What are you using for sustain?

Ok, this is flippingly awesomely cool. Somebody has finally improved on the eBow, and mounted it to a stand with a gooseneck. A new toy for me. And the video is shot in Köln, which is a great city. I’m sold. I need one before next weekend!
 
I have one of these and it's amazing, takes a bit to get used to but gives very natural sounding sustain, even when playing on headphones. The guy in the video is using AxeFX :)

I also have an EBow and the Gamechanger Plus pedal, those are great too but the Vibesware Resonator gives the closest thing to actual amp feedback.

Great. You just HAD to post this.....And of course I just HAD to watch it.....and to think I actually thought I was going to make it through this month without buying any new gear.....thanks buddy.:D
 
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To calm your gas: it does have a little bit of tone suck buuuut one can always use output2 to feed it I guess :D
 
First thing to do I imagine is keep your finger on the fret. Has anyone tried crafting a preset with an artificially heavy sub bass freq to add energy? Use this for sustain while recording. Then in the final mix cut the lows back out.
 
Has anyone tried crafting a preset with an artificially heavy sub bass freq to add energy? Use this for sustain while recording. Then in the final mix cut the lows back out.
With distorted tones, added bass = harmonics in the bass and midrange frequencies = mud. You won't be able to pull that out in the final mix.
 
I have one of these and it's amazing, takes a bit to get used to but gives very natural sounding sustain, even when playing on headphones. The guy in the video is using AxeFX :)

I also have an EBow and the Gamechanger Plus pedal, those are great too but the Vibesware Resonator gives the closest thing to actual amp feedback.

I've one of these for several years now. Really cool device in that you can get feedback/sustain on more than one string at a time as well as you can move your guitar around to find different tones. IMO it's the closest thing to vol/amp feedback there is. I used it on the intro to Van Halen's Mean Streets to replicate the feedback Ed got on the recording. I was able to find the spot for the first but the second feedback eluded me. Wow, this was 4 years ago. Time fly's.

 
I've one of these for several years now. Really cool device in that you can get feedback/sustain on more than one string at a time as well as you can move your guitar around to find different tones. IMO it's the closest thing to vol/amp feedback there is. I used it on the intro to Van Halen's Mean Streets to replicate the feedback Ed got on the recording. I was able to find the spot for the first but the second feedback eluded me. Wow, this was 4 years ago. Time fly's.


Great job!
 
I've one of these for several years now. Really cool device in that you can get feedback/sustain on more than one string at a time as well as you can move your guitar around to find different tones. IMO it's the closest thing to vol/amp feedback there is. I used it on the intro to Van Halen's Mean Streets to replicate the feedback Ed got on the recording. I was able to find the spot for the first but the second feedback eluded me. Wow, this was 4 years ago. Time fly's.


Wow! Very nicely done there!
 
I understand the physics of how sustain works, but couldn't the Axe FX III conceivably have something that is effectively a micro-looper so it captures the note and then essentially loops it in some way to provide the sustain? It could potentially be enabled or disabled with an expression pedal - the pedal is pushed down and it keeps the note going.

For feedback effects it could also potentially mix in the same note a few octaves higher which sounds an awful lot like feedback.

Make sense?
 
I understand the physics of how sustain works, but couldn't the Axe FX III conceivably have something that is effectively a micro-looper so it captures the note and then essentially loops it in some way to provide the sustain?
There's reverb Hold and delay Hold, but they're, as you say, looping. Sustain is a different animal.
 
Whenever I need sustain, I run my XLR's outputs direct to the interface, but then I'll run a 1/4 input into a little practice amp. Crank the gain a bit on the amp and hold the note. I got this technique from an interview I saw with Slash. All his marshalls on stage are actually running into ISO cabs under the stage. In order for him to get sustain, they have one "dummy" amp on stage, that is not mic'ed, and it's specifically used to give him feedback when he needs it. Works well!
 
I have a Vibesware. I tried it for a few minutes, then put it in my closet for a year. It broke within a week once I took it out and actually used it. Total garbage. I'll never deal with this "company" (really just one guy) again. He was no help whatsoever. This product is CRAP.

I have a couple of Sustainiacs. They work well, but actually kill your sustain when they are not on. The driver produces a very strong magnetic field that acts as a brake on the strings. It will grab a metal slide and not want to let go.

I like the Fernandez Sustainer best. It doesn't dampen the strings nearly as much as the Sustainiac when off, and still delivers good sustain.

The Ebow is great for string to string arpeggios. It can make you sound like a sweep pick master.

All that said, nothing beats volume.
 
For feedback effects it could also potentially mix in the same note a few octaves higher which sounds an awful lot like feedback.

Make sense?
Yes. I have one of my guitars fitted with the sustainiac pickup, Its a great piece of kit.. I have also recently ordered the Gamechanger Plus Sustainer - That looks very cool and has been one of my "wish list" back even for the Axe II.... No sign yet tho..
I do wonder if it would be possible to have some sort of block which is placed after the amp block or in parallel, whereby you can some how link it backwards and vary the amount of the amp's out-putted signal back to the input - and vary it with a modifier like an expression pedal.... May be it's already possible with the send and return blocks... I might have a go at this..
 
I realize this doesn’t help, but does the venue noted by the OP also require towels shoved into saxophones and trumpets?

We actually have a tower of power we use occasionally when we play out, unfortunately they can't be used at the casino with a silent stage. I love playing with the trumpet, sax, and trombone though.
 
You can create feedback loops in the Axe. Bloody hard to control, though. And potentially speaker-damaging.

I tried it once... ONCE!

Yes. I have one of my guitars fitted with the sustainiac pickup, Its a great piece of kit.. I have also recently ordered the Gamechanger Plus Sustainer - That looks very cool and has been one of my "wish list" back even for the Axe II.... No sign yet tho..
I do wonder if it would be possible to have some sort of block which is placed after the amp block or in parallel, whereby you can some how link it backwards and vary the amount of the amp's out-putted signal back to the input - and vary it with a modifier like an expression pedal.... May be it's already possible with the send and return blocks... I might have a go at this..

See above... Yes, it can be done. It's EXTREMELY hard to control.

You can easily damage your equipment and your hearing... :(
 
I understand the physics of how sustain works, but couldn't the Axe FX III conceivably have something that is effectively a micro-looper so it captures the note and then essentially loops it in some way to provide the sustain? It could potentially be enabled or disabled with an expression pedal - the pedal is pushed down and it keeps the note going.

For feedback effects it could also potentially mix in the same note a few octaves higher which sounds an awful lot like feedback.

Make sense?
Yeah this is what I would like to see, some sort of sustain block that acts like a sustainiac pickup.
 
How about the Digitech Freqout? Some very cool tones in there...

I have one and I like it a lot. But while it does a pretty great job of sounding like feedback, it doesn't really add any sustain. And I have to be careful using it because it's prone to weird glitches on the release.
 
How about the Digitech Freqout? Some very cool tones in there...

Agreed, just bought a second one

I run it on a loop, with a dedicated delay box after it in the signal chain, and use a pedal to bring up the level to the effect send. This lets me have that feedback sound delay out longer which adds some extra coolness. Think I’ll try a comp block in front of it too.
 
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