routing Godin xtSA (magnetic + piezo) into AX8 & IN 2/FXL settings

Alan Benjamin

Alan Benjamin

Inspired
Greetings,

With my AX8 one day away from arrival, I've been scouring the manual and trying to determine the best way to migrate my current live setup where I primarily play a Godin xtSA (magnetic pickup/piezo pickup/MIDI) and think it would be great if I were able to route my piezo connection through the AX8 via its "IN 2 [FX RTN]" input. I think I get the basic gist of having to add the FXL block to patches where I want the piezo to come through, but I have a few questions around this type of setup:
  1. Since the piezo output is mono, does it matter which side (left or right) of the "IN 2 [FX RTN]" input I connect to?
  2. In either case, is there a way I can ensure I'm only tapping the side I'm using for this piezo input (perhaps in the FXL settings) to minimize noise from the unused input?
  3. If I do not add an FXL block to a patch, is it safe to assume that any piezo signal received on the AX8's IN 2 input will not bleed through in any manner?
Please note that I generally switch back and forth between the magnetic and piezo pickups (often rapidly) during live performance--currently with two volume pedals--however there is one use case where I briefly have both playing simultaneously.

Any guidance would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks a lot and take care,


Alan
 
I just so happen to be looking for a piezo/mag solution. Tell me more about this Godon you have. Only options I'm finding right now are PRS P22/24 (expensive), Music Man John P. (also expensive and too modern looking for me), and the Variax (good price point...not a fan of their styling).
 
Sonnyducks said:
I just so happen to be looking for a piezo/mag solution. Tell me more about this Godon you have. Only options I'm finding right now are PRS P22/24 (expensive), Music Man John P. (also expensive and too modern looking for me), and the Variax (good price point...not a fan of their styling).
Click to expand...

I'm too new to be able to share links here, but the xtSA goes for about US $1,000 or so (at least at Musician's Friend) and has H-S-H magnetic pickups, along with a piezo (and onboard preamp), along with a Roland GR-style 13-pin MIDI/synth controller output. Because of the MIDI tracking, they also designed the guitar to with an ebony fretboard, as that provides better MIDI tracking. The neck feels pretty good, although it kind of feels a bit like an acoustic guitar in some respects. The piezo sounds great and the MIDI tracks pretty well too. For the money, it's pretty hard to beat.

For more info, just Google "Godin xtSA" and you'll see a bunch of links, including the official product listing on Godin's website. I hope this helps.

All the best,


Alan
 
Piezzo on xtSA is... a piezzo. Consider Boss GP-10 and xtSA (or others GK equiped axe) or your fav guitar.
 
Alan Benjamin said:
Because of the MIDI tracking, they also designed the guitar to with an ebony fretboard, as that provides better MIDI tracking.
Click to expand...

It is not true. Hex-piezzo isn't better and for hardware like VG-99, GR-55 need addtional subsonic filter. The exception is GP-10.
 
I also use a Godin - mine is a LGX-SA, though, not a XTSA. Very similar, but my LGX-SA is a hard tail, where the XTSA's have tremolos and some I have seen have a middle single coil pickup. So I'm in a similar situation to the OP. I just recently received my AX8, but I've yet to try the seperate routing for the piezo, but I use both a lot and will be doing that very soon. Ths Godins are great guitars, and though they are not exactly cheap, by today's guitar prices, they are preatty reasonable for the amount of features they have. You can sometimes pick up used ones for reasonable prices.

@Sonnyducks - Here's a link to the Godin web site. - http://www.godinguitars.com/godinsinglecutaway.html

Keep a lookout for used ones. I think you would be pleased with one if you can find one at a good price.
 
spiderWAW said:
It is not true. Hex-piezzo isn't better and for hardware like VG-99, GR-55 need addtional subsonic filter. The exception is GP-10.
Click to expand...

That's what I was told. I get better sustain from the ebony fretboard (like on the BC Rich Mockingbird Supreme on my avatar photo. (Synth tracking performance is not my specialty by any means, though.)

Cheers,


Alan
 
@Alan Benjamin it is slightly off topic but in department of midi converters/guitar emulation ebony fretboard change nothing. Piezzo hex pickups are more problematic (need filtering) then regular GK-2/3, Yamaha G1D/Axon pickups. But.. it is a niche :)
 
spiderWAW said:
@Alan Benjamin it is slightly off topic but in department of midi converters/guitar emulation ebony fretboard change nothing. Piezzo hex pickups are more problematic (need filtering) then regular GK-2/3, Yamaha G1D/Axon pickups. But.. it is a niche :)
Click to expand...

FYI, Godin claims (or claimed in the past) that their ebony fretboards improve MIDI tracking. To be honest, I only use the MIDI for one small application--doubling the piezo (acoustic guitar) with a 12-string guitar synth patch to help approximate the sound of an acoustic 12-string as effectively as I can with the xtSA by itself. The tracking is good enough for my use in this particular case, but I haven't played any other MIDI guitar since an old Casio many years ago, so it's hard for me to make any reasonable comparison.

Sonnyducks only mentioned being interested in dual magnetic/piezo guitar anyway, so the MIDI/synth pickup may not even be in scope anyway.
 
@Sonnyducks
Anyway xtSA could be (it is...) good all arounder.

xtSA.jpg
 
Cool stuff. I've had my AX8 for a few weeks, so much fun and so much to learn. I also have a Godin LGX-SA and a Godin Montreal, both with two outputs and both great guitars - and have not tried a thing with them yet on the AX8. Will have to try some of this out and keep watch on this thread.
 
spiderWAW said:
@Sonnyducks
Anyway xtSA could be (it is...) good all arounder.

xtSA.jpg
Click to expand...

Nice instrument! With that and the Triple Play you should be able to cover a lot of sonic ground! Someone mentioned a GP-10 a few posts back and I have one of those and it is very good at doing acoustic emulations, 6 & 12 string acoustics, Nylon string, and others. I use that a lot, and now that I have the AX8 I will have to see how I can use those 2 together. I do use my GP-10 with the Godin, but also with a GK-3 hex pickup mounted on a "Normal" guitar. Works very well in either case.
 
guitarno said:
I also use a Godin - mine is a LGX-SA, though, not a XTSA. Very similar, but my LGX-SA is a hard tail, where the XTSA's have tremolos and some I have seen have a middle single coil pickup. So I'm in a similar situation to the OP. I just recently received my AX8, but I've yet to try the seperate routing for the piezo, but I use both a lot and will be doing that very soon. Ths Godins are great guitars, and though they are not exactly cheap, by today's guitar prices, they are preatty reasonable for the amount of features they have. You can sometimes pick up used ones for reasonable prices.

@Sonnyducks - Here's a link to the Godin web site. - http://www.godinguitars.com/godinsinglecutaway.html

Keep a lookout for used ones. I think you would be pleased with one if you can find one at a good price.
Click to expand...
 
Sonnyducks said:
I just so happen to be looking for a piezo/mag solution. Tell me more about this Godon you have. Only options I'm finding right now are PRS P22/24 (expensive), Music Man John P. (also expensive and too modern looking for me), and the Variax (good price point...not a fan of their styling).
Click to expand...

A Very Nice alternative to the above guitars (all of which I own) is the the LaVoce by Dean Zelinsky. Very versatile with piezo/mags and affordable (well under a grand..)

https://deanzelinsky.com/guitars/lavoce
 
↑
matt posted this today........apparently I'm onto somethng.......
Admin M@AdministratorFractal Audio SystemsModerator"
The AX8 and FX8 make an amazing duo. We actually designed some of the MIDI features of the AX8 specifically with this in mind. Mark Day played through this setup in the office for a few weeks and we all really loved it. Joe and I still call it "the killer app"

Since the AX8 and FX8 offer the same effect block types, there are three ways to set it up:

FX8 as PRE FX with AX8 as Amp/Cab + Post FX
FX8 in 4CM with AX8 as the "amp"
FX8 as POST FX with AX8 as pre-FX + Amp/Cab

I prefer the third option. 4CM introduces a small bit of extra latency and I find that the AX8 has more than enough juice to handle all of your pre FX as well as amp+cab.

If you like the FX8 as a "pedalboard" then the first option would also be great for you. You'll be able to run Amp, Cab, plus a HIGH quality stereo reverb and still find the AX8 only at about 50% CPU utilization.

Or, you could skip the CAB block, run into a power amp, and use one of your favorite 4x12 speakers."



So my query for this morning....I am currently running option 3, with the FX LOOP block wired POST in stereo both ways to FX8, and using AX8 for preFX and amp/cab. This precludes me from using the standard AX8 method of using dual-inputs for running mags and piezo separately into the grid...is there any way of getting the piezo in there? I thought of somehow Using the the FX8 instrument in, but haven't sorted how that would actually be set up.. Or perhaps to plug the Piezo into the Left FX return of FX8, and sending a mono signal to Right FX return from the FXLOOP but that seems awful convoluted....
Any ideas....? Cheers...
 
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