This is likely old news to everyone here, but I was wondering if anyone knows if Kevin Keith used a Stick with two GK divided pickups for this video?
I see a V-Bass and (I think) a VG-88 on the floor.

http://www.youtube.com/ejetv#p/u/0/1g3A30L4Sxo

He's obviously getting some syth/midi sounds out of the bass side of the instrument as well as the melody side.

I'm a long time user of this type of gear in the guitar world (VG, Axon, etc. etc.) but wondered about this particular Stick setup.

Thanks for any insight,
Karma

Why don't you go to Kevin's web site and write him directly? As always the best information can be gotten from the source. And when you find out you can tell us!

Thanks for the email and the for watching the youtube vids.

In the Roland Video I am playing through a Roland V Bass unit and a Roland VG-8ex triggered by
a Stick with two GK-2a pickups and a "Stickup" standard pickup. The V Bass was triggered by the bass side and the VG-8ex was triggered by the melody side. Everything was plugged directly into a small digital mixer so what you hear is the direct sound.

Years ago I was a Synth tech/ synth programmer so when the opportunity came for the Roland Video I knew wanted to create some presets that would naturally compliment the playing style of the Stick so the decision was made to play three short excerpts with three different custom presets.

The sounds matched the compositions fairly well so the end result sounds like a lot more than what it is.

My current rig is similar except the VG-8ex has been replaced by a VG-88 and I have added a Roland GI-10 so I am able to trigger synths and samplers. Both my Sticks (and all my bass guitars) are fitted with EMG pickups because they have this clean aggressive low end growl that I absolutely love. They are just awesome and this rig sounds huuuge!

At some point I need to post some new vids to youtube but sadly I am always battling time.
I've been working on some "singer songwriter" stuff so maybe in a couple of weeks I can shoot some new videos.

Thanks for asking.

Kevin Keith

Kevin,

Thanks very much for taking the time to share this detail. Your use of the VG technology is some of the best I've ever seen.

Expounding on this, the VG technology seems like a perfect match for the Stick with it's extended range. I currently use a VG-99, VG-8ex, and an Axon USB50 for triggering midi from guitar. Really like the organic quality of playing the VG devices (since there's no actual triggering going on). Great device for pads, etc. Mostly use the Axon to drive a GR300 sample I have in an old Roland XV2020 for Pat Metheny like tones.

Anyway, I greatly appreciate your insight. Hope to see some new video from you soon.

Thanks
Karma

Hello all!
I got some emails today with some great questions so I wanted to share them with everyone here. Here goes:

Hello Kevin !
I have heard troubling reports about delayed response from MIDI devices controlled by bass guitar. The (Roland) VB-99 I’m told, does not have this problem. How do you deal with latency, especially from low frequency controllers, and should I only consider using MIDI controllers in the guitar range ?


Thanks for the email.
Latency issues have never really been solved with devices that allow a stringed instrument to trigger midi.

The great thing about the entire Roland "V" line is that these devices don't convert the signal, they instead process the signal so tracking error never really happens. In addition, the GK pickup isolates the signal of each string so each string is processed independently of the others.
The end result is a smoother and cleaner effect with much more expressive control.

In my current rig I actually use a Roland GI-10 to trigger samples but my rule is to only trigger sounds with slow attacks like strings, etheral sounds, etc. These type of sounds fade in anyway so the latency isn't really noticed and the end result still sounds and feels cool.
If I try to trigger a bell or a kalimba type of sound it would be a flammed mess on the attack so if you want to trigger midi you really need to select your sounds appropriately.

Thanks for the great question.

Kevin Keith

Hi Kevin, Thanks for taking that time to answer these MIDI questions. Since you use this
equipment a lot and for a long time I was wondering if you have ever experienced a failure
of a single string pickup on a GK? I actually have this on two different strings; one is completely out and the other will register part of a velocity layer but not the whole sound.
Do I need a new GK or can this be fixed? I have checked the settings and the string height etc,
and it was originally set up by Emmett. I was just wondering if you have ever had a similar problem. Thanks.
JRJ

^^^ That may also be a damaged GK-cable: the GK-pickup is quite simple in design and not very prone to malfunction, while the GK-cable, with 13 delicate pins and crowded cables is easy to damage.

I have had this problem.

The first two times it happened I had bad cables. Like any cable used regularly, there is a normal degree of wear to be expected but In my case it wasn't an issue of cable fatigue, I found out the hard way that my cat really likes biting GK cables. Needless to say, he's not allowed into my studio anymore!

One time I did have a pickup go bad. One string became intermittent and eventually stopped working altogether. I had planned to replace the pickup and was at Stick Enterprises one day drooling at new instruments when I mentioned the bad pickup to Emmett.

To my surprise Emmett said that he might be able to repair the pickup. The individual pickup windings are soldered to a tiny PC board inside the pickup housing and these wires are very fragile at that connection point. Emmett suspected that might be the issue, he took a look at my Stick and sure enough, he was right. He was able to repair it I haven't had any problems with it since.

I have since retrofitted my backup Stick with GK pickups and not had any problems.

Kevin

Thanks for the replies. No time right now to sort this out but I will get back when I get it fixed and say what the problem was.
Thanks again...
j