Simulating pickups and guitars?

  • the thing with the guitar robot is: it has to pick slightly, it has to pick strong, and then see measure the dynamics of the guitar. it has to pick chords to measure how the tones interact.


    ... measure the harmonic spectrum elicited


    so you may be able to try out, what would be the best guitar for your style.


    also good for trying different guitars via software, so you don't have to go to the store physically to try a guitar. would be good corona-inspired invention: good things follow from bad things, frequently.

  • Logical and fine in theory, SA, but...


    When the same thing was done for pianos for 3 decades they finally addressed the limiting factor I suspect you'd run into using the multi-velocity "sampling" method. Every played note sounds different depending on what other notes are already sounding and their levels. This is sympathetic resonance and it's present in all stringed instruments I can think of.


    The position on the neck adds another set of variables that affect sympathetic resonance, and of course most notes can be played at different locations.


    I'd be surprised if folks haven't already thought of this stuff and given it a red-hot go, but I've not heard anything more-recent than the Line 6 Variax (v2 software) that sounds more-realistic IMHO.

  • Spend the money and try a Variax. I bought one for my kemper and it actually sounds pretty good. The ability to go from different guitar sounds and different tunings with one click is worth the money itself in my opinion. It's not "fully there" in my opinion but like the kemper it is close enough. But I agree... guitar modeling would be the next best thing.

  • Yes, that's true.


    From a scientific perspective of psychological experiments, this could be conceptualized as follows:


    Stimulus A: Picking note A

    Response A: The tone A

    SA -> RA

    We call this a main effect and the same would be true for tone B


    Now for two tones:

    SA & SB -> RA + RB + (RA * RB)


    The latter term (product) is called an interaction effect and can be modeled as matrix/scalar product for interactions of different frequencies.


    Sorry, for so much science, but it would be necessary for de-mystifying guitars, if we want that?

    maybe myth is actually more fun?

  • That would be an excellent Master thesis for a tone engineer or physicist, and I could think of many models how to approach that problem of interactions between frequency and phase information.


    reminds me of physicist demystifying stradivaries, e.g.


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  • Yes, I agree that the formula seems a correct approach. It'd be a Helluva-long equation to include all possible interactions with, say, a six-note maximum and at all positions on the neck. Thankfully computers can do that stuff without breaking a sweat.


    Mate, BTW, you can type below quotes in the posting window; a quote will appear there when you hit the quote button. Just letting you know 'cause you seem to have missed the opportunity 4 times. ;)


    One good reason to do this is that if someone posts whilst you're writing your response the quote will still be relevant to whatever you say; otherwise there'd be a post in-between the quote and your answer / comment/s.

  • I am a scientist and great fan of kemper: I wonder whether it is possible to simulate different pickups or guitars much as different amps

    Hmm, ever heard of a Variax?


    Granted, it's not profiling, but classic "modelling", but with my James Tyler Variax plus my Kemper, I'm pretty much up to anything - Drop D LP to open tuning acoustic with the twist of a knob...


    Good enough for my purposes - and even for a Doobie Brother like John McFee...

  • Hmm, ever heard of a Variax?


    Granted, it's not profiling, but classic "modelling", but with my James Tyler Variax plus my Kemper, I'm pretty much up to anything - Drop D LP to open tuning acoustic with the twist of a knob...


    Good enough for my purposes - and even for a Doobie Brother like John McFee...


    I had the guts from an early Variax built into a Telecaster. It really sounded great. It came down to me realising that the sounds of each model were less important than I thought and the tactile qualities more important that lead me to letting it go.


    But from Tele to Les Paul to acoustic, it all sounded great.

  • Yes, the haptic feeling is the most inspiring thing, I agree.

    When you feel what you hear, the music is much more striking.

    That's kinda simulation of synaesthesia (i.e. here a cross-modal link between sound and touch)


    I think I will try out a variax guitar, as well, thx.


    Nevertheless, having my light and resonant LP59 copy being able to simulate the bass "darkness" of a heavy old LP custom. That would be great. Let's see whether sim1 can do that.


    Heavy customs push and march forward, no matter what, if you know what I mean. But I miss the dynamics here.


    So in the end, you would have a haptically intense guitar, which can also simulate heavy guitar sounds.

  • I am very much considering buying a Roland G-5 VG guitar myself, (this discontinued but still available here with few retailers) Basically a Mexican fender start with american neck and some hardware.

    I would have it by my side already, if it were not for this strict lockdown we are under for more than a month now and still ongoing. :(

    - Too Many Synths and Way too Many Guitars :rolleyes:

  • Another tip for additional gear, thx.


    But what I'm dreaming about could probably be realized with a 150€ worth software add-on for Kemper allowing to realize many of these tips.


    Another cue for the science and software guys:

    Think of a deep neural network trained to imitate Claptons Blacky

  • ... but maybe it would only be good for 99% of the Blacky-Sim players to realize that the myth is not the guitar itself, but the interaction of the player with the real guitar ?


    But if these players don't have to buy Blacky for that insight, they save billions of money!