Will Line6 ever have a competitor to variax?

[tapper mike]

I don't want to start a Variax vs Roland VG war here. Even with all the advances claimed by newer technologies they both still have some glitches to overcome like ...warbling

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OhLSqN_g1NQ

The thing that sells the variax is maximum amount of sounds in the guitar rather then being processed thru an external device.

While overall I like the concept. IT'S TIME FOR SOME NEW GUITAR SOUNDS!!!
Like Ibby's and Kramer's and Parkers and Charvels and Godin's.

[polaris20]

I'd sure love a competitor, because the JT Variax isn't exactly reliable either. Mine started failing after less than 3 weeks.

[lfm]

I looked closely at JTV last spring - and there are too many things that try to compete with physical aspects of stringed instruments.

Then I'm thinking of different tunings and capos etc.

You get lot of interference when physical string has a different pitch than what is to sound. Artfacts and malfunctions because of this.

No matter how cool it is - it has limitations. You will not get feedback through an amp like when strings pitch is the same as sound coming from speakers - to mention one thing.

Most issues I read on Line6 forum was about trying to use thinner guage strings like 009, using virtual capo or alternate tuning. Seems they should limit this ability instead of letting players experience warble and things. It seems that players do not limit themselves - if allowed to downtune too much, people do it - and technology get a bad reputation.

And it seems it needs a user setting for palm muting to work for different styles of playing. Some feel it works ok, and some don't.

Get more things like ethnic instruments as bouzoki, mandolin, ballalajka in there. That kind of versatility is the coolest thing with Variax.

And what I miss more - is a little box that make Variax a midi controller for guitar. All technology is there - like pitchtracking, separate sensor on each string - just add a midi port throw the notes out there.

[SLiC]

I have a Variax JT69 and hardly ever use it as it plays like a $200 guitar, its fine and everything, but I always pick up my ESP Horizon or Martin acoustic when I actually want to record something! They are fun to mess with (novelty wear's of pretty fast though!) and probably very practical for gigging guitarists doing a lot of covers/variation, for what it is worth I also have the HD500 and DT25, the only part I use much is the DT25.

Eventually (as processing power increases) we will have guitar polyphonic processing without additional hardware...

http://www.kvraudio.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=359095

Then modelling and midi stuff will be open to all; but its modelling- it will never feel or sound as good as the3 real thing, and people just like owning lots of guitars

[werp]

My variax 600 went for a new set of brains about 3 weeks after I brought it home.
No such issue (so far) with my JTV59. it isn't used often though, I have just under 20 electric guitars at this point
I have the DT50 2x12 and the HD500 also.
Like SLiC I mainly use the DT50 and the M13 modeller. The HD500 has too much menu diving and too small a screen for my liking.
The pick ups on the JTV aren't bad but the thing is bloody heavy and I use a cat5 cable when I do bother to set the 'dream rig' up...fitting the XLR connector to the cat5 cable was a PIA..can't get the proper lead here

[jacqueslacouth]

gone

[zerocrossing]

Maybe when we can hook our brains directly into some Matrix like wetware interface and control things that way, but until then... I suspect not. I played with this stuff in the 80s and it amazes me how little it's really changed.

I know we differ in opinion to the quality of the Starrlabs stuff (I think it's horrible) but I think that style of guitar like trigger is our best hope in the near future. What I'd love to see is some sort of hybrid style where a real guitar (of good quality) has a touch sensitive neck that can respond to finger position, pressure and bend position and convert that into data via USB to allow the triggering of any software or hardware synth. I'd Kool-Aid myself though a wall to get my hands on something like that.

[Lemmy Koopa]

Sorry for bumping an older topic, but I'd like to chime in this topic as a Variax user.

I own a Generation 1 600 model which is the medium-end maple fretboard strat esque guitar, and I can personally say I love it.

There are some "competitors" out there, or at least some trying.
The Roland Fender Strat is probably the most notable one.
Gibson Firebird/LP X is the more notorious.
Auto Tune guitar is probably the most potential though some features are a bit squandered from what I've heard.

The thing the Variax has against all of these though is Variax Workbench and infinite tuning possibility (both of these being free with the guitar unlike what I've heard with the Autotune).

Another upper hand the Variax has is the HD firmware update that's supposed to revolutionize their modeling to the next level. Some love it, some complain about the Strat sound. I think it sounds great, but I've never had first hand experience with it.

Back to the Workbench aspect. OP argued about having new guitar sounds. Funny thing, Workbench allows just that.

Now basically what the Variax is, is a guitar with piezo pickups being fed into a DSP running algorithms of guitar bodies, pickups, pickup positions and angles, and tone/volume pot simulation. This means the guitar is NOT midi at all, but rather a processed signal to sound like these guitars.
Line 6 basically allowed Variax owners to control these parameters via Variax Workbench.
You can swap pickups, change the position all the way from the bridge top to about the 14th fret of the neck of the guitar.

This, plus options like changing bodies, tone and volume pot controlling, as well as in or out of phase and series or parallel wiring, you've got yourself a whole new spectrum of guitars you can make.

Just to give a little perspective on this, I used to really not like Line 6 after I had an issue with one of their devices, but I honestly think the Variax is revolutionary, and the best out there.

I don't discourage people to try other modeling guitars out there. I'd like to hear people's opinions on the Autotune guitar. That is probably the most potential competitor, the only problem is that I heard to have to pay for alternate tunings and models. You bought the guitar, why pay extra for it's features?

[tapper mike]

I've looked on the web regarding the HD variax version and I cannot find a listing of new guitar sounds (models or pickups) that were not available in previous models. All I've read is that the sounds are now hd.

If there are new guitar sims that were not available on previous models (like various ibanez, jacksons, prs, parkers) Please provide a link.

New HD versions of the same sounds aren't a real seller for me.

[PsYcHo SaMuRai]

Have you checked out the Fishman Triple Play?
There's plenty of YouTube vids about it.
I'm tempted to try one myself.
It has hexaphonic pickups so, control each string and zones within each string as well as retaining your original pickups.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bs9fBAsg6kM

[Lemmy Koopa]

I've looked on the web regarding the HD variax version and I cannot find a listing of new guitar sounds (models or pickups) that were not available in previous models. All I've read is that the sounds are now hd.

If there are new guitar sims that were not available on previous models (like various ibanez, jacksons, prs, parkers) Please provide a link.

New HD versions of the same sounds aren't a real seller for me.

Well, I think the point is to update the modeling because of technology progressing, allow for better representation of what the modeled guitars are.
I think the old modeling is already pretty good, but the new modeling does sound a lot more crisp and have more high end to them, at least from a comparison video I've seen.

As for new guitars, I totally agree. I want a Jaguar, Jazzmaster, and SG. I also would love Lace Sensor pickups and EMG pickups to be modeled.

There IS a few new modeled things than the previous Variax and thats:
-Wide Range humbucker Tele
-JTV 89's pickups are modeled, so you have high gain pickups to select now
-neutral body is selectable to get the natural sound of the actual guitar's body I suppose.

Have you checked out the Fishman Triple Play?
There's plenty of YouTube vids about it.
I'm tempted to try one myself.
It has hexaphonic pickups so, control each string and zones within each string as well as retaining your original pickups.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bs9fBAsg6kM

I don't think that's a competitor for the Variax, I think it's a competitor for the Roland guitar synths and MIDI pickups.

[Uncle E]

The Antares guitar system does guitar and pickup modeling:

http://vimeo.com/52581802

You will not get feedback through an amp like when strings pitch is the same as sound coming from speakers - to mention one thing.

It'd be neat if they allowed you to mix the guitar's magnetic pickups with the Variax circuitry. In addition to possibly sounding cool, it would allow you to get feedback.

Get more things like ethnic instruments as bouzoki, mandolin, ballalajka in there. That kind of versatility is the coolest thing with Variax.

Agreed. My favorite Variax was the original Variax 700 Acoustic, that sounded excellent and had a lot of interesting sounds that aren't preset on the JTV's.

I've still got the original Roland VG-8. That's good for synth sounds and shows how much this technology can do when unleashed.

[tapper mike]

..... to mix the guitar's magnetic pickups with the Variax circuitry. In addition to possibly sounding cool, it would allow you to get feedback.

+1

[Lemmy Koopa]

The Antares guitar system does guitar and pickup modeling:

http://vimeo.com/52581802

You will not get feedback through an amp like when strings pitch is the same as sound coming from speakers - to mention one thing.

It'd be neat if they allowed you to mix the guitar's magnetic pickups with the Variax circuitry. In addition to possibly sounding cool, it would allow you to get feedback.

Get more things like ethnic instruments as bouzoki, mandolin, ballalajka in there. That kind of versatility is the coolest thing with Variax.

Agreed. My favorite Variax was the original Variax 700 Acoustic, that sounded excellent and had a lot of interesting sounds that aren't preset on the JTV's.

I've still got the original Roland VG-8. That's good for synth sounds and shows how much this technology can do when unleashed.

You CAN mix magnetics and modeling via POD or a Workbench preset.
You can also split the signal via POD.


Auto Tune guitar is pretty cool. Do you have to pay for the models or are they free?

[Uncle E]

You CAN mix magnetics and modeling via POD or a Workbench preset.
You can also split the signal via POD.

Great to know! A friend of mine recently picked up a USA JTV-69 and the magnetic pickups sound excellent on it.

Auto Tune guitar is pretty cool. Do you have to pay for the models or are they free?

It seems that they're freely accessible via the app:

http://vimeo.com/52581802