Richard McClish, founder of RMC Pickups

Started by Elantric, March 19, 2013, 01:51:53 PM

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Elantric

Below is a reprint from the 2001 era www.VG-8.com support site created by Aure Prochazka.
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http://web.archive.org/web/20050426004413/http://www.vg-8.com/Members/rmc
Richard McClish
This page is provided both as a tribute to our resident electronics wizard, Richard McClish, founder of RMC Pickups, and as a repository for some of the best technical information that has been provided to date about the VG-8 and the guitars we use to drive it. The following are his words with only minor edits (to clarify context), which are generally indicated by brackets ([]). Thanks, Richard.

Richard McClish

    About Richard McClish
    VG-8 DIN-13 Cable Connector Pinouts
    13-pin DIN Connectors and Cables
    DIN Connector Cleaner
    Cleaning Up Beer (Or Other) Spills On Your VG-8
    Crosstalk and Bleedthrough: RMC Piezo vs. GK-2A Magnetic
    High-impedance vs. Low-impedance Cables
    Multiac with Alternate Tunings on the VG-8
    Godin Multiac Design
    Multiac Connectors and Battery/Phantom Power Design
    RMC Pickups on an Acoustic Guitar
    Using the MidiAxe and RMC Electronics Together
    VG-8 Alternate Tuning Anomalies
    VG-8 Output Levels
    VG-8 Output Level Modification
    VG-8 Input Modifications
    Acoustic Structures
    MIDI Banjo
    Q&A on RMC Strat Installation
    US-20 Conflicts and Modification
    VG-8 Driver Configuration
    GK-2 and RMC Pickup Comparison and Output Characteristics
    Multiple Guitars/Single Processor
    VG-8 and Nylon Strings
    VG-8 Pricing
    Low E-string Balance Problem with GK-2a
    New RMC Products Based on User Inputs
    RMC Pickups and Tremolos

About Richard McClish

[Richard McClish (RMC)] I was both a session man and a bar musician for a long time before I started making custom sound processing equipment, founded Zeta Music Systems and then created RMC Pickup Co. http://www.rmcpickup.com.

I have a long-term interest in this business and I find that enlightened users are the engine of the market. I'm also a musician with the opportunity to positively impact the quality of music produced by very talented people. And it's a great feeling.

I use both an Axon AX-100 and a [Roland] GR-30. If you play clean, they'll both deliver good MIDI signals, but it can require a bit of practice to set the units for optimum performance. I found the Roland more usable out of the box, but the Axon is faster in the lower register, so for those McLaughlin aficionados and the tapping style players that's a real plus.

I drive either of them with three of my favorite guitars: a Buscarino archtop with an RMC pickup & onboard preamp system, a Custom Shop Tele with both GK-2 & RMC (I use this one to make comparative evaluations of pickup performance), and a classical guitar with an RMC with outboard preamp. I play mostly fingerstyle but tend to solo traditionally with a pick (Rock'n roll/Jazz) and my repertoire is within the confines of Rock, straight ahead Jazz, Latin and the occasional slice of Velveeta when performing for my age group (sic).



VG-8 DIN-13 Cable Connector Pinouts

Pin assignments for the 13-pin DIN connector on the cable between a synth-access-equipped guitar and the VG-8 (or other current pitch-to-MIDI converters).

DIN-13 PINOUT - guitar

1 = string 1
2 = string 2
3 = string 3
4 = string 4
5 = string 5
6 = string 6
7 = mono guitar signal
8 = synth volume (0-5VDC)
9 = n.c.
10 = SW 1
11 = SW 2
12 = +7VDC
13 = -7VDC
Shell = Gnd



Godin Multiac RMC Piezo Guitar with Alternate Tunings on the VG-8

I have a suggestion to reduce the acoustic output of the instrument in a reversible manner that won't damage the instrument or reduce the sustain. Try using 4 soundposts located between the top and back of the instrument at the four corners of the backplate under the bridge. Just jam small dowels that you trim to the correct length inside the guitar. It will reduce the top vibration by at least 20dB in the low and mid frequencies. The string sustain should be increased also.


High-impedance vs. Low-impedance Cables

I've noticed that longer cables tend to change the "punch" of a regular high-impedance coil pickup, but it's nothing you can't correct with a 2-section parametric EQ and a good ear.

A long cable has more capacitance and that loads the magnetic pickups more than a short cable. the added cable length lowers the self-resonance frequency of the pickup coil by adding parallel capacitance.

What's high-impedance is the signal source, not the cable. With regards to hum, the pickup sensitivity to ambient magnetic fields outrageously surpass any subtle tendency of regular shielded cable to add noise of its own.

Multiac with Alternate Tunings on the VG-8

I have a suggestion to reduce the acoustic output of the instrument in a reversible manner that won't damage the instrument or reduce the sustain. Try using 4 soundposts located between the top and back of the instrument at the four corners of the backplate under the bridge. Just jam small dowels that you trim to the correct length inside the guitar. It will reduce the top vibration by at least 20dB in the low and mid frequencies. The string sustain should be increased also.



Godin Multiac Design

The guitar design was optimized for tracking performance but it stands pretty well on its own for acoustic live performance, especially if you use ambiance effects like chorus and reverb. It's less acoustic than a full depth instrument, of course, but it's also less prone to acoustic feedback. Give it a try. The neck feels good and the acoustic amplified sound is definitely good too !


Multiac Connectors and Battery/Phantom Power Design

[Roger Dawson] Do you know whether leaving the multi-pin synth connector plugged into the guitar also runs the battery down? Any idea how long the battery lasts? The last thing I want is battery failure on stage.

[RMC] Allow me to respond with a bit of inside information:

All Multiacs with MIDI access have an RMC Acoustic Gold pickup and a Poly-Drive IV preamp. The preamp features a DIN-13 jack and a 1/4" jack so the instrument can be used with or without phantom power. For data sheets, see http://www.rmcpickup.com.

The instrument receives power from the VG-8 through the DIN-13 jack (only when the VG-8 is turned ON, of course !). The 1/4" jack is a conventional TRS jack which turns the onboard battery ON when a Mono cord is plugged into it.

If you always use the guitar with the VG-8 or similar unit, you don't need to have a battery in the guitar. If you have an onboard battery in the guitar, it doesn't get used at all when the 1/4" jack is not used.

If you have a battery onboard and you use both the DIN-13 and the 1/4" jacks, make sure the VG-8 power is turned ON while the 1/4" jack is being used. This is because if the battery is turned ON while the VG-8 is not powered up, the VG-8 will become a huge electrical load for the poor battery. On the other hand, when the battery is turned ON and the VG-8 is also providing phantom power, the battery is getting trickle-charged to some degree and this can increase its useful life.

I considered the matter for quite a while before coming to this design decision, but it was the best solution given that most midi guitar and VG-8 customers are smart enough to take advantage of it. The Multiac user manual doesn't mention it, probably because they felt this would confuse people rather than help them. They're partly correct in that respect.

The charging rate is rather small and probably won't re-energize a low battery, but alkaline batteries in RMC preamps have been known to last quite a bit longer than expected when using the charging trick.

IN A NUTSHELL

    If you use the DIN-13 cord and a STEREO cord and the ring contact is not connected to anything at the other end of the cable, you can have the VG-8 in any state and the battery won't be affected at all.
    If you use the DIN-13 cord and a MONO cord, remember to have the VG-8 power turned ON when using both jacks. You want the battery to get charged by a live VG-8, not drained by a dead one.

The piezo mix found at the tip of the 1'4" jack is the same mono signal found on pin 7 of the DIN-13 (comes out of the "guitar out" on the GR-30 or VG-8). The ring of 1/4" TRS jack is simply used to turn the battery ON when it's shorted to ground by a Mono cord. This is the only reason why I raised the issue of a stereo cord. Simply to keep the battery out of the picture when using both jacks.

[The DIN-13 and 1/4" jacks would be used together] mostly for sound clarity, in the studio or when there's a need to bypass a dirty audio path such as guitar synths which may cause hum, hiss, distortion or other trouble in the mono guitar signal. It's way more apparent when you're driving a high-gain device such as an overdrive.

A good example is the old GR-50 which always caused some noise in the mono guitar signal. There's an in-line emitter follower stage and a circuit trace that passes near noisy areas of the p.c. board without adequate shielding or low-impedance termination. It's fixable by a tech, but not everyone is similarly gifted. You probably won't notice it with a stock Strat (no offense) but with an RMC you may find the difference objectionable.



Elantric

#1
RMC Pickups on an Acoustic Guitar

In your acoustic guitar application, I suggest using the RMC Acoustic Gold pickup. If you want an onboard preamp with MIDI/VG-8 access, I suggest using our Poly-Drive IV. If you want an external (remote) preamp with MIDI/VG-8 access, I suggest using the RMC Poly-Drive II. This is often the preferred choice of those who have high-end instruments because it requires the least instrument modification.


Using the MidiAxe and RMC Electronics Together

Just a few lines to mention in passing that the MidiAxe electronics (which were designed to analyze the audio signals of an RMC pickup) can be driven using the separate string outputs of the RMC Poly-Drive I. This avoids unduly loading the pickup and provides optimally stable signals for the MidiAxe. This combination provides 5-pin MIDI, 13-pin polyphonic audio and 1/4" mono or stereo jack(s). It's a beautiful world.



VG-8 Alternate Tuning Anomalies


When you tune down to a low "D" on the 6th string and the rest of the strings remain at standard tuning: Play the open 6th string, then the 11th fret, then the open, then the 10th fret & so on. Hear the portamento effect that definitely shouldn't be there. Then play each note twice and notice that the first note you play has a portamento and the second one does not. Having fun yet? Then de-tune it by a fifth, and the effect is different.


VG-8 Output Levels

For everyone's reference, a balanced line is typically 6dB louder than the corresponding unbalanced line (the second conductor is the same level as the first one, but of opposite phase). The greater level is the main benefit in a studio or musician's rig when using short (less than 50ft.) cables. Short shielded cables don't pick-up much of anything (except mechanical noises in the case of cheap cables connecting to high impedance sources).

The VG-8 has ±7VDC power supply and it's capable of just about any volume level that a pro mixer can receive or deliver. Theoretically it's 6dB less loud than the maximum output voltage possible with ±15VDC supplies common in most professional sound consoles. It has to be enough because these consoles have at least 20dB of gain in the line level inputs.

The VG-8 has a lot of nooks & crannies where one can change loudness parameters. A thorough examination of each patch is in order. I'd suggest checking out the patch volume and see if it can be brought up to maximum. You may already know of other places where volume can be increased such as the input sensitivity.

Expect a -10dB reference level from a majority of Music Industry effects processors. The VG-8 outputs more than that, so it's cool by guitar standards. Someone expecting a studio reference level of +4dBm with 16dB headroom will find the signal a bit weak. The power supply in the VG-8 is ±7VDC regulated for the analog portion, so it's at least 6dB below studio equipment. But that in itself isn't a shortcoming because what really counts is the signal-to-noise ratio of the output signal, which is definitely good enough for direct recording.


VG-8 Output Level Modification

You could actually mod the unit to increase the level of the Main Output while keeping the Phones Output level unchanged. Don't worry about cable length in this case (anything under 100ft.is OK), the TRS outputs have a source impedance of about 150 ohms. Bear in mind that headroom is a good thing and that the product engineers knowingly allowed more of it in the Main Output because you don't usually record the Phones Output, so it can clip a bit and no one really cares.

To do the Output Level Mod, you only need to invert 2 pairs of resistors in the circuit. It's a relatively simple mod for an experienced technician, it's entirely reversible, and you don't need to buy any parts (if you can work without damaging the goods).

Here's a summary of what to do:
Swap R168(10K) and R188(39K)
Swap R178(10K) and R194(39K)

This increases the MAIN Output level by 12 dB while keeping the Phones Output level unchanged. If you find that the hotter signal distorts a bit on loud peaks, try replacing the above four resistors with 20K resistors. This will still give you a 6 dB increase in Main Output level and should increase headroom to a more acceptable level.

Try comparing the PHONES Output with the MAIN Output for level in a stock unit before modifying it, so you know what you're gonna get when the Mod is complete.

BTW, This mod is not authorized by the original manufacturer. Product warranty may become invalid as a result of unauthorized product alteration. Don't modify any products which are still under warranty.


VG-8 Input Modification

The modification I suggested for the VG-8 is a change of capacitor values in the analog "front-end" of the unit that attenuates subsonic frequencies which can otherwise enter freely and upset the performance of the overdrive and pitch shifter in some cases. This can be accomplished by a competent electronic repair tech.

The VG-8 modification is for removing the subsonic content of the separate string signals, which helps the unit perform more cleanly and without puffyness especially when using the detuning (pitch shifting) functions.

Once the driver selection and setup is done correctly, the tonal differences of the piezos (with respect to the GK-2) doesn't do anything objectionable in the circuitry. Obviously, the subsonic sensitivity of the VG-8 is more apparent when using piezos than when using a GK-2 which is a magnetic pickup slammed against the bridge where there's almost no bass to detect.

The VG-8 modification consists in changing some electronic components & testing the modified unit for function, and can be completed within 48 hours of receiving the unit. By changing 12 electrolytic capacitors in the analog front end, [frequencies] 25Hz and below don't pass much and the low-frequency saturation symptoms go away. The cost of the modification is $50. plus shipping.

There aren't any negative side effects to this mod. Everything works the way it should, only better. Subsonic filtering is like what you probably have in your stereo for the turntable preamp. It removes the weird stuff that comes with the sound and releives the circuitry of a lot of useless work. So the result is cleaner attack transients. You can send your unit via UPS or Fed-Ex to:

RMC / Richard McClish
1569 Allston Way unit B
Berkeley CA 94703

[nix] If we can not interest RMC in building this [external input] filter in the next couple of months, anybody interested can e-mail me, starting in October, for the detailed instructions on how to build a 40 Db/decade, active, unity gain, hex high-pass filter. I would build the damn thing myself but I think that just soldering two of those damn 13-pin connectors is worth $100.

[RMC] Hi Nix,
Most techs are capable of changing a few caps in the V. There are 12 X 10 microfarad capacitors in the analog input section (upper right-hand corner of the main p.c.b.) which should be changed to 0.47 microfarad. This results in 40db/decade high-passing at about 25Hz without any ringing whatsoever.
Best regards, RMC

[Nick Melnick] To NIX:
Remember that placing an active filter before the VG-8 front end will degrade the S/N ratio - especially if op-amps are used. In addition, the filter topology should be Bessel so as not to disturb the transient response. RMC's solution is the best case since the end result is to alter the turnover frequency of two cascaded r/c sections, and does not degrade the s/n ratio.

To RMC:
I ran a SPICE simulation of the VG-8 front end and got the following results [Note: SPICE performs a mathematical model/simulation of analog electronic circuitry to determine a circuit's expected performance. This is very similar to what the VG-8 does for guitars, amps, etc.]:

Capacitance (uF)    Frequency (Hz)
50   25   5
Amplitude (dB)
0.47   -2.2   -6.4   -28.5
0.68   -1.1   -3.7   -22.5

It may seem like quibbling (1.1dB difference @ 50 HZ), but I'd prefer a little more energy at that frequency and would be inclined to use a value of 0.68 uF. [Note: -3 dB represents a 50% reduction in signal amplitude at a given frequency.]


Acoustic Structures

The [Parker] Fly typically behaves as a semi-acoustic guitar. Body (not counting the electronics) to neck weight borders on 2:1. The pickups, electronics and tremolo provide most of the inertial mass of the body. The body has low mass/stiffness ratio, which will reduce the sustain in the bass frequencies (I mean around 50Hz) and create a resonance at 80-100Hz, which is close to what an acoustic does. The good sustain in the mids & highs comes from the combined mass of the neck and body and low-friction neck joint, the light headstock and the hard glued-on frets.

All physical objects have both a certain mass and a certain stiffness. Everything therefore can be made to resonate at one or more frequencies. Sustain (referred to as the "Q" or quality factor) in a resonant structure comes from low internal friction.

The string has very low internal friction. Wood has about 10-50 times more internal friction (it will dissipate vibratory energy into heat correspondingly faster) and a typical non-glued hardwood interface (2 surfaces joined without a hard adhesive) produces about 3-10 times more internal friction than a single piece of the same material(s) because the interface surfaces deform significantly compared to a glued joint or a through the body neck.

Added mass at the neckplate position would simply shift the center of vibration of the instrument and change the resonant frequency of the neck but wouldn't do much for sustain in the mid frequencies (500Hz-2KHz and that's where bolt-ons are usually deficient. Below 500Hz, the neck stiffness is dominant, above 5KHz, the nut, frets and bridge hardware are dominant. In a well-sustaining guitar, the body is usually more than 4 times the weight of the neck.

Companies such as Alembic, Gibson, Brian Moore, Paul Reed Smith and many more know that high body density and low friction at the neck/body interface are a sure fire combination for optimizing sustain and reducing the possibility of bad notes on a neck.



MIDI Banjo

Last fall, Tom Nechville made a banjo with MIDI / VG-8 access for Bela Fleck and it has RMC Acoustic Gold transducer saddles in it. It works fine and Bela is currently using it live and in the studio.




Elantric

#2
Q&A on RMC Strat Installation

[Greg Miller] If I'm not mistaken, the RMC for a Strat is $300, right? Are they direct order, or does RMC use dealers? Is that a street price? Will I need to add any other hardware to complete installation?

[RMC] A set of Pow'r Bridge ST pickup saddles retails for $300. A Poly-Drive I retails for $350. and comes complete with pots, switches & jacks.

[GM] Are there tonal differences between the two systems?

[RMC] The Poly-Drive I has circuitry for blending the piezos with the magnetics and for this reason, the magnetic buffer has a flat response and the piezo sound is rolled off very gently in the high-frequencies to normalize it and blend in smoothly with the Mags while still sounding very live and acoustic. I'm sure you'll love the sound.

[GM] Are all the capabilities still there (S1, S2, mixing)?

[RMC] Yes. There's S1, S2 and synth volume as well as guitar Volume and Tone.

[GM] Is a special pot required, and if so, is it included?

[RMC] All pots & switches are included and are normal size or smaller.

[GM] Besides routing for the 13-pin jack, are there mods required?

[RMC] The pickup saddles have cables so the bridgeplate has to be drilled and the body must have a small hole to pass the cables between the bridge area and the controls cavity. The controls cavity may have to be enlarged (although not necessarily) if you opt for having an onboard battery for non-MIDI/non-VG-8 operation.

[GM] It appears the saddles of the RMC will replace the stock saddles - what are they made of, and do they still sound good when using pickups?

[RMC] The MC saddles do replace the stock saddles. The string support of the RMC sensor is made of a bronze alloy and this ensures good sustain. They have the best sound compatibility with the magnetic pickups of any piezo system. Superior sound is the entire basis for the existence of RMC products.



US-20 Conflicts and Modification


The stock US-20 works just fine with the RMC Poly-Drive IV found in the Godin MultiAcs and also with our Poly-Drive II which is the same circuit in a D.I. box format. The synth volume problem occurs only with the Poly-Drive I which doesn't have a buffer after the synth volume pot. We do offer a retro-fit buffer module for those who need it, but in your case it seemed more appropriate and economical to have you change a resistor in the US-20, thus normalizing its input configuration to the Roland standard and allowing the Poly-Drive I to function as well as it does directly in all other Roland devices.

US-20 Modification

The US-20 is the only Roland unit with a DIN-13 input which doesn't respect Roland's own interface standard. More specifically in the US-20, input line #8 is terminated with a 10K pulldown resistor whereas all other units since 1991 have input line #8 terminated with a 47K pullup resistor to +5VDC. In order to restore compliance to the Roland standard in the US-20, locate R13 (10K) near pin 5 of the IC and remove it. Then, add a 68K resistor between the junction of R12/R13 and pin 8 of the IC (+7VDC). That's it. The synth volume performance will now be similar to that of any other Roland unit.

1/4W - 5% resistors are ideal for this application and you can get them at just about any electronics store.

VG-8 Driver Pickup Configuration

In the course of determining which driver type (piezo or GK) setting to use with various pickup systems, I must come forward and tell the group that the LR Baggs electronics were designed to emulate the sound of a GK-2 in order to optimize the synth tracking. This has helped them track acceptably with the previous versions of Axon units. I understand their desire to embrace the largest guitar synth market opportunitites.

However with such filtered onboard electronics, the VG-8 performance suffers because in the "piezo" setting, the Roland unit is expecting a wide open bandwidth like the RMC Poly-Drive provides. This is to be expected : they designed the piezo EQ setting in view of the success of the Godin MultiAc which has an RMC. It may be desirable to see Roland provide another setting for filtered piezos, maybe even a user adjustable EQ in the driver setting, but I won't hold my breath on those options, given the market statistics.

Through continuing collaboration and hard work on both parties, our companies are ensuring RMC/Axon compatibility, RMC/GR-30 compatibility being a well known fact. Recently, we received the latest version (2.02) of the software for the Axon AX-100 converter, and the tracking with RMC is positively excellent. This entails that it won't be necessary to filter the piezos for guitar synth compatibility.

For your reference, there is a piezo selection in the driver menu of the VG-8. In the piezo mode, the VG-8 adapts its internal EQ curve to the rather flat response of the piezos. I personally think some tweaking would be in order after a significant change in the driver type or position. Especially so in the driver menu.

I think that setting the VG-8 sensitivity levels to 20-25 on each string is a good starting value for any guitar with an RMC system. It's extremely important to make sure the piezo driver is selected in the driver menu. So many times people have made this mistake and didn't know about it, then complained that the sounds were rather bassy. For best results, check the displayed bargraph levels and don't hit the ceiling on the strongest picking, to make sure there will be no front end clipping before the A/D conversion. And eveything should be smooth.


GK-2 and RMC Pickup Comparison and Output Characteristics

The GK-2 produces a signal having a great deal of high frequencies and very little bass. That is to be expected from a magnetic pickup so near the bridge there isn't much fundamental frequency left in the sound, so there's got to be a bassy EQ curve to compensate & put things back to normal. Evidence of this can be heard when driving the VG-8 with piezo pickups while the VG-8 is in the GK-2 driver mode: the sounds are dark and puffy.

In my opinion, the piezos shine at acoustic instrument emulation, synth tones and new sounds while the GK-2 is good with vintage electric guitar tones. However if you add reverb and chorus, the differences between the two drivers become much less apparent. Piezos have a smoother sustain than magnetic pickups for overdrive sounds. The GK device is hum sensitive and this may be objectionable in certain performance environments, especially when using overdrive & similar high-gain patches.

Up to now, guitarists have debated whether to use one or the other. But there may come a time when players will try uing both simultaneously and blend them like we blend the acoustic guitar tones with the electric ones to produce just the right feel, and tweak that blend from song to song. Of course, this also means that we will need to be able to adjust the piezo to GK ratio in the driver menu, to maintain the proper overall tonal balance of the unit.

Such an application would use what I'll call a "Poly-Blender". If it became popular enough, it could be miniaturized to fit inside the instrument. I rigged up something similar (a relatively large rack-mounted black box) a few years ago when I was perfoming analysis of various pitch-to-MIDI converters. Top

Multiple Guitars/Single Processor

RMC transducers in a set are factory-matched to ±1/4dB and our preamps have similar tolerances for string-to-string response. If you purchase two sets of saddles and request that all transducers be matched, we can do that for you at no additional charge. Given that there is no proximity effect with out piezo saddles, the performance of two guitars with identical transducers and identical string sets will be substantially the same.


VG-8 and Nylon Strings

I've experimented with many sounds in the VG-8 using my classical guitar as a driver. The pitch shifter, chorus, reverb work just the same as they do with a GK-2 driver, the overdrive/crunch/fuzz sounds are still very interesting, harmonic restructuring also works fine. One of my favorite sounds is called SNOWBIRD if my memory serves. It's a Pat Metheny synth-type sound. Works with nylon too. I'd like to hear from other people using a VG-8 driven by a nylon-string guitar.


VG-8 Pricing

For your reference, distributor prices are about 33% of list. Dealer pricing is somewhere between 50% and 60% of list prices. Certain additional volume discounts may apply. Most large companies are very happy with a 15% gross yearly profit.

Roland has an entire distinct facility (and it's large) for their Music Industry related engineering activities. A company that size needs to have a 5-year plan for R&D. My relatively blind guess is that it took about 25-50 man years to develop the VG-8. A man-year is about $50K. So I'd say about $2M to develop the VG-8.

The ROI on a breakthrough electronic product of this type in the present market produces break-even in 2-3 years. When this level has been achieved, it's good practice to bring prices down to broaden the market and/or maintain market share. I think they've reached that point about a year ago when the prices for the unit were adjusted.



Low E-string Balance Problem with GK-2a


It may be that the guitar's string spacing is different from the hex pickup spacing, in a manner that would bring the direction of maximum sensitivity of the low "E" string off vertical. That can change the tone. Other than that, the VG-8 has the same EQ on all strings. The front end is not different for each string as in the GR-30 and for the VG-8 designers, there's no reason to process the 6th string differently. I experienced the VG-8 on a Tele with both a GK-2 and RMC pickups. This tone problem never caught my ear with an RMC. It's possible to make the GK-2 misbehave by placing it a bit offset with the strings, especially with fingerstyle playing. Top

New RMC Products Based on User Inputs

In response to suggestions and comments gathered from 3 e-groups, I'm presently prototyping a Filter/Splitter box with three specially optimized DIN-13 outputs:

Output #1) Audio Recording

Output #2) VG-8

Output #3) Pitch-to-MIDI

The half-rack unit will complement our "Fanout Box", which is a polyphonic patch bay. Your comments and suggestions are always welcome. [As you can see, he listens, too.]




Elantric

#3
RMC Pickups and Tremolos

First, let me reassure you that players out there with an RMC pickup on a tremolo typically don't have the problem you mentioned. [Using or even just touching the tremolo makes awful sounds on the VG-8 and triggers false notes with the AXON] Otherwise I'd get nasty phone calls from Brian Moore guitars and Fender Custom shop real often.

The AX-100 you mentioned may have its triggering treshold set at (or near) zero and the sensitivity settings may be a bit high. In addition, the Note OFF Treshold should be set rather high (typically above 20) to minimize spurious note generation.

The friction noise of a properly functioning tremolo is at least 40-50dB below the string signal level. This shouldn't be a problem for tracking. Smooth tremolo actuation causes temporary DC offset signals in the pickup, but the RMC polyphonic preamp cuts-off these unwanted DC components so they won't affect tracking.

But if the mechanical fulcrum contact between the bridgeplate and the contacting parts (bridgeposts, screws, etc.) is not accurate over the entire swing range of the bridgeplate, there will be somewhat of a "ratchet" effect ("creaking" noises) and the resulting tension changes will be abrupt. In some instances the springs may also produce mechanical noises that can couple to the strings and to the pickup. These mechanical noises and abrupt string tension changes may cause havoc in the pitch detection and will be readily audible with a stethoscope or by applying your ear to the body of the guitar. In such instances, the faulty parts should be lubricated, repaired or replaced.



Crosstalk and Bleedthrough: RMC Piezo vs. GK-2A Magnetic

GK PICKUP - ELECTRICAL

The GK pickup is sensitive to the vertical vibrations of the string above it and also to the mostly-horizontal vibrations of the adjacent strings (about 40dB softer than the string above it) partly because they are at about 10 times the distance from the pickup and they also carry the magnetism of nearby mono pickups while being parallel to the monitored string which naturally tends to increase the leak into the monitored string. There is also an electromagnetic influence of steel springs and screws on the extreme string pickups, especially if those parts have touched magnets prior to being mounted in place (repairmen often use magnets to keep small parts together).

GK PICKUP - MECHANICAL

Mechanical crosstalk tends to occur as a function of the accelerated mass of the pickup being displaced with respect to the portion of the bridge supporting the strings.This occurs to different degrees with double stick and screw/spring mounting.

RMC - ELECTRICAL

Separate fully shielded transducers and separate shielded cables reduce electrical crosstalk to unmeasurable levels. The impedance of Poly-Drive string buffers is about 10 ohms, producing extremely low crosstalk levels in the DIN-13 cable (well below -90dB up to 1KHz).

RMC - MECHANICAL

The RMC tends to leak as a function of the combined string mass and string support mass being accelerated by a motion of the bridge caused by the vibration of another string on another string support. That's why I was asking about immobilizing the bridge. The more massive and solily attached the bridge assembly, the lower the crosstalk level. This would tend to rule out acoustic instruments with piezos as good MIDI controllers. The fact is that they perform quite well because the mass of the top is much greater than the combined masses of a string support and the adjacent portion of an elastic string.

However, depending on the type of instrument and hardware used, there are other factors that can substantially increase mechanical crosstalk such as:

    The portion of string between the bridge and the tailpiece. The string has stiffness and there will be pivotal movments of the string over the string support, especially with strings of large diameter. This is often a real offender and I suggest damping this portion of the string on instruments with Tune-O-Matic bridges in order to reduce ringing and crosstalk.
    Tailpiece wobble in archtops and the like. Same problem and really obnoxious in the low and mid frequencies, especially with wooden tailpieces held by a wire loop around an endpin. Block the tailpiece and damp the strings.
    Poor coupling between the saddle and the bridge. This would tend to show up as crosstalk at specific frequencies. The coupling can be substantially improved by putting a small dab of super glue or Loctite between the mating surfaces, using the point of a pin as an applicator.
    An associated resonating member such as an intonation screw, a spring or a combination of such parts. These would also tend to show up as one or more peaks in the spectrum so their influence on tracking may be insignificant although they will show up on a "scope" output waveform.
    A resonant truss rod (not necessarily loose or rattling, but with a significant undampened free length). This is also a resonator and in extreme cases can cause a wolf tone. Tap on the neck to hear this one.
    A poorly glued nut. The crosstalk level will change on the open strings when you touch the nut with a hard and heavy object.

It's also very important to realize that the mechanical crosstalk level is typically five times higher in the mono sum signal than in any given string signal. That's a 16dB difference in favor of good tracking.


13-pin DIN Connectors and Cables


The DIN-13 is not a military or medical connector by any means. For Roland at the time, the new and simpler format was a cost-cutting measure and a size-reduction of the previous 24-pin nightmare. This connector is based on the circular DIN series which is very appropriate for home entertainment and laboratory use (where people read manuals, take their time, have sufficient lighting and gently wipe things a lot . . .) but leaves to be desired in sturdiness when a team of Godzillas are running wild in front of a wall of Marshalls and mild explosives. Fortunately, heavy metal activists usually aren't great MIDI guitar affictionados and most of us can survive with the current connector.

Unfortunately however, I recently found out that there's a new (and cheaper) DIN-13 cable plug on the market and Pacific Rim cable manufacturers are using it a lot. It has stamped pins whereas the previous one had machined round pins which were much stiffer, straighter and rounder, and didn't grab the insides of the DIN jack.

You see, the stamped pin is actually a piece of sheet metal that's been folded into a tube by a huge automated tool. That's fine unless the forming of the end of the pin is incomplete (an overlooked tool & die problem) and there are three or four little prongs ready to bite into anything that doesn't align perfectly with the pin or has a surface which is softer than the pin material. This condition is visible with a little magnification (or younger eyes, more light, whatever . . ).

I can't do much about curing this plug problem, other than caution users to be smart and gentle when connecting these cables. Inspect the parts before you mate them for the first time. Make sure the pins are straight and that the point isn't bigger than the pin (miniature filing contests may arise). Don't force the plug into the jack. If the plug won't go in all the way into the jack and/or won't lock in place, check for an obstructed receptacle (hole) in the jack. A paper clip or other piece of wire (with a rounded end, please . . ) can be used to check the state of each receptacle and gifted individuals have been known to sometimes open the obstruction. I know this is surgical in nature, and don't mess with it if this is not your idea of fun.

I don't want to upset anybody. If your gear works, then you don't have to worry about it. It's simply something you're better off knowing about in a timely manner.

For strain relief, I suggest looping the cable around the strap or something equally subtle to prevent tugging on the connector when a foot is misplaced or other significant pull force is exerted on the cable during a performance. I believe there's a good opportunity here for marketing a guitar accessory. As a matter of fact, don't hesitate to post product ideas. We all benefit in the long run.

[John Ludlow]

    There are companies whose entire business is all about building custom cables [such as Monster Cable]. I've had cables made for other (computer type) purposes - sometimes fairly reasonably. Couldn't a person just contact a few of these and pick the cheap one (or sturdiest, or well made, or whatever)? Surely it could be done for less than $200!

[RMC] Of course, but you were mentioning Monster Cable, not some Pacific Rim outfit (no disrespect either way). Producing a cheapo product is out of the question.

Realistically, how much does their mid-line 20ft. guitar cord sell for ? $50-70. ? Expect the corresponding price relationship between a regular cord and a currently available DIN-13 cable of the same length. So I'd say about 3 or 4 : 1.

Music Industry products (like most appliances, furniture and tools) retail for about 5-6 times their manufacturing cost. A stocking distributor pays 25-33% of retail plus shipping and the dealer pays typically 50-60% of retail plus shipping. This places the Roland or Axon cable production cost at about $12-15. So I'd expect to pay about $25. per unit at the 1,000pcs level and about $40. per unit at the 10pcs level. MSRP = $80.


DIN Connector Cleaner

[RMC] In response to the numerous recent postings about contact noise and related problems leading to the purchase of new cables.

The best contact cleaner, de-oxidizer and protector compound that I know of is called DeoxIT by Caig Laboratories. It's available direct from Techni-Tool 800-832-4866. It's available in a 5 Oz. spray can for $14.95 plus shipping. The part number is 218AE005. There's another product by the same company called Pro-Gold. That one is rather expensive at 2 oz. for $24.95 Part number 218AE100.

The use of high-performance contact protector can delay the purchase of new cables. If you ever use one of the above, please let the group know what success you're having with it in your application. The stamped copper pins of the new Roland cables are more prone to oxidation than the nickel-plated machined pins of the old cables.

If you work at a company that purchases electronic components and/or connectors, please talk to a purchaser and ask him to help us locate the manufacturer of the DIN-13 locking cable plugs with the machined pins. It's no doubt a Pacific Rim company. It may have been a custom connector. All help deeply appreciated. Thanks in advance.


Cleaning Up Beer (Or Other) Spills On Your VG-8

[Glenn Young (gyoung@mrflood.com) wrote] Do any of you panic when you put the V on the floor in a bar room! Some guy spilled beer and got some on the V at a gig this weekend. This thing is too valuable for me to risk this every weekend.

[RMC] Hi Glenn, It could be worse, it could have been in your vintage Benedetto archtop. Makes you want to use f-hole plugs on your 335, don't it ?

Beer is surprizingly acidic and behaves as an electrolyte. BTW, the same goes for phosphoric acid in Coke, Pepsi, etc. which are good windshield cleaners also. These chemicals become more active after some time of atmospheric exposure and will corrode p.c.board traces and cause bad behavior of high-impedance electrical signal lines.

The first thing you want to do is back up your data. Twice. ASAP. Then, open the chassis and evaluate the effects of the spill. Rinse the affected areas with clean water or hose/shower it thoroughly. They wash p.c.boards during the fabrication process anyway, so it's not harmful to the circuit or the chassis which is painted for the most part. This is all low-voltage circuitry and no zapping will result. The fact that running water is electrically grounded is not a problem. It has a very high electrical resistance and won't allow damaging currents to flow.

Then dry the open unit at moderate heat (hair dryer at a safe distance to avoid burning cosmetic plastic parts) (a 100W bulb 6-8 inches away is also quite good). You can pat the chassis dry, but don't try to pat the circuit dry because there are a bunch of small components that may bend or get tangled in whatever is used to wipe it. Also there's a possibility of zapping CMOS gates if you touch them, so blow the thing dry. Use a straw for hard to access areas if you have to. Air under pressure works best to dry circuits & chassis rapidly. Self-serve gas stations typically feature air and water hoses (keep nozzles at a safe distance from the unit to avoid excessive vibration of wires and/or component damage) and the amenities are either free or very affordable.

Close the unit back together only after it's absolutely dry and rather warm to the touch. Then turn it ON overnight and let it dry some more. Check function with an instrument and an amplifier. Should be just fne, maybe even better than before.

The onboard battery won't be negatively affected by the soak. It may be its chance of survival if it got contaminated. Its job is to protect your patches from oblivion, so it's a good idea to check its status visually if nothing else. And if you fear doing this yourself, bring it to an experienced tech who will perform essentially the same ceremony in the sanctity of his space or nearest garage. Maybe he'll use canned goods and charge a pretty penny for providing badly needed peace of mind.

On the gig, I recommend using at least a clear polyethylene film to cover the unit. Caution bipeds, polyethylene is slippery. In the short term, most kinds of tape over major openings will provide basic spill protection. Too bad we can't tape shut the offending device.

Murphy's law says : "If you're well prepared, it'll never happen." And that's just fine.

Hope this helps.
===================
Comment
Discussion icon Re: vg8 input mod in RMC section
Posted by: tms at 2004-07-17

At the end of this discussion, just after Nick Melnick's SPICE results, Nick states that "a -3 dB drop is a 50% loss of the gain", to paraphrase a bit. Now I'm the the one quibbling, but just to be correct, -6 dB is a 50% loss of the gain, -3 dB is a 50% loss of the power, and only about 30% loss of gain (gain is 0.707 of what it was previously). Still, Nick's SPICE simul is cool and does illustrate an important point. I'm assuming RM picked 0.47 uf because of easy availability and these will work fine. Pick Nick's .68 uf if you want to shove the rolloff corner a bit higher to get back some of that 25-50 Hz energy.

Nick-- wanna run the values at 1 uf and 10 uf to show the "before and after" on your chart with a few possible cap choices? That would be cool.

--Tom

    S. Kudos to RMC. I've got a Brian Moore C90p.13, a Godin Jazz Multiac, and a Godin Nylon ACS... all with RMCs, and they're all great



RMC Pickups Polydrive preamps and RMC piezo saddles. And Piezo bridges.

Click link here
www.midi-classics.com/u/uR14045.htm

mapperboy

Has anyone got a successful google or contact for the Pacific Rim Cable company mentioned by Richard?
Perhaps his quoted statements were from the way past? -cause I can't find a hit now.

-Jazzy Cheers to all,
-m
"No such thing as spare time.
No such thing as free time.
No such thing as down time.
All you got is life time. Go!"
- Henry Rollins

Elantric

#5
" Pacific Rim Cable " is generic speak for the "preferred Asian cable vendor dujour"  - this is always changing.
http://www.globalsources.com/gsol/I/HDMI-cable-manufacturers/b/2000000003844/3000000180801/22679.htm
Quote[John Ludlow]

    There are companies whose entire business is all about building custom cables [such as Monster Cable]. I've had cables made for other (computer type) purposes - sometimes fairly reasonably. Couldn't a person just contact a few of these and pick the cheap one (or sturdiest, or well made, or whatever)? Surely it could be done for less than $200!

[RMC] Of course, but you were mentioning Monster Cable, not some Pacific Rim outfit (no disrespect either way). Producing a cheapo product is out of the question.

Realistically, how much does their mid-line 20ft. guitar cord sell for ? $50-70. ? Expect the corresponding price relationship between a regular cord and a currently available DIN-13 cable of the same length. So I'd say about 3 or 4 : 1.

Music Industry products (like most appliances, furniture and tools) retail for about 5-6 times their manufacturing cost. A stocking distributor pays 25-33% of retail plus shipping and the dealer pays typically 50-60% of retail plus shipping. This places the Roland or Axon cable production cost at about $12-15. So I'd expect to pay about $25. per unit at the 1,000pcs level and about $40. per unit at the 10pcs level. MSRP = $80.

QuotePerhaps his quoted statements were from the way past? -cause I can't find a hit now.

Correct - As stated in the very first post in this thread:
QuoteBelow is a reprint from the 2001 era www.VG-8.com support site created by Aure Prochazka.
------------------
http://web.archive.org/web/20050426004413/http://www.vg-8.com/Members/rmc


mapperboy

Thanks Elantric, I should have sussed that one;
I guess I'll find out soon what Pacific Rim build quality I'm getting in an order I just placed with a Taiwan distributor for some 13 pin DIN female chassis mount sockets.
After the old world order changed (showing my age again) and companies like Switchcraft went offshore for many of their products (and the don't even list 13 pin DINs Male or Female anyway) getting 1st class build quality on most electro mechanical parts is now more a trial and error game.
As a kid living on Air Force bases and later as a Telephone Co employee I would often drop my jaw at the sheer beauty of an extreme designed and manufactured piece of circuit board, you know the 'military' grade and class that is designed to sustain 100 degrees celcius and up as well as 50 g's of force and keep on truckin forever.  Telephone Central Office switches being my most recent build appreciation experience.
But opps I digress here cause I know we're talking Consumer Electronics which are comparatively cheap to buy but Expected to be replaced frequently and never repaired (in most cases, sigh). 
Locally here in Vancouver Canada there is a company -MRO Electronics - which has a huge cable and connector selection but their 'Philmore' line of 13 pin inline cable male and female is Asian and typically not meant for the use 'a team of Godzillas are running wild in front of a wall of Marshalls and mild explosives'. I love that apt description and image by Mr. McClish.
-m   
"No such thing as spare time.
No such thing as free time.
No such thing as down time.
All you got is life time. Go!"
- Henry Rollins

Elantric

#7
QuoteI guess I'll find out soon what Pacific Rim build quality I'm getting in an order I just placed with a Taiwan distributor for some 13 pin DIN female chassis mount sockets.

Dont forget Gumbo's custom DIN 13 pin female jacks for instrument builders (From Australia)  - these have the important hole for the  "Locking Male Plug " on Roland 13 pin cables.

Details here:
https://www.vguitarforums.com/smf/index.php?topic=8888.0

and
https://www.vguitarforums.com/smf/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=8888.0;attach=7456


Elantric

#8
RMC Piezo COLOR CODE

For ensuring the most even string-to-string response in a multiple-saddle pickup, we pioneered in the industry and developed a pickup category system based on a calibrated mechanical-excitation process. The pickup saddles in each set are matched to within ±1/4dB of one another for output power, phase, frequency response and total harmonic distortion. The different categories (identified by color bands on the pickup leads) are indicative of small variations in manufacturing that we regulate through the matching process.

In order to obtain the best string-to-string evenness in every guitar, the installer or repairman must always use saddles of the same color code within a set.

When providing individual replacement saddles, we need to know the color code of the damaged saddles in order to provide matching replacements. This code is painted on each pickup cable about an inch away from each saddle. It consists of one or two color bands. We need to know the number of bands and their color. When purchasing replacement sets, the same color code information is useful, but not necessary.

Current color codes:
Black
Black/Black
Brown
Brown/Brown
Red
Red/Red
Orange
Orange/Orange
Yellow
Yellow/Yellow

We have produced some of the following codes in the past, but they are no longer in production and we have depleted our inventory of those :
Green
Green/Green
Blue
Purple
--
RMC Piezo Saddle Output Sensitivity Range (dB) (see color code band on wire)
6.0 - 6.49 Blue
5.5 - 5.99 Green -Green
5.0 - 5.49 Green 
4.5 - 4.99 Yellow-Yellow 
4.0 - 4.49 Yellow 
3.5 - 3.99 Orange-Orange 
3.0 - 3.49 Orange 
2.5 - 2.99 Red-Red 
2.0 - 2.49 Red 
1.0 - 1.99 Brown 
0.0 - 0.99 Black
-0.0 - 0.99 Black-Black
-1.0 - 1.99 Black-Brown
-2.0 - 2.99 Black-Red
-3.0 - 3.99 Black-Orange
-4.0 - 4.99 Black-Yellow

OLDER INSTRUMENTS (when applicable)
If the RMC pickup system in your instrument is more than 5 years old, the remaining saddles in the instrument may not match exactly with the new replacement saddle(s) although the color code is the same. This is because the older saddles have been exposed to more temperature & humidity changes, string changes and general wear & tear. For this reason, in older instruments, it's best to order a complete set of 6 saddles so all the saddles will be properly matched and the performance will be fully restored as in a new instrument.


--

QuoteWhat qualifies as "older" Godins?"

Older than 2012, because RMC changed the internal Polydrive-X preamp board used in LGX-SA / LGXT / xtSA mid 2011, and this adds some low frequency filtering and better response when used with Roland COSM Modeling systems.

This is documented in the Godin xtSA thread here:
https://www.vguitarforums.com/smf/index.php?topic=3912.25



In regards to the output levels specified for "GK 13"Use"

Roland published a "GK Design Specification" back in the 1990's, and as long as the third party manufacturer signed an NDA, these are provided  - Richard McClish's Article is worth reading as he shares some insight regarding this specification.

https://www.vguitarforums.com/smf/index.php?topic=8187.msg58112#msg58112

Remember When RMC and Graphtech designed their 13 pin systems, they were targeting Guitar to MIDI systems, and these companies made an assumption that if they add +3dB or +6dB more gain compared to the old 1997 era Roland GK-2A , then their piezo hex PU systems might appear to work better than Roland's pickup and have higher signal to noise ratio.

The fallacy of that design decision is Roland COSM Modelling systems, where for most presets  - the actual Guitar string is the source oscillator. Think of the original Roland VG-8, which from a system standpoint functioned very much like six Boss GT-5's run in parallel  - one per string!

Remember Roland does not make Piezo 13 pin hex pickups, but they try to accommodate third party Piezo pickup manufacturers and those instruments which employ them.

Its worth reviewing the old Piezo PU setup guides for VG-8, VG-88, VG-99, GR-55  - and you will see that for all Piezo PU's, the important "GK Sensitivity" setting in VG-99, GR-55, GP-10 must be changed from the factory default of "65" to a much lower value.

Even Roland GK-3 users report improved dynamic range of picking response when the GK Sensitivity is lowered from "65"  down to the  "20-30" range.

RMC still recommends set GK Sensitivity to "0" for all strings.


Another point worth mentioning is that VG-99, GR-55, and GP-10 allow dynamic change of the Gk Type on a patch by patch basis. and many folks employ a different GK Sensitivity setting which works better for the specific patch.
       


Elantric

FWIW - The Big problem that runs rampant with many Piezo Pickup designs is the lack of a dedicated Ground Wire to each saddle.

From my experience - every case of a failed RMC or LR Baggs Piezo Saddle can be traced to moisture buildup under the metal Piezo saddle, and a compromised Ground connection.

The manufacturers  place too much confidence in the all metal saddle <> metal bridge physical electrical Ground contact - yet have a giant "knowledge gap" of real world salty sweat from working musicians that can enter the area under the peizo saddle  - and compromise the important Ground connection - with resulting "dead piezo saddle"   

Roland 13 pin systems are not the only Piezo guitar out there - and smart Line6 Variax users have taken the initiative to implement real word "fix"  - to stop the dreaded RMC piezo failure

Here is a thread with methods to implement dedicated Ground wires for each piezo saddle that can also be implemented on Godins with RMC's  - prior to "mission critical" band gigs and tours 

Piezo failure experiences ( add dedicated Ground Wires!)

https://www.vguitarforums.com/smf/index.php?topic=12657.msg92699#msg92699


Elantric

#10
http://web.archive.org/web/20060623195402/https://www.richardhallebeek.com/interviews/mcclish.php
: As far as I'm concerned, there's only one solution to go midi with any guitar: the RMC pick up. It looks good, it feels good, it sounds good. An interview with the man behind it all and his vision on midi past and present: Richard McClish.

A shorter version of this interview was printed in the Music Maker may 2003 'guitar special' issue.

Copyright Richard Hallebeek and Music Maker 2003. Copying or use elsewhere striclty prohibited for you, your mother and your dog.

:: Can you tell me a bit about your personal history?

I'm a baby boomer who started playing guitar at age five. By the time I was twelve, I had my second electric guitar and was lead guitarist in a band playing Saturday nights in school gyms. About that time, I got into Chet Atkins very seriously and started playing fingerstyle mixed in with regular flatpick picking. Those fingerstyle pieces fostered my interest in the classical guitar and after high school, I spent two years playing professionally in bands, duos and doing solo in small venues, after which I joined the local conservatory of music in order to acquire a better playing technique and get some traditional culture. That lasted about 3 years after which I got more and more interested in music recording, studio effects and the burgeoning audio electronic industry. The advent of the operational amplifier as an integrated circuit changed the way designers addressed audio circuits. I embraced that change with great enthusiasm and built a few sound processors (compressor, parametric EQ, etc..) using schematics that I would borrow from local studios. I gradually adapted the original designs to guitar amplification and after a while, other musicians were asking me where I got the equipment, which led me to build a few units now and then. A few years later, I founded ZETA Music Systems with two partners and my life was never the same again. It was an immersion in analog electronic and electromechanical design. I studied piezo, magnetic and light pickups, did numerous patent searches and came up with the ZETA polyphonic violin pickup and some active electronics to trigger a custom pitch-to-MIDI converter manufactured for ZETA by IVL of Canada. The success of the polyphonic violin led us to bite a bigger chunk than we could chew: we tried making a 'minimum delay' MIDIguitar interface which included both a pitch-to-MIDI converter and a string/fret scanning system. We did lots of R&D; and licensed the best fret scanning patent of the decade, but we never could build a commercially successful unit. I left the company while they were still trying to get this pink elephant to fly, and started RMC in a very relaxed way, doing custom polyphonic pickups and the related analog electronics. The company has grown slowly but surely and with the aid of the Internet, the brand name has gained recognition in the midiguitar arena.

:: How did the RMC pick up develop?

Trying to amplify the classical guitar with a microphone in an amplifier is an instant nightmare for anyone who needs the kind of volume that you normally get with a hollow-body electric, not to mention solidbody instruments. Performing on large stages with an acoustic left a particularly bad taste in my mouth for a number of years. By the time I started ZETA, I had a pretty good idea of what I wanted to hear but hadn't had the time to do the research & developement yet. That time came when I left ZETA. About three years into the RMC startup, I had applied for six US patents and was working on a new piezo sound. Godin caught on to the idea early and designed the MultiAc guitar with 13-pin access around the RMC system. Brian Moore also began featuring our products with good success. We recently started manufacturing pickup systems for Godin's new version of the LGX-SA and LGXT guitars. In retrospect, mass-production was a turning point for me because it forced me to study production tool design, which in turn influences product design. It's an interesting position to be in. You don't get bored, that's for sure.

:: You donít have much competition on the market besides the GK2a pickup.

Shadow, L.R.Baggs and Graph-Tech have all made polyphonic piezo pickup systems and it's a good thing. It gives the customer a baseline for evaluating our products and those manufacturers got a taste of what that market is like. We usually get the customers who favor performance over economy. Not everyone wants to market products in that frame of mind; it's not the most lucrative way. I'm more of an artist/engineer than a businessman, so my business decisions tend to be dictated mainly by product performance. I believe the right product for the job should essentially sell itself by word-of-mouth. Thirty years ago, you'd lose your shirt with that attitude. Nowadays comunication levels are different, hence our discussion today.

:: Any favorite older pitch-to-midi system you particularly like? For instance the Synthaxe? The ZTAR?

Actually, the ZETA Mirror 6 kicked ass when you played clean, but the fret/string contacts got dirty over time and the performance degraded as this occurred. The ZTAR isn't a guitar; it's a switch-based controller in the form of a guitar. I think it's the only one of its kind that sees any consistent user acceptance over the years. Many users of our pickups on regular guitars also use a ZTAR for programming and entering MIDI data in their sequencers. The two can co-exist in harmony since they tend to be used for performing different tasks.

:: I use the VG-88-GR-33 combo and I think that works great. Any reflections on that combination?

The current trend is definitely to broaden the features of one with the other. Again here, the tasks performed are slightly different. The GR converter excels at producing sounds other than those of a guitar, while the VG-8/88 excels at simulating guitar sounds. Of course as these products evolve, there will be a tendency for the technologies to merge. The Axon shows signs of this attitude by providing pick position detection, while the VG-8/88 will respond to some MIDI commands although it doesn't respond to MIDI note commands.

:: Any new stuff coming out from the RMC company?

The Schecter C-1 E/A guitars introduced at the last winter NAMM show feature our Hybrid Pro G mono preamp. This particular model highlights the nice amplified sound of our pickups. I hope you you have a chance to try it when yuo visit one of their dealers.The new & improved Godin LGX-SA and LGXT guitars with RMC should hit the stores pretty soon. I was surprised when they recently decided to change piezo pickup suppliers for these successful guitars. I thank them for making such a bold market statement.

:: Can you tell me about the anatomy of the piezo pickup and the differences in quality between the models on the market?

In my research experiments and my patent searches, I was looking for a pickup design that would faithfully reproduce the dynamics of the string. I ended up with one of the very few configurations that can deliver the correct dynamic curve while avoiding undesirable resonances in the audio range. Just about every other piezo pickup on the market works in a compression mode. That is, the piezo element is compressed vertically by the string resting on a stiff string-support. In an RMC, the piezoelectric element is a strain-sensor which is tensioned horizontally by the deflection of a flexible string-support to which it is affixed. It's in contrast with the previous generation and the sound is correspondingly different. Less compressed, warmer and more musical. I figure the modern player needs that. Pickups of this construction are more expensive to build, but I'm addressing customers who demand superior performance, so cost usually isn't the problem.

:: A comparison between different designs in midi tranducers. Roland is not piezo. RMC is piezo. What are the pros and cons of each system?

I think the major difference in performance between a GK-2 or similar divided magneticpickup and an RMC stems from three basic operational differences : 1) the RMC is listening to the end of the played portion of the string and that's where all the harmonics are in-phase with a strong fundamental. The magnetic is listening to a point along the string near the bridge where the fundamental is weak and where loud harmonics are in a random phase relationship with one another. 2) The RMC has a flat frequency response well beyond the audio range while the magnetic has a gradually rising frequency response with a heavy self-resonance in the 5-10KHz range. 3) The GK-2 has significantly more string-to-string crosstalk than the RMC. 4) The electronics of the GK-2 are very cost-effective and designed as a removeable unit. The electronics of the RMC are costlier, designed for performance and permanence in the instrument.

:: Any reflection on the integration of midi in stringed instruments in the coming 10 years?

Twenty years ago, guitar synths were used mostly on stage as a novelty. Most of the guitar synths sold nowadays are used to enter MIDI data in computers. This is a reflection of the fundamental change in the Music Industry which used to cater to professional musicians and now focuses more on semi-pro and music-hobby customers. This trend is bound to continue since midiguitar must now share the stage with a number of other MIDI instruments. Market growth will be very gradual anf performance-driven. Musical instruments are tools and tools have to work really well before you have a culture buit around using them.

:: Amsterdam guitar builder Danny Marcovich talked to you recently and he told me about a midi system that responds to the top of the guitar. What is that system?

' I'm presently working on a new version of the Poly-Drive IV which will be featured in some Ramirez guitars. This system will have a soundboard transducer and/or a microphone for capturing the tapping sounds of Flamenco players. The difficulty is maintaining the freedom from feedback of the original product while providing the added acoustic features. The MIDI performance of this preamp will be similar to that of our current Poly-Drive preamps. BTW, if one desires to go MIDI on the tapping, I suggest using individual piezo discs sold by many manufacturers and attaching them to the soundboard of the instrument, then connecting them to a drum MIDI interface through a muli-conductor cable and probably some onboard buffering. This may require some engineering. Just myt 2 cents....

:: Midi is very analytical and a wooden string instrument is very organic. I would like to hear your philosophy about bringing those two together.

' The complete string information is present in the pickup sound. MIDI is a communications protocol, a language like English. The musical limitations in MIDI are mostly from hardware and software design. It's all about what the pitch-to-MIDI converter is responding to and what the remote instrument or processor does with the information received. System Exclusive commands and extended MIDI note generation (a first data set to define pitch and volume, and a second one to define timbre and other relevent musical parameters of the moment) optimize the communication process.Obviously, major companies respond to market demand which usually brings designers to the lowest common denominator, the net result being that features which aren't used by most users are not likely to be incorporated into a mass-market product. This is the gist of the problem. The situation may improve when good pitch-to-MIDI converter software is available for home computers because upgrades are feature-driven while still backwards compatible.

:: Any other topics or any views you would like to share with the readers:

Music is the ultimate language; in consideration of others, please speak it well. Consider that your life will probably be about thirty years longer than you expect, so don't be afraid to switch careers and/or lifestyles at any point. No amount of money, glory, fame or power can ever replace good health, so don't lose it in the first place. Your life achievement is a reflection of how great a person you are. It's also valid proof that you couldn't do any better. Be sincere. Have fun. Enjoy the best !




admin


mos6507

I take it by pointing to archive.org you already know the site is down?  Is there a thread that explains what's going on?  Is he shutting down?

Michael Dolan Doubleneck
Les Paul Custom

VG-99
FTP

admin


admin

"In order to clean the saddles, you can remove them from the instrument
and soak them in a 50:50 solution of hydrogen peroxide and isopropyl
alcohol (available in first aid section of most drugstores/pharmacies)
for about 10 minutes with mild agitation, then pat dry and let them dry
overnight before re-installing them in the instrument.
It may also be good to gently blow some air in the saddles to remove
any debris or other internal contamination prior to soaking the saddles.

I suggest you try those steps, as they worked wonderfully for me. My saddles were looking as worn as yours in the picture. I had to fully remove them from the instrument though, so if you need to do that you must be comfortable with the soldering process.

Please note the "gently blow some air" bit. DO NOT throw an overheated tornado into your saddle. DO NOT attempt to fully dry it in 2 minutes. I wholeheartedly recommend the 24-hour drying process.

admin

#16
I did hear back from Richard McClish, he is alive and well, and RMC Pickups remains in business.
lets just say the business relationship with Godins business model soured after infrequent payment for account receivables from Godin's new management (Robert Godin Retired, leaving it to his sons to run the company today )

https://www.rmcpickup.com/   

RMC Pickups can be ordered in 2021 from Sound Island Music

https://stores.soundislandmusic.com/rmc-acoustic-system/

GuitarBuilder

#17
Quote from: admin on July 14, 2021, 01:43:58 PM
I did hear back from Richard McClish, he is alive and well, and RMC Pickups remains in business.
lets just say the business relationship with Godins business model soured after infrequent payment for past due account receivables

https://www.rmcpickup.com/   

RMC Pickups can be ordered in 2021 from Sound Island Music

https://stores.soundislandmusic.com/rmc-acoustic-system/

That is good news!
"There's no-one left alive, it must be a draw"  Peter Gabriel 1973