Double DSP Hardware?

[mcmyn]

Hello all,

 

please excuse if my search for something along these lines was just not thorough enough...

But has the following idea ever been around/commented on, and if not: what do you think?

 

The idea is simple: double DSP hardware, for two independent simultaneous modeling processes.

 

How do I imagine it working?

Basically, you could choose that the second routable tone (which is currently the sound from the mag pickups) would instead be another model.

This would involve the whole shabang: tuning, string volume, guitar body and pickup simulation.

It would be independent from the first model, except that the second model would obviously operate on the input from the same piezos as the first.

 

Why do I think this is desirable?

• First of all, the added DSP power would (I imagine) allow 12-strings to sound even more convincing. In my opinion and that of others that I've seen, they are the weakest part of the Variax' outstanding models. But this is actually more of an aside.
• Mostly, I would love it for (disjoint) splitting of string subsets. I would LOVE to be able to route my bottom 3 strings to one tone in my POD/Helix and the top 3 string to another.
  I know I can do something similar with model/magnetic, but it is limiting to have no choice other than route all 6 string through magnetic...
• Lastly, this could achieve another fringe but nice feature: double (simultaneos) notes on a single string.
  Tune you G-String to sound a G and a B-flat above at the same time, then tune your B String to sound a B and a G below at the same time, and you can play metal-like thirds harmonies by yourself.
  If you want, you can make the guitars for both slightly different models and even route them through different (virtual) amps.
• Another thought I just had was that with a POD/Helix, this would enable blending between different sounds that require different models. Nice, I guess.

 

Why do I think it is possible?

• Basically, because it shouldn't be a huge modification to the way a variax works anyway.
• In theory, my idea should already be achievable by modding a copy of parts of the existing hardware into an existing Variax (although there probably wouldn't be the physical room for it?).
• It would not require a radically different guitar body/hardware (I think... not quite sure about the dimensions of the DSP hardware), and neither additional piezos
• All it would need is a second copy of the parts that generate model sound from piezo input

 

I recognize I'm just an armchair designer, and that the benefits are not outlandish.

My whole argument is based on my assumption that the costs would be pretty negligible, and that it would only make the Variax cooler towards its more experimental audience.

I have actually seen requests for single-string intervals before, and also for string-splitting.

 

 

So what do you folks say?

[psarkissian]

In the words of Roy Scheider in the movie Jaws, "You're gonna need a bigger boat".

Would need more board real estate and a really fast clock, and a lot more memory,... more board space.

Bigger hole in the guitar and less wood to accommodate. Trying to stuff more into an ever smaller space.

That's the challenge.

 

[cruisinon2]

In other words: "You can't get there from here..." ;)

[psarkissian]

At least not until some future version.

Go to Idea Scale and submit this idea.