End of the road for passive developement?

[Lee]

Have we reached the end of the road re passive pups? Surely every magnet type, number of wire turns has been pretty well tried by now.

Do you think it's possible to come up with a 'new' sounding pup?

Or will technology come into play and we start seeing chipped or programmable pups coming along?

Will we one day have just one pup and you just use a little gadget to programme any sound possible?

Anyone want to take a guess?


Lee

 

[Dime59hum]

Re: End of the road for passive developement?

http://www.q-tuner.com/index.shtml

 

[JammerMatt]

Re: End of the road for passive developement?

I know of a person who was working on an optical pickup. This was not magnetically based, and therefore no loss of energy due to the magnetic field. He got the thing to make noise, but then graduated from college and had to get a job.

Gee, I wonder what happened to it?

-Matt

 

[TheProphet]

Re: End of the road for passive developement?

Surely every magnet type, number of wire turns has been pretty well tried by now.

I doubt it, I've seen things coming out of the custom Shop that suggest otherwise ... plus there's always new things left to try IMO.

Do you think it's possible to come up with a 'new' sounding pup?

Absolutely

will technology come into play and we start seeing chipped or programmable pups coming along?

It'd be entirely possible IMO

Will we one day have just one pup and you just use a little gadget to programme any sound possible?

Anyone want to take a guess?


Lee

I think it's possible ... but I don't think that it would necessarily replicate the ways in which current passive pickups pick up the signal 100% ... similar to modelling technology ... or the whole Roland/Synth/Pickup/Amp modelling system.

 

[Gearjoneser]

Re: End of the road for passive developement?

I think you're right, Lee. We've gone from throwing an electromagnet into a plank of wood, to engineering that simple concept to the most anal degree possible. There's not much more you can do. You have to look at guitars
in the big picture. It's only a blip in time in the last half of the last century that the world went nuts about electric guitar. Now, a lot of music is changing faces, soundwise, and guitarists are finding themselves in front of a computer. So, you might be right, that a new digital pickup will revolutionize the guitar/computer setup. Line 6 and Roland are doing it, but being met with the typical response of players used to passive electromagnets.
I know I'm one of them. Personally, I enjoy watching the face of guitar morph into as many possibilities as possible. I already know how to play, so at least the only learning curve will be learning all the new technology.
The simpler they make that technology, the more we'll be attracted to it.
Already, I have a live/loud traditional setup AND a low volume, direct recording
setup, so the only place to go from there would be sound libraries on the net,
tracking with people from other countries via the net, and sending files as music, not CD's. The more free guitarists are from being dependent on
flakey musicians, elusive contracts, and lugging gear through traffic,
the more attractive this online system will be. The pickup you'r talking about is most likely in development, if not fully finished and waiting to ship.
The Variax hasn't quite got it nailed yet, but soon.....maybe.

 

[Artie]

Re: End of the road for passive developement?

Will we one day have just one pup and you just use a little gadget to programme any sound possible?

TheProphet covered it pretty good, but I'll just add this:

Right now, we live in a world of microprocessors, and transistors, and amp modelers, and even a guitar modeler: but I bet most of us prefer the sound of the ancient and archaic "tube" for our desired sound.

(Besides, I've actually got a "new" p'up design "in-the-works" as we speak.)

 

[kevlar3000]

Re: End of the road for passive developement?

The tide in many ways has turned to tubes and vintage tones. I think the same is true with pickups, many folks like the organic process of creating and playing the guitar, I can't imagine that the desire for this old school stuff will completely go away. There is always a niche that can be filled. Some folks love the new stuff which is cool, but I don't think they represent what all players desire in the market place.

 

[Fresh_Start]

Re: End of the road for passive developement?

I'll pose a question that may answer Lee's:

With all the wonders of technology, why are violins made by Stradavarius hundreds of years ago still the most desireable?

My answer is that mojo isn't digital and you can't accurately measure the sum of a bunch of organic parts. And thank God/Buddah/the spiritual essence of the universe that's true

Chip

 

[Vasshu the humanoid typhoon]

Re: End of the road for passive developement?

If it is analouge to play on....then we can always make more music, but like those classical instruments I doubt that the standart electric guitar will dissapear, I am more worried about tubeamps.

 

[kill your scene]

Re: End of the road for passive developement?

I'll pose a question that may answer Lee's:

With all the wonders of technology, why are violins made by Stradavarius hundreds of years ago still the most desireable?

My answer is that mojo isn't digital and you can't accurately measure the sum of a bunch of organic parts. And thank God/Buddah/the spiritual essence of the universe that's true

Chip

THANK YOU! You said exactly what I was thinking. Some technology doesn't need to move forward, because it does what it's supposed to and we don't seem to mind. If you don't believe me, go take a ride in your car... powered by an internal combustion engine. The internal combustion engine is a relic of the 19th century. Why is it still here? Why do we still cook stuff outside on a charcoal grill when technology has afforded us the microwave? The microwave is a much more efficient, highly advanced piece of kitchen technology. It's because some things just work THE WAY THEY ARE.

In the words of Dennis Miller:

"Can someone explain to me whey they keep coming out with new innovations for toothbrushes? The toothbrush is genius in its simplicity. Message to the toothbrush guy: Give it up!"

 

[kill your scene]

Re: End of the road for passive developement?

I already know how to play, so at least
the only learning curve will be learning all the new technology.

You're done? You've completely mastered the instrument front to back? You know every piece of music theory and every song there is to learn? You've created an enormous wealth of new music that is so compelling you no longer feel the need to create?

As guitarists, we need to take what we have and make the most of it, rather than sitting around dreaming of new $hit. Did Van Gogh ponder what advantages a newer, more scientifically advanced brush would give him? No. In fact, no matter how many variations you have on a paintbrush (material, size, etc), it's still basically a paintbrush. You can paint with computer now, but so what? Has anybody trumped Da Vinci?

 

[dalastcaffeine]

Re: End of the road for passive developement?

dude....kill your scene....take it easy man....in no way gearjoneser infered any of that...i don't know where you got that from........and since you're new to the forum....let me informed you that gearjoneser is one of the nicest, well informed people on this forum....i suggest you show a little respect......

 

[Gearjoneser]

Re: End of the road for passive developement?

Originally Posted by Gearjoneser
I already know how to play, so at least
the only learning curve will be learning all the new technology.


I realize that sentence sounds a little arrogant, and I was afraid someone might be put off by it, but like a lot of guys who spent a lot of time working on being a competent guitarist, you get to a point where you have to start learning the new technology that sits in front of you. There's so much of it to pick and choose from, that after actually saving to buy it, you then have to learn it, like you did with guitar.

I jumped into an engineering seat soon after getting a homestudio setup, straight into recording something that had to be releaseable quality. Man, did I learn quick why good engineers and producers are paid so well! Anyway, that's the point I was making.

And by the way, I like your user name. Kill Your Scene. If it's not the name of an album, it should be.

 

[JammerMatt]

Re: End of the road for passive developement?

Next new innovation: Jamming with others direct over the internet. Can you imagine? Oops, I spillled the beans on my next great invention. Oh well, I never get around to finishing these things anyway.

-Matt

 

[Gearjoneser]

Re: End of the road for passive developement?

At this point, there's ways of jamming and tracking over the internet, but it's not
gotten to the point where a digital pickup is going into a sound library, then sent to another guy's studio, where he can monitor the track back to the player, just like a
tracking room and control room. When it gets to the point where studios can be conducted like Emails, the advantages will be great.

Trust me, I'm still a tube amp diehard and passive pickup devotee, but I look at anything that makes a guitarist's life easier a blessing, because as a working guitarist,
I see how we always get the sh!t end of the stick in the schlepping world.
Imagine, not having to depend on a guy to show up....he just plugs into his computer and gets himself to rehearsal. It could be very cool.

 

[kill your scene]

Re: End of the road for passive developement?

dalastcaffeine - You completely misread me. I'm not picking a fight and your being overly defensive probably caused you to miss out on the message of my post. I haven't disrespected anyone and I haven't even started "shouting" yet, so let your guard down. Also, don't tell me how to behave.

Gearjoneser - Thanks for the compliment on my screen-name. It's actually a song by Strung-Out. A killer group, check them out if you haven't. I understand where you're coming from as far as technology goes... my only point is that the guitar itself really can't evolve any more and I don't think anyone wants it to.

Does anyone ever pick up their guitar and say "Gee, I wish this sounded like a completely different instrument"? I don't. There may be little things I want to tweak, but overall, the passive pickup is the way the guitar SHOULD sound. There's no need for major adjustments and worrying about laser operated pickups and microchips in your guitar just takes the focus away from your playing and puts in on superfluous technological advancements. It's not so much being afraid to go forward, it's just saying "Do we need to?"

 

[Gearjoneser]

Re: End of the road for passive developement?

I've gotten stoned with Strung Out. I live in Chatsworth, and they're based outta the same area. Anyway, I hear ya. Gimme a guitar and a tube amp and I'm happy.
I hate computers. However, we're going into a new century, and it's either
staying somewhat current, or being obsolete, or Punk, and not givin a damn. :smokin:

 

[HolyDirt]

Re: End of the road for passive developement?

i think that in the future, all pickups will be active, but they will sound different and mayeven sound passive. To me, it seems like a magnet to active pickup change is like analog to digital for the rest of the world

 

[That90'sGuy]

Re: End of the road for passive developement?

While I think there will always be a want for nostalgia. I think that new technology, if brought about in an easy format, could be very embraceable.

I'd love to have a guitar that can nail vintage and modern tones easily with a flick of a switch.

For instance, that Transperformance system blew my mind. I would love to be able to carry just one guitar to a gig and switch between 250 different tunings on the fly. Between that and my capo, I'd be one happy camper.

Some technology can be a blessing, I just hope it won't be too expensive.

I'll be psyched when there is a modeling amp out there that can nail all our favorite tube amps flawlessly. Hmm, how about a Fender Twin on this, a Marshall Plexi on this, and ohhhh... how about the high gain Diezel channel? When that happens, I don't forsee too many people complaining

 

[Gearjoneser]

Re: End of the road for passive developement?

Rather than redesigning pickups, I think the goal will be to redesign guitar preamps, so direct recording sounds NO different from miced amps. It's about 85% there now, but when it gets to the point where direct recording can sound 100% perfect, and a studio environement, online, is as simple as Emails, it's gonna be a big shift in the perception of the modern guitarist. There's always gonna be a desire to be a live player, but society's effort to simplify our life, will translate into the guitar world.