Maniac Music Introduces Model C Electro-Acoustic Sustainer
January 1, 2004
The Sustainiac Model C replaces and improves upon the Sustainiac Model B, which has been used for over 15 years to generate effortless, natural feedback sustain for electric guitar players.
The Sustainiac Model C sustainer is an electro-acoustic type sustainer. This is different from an electro-magnetic type sustainer that you install into an electric guitar. The Model C does not have to be installed into a guitar. The Model C produces infinite sustain of an instrument's string vibrations by making intense acoustic feedback. It is like getting feedback from the loudspeakers of a very large, loud amp.
The Model C has two main parts and one optional part: The transducer simply clamps to your guitar headstock, then transforms your amplified, processed pickup signal coming from the Sustainiamp into acoustic vibrations. These vibrations are sent to the strings through the instrument neck. No more gluing on of a magnet plate like the Model B. The Sustainiamp floorbox controller/amplifier amplifies and processes your instrument pickup signal, and powers the transducer. The optional signal splitter connects to the guitar strap, and routes the guitar and transducer cords to the Sustainiamp floorbox through one cord. This eliminates the cord that otherwise would have to hang down from the guitar headstock, as on the Model B.
Most sustained notes will morph into harmonics within a short time after the note is played. Some notes will remain as fundamental vibration. (It depends on the note and the fret. You can read more about this on the company's website.) Then, you can force the note to morph into a different harmonic vibration mode by stepping on the HARMONICS footswitch. Some chords will sustain two or three notes, but most chords morph into a single note after several seconds.
You definitely feel the vibrations. (The vibrations will not harm the instrument.) This sensation is like playing at extreme, deafening volume levels. Yet, the instrument amplifier volume can be turned all the way down to zero. The intensity and responsiveness are fully adjustable.
Controls include:
- ON/OFF footswitch: Turns the Model C ON and OFF.
- CHANGE HARMONICS footswitch: Harmonic mode of string vibration is changed using the CHANGE HARMONICS footswitch. A high brightness two-color LED lamp gives you visual feedback to see which mode you are in.
- HARMONICS OPERATION slide switch: Selects between MANUAL and AUTOMATIC operation. (CHANGE HARMONICS FOOTSWITCH will force change of harmonic mode when slide switch is in either position: MANUAL or AUTOMATIC.)
- HARMONIC MODES: There are two HARMONIC MODES: RED HARMONIC MODE, and GREEN HARMONIC MODE. The two-color LED gives you visual feedback to see which mode you are in. Both RED and GREEN modes are similar: Some notes will fade into harmonics and some will vibrate as fundamentals. When you change modes, fundamental notes will always fade into a harmonic. Harmonic notes will fade either into a different harmonic or into a fundamental. Often, you will get several harmonics to occur in sequence from the same note by simply changing mode over and over.
- UPPER STRING HARMONICS: Actually an equalizer. As the control is rotated toward "0", treble frequencies are rolled off, and more fundamental notes will sustain. Rotating toward "10" means low frequencies are rolled off, and notes will "morph" more easily into harmonics.
- GAIN: Adjusts sustainer gain. More gai.n means easier sustain, but harder to control guitar.
- STRING DRIVE: Adjusts signal level going to sustainer power amplifier. Stronger sustained string vibration means more gain and faster sustain, but also harder to control guitar.
- EFFECTS LOOP: You can put a foot-pedal volume control or wah-wah pedal in here to enhance performance. A wah-wah will cause phase shifting of the sustainer signal, forcing subtle harmonic changes of string vibration. But you won't hear the wah-wah effect, because the effect is in the sustainer signal path, not your guitar amp signal path.
When the HARMONICS OPERATION slide switch is set to MANUAL, pressing the CHANGE HARMONICS footswitch will change modes back and forth from RED to GREEN modes.
When the HARMONICS OPERATION slide switch is set to AUTOMATIC, you can simply release fret pressure for an instant and the mode will change. Or, gently touch a vibrating string, or quickly turn the guitar volume down-then-up, and a note will automatically change harmonic modes. This is a new feature. You can still use the MANUAL HARMONICS footswitch while in AUTOMATIC mode of operation.
The optional Cord Routing System
adds $70 to the cost of the system, or costs $99 if you buy it separately. Since the Sustainiac transducer must attach to the headstock of your guitar, Maniac Music developed this system in order to keep the transducer cord out of the way.
With this system, the Signal Splitter box attaches to your strap near the body button. An 18 inch guitar cord comes from the splitter and plugs into your guitar output jack. A small 1/8 in. diameter wire goes up over the strap (held in place by stick-on clamps onto a smooth finish leather strap) to the headstock-mounted transducer. Optionally, you can cut loops into a leather or nylon strap, and thread the transducer cord through them. A 2-pair snake cable [0.3 in. (8mm) diameter] goes from the splitter down to the Sustainiamp controller/amplifier. This cord is 10 ft. in length (15 ft. available for $10 extra.) The guitar pickup signal goes down the snake to the Sustainiamp floorbox, and from there over to your guitar amplifier or effects chain.
Your guitar pickup signal is tapped off inside the Sustainiamp floorbox and is then amplified and processed by the Sustainiamp controller/amplifier. (Your raw guitar signal goes on unchanged without passing through any electronic device to your amp or effects chain.) The amplified/processed pickup signal coming from the Sustainiamp output goes back up the snake through the cord router into the transducer. The transducer then produces intense acoustic vibrations that are in synchronization with the string vibrations. Vibration energy is added to the strings during each vibration. This is what sustains the vibrations.
The Sustainiac Model C sustainer is $279 (MSRP) for standard cord routing, $349 with Cord Routing System
For more information, visit their web site at www.sustainiac.com. |
