RadTone Harmonic Converger

I have the Mono/Loop version that was designed to be used in the FX Loop of the Boss GT-8. Just run cable from the FX Send into the Harmonic Converger and then from the Harmonic Converger into the FX Return. One dial controls the amount of harmonic convergence. It is a "set and forget" type unit. I found the level of convergence that I liked and I haven't moved it since.

My only problem is that the dial is all black and has no indication as to what its current setting is. The only way to know how far it is turned is to either turn it until it stops or stick a piece of tape on it to create a visual cue. Considering that this is the only control, I marked off two points.

I use this in the loop of my Boss GT-8. I run the GT-8 into the Power Amp Input of a Fender Hot DeVille 2x12 combo.

While some people on the internet have indicated that this product is only useful when playing into a Full Range, Flat Response rig, I would like to disagree with this. I play into the power section of a tube amp because I find it does wonders to "warm up" the sound of my modeller. It can't be forgotten, though, that the Harmonic Converger is designed to adjust the sound of the DIGITAL PREAMP. I use the GT-8 for the digital preamps because it offers great flexibility. Even playing when through an all tube power amp, I think the Harmonic Converger improves the sound of the modeller. It adds bite and focus. I notice that my pick attack is more pronounced. It also adds clarity to any patch that uses distortion.

Some people have hypothesized that it is nothing more than a low-pass filter. I don't really see how this could be true. In fact, when people hear it through my rig, their first guess is that it is actually treble booster.

There is no doubt in my mind that it has improved the sound of my rig.

Seems pretty solid, but I haven't had it for long enough to give a rating on this.

The creator of the Harmonic Converger was incredibly responsive to my emails. He offers a money back guarentee. I can't have asked for better customer support thus far.

I play blues, rock, fusion, folk, funk....I'm into the jam band thing, so there's a whole lot of variety in there. I can't see how this wouldn't be a good match for anyone with a modeller unless maybe they only play jazz and never use distortion.

I can understand that people might be suspicious because the unit is sealed shut and the creator does not have a patent on what is supposedly "new technology." I don't like that people knock it before they try it, though. If you try and you don't like it, the creator offers a money back guarentee.

The bottom line for me is that it helps me sound better by making the digital preamps in the GT-8 sound more convincing. I now have no excuse to GAS for awhile and that's worth WAY more than the price of this unit.

It's very simple to use. From the Effects Send of my GT-8 to the Input of the HC and from the HC Output back to Effects Return. Adjust the small Pot about midway and go!
I have redesigned many Patches to optimize the new clarity the HC brings to the table, but it's not necessary to do this to hear the tone improvement.

I own the Loop model of the HC with a Boss GT-8 modelling multi-effects unit. My guitars are a Strat w/Lace Hot Golds and a Godin XTSA with Godin-labelled pups. I run this stuff into a Roland KC-350 Keyboard amp or a Vox AC-15CC. Lately I've been using the Vox as I just got it a few weeks ago.
As others state, the HC is not marketed as an effect device. It is designed to 'open-up' the tone of modelling multi-effects units. It makes the GT-8 Preamp models sound more present and clear, removing muddiness and the dreaded 'fizz' that plagues digital preamps and effects like those found in the GT-8, especially Hi Gain Preamp models/patches.
After I got my Vox amp I eventually ran the GT-8 w/HC in-the-loop into it just to check-out the sound. I disabled the GT-8 preamps, changed the Output to Combo and wow! The HC improves the Distortion Pedal models of the GT-8 as well. So for the time being I'm just running the GT-8 as a stompbox modeller without using preamps.

It is rock solid. Nothing to break really.

Radley has been very responsive to E-Mails and has a Forum on Bossgtcentral.com

I've been a Guitarist on-and-off for 28 years, playing musical categories as-needed for gigs. Now I minister in church on a Worship Team and I have to cover multiple styles in one 25 minute stretch every Sunday.
Modelling gear enables me to do this, and the Harmonic Converger helps my gear sound it's best. I would replace it without question, there is no substitute for what it does.

This device is easy to use. Plug it in and enjoy it. The only thing to remember is that it will color your tone somewhat, so you will probably need to re-tweek your patches to optimze your tone. I also wish it had labels for the ins and outs, and switch settings, and an owners manual would be nice.

The ability of this device to make your modeler sound more like a real amp is uncanny! As I stated above, you do need to do some tweeking to get the most out of your tone, and I will concede that some people might not like it's effect (although I find it hard to imagine), but it is well worth the effort.
NOTE: this is a balanced review, unlike a previous reviewer who, as you can tell by their review, has never even heard (in real life) or tried one. He or she is mearly going by hearsay, based on the bashing of a few people on the POD user forum (who have also admitted that they never heard one). The previous reviewers' "balanced" opinion is only worth the amount of time he or she has spent trying or listening to the device (which is zero). I really don't think Harmony Central's review section is intended for people to post their opinions of something they have never tried. Notice, this is a REVIEW section, not a propoganda vehicle. You can not review something you have never tried, right? Just take a look at the REVIEWS of the people that have tried one for a "balanced" review. You will see that the device has a stellar rating. I wonder if Rimshot would like me to do a bunch of reviews of Line 6 products that I have never heard, but since I have heard that some people might not like their products (even though they have never tried them) they must be junk, right? Suffice it to say, that I will never use a modeller without a Harmonic Converger again. The guy who plays next to me with his Mesa Dual Rectifier, and Marshall 4-12 with Greenbacks says that mine is the first modeller he has heard that sounds like a real amp (I amplify it with a JBL EONG2). (He says he can't stand Line 6 products, and since he says that, they must all be junk, and I should feel compelled to trash all of their products one by one on this site, right Rimshot?) Take your advice from people who might know something, which means they have tried the device.

Built like a rock except the three position toggle switch seems like it could be damaged. I have enclosed mine in a project box with the guts from a DI box to make a Harmonic Converger DI.

Hadley is one of the nicest and knowledgable people I have ever had the priviledge of talking to. He talked to me for over an hour on his dime. He is the guitar player for Neil Diamond and is also a session player. He cares about great tone and has a passion for helping people achieve it.

There are a number of people on the Line 6 user forum that have a vendetta against Hadley and this device because he has suggested it as a solution on the forum, to people that have compalined about "fizz". Some of these people take great exception to Hadley doing this on a user forum. While I think they are entitled to their opinion, to go to the extreme of posting a negative review of (something they have never tried) on this site is over the top.
Let me just say that Hadley has a full money back guarantee. If you don't like it, just return it for a full refund (except shipping). What could be fairer than that? Try one and decide for yourself! If you end up returning it, you will be the first one to do it. What does that tell you?

This is to respond to the poor review below. This unit is a 10 for ease of use. The previous poster is a hack from the POD forums who is against the HC and it's maker.

The sound quality of the HC is excellent. It DOES color the sound somewhat but as to the comment of "adding a wet blanket" to the sound, it does the opposite, it removes the sonic "blanket" over most modellers and livens the sound up, all the while removing the FIZZ intrinsic to most modellers hi-gain pre-amp sounds. It also helps greatly in having your guitar cut through a mix when recording, this I can personally attest to.

It's a passive unit mounted in a small, steel hammond black box. There is no mystery to the connectivity as stated below. The most common HC model now is the loop model, designed to be put in the loop send/return of your modeller, chained behind any distortion creating effects. Modeller send goes to HC in. HC out goes to modeller return. D'uh.

Excellent. Period.

I bought and use one. I'm pretty sure the negative poster below hasn't. I've been playing and recording for near 20 years. I don't use the HC on EVERY patch but when I do, oh it's gooood!!!

Hands on reviewers seem to have struggled with the connectivity of this devices and matching it to their rig.

The connectivlity options leave something to be desired.

What is very odd is that it does not remove the requirement to know how to create good patches. It has been stated that you will need to connect this device and redo all your patches so that they now match the changes the unit makes.

For the money, you would think that it would remove some obstacles.

From listening to clips posted about it seems to have a negative impact on the liveliness of the tone which suggests some EQ cuts to acheive its "Fizz" removal. Via studio monitors, it sort of tosses a wet blanket that would tend to make a clip fade in a mix. It also seems to add some type of strange noise in the upper registers that I cannot easily explain.

This is pretty easy to hear when listening on Studio Monitors.

There have really been no examples of this unit improving an already good patch. The ones available use a very poor patch and do not attempt to use the unit to create a good patch but to reduce the amount of "bad" in the bad patch. If you can follow that :)

There are tons of songs, patches and clips of modelers that sound fantastic and are all over the music sites. You also listen to them on the radio everyday.

There has never been a clip or song posted from this unit that makes you say "Wow".

The manufacturer has sealed the components in epoxy to conceal the design of this unit. This is a strange practice that leads to a little skepticism as to why this is done. Note that it is not a common practice amongst pedal manufacturers and even competing products such as the POD Buffer.

It would be great to see some more forthcoming information from the manufacturer on this prodcut along with some clear examples of its capabilities.

In seraching for a RadTone website it appears there is none. Had no success finding business information on RadTone in California either.

My opinion is that this is a very expensive and limited filter circuit. It would not be the 1st device that is perceived to be high in price and low in delivery and it sure won't be the last. If you have $250 burning a hole in your pocket then enjoy yourself.

Do a search of this device on the www.line6.com forum and the posts from the manufacturer may send a chill down your spine. Selling on most forums is typically not allowed, not sure what is going on with the Line 6 board but there are some lengthy and disturbing threads on this unit.

To those that bought it best of luck :) No ill will towards you, just adding a little balance.

Cheers!

This unit is very easy to use. It's designed to go into an effect loop of your amp/modeler, just make sure you chain it AFTER all pre-amp gains and distortion effects, or it won't work.

No noise at all and removes ALL fizz from my GT-8. Gives a TRUE tube sound, very nice. I'm giving it a 9 as it does have it's own slight coloration, it's not totally transparent, which I like but some may not. FWIW, it's a minute trade off for the improved sound quality you get from it.

built like a small brick

Excellent support over several e-mails to Hadley (maker)

I play original alt-rock, have been for about 20 yrs. If it were lost or stolen, I'd get another one right away.

i have the hc gt8 loop version. mine is the newer hc's with a knob instead of a 3 way switch. set the knob and set the proper fxchain and your set

ive never owned a huge stack amp so i have no reference to compare to but it sounded great. it sounds bigger and less plastic. eveything in the gt8 i found useless now sounded 1000x better, such as certain mics and preamps etc. the mp3 samples arent a good way to really hear and feel the way the hc works. you have to listen for yourself.

i really cant use the gt8 without the hc. will use it for jamming and recording always

dealing with the creator was hassle free. very helpfull and informative. i got replys everytime i had a question. i also received the item in no time at all.

i love the hc. it makes my gt8 much more fun to play with, feels like a got a new fx machine. the tones sounds and feels so much more like a real tube amp. i love it.

Very easy to use. I have the loop model so you just plug it in the loop in and loop out, make sure the loop is after the OD-Preamp, and forget about it. The only thing I can say is the input and output should be marked somehow. I think I had it plugged in backwards at first, but I could definately tell when it was plugged in correctly. Not that hard to figure out.

Dead quiet. Does something to the sound that an only be described as removing a blanket or cover from yor speaker. Improves the distortion and overdrive settings tremendously.

Built like a tank. Do not forsee any problems with this unit.

Bought directly from Hadley. great guy to deal with. Had to wait for the unit to be built, but well worth the wait. Expect to wait a few weeks because these are built to order.

There's not much to this box. I have the Loop version so it has a 1/4" input, a 1/4" output and a "Tone" pot.

The 1 page manual is simple and straightforward though I knew how to use the device before I purchased it. It's that simple.

I'm running it through the FX Loop of my Boss GT-8. I bought the Loop version so I could have it in a patch or not though to be blunt, I leave in the signal chain 95% of the time. The only patches I don't use it on are very specific super clean patches (emulating the sound of plugging directly into a mixing console).

Once it's plugged in, just turn the "Tone" knob until you find the brightness or darkness you're looking for.

I'm using the Harmonic Converger with my GT-8 multi effects processor/modeler and a stock Ibanez PGM-301 guitar. I connect the GT-8's Digital Out to the SPDIF in of my M-Audio Audiophile 2496 audio card. I listen to the GT-8 with either a pair of M-Audio Studio Pro 3 active monitors and occasionally a pair of Sony MDR-7502 headphones.

The Harmonic Converger is a passive device and adds no perceptible noise to the signal and I run it on the brightest setting.

This inocuous little silver box made me love my GT-8. The difference it makes in the quality of the GT-8's sound is nothing short of amazing. Not only does it completely remove the infamous "fizz" (high frequency anomolies in the 5-6 kHz range) that are present in current amp modelers, it also makes the GT-8 sound and feel almost exactly like a real tube amp. I've owned a few different tube amps over the years (Peavey, Fender, Marshall and Mesa Boogie) so I know what I like and this little box helps me get what I want in my tone.

The Harmonic Converger adds an upper midrange fullness that a tube amp achieves as it's pushed to its limits. The low end gets tighter and the overall sound becomes responsive. It really makes the GT-8's amp models come to life and seem almost like the real thing (98% close enough for ya? :) )

I don't go out of my way to recreate sound of any of my favorite artists but the Harmonic Converger does allow me to faithfully recreate the sound of my favorite tube amps such as a hot rodded Marshall, Mesa Boogie, Fender Twins and Vox AC-30s.

This device does one thing only and it does incredibly well.

There are very few parts that an really fail (the jacks and the potentionometer) but you would have to beat on it with a hammer to break those parts.

Based upon the device's simplicity and the fact that it is hand built by its creator, I would have no reason to feel 101% confident that this device would operate without fail (well, as much as you can depend on any electronic device. If I was gigging, I would like to get a back up just because it's an integral part of my sound. I could not play without it.

All that being said, I only record at home (no gigging) so I don't subject the device to any abuse whatsover. As matter of fact, I may have to get a small, well padded shrine to place it in because it deserves it. :) For this reason, I cannot give an opinion on it's real world gigging worthiness.

I emailed the creator of this amazing device,Hadley Hockensmith, a few times before I purchased it. He replied to my e-mails promptly and answered all of my questions in a professional manner. Hadley is a regular poster on the Boss GT Central forums (under the user name "Radley") and due to the popularity of his device, there are even forums dedicated to this device on that site.

Hadley is constantly improving the Harmonic Converger so I expect it to keep evolving and improving. I might upgrade it I felt the differnces (in a newer unit) were worth but I am very content with the version I have. It's very difficult to improve upon perfection. :)

I play primarily rock/metal instrumental music and this device enables me to achieve the tones I must have. I do enjoy playing any style of music that grabs my fancy and so far this little silver box has made it possible for me to get the sounds I need to inspire me to play different styles.

I've been playing for 23 and have owned more guitars and gear than I care to mention. I also sold music equipment for 12 yrs. for a major chain in the North East during which I had the opportunity to play with a vast amount of guitars and gear.

If this device were lost, I would beg Hadley to get me a replacement ASAP. If it were stolen, I would hunt the perperator down myself and adminster a severe beat down. If I use a modeler, I must have this box. Perdiod. I have found nothing else that does what it does.

The Harmonic Converger makes playing (using the GT-8) sheer joy now. It has everything I need to get the tones I crave. I can't think of any way to improve it.

If you want to hear what it sounds like, visit the Boss GT Central boards. I started a thread there that has sound clips that compare tones with and without it. Other folks have also posted comparitive clips as well.

The bottom line is if you own a GT-8 and are less-than-pleased with the amp sims, BUY THIS BOX! It's worth every penny.

I have the gt8 loop version and it is a piece of cake to plugin, couldn't be simpler really, just plug it into the gt8 loop insert, then place it just after the preamp in the FX chain, and thats it, it's ready to blow your mind.

I love the sound this allows me to get from my GT8, the horrible tizzy sound disappears completely, but that is only a part of the story, it brings a clarity to the sound and a solid bottom end, it also adds a Tubey quality, I really can't speak highly enough of the HC, I absolutely love it, I could never use the gt8 without it, I am probably going to buy a second one just for backup when I'm on the road, the one thing anyone thinking of one of these should be aware of, is that your patches may need tweaking to bring the best out of the HC, with the HC it is possible to make settings that you would never set without it, so whilst it's great just with the factory patches already in the Gt8, if you start to create from scratch new patches with the HC plugged in, then a whole new world of beautiful tone emerges, it just sounds great.

So far so good, It's built like a tank, very solid, you can tell it's been built well and care has gone into it,

I haven't needed any support, but I can say that my dealings with the maker of the HC, makes me confident that if I had a problem, he would do his best to help, I have no worries in that area.

Brilliant, absolutely brilliant, I am so pleased with it, I would buy it again in a shot, my GT8 sounds fantastic with this plugged into it, there is nothing that I have come across that does what this does, no EQing or anything else I have tried made the the GT8 sound right, and I tried very hard, but the Gt8 HC combination is stunning, it sounds right, I am very very happy with it, Highly recommended.