GIBSON'S
DIGITAL GUITAR
The electric guitar, which has used the same electronic technology for
over seventy years, has finally plugged into the digital world, using
NetworkSound real time digital solutions over standard Ethernet. Driven by
the Ethernet-based technological advances made by NetworkSound in San
Jose, CA, in collaboration with Gibson Labs, the Gibson Digital Guitar
opens a new era for stringed instrument amplification. The new technology,
which Gibson plans to install on all its electric guitars, features
Gibson's MaGIC connectivity protocol and a sophisticated new pickup
capable of isolating the vibrations of each individual string. In order to
prevent loose Ethernet jacks and disconnections, Barani Subbiah, Founder
and CEO of NetworkSound, knew he needed to outfit the guitar with
Neutrik's ultra-reliable EtherCon RJ-45 connector.
Utilizing the MaGIC protocol developed by Gibson Labs, the guitar
company's technology division, NetworkSound was able to send 32 mono
channels or 16 stereo channels in each direction over a single CAT-5
cable. "What you could conceivably do with this guitar is quite
incredible," states Subbiah. "After running out of the Ethernet port and
into the 8-output Breakout Box, you can then use split mode to assign each
of the six strings to a different amplifier. However, this technology just
wouldn't be practical if you had frequent drops in your connections and
cables, so we had to go with the tight-locking and rock-solid Neutrik
EtherCon RJ-45. You could jump around on stage all day and not lose your
connection."
A genuine Gibson guitar that is 100% compatible with all existing
equipment, the world's first digital guitar employs Gibson's patented HEX
pickup, which senses up-and-down motions and side-to-side motions, and can
detect and isolate the vibrations of each individual string. By combining
this revolutionary pickup with the MaGIC protocol and Breakout Box,
NetworkSound was able attain a 32-channel throughput without having
numerous extra connections and cables on the guitar itself.
The EtherCon Series' rugged RJ-45 style connectors were designed with
audio and video stage technology, DMX systems and harsh environments in
mind. The EtherCon Series offers both male cable carriers and assembled
female receptacles. The cable end offers a robust die-cast shell as a
carrier for pre-assembled RJ-45 plugs.
NetworkSound, which produced the electronics, real-time digital audio
transport and control solutions for the Gibson Digital Guitar, provides a
very cost-effective, high-quality, Ethernet-based audio distribution
solution for the pro-audio market. Given the company's advanced technology
and the broad range of applications, NetworkSound also uses the EtherCon
connectors in mixers, amplifiers, high-end speakers, home theater systems,
and stage boxes. "We are also currently working on a mixer with a similar
philosophy using the Neutrik EtherCon connectors," continues Subbiah. "It
has two ports: Audio-In and Audio-Out. This way we can replace the bulky,
cumbersome analog snakes with a single CAT-5 cable. It is amazing to see
the back panel of a mixer with no cables attached."
