As one of the guys that absolutely loves this new toy- I thought I’d weigh in on a few things. This is just my own personal observations and experience with the DM48, and nothing else.
My most used set up is two Vl70’s linked with a midi cable- and then put through a mixer. Both Vl70’s are the upgraded versions tweaked by Matt Traum, I’ve never used the stock version so I wouldn’t be able to comment on it. What the dual setup allows me to do is play the head (melody) of a tune with various double horn sounds- my favorites being a Getz-like patch combined with a cornet patch, and a Brecker-like patch combined with a different trumpet sound. But then I can instantly switch to a sax only sound, or a trumpet, or a clarinet which allows me to play different solos within the same tune- and even doing a bit of back and forth on the later verses. For performing solo with backing tracks this has been a major hit at the gigs I play, and has expanded my overall concept of soloing somewhat- as I try to emulate the specific instrument I’m using at the time, and vary it accordingly. It’s also boatloads of fun. I think it’s fair to say that the patches don’t sound exactly the instruments they are emulating, but I’ve had more than one professional horn player come up to me at a gig and marvel at how good the patches sound. Do they sound exactly like the real thing? No. Do they sound good? Well, that’s subjective but the overall response has been extremely positive, and frequently amazement. Many of my private parties and events are being solely executed with the DM lately, for no other reason than they heard me using it at a gig and that’s what they want at their event. So I break up the evening with real chromatic, but the variety of sounds throughout the evening really spices up the gig, both for the listeners and myself.
I do use an iPad for some situations, mostly for practice- but I have used an app from Korg called the iM1 that I purchased an upgrade from Matt Traum specifically for breath controllers that works really well, and sounds good. There is a touch of latency with it, but after a year of playing through this app I don’t even notice it. And when I’m using the sounds as a pad- like a B3 sound or a spacey synth sound any minor lag becomes unimportant as I’m using the sound as a wash, rather than rapid flurry of notes. The iM1 can also be programmed to implement a hold button, which enables chord stacks, and sustain features just like a keyboard pedal.
I totally respect the folks that say it’s too fiddly, requires more money invested, and is too complicated versus the plain old chromatic which one can plunk in a pocket and whip out anywhere. I have yet to use the DM at a jam session, or when I’m invited to play onstage as a guest artist. And the feel of a real reed being vibrated is uniquely satisfying, and still my preference. I LOVE the chromatic harmonica, period. But I have to say my ability to book gigs has improved as a direct result of being able to use more varied sounds throughout an evening of music. Examples:
Bluesette: I play the real chromatic
Black Orpheus: I use a flute sound
Bei Mir bist du schoen: I use a clarinet sound, and then a tuba in the middle of the tune, which people find hilarious.
Boplicity: I use a dual horn sound, sax and trumpet, and then go back and forth during solos, finally ending with the dual horn sound.
Let’s get lost: I use a trumpet sound ala Chet Baker for the whole tune.
Candy: I start off with a trumpet (I love lee Morgan’s version) and then use a sax sound on the second part of the verse. Then combine them for the last part of the verse.
Wave: back to the real chromatic
If someone requests a tune I’ve already played, I’ll use a different sound for variety. It’s fun!
Sorry about this long post, I’m gonna put up a video illustrating some of these things pretty soon.
Cheers!
