Hi people,
Can anyone please explain in english what are High-Z and Low-Z when it comes to plugging an electric guitar into your PC?
I have an MG10/2 mixer, How do I know if it is HighZ or LowZ? what about the guitar istelf and the sound card?
I am lost...
Thanks!
high-Z, Low-Z, Medium-Z..Doesn't make sens to me :(
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- KVRAF
- 4749 posts since 15 Jul, 2001 from Holmfirth, West Yorkshire, U.K
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- Rad Grandad
- 38041 posts since 6 Sep, 2003 from Downeast Maine
google impedance, most guitars are high z, passive pick-ups are 250k hz for single coil and 500k hz...active pick-ups are low z...25k hz...
The highest form of knowledge is empathy, for it requires us to suspend our egos and live in another's world. It requires profound, purpose‐larger‐than‐the‐self kind of understanding.
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- KVRist
- Topic Starter
- 70 posts since 31 Dec, 2004
I see, so my mixer http://www.yamahaproaudio.com/products/ ... tions.html "Actual Load Impedance" sais : 10 kΩ, I guess it is High-Z after all 
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- Rad Grandad
- 38041 posts since 6 Sep, 2003 from Downeast Maine
no 20k is low z...
The highest form of knowledge is empathy, for it requires us to suspend our egos and live in another's world. It requires profound, purpose‐larger‐than‐the‐self kind of understanding.
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deaf dunderkwac deaf dunderkwac https://www.kvraudio.com/forum/memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=78199
- KVRAF
- 5247 posts since 15 Aug, 2005 from RainLand featuring RAinRAinRAin
Ideally, to transfer the maximum voltage from one device to another, you would like the output impedence of one devide to be at least 10 times lower then the input impedence of the next device.
If transformers are not involved (i.e. guitar coils) the only thing that would happen if this rule is 'broken' is you wouldn't get as much voltage transferred. Whats known as 'loading the source'.
When transformers are part of the circuit, they want to be loaded with an impedence that either matches their characteristic output impedence, or something higher then that. Otherwise the frequency responce of the circuit will also suffer from the mis-match
This is why, when you plug yer single-coil pick-up straight into your mixing desk it will tend to sound dull and lifeless (like my life). Conversely if you load the pickup with a higher impedence, it sould sound bright and shiny, but this increased line impedence causes your cable capacitance to do bad things to the high frequency content of the guitar signal, (so you can't use very long cables- too much capacitance in'em)
10k is a good compromise for electronic devices with an output impedence of 1000 ohms or less, which is characteristic of all analog 'active' electronic 'thingies'
so you can plug yer minidisk, effects boxes etc into the line inputs (10k load impedence)
The mic inputs usually have an input impedence of around 1800-2000 ohms, because most microphones have an output impedence of 200 ohms or less.
When an input is called 'high-impedence' it means 100k or greater- actual results WILL vary.
A guitar input should ideally have an input impedence greater then 1000k ohms ( or 1 megohm or greater)
hope this helps...
If transformers are not involved (i.e. guitar coils) the only thing that would happen if this rule is 'broken' is you wouldn't get as much voltage transferred. Whats known as 'loading the source'.
When transformers are part of the circuit, they want to be loaded with an impedence that either matches their characteristic output impedence, or something higher then that. Otherwise the frequency responce of the circuit will also suffer from the mis-match
This is why, when you plug yer single-coil pick-up straight into your mixing desk it will tend to sound dull and lifeless (like my life). Conversely if you load the pickup with a higher impedence, it sould sound bright and shiny, but this increased line impedence causes your cable capacitance to do bad things to the high frequency content of the guitar signal, (so you can't use very long cables- too much capacitance in'em)
10k is a good compromise for electronic devices with an output impedence of 1000 ohms or less, which is characteristic of all analog 'active' electronic 'thingies'
so you can plug yer minidisk, effects boxes etc into the line inputs (10k load impedence)
The mic inputs usually have an input impedence of around 1800-2000 ohms, because most microphones have an output impedence of 200 ohms or less.
When an input is called 'high-impedence' it means 100k or greater- actual results WILL vary.
A guitar input should ideally have an input impedence greater then 1000k ohms ( or 1 megohm or greater)
hope this helps...
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- KVRist
- Topic Starter
- 70 posts since 31 Dec, 2004
LOL, yes, that is exactly how my guitar sounds!This is why, when you plug yer single-coil pick-up straight into your mixing desk it will tend to sound dull and lifeless (like my life).
Aha! No wonder my guitar sounds suck on my PC!!A guitar input should ideally have an input impedence greater then 1000k ohms ( or 1 megohm or greater)
I will be seeking a device with > 1MegaOhm for input.
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deaf dunderkwac deaf dunderkwac https://www.kvraudio.com/forum/memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=78199
- KVRAF
- 5247 posts since 15 Aug, 2005 from RainLand featuring RAinRAinRAin
This is why Hink recommends 'active' preamps in your guitar.
And its a very good recommandation, as you can then plug your guitar into everything (but the toaster)
I use a guitarport, because it was the least expensive most bang fer da buck thing I could find, and for my ears, does great emulations of 'amps' 'mics' 'effects' and stuff!
But do find something designed for guitar inputs.
And its a very good recommandation, as you can then plug your guitar into everything (but the toaster)
I use a guitarport, because it was the least expensive most bang fer da buck thing I could find, and for my ears, does great emulations of 'amps' 'mics' 'effects' and stuff!
But do find something designed for guitar inputs.
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deaf dunderkwac deaf dunderkwac https://www.kvraudio.com/forum/memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=78199
- KVRAF
- 5247 posts since 15 Aug, 2005 from RainLand featuring RAinRAinRAin
Why, dunno, but my guitar(s) sound very good thru it, so I assume that it does.
I use asio drivers, but it only had a slight latency (i hardly noticed it) before I got the asio drivers
I use asio drivers, but it only had a slight latency (i hardly noticed it) before I got the asio drivers
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- KVRAF
- 6937 posts since 4 Jun, 2004 from Utrecht, Holland
It's relative: what's high for one, is low for another... Compared to 10Ω, 10kΩ would be pretty high. But compared to 1MΩ (that seems to be a normal impedance for a guitar) it's rather low.Alouf wrote:"About 600 to 2000 ohms is medium impedance, and 10,000 ohms or more is
high impedance"
So isn't 10k ( 10 kΩ ) high-Z?
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- KVRAF
- 2565 posts since 30 Mar, 2004 from Phoenix AZ USA
You want at least 1Mohm for guitars. (the higher the better but 1 Mohm is very good)
It has to do with the way the load on the pickups effect it.
Usually you loose some brightness and bite (aka dull sound)
It has to do with the way the load on the pickups effect it.
Usually you loose some brightness and bite (aka dull sound)