Infrared pickups

Dick Shive · From: Wood River, Illinois, USA

infrared Pickups; What is the latest on these units, I've read a little about them but don't understand how they work. Could someone shed some light on these, what is the advantage and disabvantages? I am not very well versed on electronics.

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Dick The Steeler

[This message was edited by Dick Shive on 09 February 2004 at 04:29 PM.]

Dave Boothroyd · From: Staffordshire Moorlands

I've only ever seen them fitted to Bass guuitars so far.
The huge advantage is that they do not pick up hum from the mains, computers etc.
Cheers
Dave

Joey Ace · From: Hamilton, Ontario, Canada

Read the ABSTRACT here for a good description of this emerging technology.

I don't expect it will get too far because of cost and complexity, but I said the same about the Internet.

John Fabian · From: Mesquite, Texas USA * R.I.P.

I don't remember the company's name, but I have seen this type of pickup at a NAMM Show about 1 or 2 years ago.

John Fabian

Tom Olson · From: Spokane, WA

I read some from the site Joey provided -- sounds interesting. Looks like all they're doing is representing the vibration of a string using an optical source signal rather than an electrical source signal.

That is, the note produced by any vibrating string is directly proportional to the frequency of the vibration of that string -- the lower the note, the lower the frequency of vibration of the string, and vice-versa (basic stuff).

If you place a light source on one side of a string and a light detector on the opposite side, then the detector can detect the frequency of the vibration of the string as the string blocks and then unblocks the light source as it's vibrating. You end up with an optical signal that represent the frequency at which the string is vibrating.

This optical signal can be converted into an electrical signal, for example, that can be amplified using a standard instrument amplifier.

The advantage would be, of course, that the signal is not susceptable to electrical interference, nor is the string vibration affected by the magnetic pull of a standard electical pickup.

Sounds like a cool idea to me

Chris Erbacher · From: Sausalito, California, USA

i have contacted a company which produces these and they say right now the technology is too large in size to put on anything but a bass guitar, but they are working on other models. i have also convinced my dad ( an engineer at ford and an all around whiz when it comes to making things) to help me create a steel that has these type of pickups, as well as built in midi capability. my idea is to take the steel to the next level, and give it a place amongst the other popular instruments by doing something different with it, although i can't get enough of what has been done with it already. you could say i'm a steel junkie of sorts, but the way i am wired up as a person, is that i am always looking to the next level or step, so steel also applies. can't wait to see how this project turns out.

Donny Hinson · From: Glen Burnie, Md. U.S.A.

Optical pickups might be okay if you're willing to accept their particular quirks. The physical shielding required to eliminate ambient light in an optical device (a problem with most all presently available detectors) can be cumbersome at best, interfering with the right hand. The optical units need power, and this is just another battery or power supply that might fail at an inopportune time. They do eliminate hum, but then again, so do humbucking pickups! Also, magnetic pickups can be mechanically designed to emphasize certain frequencies and easily contour the sound of the guitar. This must be done electronically with optical pickups, using the tone controls on the amp, so now you have to rely 100% on the amp to give the tone you need. Magnetic pickups are inherently simple and reliable, and will last many decades. They're easy to change, inexpensive to buy, and quite compact. Also, they're not damaged by static electricity, like so many solid-state devices are.

So...what are the great advantages of optical pickups?

Personally, I don't think there are any.

Bob Lawrence · From: Beaver Bank, Nova Scotia, Canada

The link Joey added is quite interesting.

Another version is Lightwave Systems: http://www.lightwave-systems.com/home.html

How it works: http://www.lightwavesystems.com/technology.html

Benefits: http://www.lightwavesystems.com/benefits.html

I contacted LightWave systems a little over a year ago about their optical pickup system and they had no plans for a Steel guitar version at that time.

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Chris Walke · From: St Charles, IL

Let's throw the physical/technical roadbloacks to the side (I don't understand most of that stuff anyway) and consider --

Most of what we love about steel guitar tone is a product of the limitations of magnetic pickups. All those quirky characteristics that make some of us like one pickup over another. Won't we be homogenizing the steel guitar with such an invention?

Yeah, I know, not everyone would go for the infrared, but just for the sake of argument. Do we want such a sterile signal?

Well, to argue with myself, many of us (including me) have cast aside the effect of vol pedals with pots by picking infrared pedals. Hmmm....

What would a totally infrared rig sound like? All tone characteristics would be the product of the amplifiers? Is that ideal?

[This message was edited by Chris Walke on 14 February 2004 at 01:31 PM.]

Michael Brewer · From: Carrollton, Texas

I also corresponded with Lightwave Systems about a pickup for steel. They were not interested at the time because they were producing bass and guitar pickups.

There are lots of favorable comments out there about their current units.

For those of us into midi, an infrared unit offers interesting possibilities. Using the same pickup for guitar and midi output signals would be neat. All you would need would be a mixer for guitar and a MIDI/GUITAR mode selector to send the unmixed signals to the midi converter. The possibility also exists for using a laptop computer to do the A/D conversion and talk directly to the synth. Obviously, some software would have to be generated for the computer.

Two of my children are software engineers. I have discussed this with them and they both agree that this idea has merit. Unfortunately, a ten or twelve string infrared pickup is not yet available. Developing software is extremely difficult without the hardware availability.

One other minor problem is that most manufacturers do not look at the steel guitar market as large enough to invest that kind of money. One can only hope that there is a forward looking organization that may someday take the leap.

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Mike Brewer

Dick Shive · From: Wood River, Illinois, USA

Thanks all you steel players for your input on the infrared pickups and ect., I didn't know I would get such a response on this subject, just goes to show you how much interest there is out there for new products.Maybe Hilton Engr. in Mo. that make the combination volume and sound box will or is working on this project. It seems every keyboard company has a sound on their instrument too try to duplicate the steel guitar, maybe with these new inovations we could throw them a curve or two after all we can do many things on our instrument they can't and I'm speaking from experence since I play the Keyboard too.

Dick Shive · From: Wood River, Illinois, USA

Hi fellows,
Got back to the forum and had a pleasant suprise with all the messages of enterest in these pickups. I went back to the site www.lightware systems.com/ and foun a cross reference link of Premier Guirar.com. These peope sell the the basses and guitars made by this company and pickups for installation to other MFG. instruments. The owner of Premier did a live interview with the CEO of LightWave Systems and He told all about the systems, how they started out, the design story and the latest changes to make the units fail safe. There latest update unit is called S2 and there is a midi pickup system coming out soon. These people are on the ball. I am going to find out what can be done about getting a pickup system for a steel guitar. I'll keep you posted.
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Dick The Steeler

chuck abend · From: Kansas City,Mo.64155 U.S.A.

The information I have is, Darrell Stephens built
the photon pickups for Al Pettys Steel Guitar Orch.
I found the email address.darrellstephens@bellsouth.net.
I tried to get yhe info from him but to no avail.
Regards Chuck Abend
I'll just play my IVL steelrider for now
It works great.

Dick Shive · From: Wood River, Illinois, USA

I sent you a email asking for some info about your pickup which I am not aware of. Please let me know about this unit. I will follow up on the info. you gave and see what I can dig up. I have been Ill for awhile and therefore a little slow at getting anything done, will try to get back as soon as possible, keep on pickin.
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Dick The Steeler

Dick Shive · From: Wood River, Illinois, USA

Hi fellows, sorry about the delay in getting back to the post, had some surgery and illness. Since last post I have emailed Christopher Wilcox, dated April 30,2010,8:856 regarding steel guitars with his lightwave pickup technology and got back a favorable reply May 6,2010,2:38. He thanked me for the email and this was his reply and I quote " I agaree with you and you and your fellow steelers that optical pickups would be excellent on the steel guitar. I am short handed right now with my development tech. off on a person matter, will train someone else to replace him, we are a small outfit. Chris had mentioned starting with a 6 string since they already have developed 6 strg. for the lead and rythm guitars. I am going to call him and point out that maybe it would be better to go with the 12 strg. because the spacing is only .o50 different on his Atlantis model and and a 12 string steel. A 10 stg. would be great too because there are so many of these out in the steel guitar world with the singles and D-10's. Chistopher has also ask for as much information about the steel guitar world and industry as he can get so I will suggest he donate $5.00 and join our steel guitar forum, and I'll mention Bobby Lee who created this forum. Happy reading and keep on a pickin, hope this gives some happy thoughts to wrap your brains around. Until next post, Dick
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Dick The Steeler

Dick Shive · From: Wood River, Illinois, USA

7/30/2010 hi fellows, since my last entry about this subject I have had another email from Christopher Wilcox at lightwave systems, and after losing a long time right hand man he has replace the lead man with another. Now Chris is free to get back to the developemnent work area for work on the steel guitar lightwave pickup he wants to work on for our
type of instruments. He is going to keep me informed on his progress on this work and I will keep you up dated. If you have any questions please let me know,
I can always relay them to Chris for his input.
I am wondering what he will be able to do with systhisizing the steel guitar pickup as he has done with the st'd. guitar, and his is more compact than
Roland. time will tell. Well keep on pickin&agrinn
@78 I find it more fun
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Dick The Steeler

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