Vibesware GR-1 User manual

Guitar Resonator
GR-1
User Manual
© 2012 Vibesware www.vibesware.com
Markus Pahl [e-mail]
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
TM
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.
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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
TM
and well known Sustainers
The most popular magnetic string vibration device is the EBow
TM
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
TM
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
TM
is
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
TM
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
TM
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
TM
you get feedback with
more than one string.
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● 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
TM
)
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.
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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 !
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● 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
TM
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)
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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
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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
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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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backward string movement). The first octave for example can move in the
opposite direction to the key tone along the neck. This explains why the
feedback turns from the key note to the first octave when shifting the
Resonators phase.
The Resonators oscillating magnetic field offers a spectrum of frequencies
from which only string vibrations in phase are amplified. Finally, the
harmonics with the largest amplitude is „the winner“. This frequency falls into
feedback. At the same time, reverse phase vibrations are damped. The
amplitudes of the harmonics change from zero to maximum along the guitar
neck. However, phase and amplitude changes along the guitar neck are the
reason for the different feedback harmonics on different Resonator positions.
9

If you like to go more into details, you can see that the pickup selection has
an influence on the feedback harmonics too. Since the Resonator input
comes from the selected pickup, amplitude and phase of the magnetic
oscillation depend on the pickup position. The neck pickup for example shows
much more key tone amplitude than the bridge pickup where the amplitude of
the first octave is much lower. As a consequence, the pickup selection also
controls the feedback harmonics. You can check this out simply by pickup
switching while playing feedback.
Last but not least the frequency characteristics of the pickups itself influence
the feedback harmonics. All this together makes clear why the Guitar
Resonator sounds individual depending on both, your instrument and your
playing style.
4.5 Feedback of multiple strings
Up to three strings can be agitated at the same time. This can be used for
feedback with power chords. It is normal here, that the feedback of one string
dominates. This is similar to amplifier feedback but with the difference that the
dominating string can be forced by the Resonators head position. This can be
done by moving the Resonator from the lower to the upper strings or the
other way round. By this the dominiating string can be changed while playing.
4.6 Limits of playing, pickup selection and power setting
The Resonator has been designed for positioning in the neck area. Basic
rule: Keep away from the pickups! If you are too close, an undesired direct
feedback from the Resonator to the selected pickup occurs. The minimum
distance to the active pickup depends on the Resonator power. 40% is a
good starting point. Start playing with the bridge pickup. Normally, the overall
neck area can be used with it. With the neck pickup the usable neck area is
smaller.
10

The sensitivity not only depends on the Resonator power but also on the
pickup. In generell humbucker show less sensitive than single coils. With
some practice you play closer by the strings which enables you to reduce the
Resonator power. Then, you can also play with the neck pickup (or middle
pickup). You should absolutely work it out, because these feedbacks are
sounding very rich and amazing !
11

5 Frequently asked questions and troubleshooting
Problem possible reason / corrective or
workaround
The phase shifting does not
work and there is only one
LED color at the Resonator
head.
Resonator Box and Head are not connected
with a stereo cable
The light intensity at the
Resonator Head is poor and
the string agitation is weak
The guitar gain or Resonator gain is to low.
Another reason might be that pickup tone
control cuts the high frequencies which
downgrades the string agitation particular on
higher strings.
Pickup wheezing / impure
tone caused by magnetic
interference to the pickup(s)
The distance between the selected pickup
and the Resonator Head is too small or the
gain of the Resonator Box is too high. Single
coils are more sensitive than humbuckers.
The sensitivity also depends a little bit on the
phase setting. In most cases it is possible to
find a gain setting where the overall neck
area can be played with the bridge pickup.
With the neck pickup playing up to the 12
th
fret should be possible.
Another possible reason might be that there
is another effect placed between the guitar
and the Resonator box. In general, effect
boxes should be connected after the Guitar
Resonator.
I am used to play with
reduced guitar pickup gain
and would like to use the
Resonator also with this
setting.
As a simple solution, you could use a volume
pedal after the Resonator. If you dont want
this, there is another workaround: Try to split
the guitar signal with a splitter box. One
signal goes to the amplifier and the other
goes to a compressor/Sustainer pedal and
then to the Resonator box. By this the
Resonator gets a stronger signal. If the
sensitibity at turned up guitar volume
becomes too high, the compressor pedal can
be bypassed.
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