Re: [Harp-L] ART Tube MP for PA

["Sloppy Joe" <special20@xxxxxxxxx>]

Lots of discussion about the ART tube DI. I am sorry I didn't lend to
the discussion earlier.
This is why I bought it.

I was asked to come up with a B3 sound by my band's frontman. So, I
asked the list, and got some very sound advice from Scooter to try a
particular box that he had experience with. I did so, and felt it was
not a warm enough sound - although, it was pretty damn close. So I
went out on my own to guitar center, and got to noodling around with
their gear - a kindly staffer directed me to the POG. I also added the
Boss Leslie pedal, and scurried off with my new toys to the music lab.
There I discovered that my stupid 35watt silvertone 1484 into 2x12
webers sounded only like a Wurlitzer - it was too damn clean and too
"silent movie sounding".
I decided to plug the rig (pog, boss leslie pedal) into a small
Magnatone - and wow, it finally sounded more like a B3. Had the grit
and stuff that I liked... maybe it's not a B3, but it was more like
that rock organ sound from Deep Puple. I loved it.

So my problem then became how to make my 1484 sound like that. I
consulted more experts - Mr. Moyer suggested the ART V3, and I snapped
one up.

It just so happens that it is a DI. But, what I use it for, is to get
more gain going into my "clean" sounding amp, at lower volumes.
Listening to an earlier recording of me playing through that amp
(without the fancy boxes) it was decided that it needed more grit. I
do like the rock-n-blues sound, and tube saturation (ala the Fender
Champ) is what I seek. So when I was asked what kind of "thing" could
be used at a gig, and give the tube soak sound, I recommended that ART
V3. It's inexpensive, and does a lot for the price. Now, it's possible
that all I have to bring to a 6 block walk gig - is the harp case
only. The ART fits nicely inside, warts and all. So I am very happy I
bought it.

It's an ancillary part to my rig, and I have used it live about half a
dozen times - would have been more had I not taken ill recently.
...but I'm much better now.

Anyway, this box was never intentionally suggested to replace, or be a
poor man's anything by me, but it is what it is, and I would suggest
any harp player could benefit from.