Piano setting for ProfexII ??

Roger Evilsizor · Post by **Roger Evilsizor** » 3 Nov 2001 1:01 am

Does anyone have or know of a setting for the Profex II that emulates a piano?

Mike Weirauch · Post by **Mike Weirauch** » 3 Nov 2001 2:52 am

Steinway does but the Profex II doesn't!

Bill Crook · Post by **Bill Crook** » 3 Nov 2001 7:16 am

Why ??????

Jim Smith · Post by **Jim Smith** » 3 Nov 2001 8:06 am

I think the only way you're going to get a steel to sound close to a piano would be to find a MIDI hookup for your steel, of which the IVL SteelRider, long out of production, is the only one I know of.

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Jim Smith jimsmith94@home.com
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Al Udeen · Post by **Al Udeen** » 3 Nov 2001 9:59 am

How about the "Guitorchestra"[sp] that Al Petty was into a few years back? That could make a steel sound like any instrument, including Piano! Anyone have any info on them?

Dave Seddon · Post by **Dave Seddon** » 3 Nov 2001 11:04 am

You could try www.johnbirchguitars.com he does a lot with MIDI including "Steel" alternatively try and get in touch with B.J. Cole in London (England) he has a brilliant MIDI setup on his Kline. There are a lot of Steelies, sorry Steelers in the States that know, or at least know of B.J. sorry I don't have an E-mail for him but I'm sure someone has. He's a great guy and will help you if your serious.
Cheers
Dave

Jack Stoner · Post by **Jack Stoner** » 3 Nov 2001 12:19 pm

The Roland MIDI, that is currently being sold for 6 string guitar, will work. Just have to place it for certain strings - not all 10.

Johnny Bondz has one rigged up on his LDG Sho-Bud. (Johnny also owns a music store and can afford to play around with that stuff).

Jim Smith · Post by **Jim Smith** » 3 Nov 2001 4:24 pm

Al sold a version of his GuitOrchestra that used light cells as part of the MIDI pickup. The version that I see him with now, although the front of the rack unit says GuitOrchestra, the back says IVL SteelRider. From everything that I can tell, it looks exactly like my SteelRider.

The John Birch rig sounds interesting, but from what little bit of correspondance a fellow steel player had with him, you'd have to ship your guitar to him so he can do machine work on your guitar to mount his unit. That doesn't sound like a very good idea to me.

As for the Roland MIDI, don't forget that six string guitars have wider string spacing than pedal steels, so the pickup would have to be mounted at an angle to cover the strings. The SteelRider's instructions call for placing the pickup as close to the bridge as possible which you wouldn't be able to do with the Roland.

One more note, whether it's a SteelRider or any other unit, it's the sound module that creates the piano or whatever sound you want. The MIDI interface is just that, an interface to convert the string tone to MIDI and feed it to the sound module.

Bill C. Buntin · Post by **Bill C. Buntin** » 3 Nov 2001 5:19 pm

Hey Jim, You ever run into Gerald Ray that uses the early version of the Roland GB series? He's got it rigged up on a custom G & L 6 string. Man, he gets a KILLER piano sound. As well as ANYTHING you want him to play from 5 string to Brass horns to bari-sax. Fun guy to gig with too.