Automatic guitarrist wanted, do yo have one?

[solderman]

Hi all
I was only born with two hands and that posts a problem when trying to tweak effects. With one hand on the strings and the screwdriver in the other to turn a trimpot or trying to measure voltage with my foots I do need a "Instant guitarist".

I have built my self a ton generator that a can change the frequency but that is not the same thing wit only one tone. I bought a 142 OPY and another IC that I have forgot the name of and built recording circuits that I used to record the guitar and play it on the IN to tweak. But both had such poor sound quality that I was of no use.

I have also tried my PC soundcard but the impedans is so different from guitar PU:s so the result is not good enough. Is there anyone who knows of a good enough IC or has invented any other mechanical stuff that plays for you

Curious to here

//Solderman   

[DougH]

Here's what  you do-

Set your guitar on a stand and leave it plugged in.

When you are ready to test, reach over with your foot and give it a swift kick.

[frequencycentral]

.....buy a Fender Rhodes. I have my breadboard sitting on top of mine. Close enough in so many ways - and easy to play one handed.

[zyxwyvu]

I have also tried my PC soundcard but the impedans is so different from guitar PU:s so the result is not good enough.

You could put an inductor and resistor in series with the sound card input, like the Deluxe Bazz Fuss. Even a plain resistor would most likely help a lot.

[solderman]

Hi ant TAX for the ides

.....buy a Fender Rhodes. I have my breadboard sitting on top of mine. Close enough in so many ways - and easy to play one handed.

Ill have to by the family a bigger flat to fit that in and my wife a diamond ring to accept it 

You could put an inductor and resistor in series with the sound card input, like the Deluxe Bazz Fuss. Even a plain resistor would most likely help a lot

Its more like the level and intensity. I have tyred to feed it trough my mixer but the result is very different when using a real guitar.

When you are ready to test, reach over with your foot and give it a swift kick

My foot barre is awfully bad sownding 

[aron]

What about iPod->Pickup simulator->pedal?

[iaresee]

Guitar -> Boss RC-2 -> Effect-Under-Test

A digital delay might make a suitable substitute for an RC-2 as well.

[Paul Perry (Frostwave)]

+1 to zyxwyvu who said, use a recording & put a resistor in series with the output to simulate the impedance of the guitar pickup.

In fact, I am sure you could actually use a guitar pickup itself!! because, the output impedance of a soundcard or a CD or MP3 player is effectively zero, so put a guitar pickup in series and you are right to go.
I'm surprised nobody already makes a box like this - hmmmm...

[caress]

looper pedal?  delay on infinite repeats?  friend, girlfriend, wife, child, whatever...?

[R.G.]

It's far simpler than all that.

I use my own recordings of some of my guitars to CD, doctored into never-ending sets of notes or loops of notes, spliced with an audio editor. This comes out of a portable CD player through an inductor to fake pickup impedance and then level-set down to the appropriate voltage.

Since I posted this idea long ago, I'm shocked that none of the million effects entrepreneurs have yet copied the idea and recorded a selection of vintage and modern guitars into an effects-testing CD. I intended to sell them for testing back in the day when I was selling stuff, but my priorities moved on. It's not hard to do, just takes some time.

Why not take some samples of your own guitar? Maybe you could just play them out a sound port.

The world is a target-rich environment. 

[cheeb]

I always just record something on a looper pedal and feed that into it. Works great for debugging with an audio probe too.

[petemoore]

  Use a little amp driving a transducer [speaker] mechanically coupled to drive the string.
  the string could be on a board or guitar, the speaker bolted to it, creating an infinite feedback loop at a specific frequency.
  Pickup output could be split [or second pickup used], and one half amped and caused to mechanically vibrate the wood, the other output could have a volume control and output jack.

[MikeH]

I always just record something on a looper pedal and feed that into it. Works great for debugging with an audio probe too.

+1.  Or if I don't feel like doing all that I'll grab my ebow and just rest it on the strings up by the nut.  That way it just give a gentle sustain, rather than rattling itself onto the ground.

[sean k]

I got this trick off a friend who does kinda sound scape stuff and you thread a welding rod, say 1.6mm and at a right angle, through the stings so its kinda balanced but not that well balanced then give it a tap and it'll bounce up and down for ages sending all sorts of odd guitar noises through your FX. Adding fishing weights keeps the seesaw going even longer.

[composition4]

Buy a passive DI box (you should be able to get a cheap one for $10 - $15) and hook it up in reverse so it matches impedances-

Soundcard playing your guitar riffs (line level) -->  XLR output (you will be using it as an unbalanced INPUT... connect pin 1 = signal, pin 2+3 = tied to ground)

Then on the box, Instrument input (you will be using it as an OUTPUT) --> stompbox input


Note you need to make sure it's a passive DI box, not active. If you want to know more about this method, look up "reamping using a DI box" in google.  You might even make your own if you can get hold of the matching transformer. PM me if you want a schematic for a good DIY reamping device.

Thanks
Jonathan

[composition4]

Sorry just an edit on the XLR connections I stated above... pin 1 is ground and pin 2 is signal. Tie pin 3 to ground (pin 1) also

[Jered]

  Well, your half way there. One hand on the strings, the other for trimmers. To measure voltage, get clips for your meter. Electrical supply stores have great micro clips.