Posts by Art_Vandelay

Same here. After updating the firmware, the problem went away for a bit, but has returned.

Quote from Dlaut

The system is pretty easily removable if you ever change guitars (and easy to install); so I wouldn't let that be an obstacle. All in all, I think it it more cost effective than changing pickups - particularly to pickups that may not sound as good as what you are used to.

Just something to think about....YMMV

I have the Ilitch backplate system, and agree with everything Dlaut has said about it. Works great, and relatively quick and easy to install. It is about 99.9% sonically transparent (I sometimes think I can hear a TINY difference if I really really try, but even then I'm not sure it isn't just in my head). So, it allows you to have your pick of any single coils in the world and have them be largely noiseless (about as much so as humbuckers, anyway).

One thing I'd note is that it is often recommended to use this with all three pickups having the same magnetic polarity, rather than having a reverse-wound/reverse-polarity middle pickup as is often the case (which is what allows the in-between combinations [neck + middle, middle + bridge] to be humbucking). Otherwise, those in-between combinations will have noise once the backplate is installed. However, there are wiring options that get around that. Alternatively, you can buy some strong magnets and use them to change the polarity of the middle pickup to be the same as the neck and middle, which is cheap, easy, and completely reversible if you later decide to go back to a RWRP middle.

Quote from Booyah

Never heard the track before (some Satch fan I turn out to be) but I'm hearing more than one guitar, 1 completely modulated for the swell chords and one fairly clean? Though it wouldn't be the first time Joe suprized my ears.

Indeed, in the description for that clip on YouTube, it says "he recorded 16 guitars to create touching swells of chords and a chilling melody in this sparse, emotional ballad." I don't know if that is accurate, but it does sound to me like at least several layers of guitars.

The AxeFX controller sells in the US for $750. Given that it is larger, has more switches, and Fractal tend to push the upper boundaries of pricing more than Kamper (AxeFX II-XL sells for $2,500 vs around $2,100 for the non-power Kempers), my guess is that the Kemper Remote will sell between $400 - $500 US. I certainly hope it comes in at or below $400 -- unless it's packing a lot of unique features, even at that price it will be tough for me personally to justify, given the other options out there.

I have several guitars, including a PRS cu24 and an American Deluxe Strat. I like both a lot, but my #1 is actually an Ibanez JS1000 (which cost less than the fender and about 1/2 the price of the PRS). The neck on the JS is by far the most comfortable I've ever played -- it just fits me like a glove. Also has great tone, stays in tune forever (and nearly perfect tuning across the entire fretboard), and is surprisingly versatile. Just a great overall guitar. I'd volunteer to be bludgeoned by Gibson and Fender fanatics before parting with that one!

On the other hand, I've never gotten along with Gibsons. Nice guitars, but never feel comfortable to me (but then again, I did cut my teeth on a Fender).

Nice tone. A particularly nice job of capturing the ambiance (delay + reverb) on that album.

I thought I’d provide my input, since I have experience with several options being discussed here. Specifically, I have used the following (all with the KPA, except the first set), and I'll provide some brief thoughts on each (in chronological order, not necessarily order of preference). I should note that I have no vested interest in any of these.

- Fender SCN pickups
- Kinman AVN Blues pickups
- Ilitch backplate (with Van Zandt Blues and with Fralin Vintage Hot)
- Fishman Fluence single width pickups

=== Fender SCN (Samarium Cobalt Noiseless) ===
These came with the American Deluxe Strat I bought in '04. Sound OK, and are very quiet, but they never really did much for me. It's been so long that I don't remember exactly what I didn't like, but I think they just generally sounded a little dull and lifeless. I also seem to remember the 2 & 4 positions being particularly lackluster. I quickly replaced them with the Kinman AVN Blues.

=== Kinman AVN Blues ===
These are really great sounding. First, they are indeed nearly noiseless. Much quieter than any standard humbucker I've ever used. They sound much better than the SCNs, particularly the dynamics. Positions 2 & 4 are pretty good too. Sound good clean and distorted. I liked these well enough that they stayed in my strat for nearly 10 years, until a few months ago (and are now two thirds of a HSS setup in another guitar). But, they still felt like a bit of a compromise, without quite as much chime and pick dynamics as true single coils, so I decided to see what new options were available.

=== Ilitch Backplate Noise Canceling System (BPNCS) ===
I bought this a few months ago, along with a set of Van Zandt Blues and Fralin Vintage Hots (couldn't decide what I wanted, so I figured I'd get a couple of sets and try them both -- decided to keep them both). First, returning to true single coils for the first time since the pathetic single coils in my cheap Squire strat back around '90 was a bit of a revelation. I instantly realized what I'd been missing. I think it is the pick dynamics and responsiveness that most clearly sets them apart. It's been addicting. So, being able to keep that while losing the noise is massively appealing to me.

In my experience, the BPNCS works as well as advertised. It isn't quite as noiseless as the noiseless single coils I've tried, but it is still a lot quieter than any of my guitars with traditional humbuckers. Tonally, I think it is nearly 100% transparent. Sometimes, I think I might hear a VERY slight loss of high end (I set it up temporarily so I could toggle it off and on), but it isn't enough for me to be sure that it's not just in my head, and certainly not enough to be a problem (and, not even subjectively better or worse).

As Elcap420 noted, it can be wired to work with RWRP middle pickups. I was also able to come up with a wiring to work with both an RWRP middle AND the Fender S1 system, with all settings being noise canceling except 1 (S1 engaged w/ toggle in middle position). So, there aren't really any limitations there. Also, as Deny pointed out, you can easily change a RWRP back to standard with some neodymium magnets (which can be bought for less than $10) and inverting the wires (treat the black as white and white as black, or you could actually unsolder at the pickup and swap them).

Cost is really the only downside (around $200). But, in my opinion, its worth it. In the last few days, I've decided to create a setup that will let me instantly swap it from one guitar to another (since I decided to keep both the Van Zandt's and the Fralins, in different guitars of course). That is still a work in progress, but so far so good. So, that will increase the value I'm getting for the expense.

=== Fishman Fluence Single Width ===
I was already very happy with true single coils + the Ilitch BPNCS, but curiosity got the best of me with the Fluence. The promise of (1) noiseless single coils, AND (2) two high quality tones in a single set of pickups, coupled with the positive initial reviews I was reading ended up being too much to resist. So, I decided to give them a shot.

I have to say I'm a little disappointed with them. Although I think the word "sterile" is an overstatement, I do think they trend in that direction. I think they have the basic tonality down pretty well, but they just don't have nearly the same responsiveness as true single coils. I think it is really in the attack that they come up short -- true single coils can give such a wide range of tones based on subtle changes in pick location or technique, and that tonality seems to evolve as from the initial attack portion of the note through the decay up until it reaches the more steady sustained portion of the ADSR (attack, decay, sustain, release) curve. The Fluence seem somewhat constant throughout -- not completely, but more than true single coils.

That isn't to say they sound bad -- I don't think they do (and that is completely subjective anyway). In a mix, they probably sound close enough that most people, guitarists and non-guitarists alike, would be hard pressed to tell the difference. But I find playing them to be uninspiring, and completely different than when I first put in the Van Zandt's and couldn't put the guitar down. I've toyed with the height quite a bit and found that I like them better further from the strings, but it's still not there for me. So, I'll be parting ways with them very soon.

=== Summary and My Bottom Line ===
That ended up being much longer than I planned! In the end, here's how I would rank the quite single coil options I've tried:

1. Ilitch/Suhr BPNC w/ authentic single coils: A little more noise than the others, but much less than traditional humbuckers. Most importantly, it has essentially no impact on the tone
2. Kinman AVN Blues: Still have them and still use them. Very good pickups overall. Dead quiet. Good tonality, and decent dynamics/pick response
3. Fishman Fluence: Not bad, the basic tonality is about right, but lacking single coil dynamics. Also dead quiet.
4. Fender SCNs: I wouldn't say these are bad, but I find them somewhat lifeless and uninspiring. But they are indeed noiseless.

For me, the Ilitch BPNC is the winner by a huge margin. And I am by no means a vintage purist, traditionalist, etc. Hopefully this is of some use to someone at some point!

How long does this sale last? Still trying to decide which rigs to buy, but want to be sure to do so before the sale is up.

Quote from whippinpost91850

Will, You only need 5 pin cable, MIDI only takes 3 wires. There are mods on the Yahoo FCB1010/uno Forum. Paul

That would take care of things on the FCB side of the chain, but how would you get power from the Kemper to supply to the FCB?

Quote from paults

Are you using an output setting other than "normal"? One of the "Mod" settings, perhaps?

I'm not sure what you mean here. Can you elaborate?

Quote from jakeykim

That's what I exactly felt about the mix knob on PB 1.8.0. I reported the issue to Support team by email. He replied "I have the same impression regarding the Mix of MicroPitch, have to check...". I upgraded to 1.8.1 and found no difference.. Hopefully they will fix it soon.

Jake

Thanks, its helpful to know that the problem isn't limited to my Kemper. That said, if it were a widespread problem, I'd expect more people to be reporting the problem, so maybe its a problem only afflicting a subset of units. Hopefully they'll fix it soon. I like the effect in general, but without being able to reduce the mix level its just too heavy handed to actually use in most cases.

I've been using the 1.8 beta for a while and just updated to 1.8.1. Although the additions are great overall, I am having a problem with the MicroPitch effect. Specifically, the Mix setting doesn't appear to have any audible effect whatsoever (although the % display reported on the screen and the LEDs on the front panel change as expected). I can turn Mix all the way down and the effect is every bit as prominent as when Mix is turned all the way up. All the other parameters work as I'd expect, and Mix works as I'd expect on every other effect.

Is anyone else having this problem? Any ideas on how to resolve it? I was hoping upgrading to 1.8.1 would fix it, but no luck. I like the effect a lot, but it is often a bit too prominent -- being able to turn Mix down would help a lot!