The BEAST and it's future

ed packard · From: Show Low AZ

The BEAST and its future:

Several years back, on the Forum, an outline was put forth for a next generation PSG. To make this instrument, certain hardware had to be “designed”, and proven acceptable re function and Sustain/Tone. This was done, and a Steel manufacturer was found who would fabricate the BEAST using the PST designed hardware and approach … this manufacturer was SIERRA. Several others were tried but declined to try. Per Berner posted photos of the BEAST on the Forum a few months back.

The BEAST was shown at the AZ and TX shows. The BEAST is really a breadboard for further development in the Signal chain of the PSG. The BEAST has two tapped interchangeable pickups, one at the bridge, and one at neck. These taps and pickups may be configured (switched) as individual coils, series aiding, and series opposing, parallel aiding, or parallel opposing. This flexibility provides an extreme range of “tones”.

The “opposing” configurations act in a manner commonly referred to as “phased”.

To show some of the methodology that went into developing the BEAST, a series (FEA-FSA) was started. It was announced on the Forum, but handled via direct Email to those that expressed an interest. The FEA = Finite Element Analysis, and the FSA = Frequency Spectrum Analysis; these are computer aided design tools that allow modeling the PSG body et al for physical vibration, and output signals for harmonic content as a function of time = Tone & Sustain.

The FEA-FSA work has born fruit. It has shown what makes up “Sustain” and how to get any degree of Sustain desired. It has also shown how to get one, sometimes two added octaves of response out of a given pickup.

The next steps in the life of the BEAST will proceed as follows:

1. Active on board electronics that can be bypassed as desired.
2. A look at using “Bluetooth” or similar digital wireless technology to eliminate cables.
3. Locating a 6.5” X 23” color LCD screen for use as a programmable neck/fret board (second monitor for a computer).
4. Integration of 1, 2, 3 above.

The above items and a few more will probably take another few years.

The hardware/techniques use on the BEAST may be used on the more common 10 and 12 string units (S or D); retrofitting existing units is also possible. I don’t do that … see Tom Baker at SIERRA. You can see the BEAST (PSTL C69) on the SIERRA website.

The PSG is not thru evolving yet.

Jon Jaffe · From: Austin, Texas

The Beast provides a unique environment for research. I had the opportunity to see it close up in Dallas. The idea of cable elimination via Bluetooth or something is very exciting. Do you have to work on all of this at once?

ed packard · From: Show Low AZ

Jon;
It can be approached piecemeal. First the active electronics on board (can be bypassed) with HiZ to pickup, LoZ for line driving and eliminating the loading ("tone sucking") effect of volume pedals, effect boxes, and the likes.

Ray Minich · From: Bradford, Pa. Frozen Tundra

Ed, do you think a 44.1 kilo samples per second data rate (like audio cd's/.wav file) over the bluetooth link will be a fast enough data rate, or will you be oversampling? You gonna do DSP to the data before or after the link?

BTW, do you have any idea what kind of display those video geeks used for the stage Paul McCartney was on during the superbowl? That was an awesome display and if they can make something like that you certainly should be able to find a display of some sort to fit the "weird" dimensions required.

[This message was edited by Ray Minich on 26 April 2005 at 08:47 PM.]

Per Berner · From: Skovde, Sweden

Wow Ed, now you're getting somewhere!

The REALLY interesting thing would be if we could get to hear some simple soundclips of the different tone options the Beast offers. Just a simple lick in a few different positions on the fretboard, played the same way with all the configurations.

Seriousness aside, the big step forward would be built-in automatic licks, programmed by Buddy, Lloyd and Weldon

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´75 Emmons p/p D10 8+4, '96 Emmons Legrande II D10 8+5, ´76 Sho-Bud Pro III Custom SD10 4+5, Peavey Nashville 1000

Bill Stafford · From: Gulfport,Ms. USA

I've been wondering what you have been up to. Now I know. Wish I was in my young teens again to start all over with the Beast...mmm very interesting!!!
Wish you and the Beast could be here for our Gulfport show on June 4th as a TV Documentary is being filmed with interviews, etc., of the players here-including Scotty, John Hughey, hopefully Ivan Reddington with his D-8 National(of cours, no pedals there). The Beast would be a fitting direction to where the history of the steel guitar came from and is going. Think about it, please...

Bill Stafford

ed packard · From: Show Low AZ

I mentioned "Bluetooth" re wireless, as more folk would know a bit about the concept; The wireless project will probably take a couple of years as it will go well beyond the PSG itself. In a couple of years the speed of wireless technology will no doubt increase. There are companies working on next generation methods now. Because of the industry I come from, I have access to some of this via contacts. It may pay to start with these next generation devices ...we will see.

The on board active electronics is no problem as I have been using this for years, except as a small box (The Cyber III) that I did up for SIERRA some 15 or 20 years ago. The Cyber III attachs to the end of the steel with Velcro. It is just a matter of a new layout, and integrating a second pickup with blending capabilities. Bill Stafford may recall that he demoed it at the NAMM show, and Lenny Breau (among others) sat in with it on their instruments.

Bill, thanks for the invite ... will see if it fits. I was going to come down to annoy you and Pee Wee, but was thinking more of August, then heading north to the International, Maine, and Nova Scotia again. Might change my plans to June.

Re sound clips: Not my thing at the moment. I might do those to combine with the FSA graphics after I get the Active electronic package integrated; that way folks can see what the Sustain/Tone sounds look like in FSA/Oscilloscope patterns while they listen to them.

Re DSP: I would suspect that many/most folk would prefer to use their own setups for those functions, so start simple and move it into the PSG later. The computer interface should allow a variety of approaches.

Re screens: If I had the PMc show budget, it would be less of a problem ...as things are, it is.

Edited to add the last two comments/answers to Ray & Per.

[This message was edited by ed packard on 27 April 2005 at 09:33 AM.]

ed packard · From: Show Low AZ

Due to it's content, this subject is continued in the Forum category "Electronics".

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