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  #1  
Old 11-10-2020, 02:29 PM
nickv6 nickv6 is offline
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Default Lag hyvibe

LAG Tremontane Hyvibe.
I've just been reading about these guitars. Seems like a much more sophisticated version of the yamaha transacoustic. Have any of you chaps tried one?
I'm wondering if it woukd be worth ordering one as we are in lockdown here in UK so I can't go and try one. But I've never bought a guitar without playing it before.
Any views?
Nick
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  #2  
Old 11-10-2020, 02:39 PM
merlin666 merlin666 is offline
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My luthier has a couple of them in the store and they look intriguing. However, I did not want to touch anything that I was not willing to buy so can't comment on how they play or sound.
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Old 11-11-2020, 06:35 PM
identity71 identity71 is offline
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i do have a lag thv30 smart guitar, it’s great. it has more effects than yamaha and sound very good. it has a looper buit in as well as bluetooth (you can link to iphone for jamming) and midi control. with last fw you can record with looper and effects. dread is not my size guitar i hopenthey ‘ll make a om version. guitar quality is good. it’s a killer buy. you can even make patch effects on iphone app including more effetcs.
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Old 11-12-2020, 01:32 AM
Per Burström Per Burström is offline
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I have the THV10, got it early after participating in the crowd funding campaign. Initially HyVibe planned to build the guitars themselves, but after them teaming up with LAG we HyVibe crowd-funders got a much better guitar than I thought we would.

To start with, the guitar itself is really nice: plays well with nice sound. And not being too bulky being a drednaught. That said, I much prefer smaller guitars over the dreds, and an GA version is coming towards the end of the year: Tramontane HyVibe 30 THV30ACE (only listed on the French site at the moment).

When it comes to the HyVibe system, it's super flexible letting you build your effect banks in the app. And being driven by the app we can also expect it to evolve a lot over time. HyVibe is releasing new versions of the apps and the firmware (the software in the actual guitar) on a regular basis, with the latest major update adding the support to use effects while using the looper (that was not supported in earlier versions).

Personally I hope to see some improvements when it comes to plugging the guitar in to an amp or a PA, for example being able to use the effects coming through the guitar itself even when plugging it in (today this is turned off when plugging-in) as well as having a separate dry-wet-mix for the total set of effects for the line-out. The reason for the latter is that if you set up an effect to use when being unplugged and keeping this when plugging in it will be far too wet.

Another really really cool possible future upgrade would be if they could add an IR loader to the guitar, mainly for use when plugged-in. By having some default IR's for the actual LAG guitar itself as default could give a super-smooth way of getting an awesome acoustic sound when plugged-in without needing external gear like Tonedexter or the new LR Baggs Voiceprint.

At the moment the HyVibe system is exclusive to LAG, but hopefully we will see it in other brands in the future. I have recently fallen in love with the Taylor 322e-12 fret after playing it a lot in the music stores in Stockholm, and having the HyVibe system in that guitar would be a dream.

I have the TonewoodAmp as well, and have played the Yamaha TransAcoustic quite a lot in the music stores... the HyVibe is in a different league though when it comes to flexibility and features.

HyVibe (being separate from LAG) does not limit themselves to guitars, the might use their tech for other products as well. Read more here: https://www.hyvibe.audio/

I'd gladly answer any questions about the Lag HyVibe if you have any. I'm no advanced user though: I never use the looper, and the effects I mostly use are some subtle delay and reverb.

Cheers,
Per

Last edited by Per Burström; 11-12-2020 at 01:48 AM.
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Old 11-12-2020, 10:09 AM
nickv6 nickv6 is offline
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Thanks for the informative replies.
So, I'm a fan of cedar tops in recent years but on this Dreadnaught style should I go for Spruce?
Anyone played both models and prpared to comment?
Ta everso
Nick
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  #6  
Old 11-12-2020, 10:33 AM
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KevinH KevinH is offline
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I'll be interested to see what they come out with in smaller bodies. Looks like it would be a fun thing to get you out of a rut now and then, which is what I tend to use my Yamaha TA for.
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Old 11-12-2020, 12:07 PM
Per Burström Per Burström is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by KevinH View Post
I'll be interested to see what they come out with in smaller bodies. Looks like it would be a fun thing to get you out of a rut now and then, which is what I tend to use my Yamaha TA for.
The THV30ACE will be smaller, but I'm leaning more and more to even smaller sizes, would be cool to see the HyVibe system in a travel guitar. Unfortunately I only think LAG makes really small travel guitars, I'd like to see the HyVibe system in for example a GS Mini-style body.

Which Yamaha TA model is it that you have? The Parlor?
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Old 11-12-2020, 04:19 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Per Burström View Post
The THV30ACE will be smaller, but I'm leaning more and more to even smaller sizes, would be cool to see the HyVibe system in a travel guitar. Unfortunately I only think LAG makes really small travel guitars, I'd like to see the HyVibe system in for example a GS Mini-style body.

Which Yamaha TA model is it that you have? The Parlor?
Yeah, I'm drawn to 00 sizes currently, so it would be nice to see something in that size range. I have the Yamaha FS-TA. Yamaha's Concert body size. Its body is about 1" longer than my Martin 00 and about 1/2" wider. It doesn't feel too big, but I'm finding I really don't like the 1-11/16" nut. Other than that, I really like playing with the Transacoustic effects - though they seem much more limited than what is available on the LAG. I had thought about selling my TA and getting Yamaha's LS-TA, which has a 1-3/4" nut. But now I'll wait to see what LAG comes up with.
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  #9  
Old 11-15-2020, 04:13 AM
Per Burström Per Burström is offline
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I played a Yamaha Transacoustic in the music store yesterday, and then I realized another big benefit the HyVibe system has over the Transacoustic (as well as the TonewoodAmp): the slider control. With HyVibe you can decide which parameter to control with the slider, and if you set it to control the effect mix you have a very quick way of easily turn of the effect completely with your hand. I use this in one of my songs where I start with a short solo for which I want plenty of reverb or delay, but after that I change playing style and want the effect off. Can easily be done with the HyVibe. With the rotating knobs on the Transacoustic it's not as easy (in addition to it lacking delay).

You can also connect a Bluetooth pedal to the HyVibe. I know it works with the looper, but I'm not sure if it's supported for chaning effects yet... if not it will come in future updates, the HyVibe team is really committed.


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Old 11-15-2020, 06:50 AM
nickv6 nickv6 is offline
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Per, can I ask you please:
Does the EQ on the hyvibe actually change the tone of the guitar? Or just the effects?
I'm wondering if I could boost the middle response, for instance...

By the way, the dealer told me the pedal can be used for any of the variables, including changing effects.

Nick
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  #11  
Old 11-15-2020, 07:03 AM
Per Burström Per Burström is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by nickv6 View Post
Per, can I ask you please:
Does the EQ on the hyvibe actually change the tone of the guitar? Or just the effects?
I'm wondering if I could boost the middle response, for instance...
One of the preset effect banks is a "Boost" effect, and the only effect block that bank includes is the EQ, and it by default boost lows much more than highs. You can build your own boost effect as you want, only boosting the frequencies you desire.

You can of course include the EQ in any effect bank that you build yourself, for example if you want to combine it with echo, delay, chorus etc etc.

The EQ is 6 band.

/Per
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Old 11-15-2020, 07:20 AM
Per Burström Per Burström is offline
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You can also include the EQ several times, for example both before and after reverb. I haven't played with such a setup, but I guess you could use it for adding more reverb to some frequency bands by raising those bands before the reverb and then taking them down again after the reverb. You can only have 4 effects in a bank though, not sure if that is permanent or if it will be possible to have more in future updates.

/Per
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  #13  
Old 11-15-2020, 08:49 AM
nickv6 nickv6 is offline
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Thanks for that.
It sounds as if, with a good deal of development, one could have a guitar that could sound like any guitar,
A real Martin or Gibson at a switch!
Nick

Last edited by nickv6; 11-16-2020 at 07:08 AM.
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  #14  
Old 11-15-2020, 11:31 AM
Per Burström Per Burström is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by nickv6 View Post
It sounds as if, with a good deal of development, one could have a guitar that could sound like any guitar,
A real Martin or Gibson at a swithch!
If they added an IR-loader you could absolutely mimic some other guitar when plugged-in, as you can with the IR-loader pedals that are available. But I'm not sure it's in HyVibe's interest to do that though as their customers are guitar manufacturers. But if they could use IR technology internally to make the guitar sound as good plugged-in (with no external gear) as it does when un-plugged it would be awesome. After all, the Lag Tramontane guitars (at least the THV10 I have) sounds great on it's own.

When un-plugged though, and using the HyVibe system only to add effects "to itself", don't expect it to be able to mimic some other guitar to any larger extent as all it does is adding extra vibrations to the top of the guitar. However, there is a default "12 string" effect bank that sounds really good, pretty close to a 12 string guitar.

/Per
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  #15  
Old 11-15-2020, 12:11 PM
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KevinH KevinH is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Per Burström View Post
...all it does is adding extra vibrations to the top of the guitar...
Does their transducer/actuator attach to the top, as opposed to the Yamaha and Tonewood, which attach to the back? How massive is the actuator on the Lag?
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