Stick

[Michael Zacherl]

On Jun 21, 2008, at 4:22 PM, Tony Hardie-Bick wrote:

> The sound I'm going for peaks the spectrum around 500Hz to 1k5,  
> using 12dB
> resonant filters, but completely without distortion. I also selected  
> some
> capacitors to put directly across the pickups, also causing  
> resonance (this time
> fixed frequency) at around that part of the spectrum.

so you left the capacitors with the resonant filters?
Did you fine tune the filters? By ear, I asume.

> The classic Stick sound is very open, like a harpsichord (or, most
> appropriately, like a clavichord),

Admittedly I don't know the raw sound of the stick.

> is completely opposite to my
> concept of the sound, which is more like a Fender Rhodes, or, if one  
> can imagine
> a piece like Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata (so called), and think of  
> the lack of
> harmonic density but incredible harmonic character thus conveyed,  
> then, that is
> something that I am after, from the Stick.

or thinking of a six-string bass being played in the high notes?

> I have a long way to go before my playing matches the capacity for  
> music
> inherent in the instrument.

both will improve simultaneously - as will your desires ;-)

> But, yes, the filters are an essential part of the sound. So much  
> so, I built
> the latest circuit into the pickups, and threw out the crazy  
> transformer circuit
> that was really cutting the lows and highs, and confusing the  
> beautiful
> character of the instrument (NB, the classic pickup, as used by Tony  
> Levin and
> Gert, has much greater simplicity).

what pickup is that you got?
Obviously one can choose when ordering the  instrument?!


> I found this rather awesome op-amp to use in the latest circuit:
>
> http://tinyurl.com/5sdwm8

ah! Thanks for that pointer!
The temperature curves suggest it might be a good replacement for the  
TL07x in my (Oakley) Multimix modules.
Better for CVs which controls pitch.
The specs look really good!

> Strange that I now spend my whole time trying to get rid of  
> distortion and
> noise, because this is what limits electrified string instruments to  
> the rock
> domain.

uhm .. errm ... well ... naah ... I would take that as a challange ;-)
Your original circuit relies on the crappy 741s ... if I only could  
swap the noise for more dynamics.
But that's part of the problem ... :-/

BTW, do you join the gang in Cambridge?

    soon, Michael.


--
hear the colours of noise: http://blauwurf.at