Vibesware GR-1 User manual

Guitar Resonator

GR-1

User Manual

Markus Pahl

info@vibesware.com

Schillerstrasse 18

D-31141 Hildesheim

Germany

Rev. 1.1

Contents

1 Introduction ...............................................................................................1

1.1 How does it work ? ...............................................................................1

1.2 Differences to the EBow

and well known Sustainers .........................2

2 Fields of application .................................................................................3

2.1 Feedback playing everywhere / composing / recording ........................3

2.2 On stage ...............................................................................................4

2.3 New ways of playing .............................................................................4

3 Start-Up ......................................................................................................5

3.1 Connecting ...........................................................................................6

3.2 Control elements ..................................................................................6

4 Playing techniques ...................................................................................6

4.1 Basics ...................................................................................................6

4.2 Harmonics control by positioning the Resonator ...................................7

4.3 Changing harmonics by phase shifting .................................................7

4.4 Some string vibration basics .................................................................7

4.5 Feedback of multiple strings ...............................................................10

4.6 Limits of playing, pickup selection, and power setting .........................10

5 Frequently asked questions and troubleshooting ................................12

1 Introduction

Welcome to Vibesware ! Enjoy gorgeous feedbacks and have a lot of fun with

the Guitar Resonator.

1.1 How does it work ?

The Guitar Resonator generates an alternating magnetic field from the guitar

pickup signal. The string vibration is amplified when positioning the

Resonators head near the strings. This vibration feeds back through the

pickup so that a closed loop accurs:

With it you can create amazing feedback tones, sounding very natural

because they come directely from the strings. Thus the sound is not

comparable with well known electronically generated feedback sounds. It

rather sounds like a turned up amplifier, where the string feedback comes

from the sound waves.

But in contrast to sound wave feedback there are the following advantages:

●

Feedback is possible at any sound volume, even if playing with

headphones.

●

This also works fine with crunch or clean sounds. With sound wave

feedback it would take a realy extreme amplifier gain to get the same

feedback tones.

●

The transition from normal tones into feedback can be controlled

exactely and always reproducible. You don't need any time consuming

experiments with amplifier gain and loudspeaker distance.

●

By the strong magnetic field, you can generate extreme feedback tones

which cannot be generated with normal amplifier/speaker feedback at

all.

1.2 Differences to the EBow

and well known Sustainers

The most popular magnetic string vibration device is the EBow

developed in

1976. This engenious gadget is a hand-held device build for one string

vibrations and a lot of interesting tone effects can be produces with it. The

typical EBow

playing is a bow like movement rather than striking the strings.

You put the plectrum away before playing the desired effects. With this

technique cello like sounds can be produced for example. The EBow

used all over the world for special effects in dedicated lead phrases.

Then Sustainers entered into the guitar world, which can be found in special

guitars or can be build in existing guitars. This is done by replacing the

original neck pickup by a so called Sustainer pickup. Unlike the EBow

you

can play with both hands and you can play feedback with more than one

string at the same time. Another difference to the EBow

is that the sound

cannot be controlled by the playing technique, because its position is fixed on

the guitar.

By contrast the Guitar Resonator has the following features:

●

You can use both hands for normal playing. Feedback comes by

positioning the guitar neck to the Resonator. This is basically similar to

the speaker positioning for normal amplifier feedback. However,

feedback starting and harmonics can be controlled much better by the

direct Resonator positioning. This feature is one of the main differences

to the build in Sustainers. Unlike the EBow

you get feedback with

more than one string.

●

Electric guitars can be used directely. You neighter need a special

guitar nor any guitar modifications. The Guitar Resonator is just added

to the equipment you are familiar with.

●

The Resonator has an external power supply, whereby the magnetic

field is much stronger than battery powered devices. This gives you the

ability to play with very high and low string feedback too.

●

Build in Sustainers are connect to the bridge pickup, whereas the

Resonator is driven by the selected pickup(s). Feedback playing with

different pickups offers a lot of different feedback sounds. This feature

is similar to the amplifier/speaker feedback.

In a nutshell, the Guitar Resonator is an all-purpose feedback machine. You

can keep your familiar equipment and playing style when adding this new

playing technique. It is easy to learn and it will give you a new dimension of

guitar playing without any modification of your basic guitar sound. You can

use it as a reliable tool for placing exact feedback harmonics whenever you

want. But this is just the beginning. Exploring further, you will find new ways

of playing guitar. And - as all good effects show - the Resonator sounds

different with any player, because the sound comes not only from the device

but also from the playing technique.

2 Fields of application

2.1 Feedback playing everywhere / composing / recording

●

The ideal device for home recording, playing into the PC for example.

Here you can directely record feedbacks even at night with earphones.

So you get a sound like a turned up amplifier going into feedback

harmonics. Together with PC recording tools (e.g. Guitar Rig

)

professional recordings can be produced with a minimum effort.

●

At recording studios you always get the desired feedback directely in

the control room. Precisely and always reproducible. No matter where

your roaring amplifier is placed. There are no time consuming

experiments for getting the desired feedback.

2.2 On Stage

●

Perfect for controllable and always reproducible feedback on stage.

Independent from monitor settings and amplifier gain. This makes same

results possible on large and small stages. Even if using head sets

instead of stage monitors.

●

There is no need to turn away from the audience to your amplifier for

getting feedback. Simply move the neck to the Resonator for feedback.

You can also fix the Resonator together with a microfon on a stand.

Even extensive feedback actions are always possible facing to the

audience.

●

If you plug your guitar directely into the PA, feedback from the monitor

never sounds so warm and rich like the feedback from the guitar

speaker. With the Guitar Resonator you will always get the same good

sound, even in this configuration.

2.3 New ways of playing

With a little practice, you will explore many new ways of feedback playing:

●

Lead notes passing into feedback harmonics at once are making the

playing much more powerful. It sounds very agile if tones are passing

well directed into feedback while bending strings. During sustained

feedback the harmonics can be changed by moving the Resonator to

another neck position. This exact control is pure fun and cannot be

reached with normal Amplifier feedback at all. Its eigher a matter of lack

to get the desired harmonics or the feedback is quite out of control in

case of high distortion sounds or extensive sound volumen. This is

probably one of the reasons, why predefined feedback tones are rarely

embedded in lead compositions. In most cases, the lead is too short to

wait for the feedback.

●

Feedback tones create a more atmospheric playing. Some bad guys

suggest it as the most effective therapy for „always speed players“.

Following the less is more principle, sustaining notes with vibrato and

variations of harmonics form important points of rest between speed

phrases. Just these points of rest are giving the most freedom for

impressiveness using feedback together with vibrato, bending and of

course the tremolo !

●

Outstanding feedback can be generated from crunch sounds !

Sounding like „ordinary feedback“ with high gain settings appears very

filigree and dynamical with crunch or clean sounds. The transition to

feedback is more distinctive and accentuating within the overall band

sound. Particulary these feedbacks can hardly be created with normal

amp feedback. We noticed that players start reducing distortion after

using the Resonator for a while. Getting outstanding sustained tones

with less distortion considerably improves your punch. However, more

distortion makes feedback easier but it sounds more ordinary and less

interesting, because these feedbacks hardly stand out in the overall

sound. Someone told us he never had any problems in creating

feedback. He simply cascades two distortion pedals and therewith he

gets every feedback he wants. Ok, thats right. A simple solution. But

that makes the difference ! Why we love tube sounds going smoothly

into distortion ? A feedback tone is much more than an oscillation just to

sustain the tone. It rather colors the sound depending on the individual

playing technique !

●

If you like playing with pitch shifting devices like the Whammy

pedal

you absolutely should work on several voice feedback giving amazing

sounds neighter like a guitar nor a synthesizer.

●

And of course it is interesting to use the Resonator together with other

effects. Note that the Resonator Box should be connected directely to

your guitar. Other effects should always plugged behind the Resonator

Box. Delay effects in general sound good with feedback. But WahWah

pedals and bottlenecks are well suited as additional effects too, since

hands and foots are ready for control while using the Resonator. There

are no limits for new ideas and settings at all.

●

Last but not least, amazing sounds can be created with every piezo

pickuped guitar that has steel strings ! This is ideal for very clean

feedback sounds.

3 Start-Up

The Guitar Resonator consists of the following components:

1. Resonator Head with Gooseneck

2. Resonator Box

3. Power Supply: Prim. 230 V AC; Sec. 9V AC, 500 mA

4. Stereo Cable

5. Stand (optionally)

3.1 Connecting

Directely plug the guitar to the input of the Resonator Box. Guitar input and

output are directely connected inside the Resonator Box in order to output the

pure guitar signal. This output can be connected as usual with effects or

guitar amplifier. With the stereo cable plug the Resonator output to the

Resonator Head.

3.2 Control elements

Footswitch "On": Activates/deactivates the effect (green light).

Footswitch "Phase": Selects basic tone or harmonics feedback. The mode

is displayed by the red and the blue LED at the Resonator head.

Volume for setting the Resonator power: The more power the stronger the

magnetic field. High power means you don't need to go too close to the

strings. More power increases the sensitivity towards undesired direct

feedback from the Resonator to the pickup.

4 Playing techniques

4.1 Basics

It works easy and effective. Just hold the Guitar Resonator near the strings in

the neck area. The closer the stronger the string(s) are agitated by the

magnetic field. Feedback start and end can be easily controlled with the

distance. The best way to come near without touching the strings is to hold

the Resonators Head at right angles to the guitar neck.

The red or blue lights intensity depends on the signal that drives the

Resonator. The brightness decreases when the string vibration dies away.

Moving the Resonator closer to the strings amplifies the vibration whereby the

brightness increases again. To drive the Resonator sufficiently, the gain at

your guitar should be turned up to maximum. If you like playing often with

reduced gain than this must be compensated with the gain of the Resonator

Box. However, this will increase the unwanted feedback sensitivity at turned

up guitar volume, so that eventually a reasonable compromise has to be

found.

4.2 Harmonics control by positioning the Resonator

The nice thing is that you get different harmonics depending on the

Resonator Head position along the neck. This is done by moving the guitar

neck with your body or with a direct arm movement. Players with low hanging

guitars prefer moving up the guitar neck to the Resonator (the typical Hendrix

like position). Players with higher hanging guitars just need to move their

body to the Resonator. However, the important thing is to come near enought

without touching the strings. By the way: As we all know, new strings are

essential for rich string harmonics. This holds true particulary with feedback

harmonics !

4.3 Changing harmonics by phase shifting

Phase shifting is another way to switch between basic and harmonics

feedback. The phase position is indicated by the red and blue light. Phase

shifting can be done as a preset or for changing the feedback tone while

playing.

4.4 Some string vibration basics

Perhaps you would like to understand more about the dependencies of driven

feedback harmonics, Resonator position, phase and pickup selection. In that

case, the theory of stationary waves might help:

The fundamental tone has one antinode with a maximum amplitude at the

half length. Then the first octave occurs which has two antinodes, showing

maximums at 1/4 and 3/4. At 1/3 we can see three antinodes which can be

found in the tone as the quintal from the first octave. The second octave

shows at 1/4 length and the third from the second octave at 1/5. The third

octave has six antinodes. The overall tone is given by the superposition of

key tone and all these harmonics.The percentages of the key tone and the

harmonics depend on the guitar characterstics (body, bridge etc.), the

string(s), the notes played and also the way you strike the strings. The quality

of the strings (old or new) also affects the harmonics mix. These pictures also

show the phase shifting along the string length (the dashed lines mean the

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