I recorded this Lee Oskar song, one of my favorite jam platforms, live into my Zoom H4 at the same rehearsal where I recorded It Takes a Lot to Laugh, It Takes a Train to Cry. All the parts except the percussion loop are played with the same Seydel 1847 G harp, running through an Audix Fireball V into a setup that includes a Digitech RP255, 355, and 350, with the first RP at the end of the chain and the RP350 and 355 running in parallel.

Richard Hunter with Lowlands

The piece begins with the harp playing a bass line over a pre-recorded percussion loop, using a low double octave patch I created for the Digitech RP355. That’s followed by an organ-ish lead, again played through the RP355, then a looped organ chord sequence. Next up is an autowah patch playing a rhythm guitar-ish lick through the RP350. The last part is a combination of the RP255 and the RP350, with the RP350 running the autowah and the RP255 bringing the pitch up an octave. (I just realized, writing this, that I could do this all with two RPs instead of three by adding the patch I’m using on the 350 to the 355. Less gear for the same sound = good.) By the way, at 2:15, just after the combined RP350/RP255 sound makes its entrance, the contrary motion in the harmonica part is played by me, not the effects devices.

I’m singing through a Digitech Vocalist, which adds a low octave under the voice. As Hendrix said at Monterey while playing “Like A Rolling Stone,” “Yeah, I messed up the words. So what?” I’ll make it better next time fer sher…

This piece shows that you can produce a very, very rich rhythm and lead sound with a single harp, a looper, and a Digitech RP or two. Enjoy.

Richard Hunter/Lo Rider LIVE/Aug 15 2011