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."