Guitar Synth

[ LiB ]

Guitar synthesizers are a lot more complicated than most effects and not used that much any more. I do remember a minute in the early 80s, around the time that The Police album, "Zenyatta Mondatta," came out, when they were everywhere. But they ain't too common now. Which is a pity, because the better ones have an unbelievable array of options. But this also means you can probably pick one up in a pawn shop or on eBay easily.

NOTE

Tech editor Michael Woody adds, "Not to editorialize outside my job description, but Adrian Belew still uses guitar synths extensively and put out a disk (they're not records anymore, of course) called The Guitar As Orchestra which is, to quote a Web site, 'A fascinating and original use of guitar synthesis where the role of the orchestra is replicated by solo guitarist. Even down to the opening applause!'"

There are ones that work as freestanding effects boxes, like the Electro-Harmonix model, and ones that work with a proprietary guitar or at least a proprietary pickup that must be retrofitted to your guitar. The latter sounds like more work, and it is, but it gives you a lot more options in audio capabilities. They can make your guitar sound like anything , from a violin to sounds that have never been heard before. Ever.

With a guitar synth, you can reconstruct all aspects of the sound, including the envelope . Envelope is a combination of attack, sustain, and decay. These are different for every acoustic instrument, and with a guitar synthesizer (or any synthesizer), you have complete control over all these parameters, usually with knobs labeled Attack, Sustain, and Decay.

Most older guitar synthesizers, especially the earlier models, have a little bit of latency. That is, when you pluck a note, there is a very small delay between the time you hit the string and the time the affected tone comes out the other end. This is because of the incredible amount of machine math that goes into controlling an electronic digital synthesizer with an analog input.

Garbage: "Queer." (Skip sez, "I don't know if these are guitar synths, Michael. It's hard to tell; they could just be synths.")

Ivy uses one on "Long Distance" and "One More Last Kiss." Strokes uses it a lot.

[ LiB ]