Members Sean-Patrick Posted July 24, 2009 Members Share Posted July 24, 2009 What diffferences are there for each? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members germanicus2112 Posted July 24, 2009 Members Share Posted July 24, 2009 I have both types of systems. I currently have a Godin LGXT and used to have a Godin xtsa (both piezo RMC based hex). I also have several gk2a's and a gk3 installed on various guitars. For Midi Tracking: I dont find any significant noticeable tracking difference between piezo and magnetic based systems. I think one of the benefits of the piezo is that they are much more likely to be set up properly. Many folks dont set up their gk's properly (individual string sensitivities, spacing of the strings over the humbucking element AND minimum distance from the bridge itself). I think if you spend the time to properly set them up its a negligible difference. For guitar modelling (VG99, VG88, etc). The magnetic based GK pickups are generally better IMO for this application. The VG systems were designed for magnetic gk pickups. Roland has added settings to the VG99 system to accomodate piezo based hex setups, but the biggest underlying issue is the vg99 doesnt have a high pass input filter which removes some of the rumbling low end you can get from piezo's. Apparently previous VG systems did have this, but not the vg99. It is poossible to get an aftermarket jack plate from RMC which filters these frequencies. The practical effect of this is that patches can sound more boomy with a piezo pickup and not as tight. The caveat to this however, is I have seen variation in this effect between different piezo equipped guitars. With my xtsa, it was very pronounced, and the contrast between my xtsa and the gk guitars was tremendous. I ended up getting rid of the xtsa as a result. I recently acquired an LGXT and for whatever reason, the effect is dramatically lessened and while there is a difference still between it and GK based guitars, its not really bothersome (as long as I use the piezo tweak settings in the 99) and I now use this guitar as my main axe (even without the RMC jack plate which would probably make the difference indescernable). If you are thinking of getting a VG system, the safe bet is to get a GK3 for it, unless you are able to try out whatever piezo guitar your thinking of using with the VG system first to see if it sounds satisfactory. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members aliensporebomb Posted July 25, 2009 Members Share Posted July 25, 2009 The only "minus" to maghex is this: You've sort of bolted an appliance to your guitar that, though padded, still isn't as ergonomically integrated as you might think it could be. Still, it works well in audio and guitar-to-midi modes - you get used it being there. And as far as midi tracking goes? I've got a track with really fast picking that it tracked perfectly.http://madsound.dyndns.org/vg99/guit...midi-quick.mp3 Jackson Soloist - Roland GK3 hex pickup - Roland VG99 - Midi to Mac G5 2.5 dual - 7 gigs of ram. Garageband percussion instruments and bass plus a Korg legacycell lead guitar patch. This is an shorter edit so we're not inundated with a super long track but it's real guitar + midi synth bass, midi xylophone + midi crotales + midi marimba and a sampled lead guitar patch in unison. Does pretty well especially at the end. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Ron Hoag Posted July 25, 2009 Members Share Posted July 25, 2009 What would you like to know? I have been making them since 1975. I also, designed the hex magnetic pickup used on the ARP guitar synthesizer. in 1975. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Ron Hoag Posted July 25, 2009 Members Share Posted July 25, 2009 www.youtube.com/ronrhoag optical pickup midi tunes on this page Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Polaris20 Posted July 25, 2009 Members Share Posted July 25, 2009 Originally Posted by aliensporebomb The only "minus" to maghex is this:You've sort of bolted an appliance to your guitar that, though padded, still isn't as ergonomically integrated as you might think it could be.Still, it works well in audio and guitar-to-midi modes - you get used it being there.And as far as midi tracking goes?I've got a track with really fast picking that it tracked perfectly.http://pod.ath.cx/vg99/guitar-to-midi-quick.mp3Jackson Soloist - Roland GK3 hex pickup - Roland VG99 - Midi to Mac G5 2.5 dual - 7 gigs of ram.Garageband percussion instruments and bass plus a Korg legacycell lead guitar patch.This is an shorter edit so we're not inundated with a super long track but it's real guitar + midi synth bass,midi xylophone + midi crotales + midi marimba and a sampled lead guitar patch in unison.Does pretty well especially at the end. Sounds neat. and BTW you can purchase a Roland GK kit that installs internally. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members baranger1 Posted July 27, 2009 Members Share Posted July 27, 2009 Originally Posted by Ron Hoag What would you like to know? I have been making them since 1975. I also, designed the hex magnetic pickup used on the ARP guitar synthesizer. in 1975. Hi Ron glad you are here!I was around when the Arp Avatar was first released.That WAS the start of guitar synthesizers for me.Bill Ruppert Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Ron Hoag Posted July 27, 2009 Members Share Posted July 27, 2009 Bill, That was a great time for me as well. It did start the challenge for a better way to do midi. I was hired to use my optical pickup as their pickup for the Avatar synth. But it was very early in the led development and the product was not there. So, I told them I could develop the hex magnetic pickup for them. I had made a crude model back in grade school. I just refined it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members aliensporebomb Posted July 27, 2009 Members Share Posted July 27, 2009 I actually have the old Arp Avatar soundsheet from Guitar Player magazine with the late Ned Liben (later of EBN-OZN) on guitar/avatar. Anyone want me to encode/denoise it to hear what it sounded like? THAT's what really got me excited about guitar synths, that and John McLaughlin on the Inner Worlds recording that had him playing with an EMU pitch-to-voltage converter and six minimoog modules connected to a Gibson L5-S custom solidbody. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members elantric Posted July 27, 2009 Members Share Posted July 27, 2009 Ron, Great to see you here! Optical seems a great solution - Lets form a biz plan and get these back in production! I suppose the big question is who owns the patent? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members aliensporebomb Posted July 27, 2009 Members Share Posted July 27, 2009 Originally Posted by Polaris20 Sounds neat. and BTW you can purchase a Roland GK kit that installs internally. I did see that. In the case of this guitar since it was part of a limited editionI want to be able to remove the GK and return it to stock.I'm looking around at guitars with GK kits built-in but like the idea of the removability of the GK pickup unit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Ron Hoag Posted July 27, 2009 Members Share Posted July 27, 2009 My Canada and Mexican patents ran out many years back. I have made many improvements and the Canada Patent office said I could patent improvements. As for new companies getting a patent, they have to work around "prior art" problems. I am open to suggestions. As for the business plan. All it takes is money, and I have none. Ron Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members aliensporebomb Posted July 28, 2009 Members Share Posted July 28, 2009 All: Just found a recording on youtube of all places of the soundsheet demonstrating the Arp Avatar by the late Ned Liben: Check it out. Liben was better known as "EBN", of EBN-OZN, the band that did "AEIOU, Sometimes Y" that was a hit on MTV during the 1980s. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Ron Hoag Posted April 16, 2012 Members Share Posted April 16, 2012 I'm back! Any questions? Ron Hoag Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members aliensporebomb Posted April 18, 2012 Members Share Posted April 18, 2012 Originally Posted by Ron Hoag www.youtube.com/ronrhoag optical pickup midi tunes on this page Ron - I watched your videos and they show it seems to work very well. Is this something that you are planning on bringing to market? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Ron Hoag Posted December 21, 2012 Members Share Posted December 21, 2012 HI, I'm back again. I have moved to Salem, Oregon and my new studio is up and working good. My new videos are on my web site www.opticalguitars.com and on www.youtube.com/ronrhoag Let me know if you have played the video of Rascal Flatts playing the LED guitar by VER, with my Optical Pickups. It is on my website. Thanks, Ron Hoag Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.