Re: Ebay echoplexi... (spoiler: Gibson bashing thread)

["David J. Grossman" <dave@unpronounceable.com>]

> Well, I have to say I am pretty uninterested in any analog pedals(I have 
>5
> analog pedal to 15 digital pedals within my rig) or tube amps at this
point,
> so I am looking to the digital Gibson as a new alternative.  I will have
to
> see how it reacts with a laptop and VST's first.

The problem with digital is latency (the delay between when you pluck a 
note
and the time the signal hits your amp). Especially when the sound is being
processed digitally for modelling and effects. If you have 15 digital
pedals, everyone of them will potentially delay your signal by some small
amount. If you don't have true bypass in a pedal then it will delay the
signal even when it is not turned on.

Now, if Gibson's digital guitar is turning the string signals into digital
signals, they have to be buffered and processed. I'd imagine that between
the time you pluck a note and by the time they're processing is done, the
signal will have been delayed by an amount that I would consider
unacceptable. They do claim that their digital transport system will 
deliver
the signal across 100 meters with a 250 microsecond latency. That's 
probably
inaudible. But that doesn't account for effect processing which is likely a
much bigger source of latency. What's the point of a digital guitar if
you're not taking advantage of digital effect processing?

In theory, the idea of a digitally processed and modelled guitar signal is 
a
great idea. In reality, I feel that any significant latency in the signal 
is
unacceptable for my purposes. Especially since, as a bass player, I strive
to nail the beat and be in time with my drummer. That is the primary reason
I've stayed away from the V-Bass. Before I buy one, I'd have to be 100% 
sure
that the latency is completely inaudible.

- Dave