Welcome to GuitarExtended!
This blog is about the possible future of the electric guitar as a computer-augmented instrument through DSP (digital signal processing) Using the open-soucre audio programming language Pure Data (Pd) and a DIY footcontroller based on a Arduino board (open-source hardware as well), I have developped a mobile setup that considerably extends my guitar’s sound. It basically works as a super multi-effects.
I have been working on this setup for about 3 years, and I have used it during many practice and recording sessions, as well as during gigs. You can hear the recordings on the Bancamp webpage of my band. I have used Pd and a DIY pedal on all songs, but the result can be most clearly heard on songs like We own the sky, Canopée, Nyctalope and Not too sad.
The goal of this blog is to show that recent developments in computer hardware and the availability of powerful open-source DSP software make it possible to create a reliable, mobile and fully expandable guitar effects setup. For the cost of a few analog stompboxes, it is now possible for a guitarist (or any musician, actually) with some knowledge of computers to develop effects for her instrument with virtually no limit but her own imagination.
In this blog you’ll find posts about :
- The required hardware to use Pure Data with a guitar (computer, soundcard, audio transformer, amp),
- How to build a DIY foot controller that works like a multi-effect pedal with Pure Data,
- How to set up a computer to process the sound of a guitar in real-time,
- How to make simple effects in Pure Data (i.e. delay/echo, distortion, reverb, pitchshifting, phasing…),
- How to let the foot controller and Pure Data talk to each other (using [hid], [Pduino] or [comport]).
Hello Pierre!
It’s nice to find you here on the web showing up different ways in making music.
I’ll try to read it through, in order to improve my technical english.
I hope you’ll enjoy sharing it all with blogers, as music actually does, “connecting people”.
Have some fun and carry on son!
Philippe M.
Hey Pierre,
I’ll probably keep referring back to this website. Thanks for all the information.
Some great ideas! I have a break from university this summer, so I have time to try them out
Keep it up!
Hugh R.
Hi Hugh, thanks for your comment. One thing this blog lacks is feedback and constructive comments. Please feel free to get back to me when you have tried my patches. Have fun!
I had been working on a similar, but much smaller project myself about 3 months ago. Then University work got the better of me! I had made a fuzz, and a basic compressor type thing (I’m not sure if it works similar to how a normal compressor would). I had plans for some other things, you can see the code on my site http://www.codeoclock.co.cc. Now that I’ve found this blog I’ll be referring back to the resources here a lot more!
GREAT GREAT IDEA AND WONDERFUL WORK!!!
Just discovered Pd and Arduino recently and I started thinking about combining them so I really appreciate your posts here.
hello Pierre, Im starting with Pd and arduino, I’m using some of your effects with amazings sound results. I’m really gratfull. –
i listened your music and i find very cool.
The record name Error de paisaje was made testing your Bold As Love and Polysinth.
Thanks for all, and go on-
from Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Hi, thank you for your message, that’s the whole point of this blog ! I’ll listen to your music.
Cheers!
Hi, great job. I’m interested to do something similar. But first I’m looking for a quite good (not so expensive) soundcard full compatible with linux. Could you tell me which one do you have and how is it (latency, support, price)? Or if you know some other good ones?
Thank you
Hi, I’m using an external E-MU 0404 (USB). It is pretty cheap compared to the rest.
Whatever you buy, make sure you do a little research on the web first to see if there’s any feedback on potential problems in Linux.
Hi Pierre,
first of all thank you for your blog, I’ve learned a lot from it to design my own multi-effect guitar patch : http://coloscope.wordpress.com/2012/11/22/racko-sifredi-rack-deffets-pour-guitare-sous-pure-data-beta/
I hope you’ll keep on adding new stuff, I’m sure a lot of people are interested.
Cheers from Strasbourg !
Nice, are you using ffado to recognize your interface? I am having trouble using mine in Tango Studio…how do you make it work with an alsa driver?
Hi, I have no experience with firewire interfaces, unfortunately. And I don’t know tango studio either, sorry.
I am *loving* all the work you’ve done and written up here. Please keep it up. I’m hoping to get a second Pi and try it for some live mangling – the first problem, aside from getting past the newbie stage with Pd, is the reamping thing. Are you really still pretty happy with that Shure transformer? I’m surprised it works well enough for this.
Well, yes, i’m happy with it. I guess the results will depend on your soundcard.
Do you have any better option to suggest ?
I was thinking about using a Behringer Guitar to USB adapter to do the same thing. Maybe it would be a simpler design.
Hello j’ai suivi ton travail et me suis lancé moi aussi. J’ai faits un patch PD en utilisant une autre solution pour mettre les effets en série dynamiquement. Tu peux récupérer ça à http://leyoy.free.fr/Guitareffect.zip et me dire ce que tu en penses …
Salut, j’ai pas le temps de regarder en détail pour le moment, mais ça a l’air intéressant ! Pour ton info je vais bientôt mettre en ligne un post sur distortion bien meilleures que la fuzz avec un clip.