away from harp specific gear because it's typically promoted with statements about how good it sounds w/ a bullet mic and i don't use a bullet--so i don't want to buy gear that's designed to work with a type of mic i don't use."
First of all, I'm not really a pedal kind of guy. I've played with them. I find them to be sort of a pain in the ass, unless they are simple. I want to play and not screw around with pedals. I'm a traditional Blues player.
I own a couple of Lone Wolf pedals. I really dig the Harp Tone+. I use it quite frequently. It doesn't add an overdrive effect, so I didn't recommend it to Mike.
The Harp Tone+ really compliments my Harpgear Double Trouble quite nicely. with any mic. It really works well with dynamic mics like the Shure 520DX or the 545. With the 520DX, I use it to boost the bass a bit and cut some of the treble.
I've also used the Harp Tone+ with the Shure 520DX and a solid state Peavey Bandit and had very good results. Not overdriven, but I was able to get good sound out of it.
Additionally, the buffering really fixes the loss in tone when using crystal microphones with pedals provided you use the Harp Tone+ first in the chain.
I also own a Lone Wolf Harp Delay, too. It's a good delay pedal. I don't need a huge amount of configurability in a delay. It does exactly what I'm looking for and it doesn't suck tone like many of the other delay pedals that I've tried.
Lastly, I own a Boss OC-2 Octave Pedal which I almost never use unless I am in a mid 90's, Carey Bell-type of mood. I can't remember the last time that I took that out of the house.
The real key to getting a good traditional sound was the one area that Mike didn't want to discuss. Technique.
There's a lot more to "Chicago-style" harp (whatever that is) than going womp-womp-womp on a nasty sounding bullet plugged into a ratty old tube amp. You've gotta wear the right hat and have the correct sunglasses.
"The real key to getting a good traditional sound was the one area that Mike didn't want to discuss. Technique."
Joe is absolutely right. Technique is the key ingredient. If you have it you can play direct into a vocal mic into the PA and get the "Chicago" sound. If you haven't then it don't matter what shit you buy and how much of it you buy. It ain't gonna give you the sound. That's the plain cold hard brutal truth. If anyone thinks otherwise they are just fooling themselves.
I said that because, I already know about that. I can already tongue block, I am familiar with other TB tricks, I've figured out the left TB switching to ticka-ticka thing Big Walter does (thanks to Dennis Gruenling at SPAH), I know about cupping (great conversations with Ronnie Shellist and Greg Heumann at SPAH), and I have the breathing thing down including gut vibrato or whatever you want to call it.
I can acoustically play the stuff. I don't very often, but I can totally play that way. Learning all the tunes on the Masters of the Chicago Blues CD was the first thing I studied after picking up the harp.
When I sat in with this band I used a SM57 straight into the board and it sounded good. The band liked it. I could probably just do that with these guys and it'd work. HOWEVER, I would rather "nail" the sound they're looking for.
I was embarrased to ask because I feel like I should know the answer...like if a mic or amp would be a better item to look at.
The Harp Attack or a mic is the route I'll go. Thanks! ---------- Mike
Well seeing as how you can nail the sound acoustically Mike, I would go for a Shure 520 or a JT30 straight into your HarpGear amp. You can't go wrong with that rig at all. Simple set up too! :-) ----------
Mike - I suspect you've already got everything it takes to do this equipment-wise and chops-wise. If you ditch the pedal board, you're probably good to go. If you've gotta buy something, I would try a Shure Green Bullet. I would get one with a good CM element.
I would surprised if your HG50 couldn't deliver the goods.
Lone Wolf Pedal HarpGear Rock Bottom Greg Heumann Mic
One is obviously half the cost, BUT, I would want to run a delay for sure and regardless of amp or PA would use my pedal board. I would then have three different pedals (including Line 6 M9) that would need their own unqiue power needs. So I would have to solve that problem and get a bigger pedal board. Or, create a board unique to this particular band. So there is an increase in cost.
A huge pro of the amp is I would use it for both bands live and in rehearsal. The con being it would be too small and require a separate monitor mix at times or me using the larger amp.
The only con of a bullet from Greg is the overall cost, which really isn't bad considering the results. The rest of my rig would stay the same. I would have a "blues" mic that is gorgeous, sounds great, and is unique to me.
I will ponder this over until I know for 100% I'll be playing with this band and getting paid. They offered it to me, but I've had things fall through before.
I want this gig to require the least amount of gear and setup as possible! ---------- Mike
Right now I have a 12ax7 and a 12at7 in the HG. Just realized people were talking tube subs. I also have a 5ar4 in there and could throw in a 5u4. I might be covered for now. Maybe tube swaps will help?
I really want one of Greg's mics, but also see the value of a small amp. Hmmmm... ---------- Mike
Oh, yeah...this guy was into the CRUNCHY distorted sound...not the dark muted harp sound. I know some tube down to get a really dull sounding harp, which is totally cool, but he meant the raunchy kind.
My vote's still with the LW Harp Attack, with the mic and amp that you have. Then, there is the Harp Break. I have one of those because I won it in a contest. It is more of a distortion type pedal for us harp blowers. Most of my amps are modified for harp, but the Harp Break will get way more crunch going on with them when applied.
Hmm, for the crunchy/raunchy thing in a bigger amp via tubes, it's more like all 12AX7 to gnarly up the front end if that doesn't bite back too much, and cold bias on the main tubes to make the main stage crunchier. Popping the 5U4 in there is going to cool off the main bias but I'd ask Brian Purdy what he thinks about the matter first because he knows what's going on inside an HG50 and I don't (tho I like what comes out of them :).
That tube swap approach might not be as pleasantly raunchy as the Harp Attack/Kalamazoo/GH mic suggestions, but is obviously cheaper & something to try while you mull other options. Can't see how you could resist a custom "MF" mic grille, though :)
"Right now I have a 12ax7 and a 12at7 in the HG. Just realized people were talking tube subs. I also have a 5ar4 in there and could throw in a 5u4. I might be covered for now. Maybe tube swaps will help? " - HN
DON'T go for the 5U4 swap. Stay with the 5AR4. Need be...sub the rectifier with a 5CG4, but they are rare.
Stay with the 5AR4...then do a pre-amp swap of 5751 for the 12AX7 ; and a taste test of either a 12AY7, a 5814A, or a 12DW7/7247 for the PI 12AT7. Maybe even a 6211.
"I want this gig to require the least amount of gear and setup as possible!"
Well if you really must use a pedal. Then simply use a bullet mic into a delay then into the amp. Simple, straightforward and the rig used by most of the top pros, most of the time. ----------
You can hear a tune with harp here. On his last album there was a lot of harp. This sort of amped sound and then acoustic playing.
To my ear, and this is where I am deficient, I hear a bullet-mic sound. I don't want this to come off the wrong way, but it has a narrower frequency band than you can hear with some dynamic mics...words fail me, but it has the thickness I hear with bullet mics. Not that his tone is super thick, but the mic has that middy feel.
I can a/b his acoustic and amped stuff as I have the whole disc here. I hope what I am saying makes sense.
Thanks so much for all the imput and ideas. I have a lot of factors to consider as I want whatever I get or don't get to maximize my current situation. Meaning there are pros and cons to all the stuff.
Regarding the Harp Attack, I think it would add distortion, but I think after listening to his tracks more, and comparing with what has been posted here, the tone he is talking about is that bullet type tone more than just adding dirt. Zack's posts are close, but I think much like with BBQ's Clarke example, the technique of the player is doing a lot of the work. I think I could nail that with what I have now. It is like Adam's tone. Overdriven with a dynamic mic....the sound I like to begin with.
Maybe I am wrong, but there is something about the tone of a bullet, not sure if I mean CR or CM here, and it's frequency range that gets the tone I'd need. I hear more of that in Dennis's clip.
---------- Mike
Last Edited by on Aug 30, 2010 10:36 AM
htownfess htownfess Ev630 I just skip the thread. Thank you very much for kind words.
hvyj I'm not connected with LoneWolf. I recently sold Harpdelay, as I like carbon copy more (harpdelay is still cool, but not my cup of coffee).
HarpAttack is perfect to big SolidState Amps, good to big tube amps, OK to small amps, not perfect to PA, but usable. By accident I have two harpattacks one older with american tube and modern with russian tube. Russian is better because it has no microphonic noise, but amirican one is better for PA playing.
---------- Excuse my bad English. Click on my photo or my username for my music.
boris the expression is 'not my cup of tea' i am not trying to insult your english. i prefer 'not my cup of coffee.' i am going to use it myself from now on.
nice work by the way. it's my cup of coffeee.---------- MP hibachi cook for the yakuza doctor of semiotics superhero emeritus
HarpNinja, how do you set your tone controls? Put them ALL around 1 or so, and do not go past 2 or so on any of them. It makes the amp quieter but it works for getting a good tone. You can do it without a pedal, I use the pedal for an additional cut and feel.
I had an hour for lunch so I A/B'ed some tube combos in the amp and recorded them for play back. I had a problem with the mic distorting and will not post the clips, but I have a setup with just mic into amp that should work...if I can play at a certain minimum volume.
It is too hard to tell at home if what I am playing is too loud. I think it'll work fine and be "dirty" enough for now, but I may have to invest in the Harp Attack or a smaller amp for this particular band.
I was itching to rectify the situation right away, but should be patient. Although I'd use either piece of gear when rehearsing with my own group, I should not rush.
The plan is to by a small "practice" type amp anyways...been planning on getting one this winter for the last several months and have a stash of cash building up to do so. I may pull the trigger earlier now, but should roll with the HG50 until the band leader tells me he hates it, lol. ---------- Mike
MP Thanks for correcting, I make a mess with expression((: It's pitty not being a native speakers. To read is much easier than to write ((: ---------- Excuse my bad English. Click on my photo or my username for my music.
