Capo?

Stratman68

Stratman68

Axe-Master
With all this talk of pitch shifting etc. Has any company come out with a "capo" type effect? I mean one that really works. No midi guitars or that stuff.

If I want to play in open E, one example might be, Sunspot baby by Bob Seger. I want to play it in the 1st position but have the pitch be D major, not E major.

Hope that makes sense. I know I can just play the song in D major but it's "not the same" feel, etc. Sunspot Baby is merely an example also.

If you guys don't know then I have to believe one does not exist. I have learned since 2009 that there is a massive amount of talent and knowledge on this forum


Thanks folks
Strat
 
A really good pitch shifter can do a quick and dirty shift for for key changes as such, but even the best will still sound like a pitch shifted guitar and not totally natural. The only way to do different tunings is to have separate pickups for each string. The different Line 6 Variax guitars and the VG-Strat had the ability to change tunings on the fly and virtual capo stuff. There's just no way to do it realistically with regular guitar pickups and electronics alone.
 
Hi, there's the Morpheus Capo pedal. I can't speak for it as I don't own it.
Here is the site link..Capo Pedal by Morpheus
My experience so far has been, NOTHING beats having the a analog guitar ACTUALLY tuned to the key you want. ( again, I have not tried the Morpheus pedal)
PROBLEM - I play and write in four capo positions. Play slide in 5 different tunings. Fingerpick in 4 tuning/capo positions.

-- MY SOLUTION --
What I do own is, one EPI 350 SCE Acoustic Tronical min-E tune and a Les Paul Tronical min-E tune, add-on guitar. Also, a Les Paul 2012 full on robot guitar(includes piezo).
They all have a 6 user writable tunings, in addition to the 12 standard tunings. They come with a Eb capo tuning. I added Db, F and D capo tunings.
I also have DADGAD tuning in Db and C. Covers my ass, if I need to change the key for singers at a jam OR I am not up to performing multiple sets / shows, back to back as a 1st tenor vocalist but can cut it as a 2nd tenor! :encouragement:
 
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I have a Morpheus Capo. It's ok, works in a pinch... but not significantly better than what you can do w/ the Axe pitch effect. It also has a 12-string effect, again not terrible, but I was able to create a better 12-string w/ the Axe too. But IIRC the Capo doesn't do drop-tuning, it only tunes up... so for your example it wouldn't work.

I'd suggest you just create a drop-tune patch in the Axe. Be sure to put the Pitch block first; it will work better if it gets a clean signal from your guitar.
 
Tronical Tune is probably the best solution for lots of tunings without bringing multiple guitars to a gig.
 
klaushouz said:
Hi, there's the Morpheus Capo pedal. I can't speak for it as I don't own it.
Here is the site link..Capo Pedal by Morpheus
My experience so far has been, NOTHING beats having the a analog guitar ACTUALLY tuned to the key you want. ( again, I have not tried the Morpheus pedal)
PROBLEM - I play and write in four capo positions. Play slide in 5 different tunings. Fingerpick in 4 tuning/capo positions.

-- MY SOLUTION --
What I do own is, one EPI 350 SCE Acoustic Tronical min-E tune and a Les Paul Tronical min-E tune, add-on guitar. Also, a Les Paul 2012 full on robot guitar(includes piezo).
They all have a 6 user writable tunings, in addition to the 12 standard tunings. They come with a Eb capo tuning. I added Db, F and D capo tunings.
I also have DADGAD tuning in Db and C. Covers my ass, if I need to change the key for singers at a jam OR I am not up to performing multiple sets / shows, back to back as a 1st tenor vocalist but can cut it as a 2nd tenor! :encouragement:
Click to expand...

How on earth do you keep up with all that information? Play off of charts?
 
The Line 6 Variax guitars have multiple digital tunings.

I believe the toaster's formant shift can do it as well too.

I found the Variax I owned to be okay but can sound exposed as fake if it is a featured part. The Variax acoustic (out of production) that I played though sounded a ton better using the alternate tunings.

Have played the toaster but not messed with the formant shifter.
 
I myself to not like it, but peavey has a auto tune guitar you strum hit a button and it tunes its self. for drop tunings you finger the strings above pitch, strum and it tunes that fingering to standard. now the strings you fingered are below standard when open.
 
Hi Guys
Kind of what I figured but had to ask the forum

Thanks so much for all the informative and quick responses.
This forum and it's member are great

Stratman
 
NeoSound said:
How on earth do you keep up with all that information? Play off of charts?
Click to expand...
Hi, it is easier than it sounds.
I write and play my own music a majority of the time with no more than one cover per set. It becomes like a muscle memory thing, as it is much easier to remember songs I WROTE.
In addition, I usually have 3-6 songs per tuning and 3 to 4 tunings per set ( 30 min to 45 min).So it is MUCH easier remember songs in a cluster, as opposed to a bunch of unrelated songs(different keys/different tunings back to back).
This helps me avoid thinking when I perform. The time to think is before OR after you play.Thinking while playing kills the mojo.
My motto is"--- If you think you stink -- If you play your ok --- If you burn you earn -- Don't think!"
 
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I've tried most everything and always fall back to multiple guitars or capos. The Tronical stuff might be better now, but I had all sort of issues on the version used in the Dark Fire (multiple mechanical failures - a string break from a freaked out tuner scratching my bottom eye-lid was the last straw). All the other pitch shifting solutions just never did it for me. If I was doing all sort of alternate tunings, it might be a different story.
 
javajunkie said:
I've tried most everything and always fall back to multiple guitars or capos. The Tronical stuff might be better now, but I had all sort of issues on the version used in the Dark Fire (multiple mechanical failures - a string break from a freaked out tuner scratching my bottom eye-lid was the last straw). All the other pitch shifting solutions just never did it for me. If I was doing all sort of alternate tunings, it might be a different story.
Click to expand...

OK-Thanks for the input Sean - it's appreciated!
 
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