Digitech Freqout or Sustainiac - Thoughts?

What the sustainiac can do- no pedal can do- by far

Schecters are a good value

I much prefer the Fernandes Sustainer system - but -you're probably not going to find one
 
Years ago there was a device that screwed into the back of your headstock to vibrate it, driven by its own power amp-like floor box. Extra cabling, weight, and expense, but it provides a mechanical feedback loop that makes it work really organically. Don't remember the name of it though.
“Sustain Man”, I think - I had one briefly and it was absolute trash.
 
If you want sustain for recording, there is a cheap and super-efficient solution: place one of these small USB speakers at the back side of the guitar while you are sitting. Between your body and the guitar.

The contact of the speaker with the guitar transmits eternal feedback, even running it at very low volume. That is the principle of the Sustainiac: a driver that re-transmits the vibrations to the guitar body creating a loop.

I made that, connecting the speaker to OUT2 of the Axe-FX, and the result is incredible. I refined it by using a Parametric Eq to boost the mids at the speaker.
 
Last edited:
Similar thing: Long ago, when I was recording a band I did live sound for, we put a super squashed compressor on the guitar feed to the monitors, only, didn't record it. Worked great, sustain without sounding compressed.
 
  • Like
Reactions: ESW
Years ago there was a device that screwed into the back of your headstock to vibrate it, driven by its own power amp-like floor box. Extra cabling, weight, and expense, but it provides a mechanical feedback loop that makes it work really organically. Don't remember the name of it though.
It's also a Sustainiac model. ...earlier option.
 
If you want sustain for recording, there is a cheap and super-efficient solution: place one of these small USB speakers at the back side of the guitar while you are sitting. Between your body and the guitar.

The contact of the speaker with the guitar transmits eternal feedback, even running it at very low volume. That is the principle of the Sustainiac: a driver that re-transmits the vibrations to the guitar body creating a loop.

I made that, connecting the speaker to OUT2 of the Axe-FX, and the result is incredible. I refined it by using a Parametric Eq to boost the mids at the speaker.
Cool idea. Do you have pictures?
 
Cool idea. Do you have pictures?

I posted one picture at the Jemsite.com forum as I was trying to get rid of a dead note on a J-Custom.
It shows the graphic-EQ that I used at my soundcard to drive the bluetooth speaker

https://www.jemsite.com/threads/j-c...is-the-custom-worth-1-000.145370/post-1389362

RG8550-Blue-Tooth.jpg
 
I haven't tried the freqout, but I have a 7 string with a sustainiac on it, and it is super fun. It may be a product of me not knowing how to use it correctly (or a dead/low battery), but I have noticed that it doesn't work on all notes. Also if you're fucking around with a floyd rose, it can cause other strings to start vibrating which get picked up by the sustainiac.

All in all, I'm glad I have a guitar with it, it lets you do some pretty cool and unique stuff. Not to mention dive bombs so easy it feels like I'm cheating.
 
there is no pedal that can sustain infinitely, with the sutainiac, when it is on, the strings vibrate as if you had just hit it, however I removed it since I didn't like the sound of the humbucker. it all depends on taste!
 
Thats a great mod Piing !!! How do you wire the mini speaker to make it "listen" to your output ?

I will take the signal from the pickups through a buffer with high impedance input, to avoid draining the signal. That is what the Sustainiac does
 
@Piing buddy let us know how it turns out, I installed a few sustainiacs and its a pain, would be way easier and would give the freedom to keep a better neck pickup !

Cheers !
 
The FreqOut is cool. @FractalAudio has mine, so maybe someday. Meanwhile, check out the "Sustain Maniac" preset in the new Axe-Fx III factory banks!

While I certainly know better than to assume if Cliff has it in his possession it’s going to end up in there, sadly, this is the best news I have had in my life for the last couple weeks.
 
I've installed the latest factory presets (Axe-Fx_III_ALL_BANKS-v16p04.syx), but "Sustain Maniac" isn't coming up in a search. Anybody know what the preset number should be?
 
I've installed the latest factory presets (Axe-Fx_III_ALL_BANKS-v16p04.syx), but "Sustain Maniac" isn't coming up in a search. Anybody know what the preset number should be?
It's an user preset. Check the AxeChange website
 
@Piing buddy let us know how it turns out, I installed a few sustainiacs and its a pain, would be way easier and would give the freedom to keep a better neck pickup !

Cheers !

It doesn't work with the tiny speaker. Not even placing it over the saddles. It seems like more power mass is required to transmit the vibrations to the guitar body.

Blackadder's plan has failed, as usual.

It works well with the USB speaker, though

20210702_175526.jpg

I am trying to cannibalize this one, but it is a PITA to open
20210702_180340.jpg
 
Last edited:
Back
Top Bottom