FretTrax bass midi

[Grangur]

Don't think this has been seen here, but apologies if it has.

This is an interesting tool, some folk might find useful.

 

[BigRedX]

The website is very low on information about how the system actually works.

However a close read does reveal that it only works with fretted notes, so playing open strings AFAICS won't trigger a synth note.

 

[ikay]

I contacted FretTrax last year about the open note issue (I asked I if it would work with a zero fret), here's their reply:

"Thanks for getting in touch and for your question.  I get that question a lot but unfortunately the answer is 'no' - a zero fret doesn't help at all.  I already know, without a zero fret, when a string is open - a string is open if it's not fretted (that's how I turn off a previously fretted note).

So, I could turn on open notes easily without a zero fret - the issue is knowing when NOT to turn them on and when to turn them off.  Otherwise, every open string would ring all the time unless you have a mechanism to SELECTIVELY turn on/off open notes.  And, that mechanism is 'pluck detect' where a right hand pluck triggers a note - and that note can be open or fretted.  That feature is in the works and then FretTraX will have opens, velocity, etc.

All the videos were done with fretted notes only.  Some pretty wild things can be accomplished.  But, when we add pluck detect (still quite a ways away), things will get even wilder!"

Edited June 20, 2019 by ikay

[BigRedX]

1 hour ago, ikay said:

I contacted FretTrax last year about the open note issue (I asked I if it would work with a zero fret), here's their reply:

"Thanks for getting in touch and for your question.  I get that question a lot but unfortunately the answer is 'no' - a zero fret doesn't help at all.  I already know, without a zero fret, when a string is open - a string is open if it's not fretted (that's how I turn off a previously fretted note).

So, I could turn on open notes easily without a zero fret - the issue is knowing when NOT to turn them on and when to turn them off.  Otherwise, every open string would ring all the time unless you have a mechanism to SELECTIVELY turn on/off open notes.  And, that mechanism is 'pluck detect' where a right hand pluck triggers a note - and that note can be open or fretted.  That feature is in the works and then FretTraX will have opens, velocity, etc.

All the videos were done with fretted notes only.  Some pretty wild things can be accomplished.  But, when we add pluck detect (still quite a ways away), things will get even wilder!"

Did you get any more information about how the system works and what is involved in retro-fitting it to you guitar or bass?

[ikay]

Afraid not, the lack of open notes dampened my enthusiasm a bit! A retrofit takes them about 6-8 weeks to turn round from what I understand but I'm not exactly sure what it involves.

Edited June 20, 2019 by ikay

[BigRedX]

I wonder what Industrial Radio have to say about this system?

[LeftyJ]

1 hour ago, BigRedX said:

I wonder what Industrial Radio have to say about this system?

I believe they use segmented frets just like Wal and Peavey did years earlier, mixed with piezo saddles. FretTrax claims to use standard frets. Otherwise the systems do look very similar. 

[tauzero]

I wonder how it copes with double-stopping on different frets. I can't see a way of differentiating using DC sensing and unsegmented frets, wonder if they send different signals of some sort through each of the bridge saddles and differentiate by detecting what signal has arrived at what fret.

[Grangur]

Hi all, I have an email from Leroy Young of Fret-Trax:

Hi there,
Thanks for forwarding this link.  Feel free to post any portion of the following to interested parties.
I appreciate the comments and the questions (and I'm happy to answer them) but a critical issue on this forum might be lack of availability.  We are only approved for sales/shipments in the US at this time due to not having the CE mark.  Our plan is to certainly have a world-wide product with pluck detect, open strings, velocity, etc.  But, that is months away.
I initially designed FretTraX without right hand pluck detect to avoid certain cost and complexity issues and to focus on a niche performance market – those who would use FretTraX when they do their solo work.  Even lacking open-string MIDI triggering (admittedly a big issue to me overall), we were overwhelmed with orders from artists who found the fully polyphonic performance and near-zero latency across the neck more than sufficient for their live performance, studio work, etc.  Very few RFQs result in an artists finding 'no opens' to be a show stopper.  In fact, a number of our FretTraX touring artists have ordered second and third FretTraX instruments ‘just in case’. 
The technology supports double stops (in fact, FretTraX is fully polyphonic (up to 6 notes) across 24 frets on 4, 5 and 6 string basses) without resorting to split frets or 'different signals' down any of the strings.  And, as you can see at the end of this (mostly FretTraX guitar) video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mDUhFjw9SIw you can do some interesting things with two hands on two separate parts of the neck. 
Thanks again for the forward!
Best regards,

Lee Young
InnProcess Technologies LLC
www.facebook.com/frettrax
Nashville TN

[tauzero]

I think I didn't quite think it out enough. Of course it could be done with DC. I was thinking from the wrong end.

But anyroadup, I'm a bit surprised that pluck detect is taking a while - I'd have thought rudimentary detection would be quite simple. If you fret a note and don't pluck it, does that mean it plays regardless?

 

[itu]

On 20/06/2019 at 21:57, LeftyJ said:

I believe they use segmented frets just like Wal and Peavey did years earlier, mixed with piezo saddles. FretTrax claims to use standard frets. Otherwise the systems do look very similar. 

Australian Steve Chick is the man behind all these instruments. Split-fret neck, yes. Valley Arts was also one of the users, I think.

[Grangur]

20 hours ago, tauzero said:

I think I didn't quite think it out enough. Of course it could be done with DC. I was thinking from the wrong end.

But anyroadup, I'm a bit surprised that pluck detect is taking a while - I'd have thought rudimentary detection would be quite simple. If you fret a note and don't pluck it, does that mean it plays regardless?

 

Going by what you can see when watching the video linked from Lee's email; yes. As soon as you fret a string or strings the note plays. It also continues to play for the duration thst it it is fretted for. You can see this in the section where a chord is fretted and held down, while single notes are also played.