For those with MIDI (hex pickups)

[fatboy250]

I have researched all the options. What I am starting to realize it that whether I go with a piezo style bridge like the Ghost system or something like the Roland GK-3B (BTW is my last choice due to being so "out of place" on a bass). They all have preamps.

I have an electric 5 string bass that already has a piezo bridge that mixes with the mag signal that is completely passive and works great! This is a completely passive setup but I would consider making it active if I absolutely have to.

It currently has a bridge with a pickup in each saddle for each string similar to the Ghost system, but they all run into one final wire that is run in parallel with the magnetic pickups to the jack. I can access each lead wire from each saddle pickup. SO my QUESTION is...

Is a preamp'd signal NECESSARY to send the signal out the 13 pin connector?? Couldn't I just wire the leads from the saddles to the 13 pin female connector as needed without having to preamp the signals first??

[fokof]

No , you don't have to absolutly have a preamp.

You can get the Ghost system without the preamp. Just buy the hexaphonic kit and don't buy the acoustiphonic preamp.

You probably already have a piezo preamp in your bass , if not , your preamp has to be VERY high imp load and you should run a very short cable......

[greenboy]

If you don't understand this, ask a rep through email or on the phone or read the Graphtech FAQ. I think they even have downloadable stuff on the subject.

[fatboy250]

Hey Thanks for the replies!

No the pickups are completely passive with no preamp whatsoever.

Is it possible to get a satisfactory signal to a pitch to midi converter if I simply wire the appropriate leads from the saddles on my existing piezo bridge pickup to the correct pin assignments on the female 13 pin connector without an additional kit from Graphtech?

After all, aren't all these "kits" simply a way of getting 5 (in my case) discrete signals to the pitch to midi converter? If they are clean signals shouldn't that be sufficient?

Also for those who have had success with live pitch to MIDI performance, did you have to change strings to lighter gauge (piccalo) or tune differently to get it to work well in a live environment?

Thanks,
Jason

[fokof]

You'd have to get your hands on Roland's tech sheets ....
I'm no electronician, (studied Jazz , sorry ) but Piezo being "uber" high impedance they absolutly need a "buffer" of some sort to be carried through a wire longer than 6 inches...... that's where the haxaphonic kit would come in.

I completed a GK project bass , check there ;
http://www.unofficialwarmoth.com/index.php?topic=6342.0

Pitch to MIDI for bass guitar doesn't work.
I tried Axon , Roland , the latency is un-playable.
It's OK if you do "spaced out" chords and Pads but doin' a tight groove with a drummer , forget it !

Try the V-Bass from Roland , almost no latency , not a lot of synth sound choice but at least , playable.

[Dirk Diggler]

If you can get discrete signals from your individual saddles then it should be fine. That is basically how you wire RMC's but you do need a way to get it into the 13pins. I've always gone the piezo/mag buffer to get things properly converted. But I can't imagine that it has many circuits to go through.

But I don't think Rolands have a special setting for piezo input, Axon does however and there is a decidedly better triggering with that setup.

Good Luck,
Dirk

[fatboy250]

Thanks for all the input. After all the researching, I believe the pitch to midi would not satisfy me completely. So, I will likely find ways of looping my bass part sith my Boss RC-2 and using a keyboard (which I have) with a good sound module. I'm currently researching the Yamaha Motif rack and the Roland Fantom XR. I'm starting to lean in the direction of the Motif but both have astounding sounds.

Thanks,
Jason