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Hello! I don't know how many hours during the years I searched on the net trying to find the reason why amp sims generally don't respond correctly to guitar touch (to me it's more evident when performing solos on the style of Van Halen, Steve Vai etc.). Since I hadn't the chance to try a high budget interface or high budget DI's at some point I thought it was a problem only related to old consumer audio interfaces like mine. Recently I bought a SSL 2 and I was pretty much in front of the same old problem then I searched again info on the topics and fortunately I found Craig's article on Guitar Player Magazine :) So, what's the reason why hi-z input are built this way (I'm assuming it's not budget related since you can implement Craig's trick with 2 dollars)? Is it possible that many people got the same transient taming maybe like a side effect when using a dedicated DI like Motu zbox? I mean amp sims appeared more than 10 years ago, how is it possible that during this long period, software improvements, feedback from the users, we are still in the same bizzarre situation where those inputs are advertised for connecting guitars and play with amp sims but in reality they don't work as they should? :cry:
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Here is a thread I started in Dr. Mike's recording forum.

 

It is a different way to solve the problem. I haven't used it on electric guitar yet but my experiments with a bass run DI provided nice results.

https://forums.musicplayer.com/ubbthreads.php/topics/3034559/physion-plugin-by-eventide#Post3034559

 

Two things in guitar amps smooth transients.

Speakers - I'll be the first to point out that not all speakers do this to the same degree.

Output transformers (tube amps) - same disclaimer as speakers, a Fender Twin with JBL speakers will still slice your head off.

 

You can also use a dynamic mic on the guitar amp's speaker and soften the transients a bit there.

 

For recording, a hardware compressor going in or a software compressor inside the box can help. A fast attack and release and low ratio - 3:1 or so can smooth things out. That is sort of how a de-esser works and that could do the trick as well. In the box, I would try a multi-band compressor and focus on the upper bands.

 

Experiment with the compressor in front of the amp or behind it. Hope any of this is helpful! Cheers, Kuru

It took a chunk of my life to get here and I am still not sure where "here" is.
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So, what's the reason why hi-z input are built this way (I'm assuming it's not budget related since you can implement Craig's trick with 2 dollars)?

Hi-Z inputs are built that way to be as neutral as possible, and accept a variety of pickup types. When Gibson built the Transient Tamer into the high-end Les Paul Standards as a switchable option, you had a known environment with known pickup levels. Jim DeCola at Gibson took the info I gave him regarding red LEDs, and chased down ones that were a perfect match. If the breakdown voltage is too low, you could possibly have audible distortion; if it's too high, you won't have the correct effect. The reason for specifying red LEDs is that they fall right in that sweet spot. Most work just fine, but Jim fine-tuned his selection for the best possible match with Gibson's pickups.

 

At one point TASCAM looked into making a guitar interface that incorporated this, but switchable so you could have the "pure" direct input, or one with transient control. However, it never got off the drawing board. Planet Waves was also interested, but their manufacturing is not set up to put components inside jacks. (Although the guy there who evaluated the prototype said "Unfortunately we can't do it, but...can I please keep the prototype?" :) He found it as useful as I did.)

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Thank you Kuru for your quick reply and suggestions! ;)

 

That plugin looks nice, I tried yesterday after reading Craig's article to reply the transient tamer trick by using Logic X Envelope filter. It works in way but I guess it's not perfect (say it's also me because you have to dial in with different parameters that are not easy to manage at first sight).

 

I tried a gentle compressor pedal and a mild overdrive pedal in front of the audio interface, they work in a way obviously but, still, I don't feel the same 'smoothness' when playing legatos, fast palm muting scales comparing to a real amp and now I'm pretty sure it's related to the way the input signal is managed.

 

I don't know if it's technically possible to replicate a real amp input on a audio interface because of the digital converter. I cannot explain to myself why this fundamental topic is not covered that much. Maybe people found a workaround by using DI's like motu zbox even though audio interface brands claim you don't need a DI when you have a dedicated Hi-z input?

 

Recently Ik multimedia introduced an audio interface with a dedicated control of the input impedance, maybe it's something in that direction?

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Hello Craig! the first thing I'll do after the triple quarantine (I'm in Italy...) I'll try your trick ;)

 

Italy is providing a preview of what to expect here. Please, take care of yourself!

 

I tried yesterday after reading Craig's article to reply the transient tamer trick by using Logic X Envelope filter. It works in way but I guess it's not perfect

 

No electronic circuit can do exactly what the Transient Tamer does. The circuit is just two LEDs, but what happens is complex. It's basically a mechanical limiter, with zero pumping/breathing and an instant response time. But LEDs also have a phenomenon called junction capacitance. This capacitance is at maximum with lower levels, then goes away at the levels get higher. So, during the initial transient, there's a very slight rounding off of the transient.

 

The closest you're going to come is with a hardware limiter between the guitar and audio interface input, but that will cost you a lot more than a couple $, and the limiter is not as "perfect" a clipper as the diodes. And do remember, the LEDs are actually clipping. The reason why you don't hear it as distortion is because when you choose the right LED breakdown voltage, it gets rid of high, but very short, transients. Your ear can't really resolve something that short, but digital gear can..

 

My favorite review of the transient tamer functionality happened when someone was reviewing the Les Paul Standard, I think maybe it was for Premier Guitar. He said he tried switching the transient tamer in, but didn't hear any difference. Exactly! You're not supposed to hear any difference, but you are supposed to be able to turn your interface gain up for a higher average level going into amp sims or other digital processors.

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Thank you Kuru for your quick reply and suggestions! ;)

 

That plugin looks nice, I tried yesterday after reading Craig's article to reply the transient tamer trick by using Logic X Envelope filter. It works in way but I guess it's not perfect (say it's also me because you have to dial in with different parameters that are not easy to manage at first sight).

 

I tried a gentle compressor pedal and a mild overdrive pedal in front of the audio interface, they work in a way obviously but, still, I don't feel the same 'smoothness' when playing legatos, fast palm muting scales comparing to a real amp and now I'm pretty sure it's related to the way the input signal is managed.

 

I don't know if it's technically possible to replicate a real amp input on a audio interface because of the digital converter. I cannot explain to myself why this fundamental topic is not covered that much. Maybe people found a workaround by using DI's like motu zbox even though audio interface brands claim you don't need a DI when you have a dedicated Hi-z input?

 

Recently Ik multimedia introduced an audio interface with a dedicated control of the input impedance, maybe it's something in that direction?

 

You're welcome jacotzen, so many people have been helpful when I ask questions! I cannot repay them so I try to pass it along.

 

All I've done with the Eventide Physion plugin so far is try all the presets with a bass plugged into the DI in my preamp. When I tried the Snare Fattener preset it really smoothed out the transients. The two screens showing the Transient waveforms and the Tonal waveforms showed how it was attenuating the attack but not eliminating it. The bass still had punch and clarity but a notably "nicer" version of those aspects.

 

I am sure it will be useful on all sorts of things, not just guitars.

 

A compressor pedal will not generally have the adjustable Attack, Release and Threshold adjustments, you really need those to tweak for transients. As Craig said above, it becomes a Limiter - quickly responding to the intial brief burst of energy that causes a transient to be unpleasant sounding. Since we all play differently, use different picks, etc., these adjustments are essential. The ratio adjustment plays a part as well, I've found with vocals that a ration around 3:1 does the job nicely without sounding "fake" or compressed. I was using an FMR RNC by the way, an affordable little box that is useful for all sorts of things in a studio.

 

Since everybody is different it is hard to explain some things in general terms. What works for you may not provide me with the results I am hoping to have and the same is true in reverse.

I haven't tried Craig's red LED Transient Tamer but I may have to give that a go.

 

Here is another easy and free thing you can try. Adlust your pickups lower, away from the strings. That definately smooths out transients. I've been doing that for a long time and it really helps tame those spiky tones.

In fact, that single adjustment may be all you need to get the sound you seek. Good luck!!! Kuru

It took a chunk of my life to get here and I am still not sure where "here" is.
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Here is another easy and free thing you can try. Adlust your pickups lower, away from the strings. That definately smooths out transients. I've been doing that for a long time and it really helps tame those spiky tones.

In fact, that single adjustment may be all you need to get the sound you seek. Good luck!!! Kuru

 

You'll get more sustain out of the strings, and a higher average level as well. I'm also a fan of backing pickups away from the strings somewhat, here's a

fairly detailed article about what happens when you change pickup height.

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I checked the specs on the Apollo interface by UA (since it's a professional standard to track guitars in the box) and to my big surprise I discovered the Hi-z input is 2.2 megaohms (every other brand now is using 1 megaohm to my knowledge)!!!!! this topic is driving me crazy...
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I checked the specs on the Apollo interface by UA (since it's a professional standard to track guitars in the box) and to my big surprise I discovered the Hi-z input is 2.2 megaohms (every other brand now is using 1 megaohm to my knowledge)!!!!! this topic is driving me crazy...

 

As above, first my post and then quoted by Anderton, have you tried lowering your guitar pickups?

 

It is a simple, effective way of controlling transients at the source.

 

You can always raise them back up if it doesn't work. Cost is a few short minutes of your time and all you need is a small screwdriver, usually Phillips.

 

If your pickups are mounted solid to the body of the guitar then it may be a bit trickier, perhaps try a different guitar with easily adjustable pickups to see if it helps.

 

It has made a big difference for me. As Anderton points out, it does increase sustain. If the pickups have strong magnets it can also improve intonation in my experience.

 

This may not be an impedence issue or other electronics-based problem at all. Cheers, Kuru

It took a chunk of my life to get here and I am still not sure where "here" is.
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I checked the specs on the Apollo interface by UA (since it's a professional standard to track guitars in the box) and to my big surprise I discovered the Hi-z input is 2.2 megaohms (every other brand now is using 1 megaohm to my knowledge)!!!!! this topic is driving me crazy...

 

Okay, let's talk about this some more. Here's your homework - an article about how cords, pickup output impedance, and amp input impedance interact.

 

Impedance has nothing to do with the transient tamer. Impedance will load down passive guitar pickups, but there's a point of diminishing returns. With an input impedance of 10k, you'll hear a definite, obvious dulling of the treble, and less overall level. With 100k, you still hear an obvious change, but it's less drastic. Once you hit 220k, the amount of loading is very subtle and you may or may not even notice it. At 1Meg and above, you really won't hear the effects of loading at all. The difference between 2.2M and 1M is more or less inconsequential.

 

However, it you get crazy with the input impedance and do something like 10 Meg or 20 Meg, then you'll have no audible advantage at all, and the input may actually become more sensitive to picking up noise and EMI.

 

As a rule of thumb, I consider 100k a bare minimum, 220k as totally acceptable, and 1Meg as desirable.

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I checked the specs on the Apollo interface by UA (since it's a professional standard to track guitars in the box) and to my big surprise I discovered the Hi-z input is 2.2 megaohms (every other brand now is using 1 megaohm to my knowledge)!!!!! this topic is driving me crazy...

 

Okay, let's talk about this some more. Here's your homework - an article about how cords, pickup output impedance, and amp input impedance interact.

 

Impedance has nothing to do with the transient tamer. Impedance will load down passive guitar pickups, but there's a point of diminishing returns. With an input impedance of 10k, you'll hear a definite, obvious dulling of the treble, and less overall level. With 100k, you still hear an obvious change, but it's less drastic. Once you hit 220k, the amount of loading is very subtle and you may or may not even notice it. At 1Meg and above, you really won't hear the effects of loading at all. The difference between 2.2M and 1M is more or less inconsequential.

 

However, it you get crazy with the input impedance and do something like 10 Meg or 20 Meg, then you'll have no audible advantage at all, and the input may actually become more sensitive to picking up noise and EMI.

 

As a rule of thumb, I consider 100k a bare minimum, 220k as totally acceptable, and 1Meg as desirable.

 

Curiosity question - do these numbers apply for active pickup systems?

 

Back in the 80's, clubs in Fresno had "questionable AC power." Guitar players using passive pickups with a string ground were getting shocked - sometimes minor and once in a while somebody would get their face blown off and the audience probably saw their skeleton - myself included.

 

Since I was a guitar tech and somebody brought me a guitar and a set of EMG pickups to install, I read the installation instructions and realized the removal of the string ground meant that it would become much more complicated to be shocked on stage. I installed them, they sounded fine to me and I switched. ALL of my gigging guitars have had EMG pickups ever since and I've never been shocked again. Which is good, it's spared the remaining half a dozen brain cells! :-D

 

Since they are very quiet in terms of generating noise, I learned to keep them lowered down a bit. I can plug in direct - multiple interfaces - and I don't have problems with an abundance of transient response. It's there, part of the sound of an electric guitar is transients. It's just not an issue.

 

But, the question is - does the input impedence of the interface make as much of a difference? It is noted that you mention passive pickups specifically in the quoted post. Thanks! Kuru

It took a chunk of my life to get here and I am still not sure where "here" is.
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Indeed, active pickups solve a lot of problems, and are basically immune to impedance and cable issues. I'm going to be checking out Fishman's Fluence pickups soon. I don't like having batteries inside guitars, but I came up with a breakout box concept that I wrote up in a Guitar Player column.

 

I think maybe the solution to the string grounding issue would be to insert something like a high-capacitance mylar cap in the line between the strings and ground...it would filter out the hum, but now allow a direct electrical connection. Hmmm....

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As a rule of thumb, I consider 100k a bare minimum, 220k as totally acceptable, and 1Meg as desirable.

 

For guitar pickups.

 

Rhodes pianos sound best if you tap right off the harp RCA jack into a DI, which is right off the pickups. But Rhodes pickups are extremely sensitive to input impedance. I settled on a Countryman Type 10 with a 10Mohm input impedance and got a great tone. Anything below 1Mohm sucks major tone and high end. Not even the Radial J48 could match the Type 10.

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Indeed, active pickups solve a lot of problems, and are basically immune to impedance and cable issues. I'm going to be checking out Fishman's Fluence pickups soon. I don't like having batteries inside guitars, but I came up with a breakout box concept that I wrote up in a Guitar Player column.

 

I think maybe the solution to the string grounding issue would be to insert something like a high-capacitance mylar cap in the line between the strings and ground...it would filter out the hum, but now allow a direct electrical connection. Hmmm....

 

Thanks Craig!

I've been interested in the Fluence pickups as well but have not had a chance to try them out. I put battery doors in every guitar/bass except my 86 Gibson 335 Studio, which has a back access plate with 4 screws.

I find the battery thing to be a bit overblown since I don't need to change batteries often. Even my main gigger, which stays plugged in at gigs is good for over a year and the battery I take out still has some juice left in it.

I do like the Fishman rechargeable battery idea but wonder about the weight, Not a fan of heavy guitars, even though they can sound really good sometimes.

It took a chunk of my life to get here and I am still not sure where "here" is.
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As a rule of thumb, I consider 100k a bare minimum, 220k as totally acceptable, and 1Meg as desirable.

 

For guitar pickups.

 

Yes, that was the topic. Dynamic mics are also a whole other issue, as are piezo pickups.

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I find the battery thing to be a bit overblown since I don't need to change batteries often. Even my main gigger, which stays plugged in at gigs is good for over a year and the battery I take out still has some juice left in it.

 

I'm more concerned about leakage if a guitar doesn't get played for a while. But, I also have a prejudice (I admit it!) against active electronics inside a guitar, especially because I tend to use bipolar power supplies, so that means two batteries, which means finding space for two batteries...

 

I do like the Fishman rechargeable battery idea but wonder about the weight, Not a fan of heavy guitars, even though they can sound really good sometimes.

The pickups don't draw much current. Compared to a Les Paul Traditional, the weight doesn't even register :)

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I have yet to have a problem with leakage/corrosion.

 

All batteries are wrapped in foam and most are in their own little box.

Not a big deal to remove the corrodied clip-wiring and replace it but in the 30+ years I've been using active pickups everything's been fine.

 

EMGs have the preamp built into the pickup, very tidy. They will run on 18 volts if one wants to add a battery. I tried it and it wasn't amazing so I went back to a single battery.

 

Low impedence and very low current draw.

Currently getting over a year with 2 pickups and a mid-boost circuit (SPC) on two gigging guitars and zero problems with the exception of one scratchy volume pot I need to replace.

 

I've owned a few Les Pauls and set up/ repaired many. A friend's 82 Custom comes to mind as something I would not want hanging on my shoulder for 3 sets!!!

My 335 is a bit heavier than it looks but not insane. I love the access to the higher frets. That one has an HB (Steinberger bass pickup) in the neck position - secret weapon pickup.

It took a chunk of my life to get here and I am still not sure where "here" is.
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I have yet to have a problem with leakage/corrosion.

 

All batteries are wrapped in foam and most are in their own little box.

Not a big deal to remove the corrodied clip-wiring and replace it but in the 30+ years I've been using active pickups everything's been fine.

 

That's good to know. I guess with a guitar or pickup set that's designed with batteries in mind, they've probably thought of all that stuff. For me, it would be retrofitting an existing guitar, which makes me nervous :)

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I have yet to have a problem with leakage/corrosion.

 

All batteries are wrapped in foam and most are in their own little box.

Not a big deal to remove the corrodied clip-wiring and replace it but in the 30+ years I've been using active pickups everything's been fine.

 

That's good to know. I guess with a guitar or pickup set that's designed with batteries in mind, they've probably thought of all that stuff. For me, it would be retrofitting an existing guitar, which makes me nervous :)

 

I've retrofitted all sorts of guitars with all sorts of pickups and most of the time it is completely straightforward and goes smoothly. I undoubtedly compromised the value of some guitars that would now be worth a fair chunk, my own 86 335 Studio included. It was stock when I got it, not anymore. I don't care, it's made me money and gotten praise for appearance - Ferrari Red with all gold colored hardware and custom pickguard.

 

Last year a friend brought over a high end limited edition Martin guitar - brand new. She wanted the K&K Mini system installed. That was scary, it was all shiny, perfect and expensive!!!

 

I created some new ways to work, it was a small body and I have large hands so reaching back to position things become unwieldy until I came up with good solutions.

I documented all of it with photographs and sent a file to K&K with full written description and photos. Dieter, the owner of the company, emailed me back and was very pleased with what I shared.

I suspect they may change their installation kit and instructions based on some of my improvements.

 

Not quite enough to get a free Mini of my own but stil worthwhile for me. Now I can do those installs pretty easily too.

I bet if I visited them in Coos Bay they would at least buy me a beer!!

It took a chunk of my life to get here and I am still not sure where "here" is.
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I've mentioned this here before. While I'm primarily a keyboard player, I can say from experience that volume changes the feel of the strings under your fingers and their response. Moving air vibrates the strings. It changes sustain, harmonics, sensitivity, articulation....a guitar plays different at high volume. Being that I'm usually playing keys, I would love for guitar players to keep their stage volume down, but I understand why they like it where it is.

Dan

 

Acoustic/Electric stringed instruments ranging from 4 to 230 strings, hammered, picked, fingered, slapped, and plucked. Analog and Digital Electronic instruments, reeds, and throat/mouth.

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I've mentioned this here before. While I'm primarily a keyboard player, I can say from experience that volume changes the feel of the strings under your fingers and their response. Moving air vibrates the strings. It changes sustain, harmonics, sensitivity, articulation....a guitar plays different at high volume. Being that I'm usually playing keys, I would love for guitar players to keep their stage volume down, but I understand why they like it where it is.

 

Agreed, which is why I often recommend splitting off into an amp and a direct input. What the amp does to the strings, specifically sustain, becomes part of the sound that goes into the direct input. It also gives you that "amp feel" when you play. Unfortunately, people often have to go only direct and forego using an amp, because they're in a home studio situation where they can't crank things up.

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J. Dead is spot on and Craig's advice is also very good.

 

I am in that home studio situation where I can't crank things but this sparked a possible solution.

 

I have amps with stupid high gain and compressors built in. Set oneup higher so the speaker is aiming at the guitar and with a carefully tweaked wah pedal I bet I can get feedback at pretty low overall volumes.

 

Angle of approach is critical, if you are using a DI too and you've got your pickups humming that is going to carry through the DI as well.

 

I will set that up and try it this week, I've always loved feedback but have been avoiding doing it live because my ears have taken enough insane high volume pummeling already!

With closed back headphones on it shouldn't be too bad.

It took a chunk of my life to get here and I am still not sure where "here" is.
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I'm more concerned about leakage if a guitar doesn't get played for a while. But, I also have a prejudice (I admit it!) against active electronics inside a guitar, especially because I tend to use bipolar power supplies, so that means two batteries, which means finding space for two batteries...

 

Back in the early 1970s, I was in a band with a hammered dulcimer player. Nobody ever miked that right so I got him a couple of Barcus-Berry pickups, we found good places to put them on the instrument, and I built a little preamp/mixer with an XLR output. I used two 15v batteries for its bipolar power supply. The #504 batteries are square and are close enough in size to fit fine in a AA battery holder.

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After further researches on the subject I incidentally found other interesting Craig's articles on the subject :)

 

https://www.sweetwater.com/insync/what-is-a-digital-to-analog-converter-and-how-does-it-work/

 

"Converters can also have gain errors, where the output voltage is higher or lower than what it should be in theory. There aren"t workarounds you can do for these issues, but higher-end converters take greater efforts to minimize voltage offset and gain errors."

 

Also, https://www.edn.com/measure-an-adcs-offset-and-gain-error/

 

Maybe is this the technical reason why the input signal is not easy manageable by amp sims?

 

I also chatted a bit with an Italian developer (Ignite Amps) and actually I tried the Emissary 2 plugin, it's intended for hi-gain sounds, it's free, and I must say it reacts very well with the transients.

To me it's almost (90%) identical to the way a real hi-gain amp responds, the clean channel is also very good. Give it a try when you have time, you will notice that it uses a different method to deal with the input stage since it's not the typical input volume.

He stated that basically is a software developing thing.

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I have amps with stupid high gain and compressors built in. Set oneup higher so the speaker is aiming at the guitar and with a carefully tweaked wah pedal I bet I can get feedback at pretty low overall volumes.

If you touch the headstock to the speaker cabinet, you can get feedback at relatively low volumes. It's even a little bit controllable. The hard part is keeping the guitar headstock in contact with the speaker cabinet - it sounds easy, but it's hard not to move the guitar a bit and lose contact.

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I have amps with stupid high gain and compressors built in. Set oneup higher so the speaker is aiming at the guitar and with a carefully tweaked wah pedal I bet I can get feedback at pretty low overall volumes.

If you touch the headstock to the speaker cabinet, you can get feedback at relatively low volumes. It's even a little bit controllable. The hard part is keeping the guitar headstock in contact with the speaker cabinet - it sounds easy, but it's hard not to move the guitar a bit and lose contact.

 

Yeah, I've used that trick live. Back before I came to my senses!!!

 

Among my long since gone live rigs - a Mesa Mk III Simul-Class head on top of a Vox 4-12" cabinet with 2 EVM 12L and 2 JBL D120. When I "downsized" I went to a Peavey LA 400 (210 watts with a Black Widow speaker) and on top of that I put a Peavey Reknown 1-12 - 160 watts with a Scorpion Plus speaker. Just used a RAT pedal. I still miss the pedal!!!!

 

Now I gig with my Boss Katana set at 1/2 of one watt and medium gain, MUCH quieter. Played a ton of gigs with a Peavey Transtube 258 EFX, I put a Scorpion 10" in it for fatter low end and don't turn it up very loud.

Should have done it centuries ago.

 

Jacotzen, thanks for the tip on the Ignite Emissary 2, I'll give it a spin!

It took a chunk of my life to get here and I am still not sure where "here" is.
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Anybody knows how 'selected module volume' works inside amplitube? the one in the cab section is the same as the master fader of the section but what about the others? I was trying some high gain amps and actually increasing the selected module volume inside the pedal section the amp reacts way better, like having a transient tamer somehow, you can easy play fast solos without using any compression or tube screamer in front of the amp, it's like it should be actually...
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  • 1 month later...

Hi Craig, I was hoping you could answer a couple of questions for me (I just heard about your Transient Tamer circuit and would like to build one, but bear in mind I'm new to this kind of stuff).

 

1) With a transient tamer pedal, into a DI box, into my audio interface, let's say I wanted to plug into a fuzz box before going into the DI. Would I put the fuzz box between the transient tamer and the DI box, or put the fuzz box first? Same basic question about any other pedal FX I might want to record into the DI box.

 

2) How can I be sure I'm selecting the right kind of red LEDs? For instance, I found some on a website called Guitar Pedal Parts, which offers two kinds of red LEDs, a 3mm and a 5mm. Does the size matter in this case? It also refers to them as having a red diffused lens, not a clear lens. As someone who has never purchased LEDs before, it makes me wonder: are these actually emitting red light (I assume that's the kind I need), or do they emit a white light and then it appears red to the eye because it's coming through a red lens? This is probably a silly question, but wanted to know if I need to seek out a different kind of LED or if these will do the trick (I'm planning on putting in an order with this website for an aluminum enclosure and the input/output jacks, and it would be convenient if I can buy the LEDs from them too).

 

3) Probably a very silly question, but is there a difference between an input & an output jack (1/4" TS), or is it the exact same physical piece of equipment, just different in how the poles are wired up or something? I couldn't tell if I needed to buy two different kinds of jacks, or just one kind that can be used for both input & output.

 

4) Would you say it's worth it to wire in a bypass switch, or kind of pointless? I figure when I want to use the transient tamer, I will always want it on most likely, right? So why bother (although I may do it anyway as practice, because if I enjoy building this pedal, then I already have ideas for building other kinds of DIY pedals for myself!)

 

5) Every LED I can find online says to use a resistor in front of it or it will burn out. Question I have is: that's not necessary for your circuit, right? It doesn't use a resistor as far as I can tell (still need to study up on reading schematics before I build this, though). This circuit doesn't actually use a power source, either, and I was wondering, do the LEDs light up when you play (like as you're strumming the strings, the LEDs light up, and as the sustain dies out, the LEDs dim out)? Or are they dim all the time? Or somehow, are they lit all the time as long as the guitar is plugged into the circuit? I could see it being any of those ways, and was just curious what will happen.

 

Thanks for any answers and help you can provide!

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Hi Craig, I was hoping you could answer a couple of questions for me (I just heard about your Transient Tamer circuit and would like to build one, but bear in mind I'm new to this kind of stuff).

 

These are great questions!

 

1. The Transient Tamer is intended to go immediately after the guitar. In fact, the version Gibson uses is wired inside the guitar, with a DIP switch if you want to disable it. Mine is in a cable that connects between the guitar and whatever comes next.

 

2. The size and light properties don't matter, it's the "D" part (diode) that matters of a light-emitting diode. So, the "right" LED is one whose breakdown voltage (i.e. where it starts conducting) is high enough to cut the transient peaks, but not low enough to distort signals below the peaks. LEDs that generate red light are in the ideal range for guitar pickups. Frankly, most red LEDs will work, but Gibson's Jim DeCola bought a bunch of them to choose the one that would be best. A 2.0V breakdown voltage is a good "generic" rating. If you can hear distortion, you'll want something higher. If the transients are still getting through, you want something lower.

 

3. 1/4" jacks can be used for input or output. The only "difference" is a lot of pedals use a stereo input jack so that plugging in your guitar cord turns on the battery. But if you're building the transient tamer in a box, any 1/4" mono jacks will work..

 

4. I leave it on all the time. A magazine review of a Gibson guitar that had the transient tamer said "I didn't hear any difference with the transient tamer in the circuit or not." Exactly! You're not supposed to hear a difference, but your digital gear will be able to run at a higher gain level, with a higher average signal level, before the onset of distortion.

 

5. A pickup doesn't generate anywhere near enough voltage to burn out an LED. You can put a 100 Ohm resistor between the guitar output and the back-to-back LED if it helps you sleep better at night, but it's not necessary. Nor is there enough voltage to give a light show :)

 

Have fun!

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