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Old 09-19-2021, 08:28 PM
agfsteve agfsteve is offline
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Default Why no voice-controlled amps / effects?

How come there are no voice-controlled amps or multi-effects pedals?

I would hand over large sums of cash (if I had them) for an amp where I could plug in (preferably a wireless plug) and it would listen and I would say, "Add chorus", or presumably, "Hey amp, add chorus", and then, "Hey amp, turn up reverb", or "Hey amp, make me sound like that dude from Van Halen".
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Old 09-19-2021, 08:38 PM
printer2 printer2 is offline
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Originally Posted by agfsteve View Post
How come there are no voice-controlled amps or multi-effects pedals?

I would hand over large sums of cash (if I had them) for an amp where I could plug in (preferably a wireless plug) and it would listen and I would say, "Add chorus", or presumably, "Hey amp, add chorus", and then, "Hey amp, turn up reverb", or "Hey amp, make me sound like that dude from Van Halen".
Because the singer in the band will be able to muck up your sound.
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Old 09-19-2021, 08:44 PM
agfsteve agfsteve is offline
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Because the singer in the band will be able to muck up your sound.
LOL, yeah, the singer would most likely say, "Hey amp, shut down, unplug, and go home".
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Old 09-19-2021, 08:51 PM
Rudy4 Rudy4 is online now
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Quote:
Originally Posted by agfsteve View Post
How come there are no voice-controlled amps or multi-effects pedals?

I would hand over large sums of cash (if I had them) for an amp where I could plug in (preferably a wireless plug) and it would listen and I would say, "Add chorus", or presumably, "Hey amp, add chorus", and then, "Hey amp, turn up reverb", or "Hey amp, make me sound like that dude from Van Halen".
When I use Alexa I can ask for a guitar tuner ap or request volume up or down, etc. No technical reason why it can't be done, it's a case of manufacturers waiting for a sufficient market.

I like knob twisting myself, and sometimes it's the most exercise I get in a day.
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Old 09-19-2021, 09:13 PM
agfsteve agfsteve is offline
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I like knob twisting myself, and sometimes it's the most exercise I get in a day.
Well that's your prerogative, but this is a discussion about amps and effects.
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Old 09-19-2021, 11:06 PM
N4640W N4640W is offline
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Because gig venues are noisy. It just wouldn’t work. For the same reason that any tuner other than a direct feed tuner is unreliable in public.
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Old 09-19-2021, 11:31 PM
agfsteve agfsteve is offline
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Because gig venues are noisy. It just wouldn’t work. For the same reason that any tuner other than a direct feed tuner is unreliable in public.
I was thinking more for practicing / experimenting, i.e. at home or in other, quieter settings. The amp should have regular knobs and such to use on stage, and in addition a voice-control mode that you could turn on and off.
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Old 09-20-2021, 03:57 AM
RalphH RalphH is offline
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It's an interesting idea, but I'm pretty sure it's not very practical.

Alexa does a good job of filtering out the sound coming from it's own speaker, but try putting one next to a drumkit and a PA and a noisy bar full of people and see how she does- pretty poorly I expect. I've found ours is hopeless when theres a conversation going on in the room. The idea of something voice-activated in an environment that is almost guaranteed to drown out your own voice seems like a non-starter.

And it'd have to be 100% reliable. The number of times my Alexa does something completely random... I wouldn't want her in charge of putting on some chorus for some delicate arpegios in front of a live audience- there's be too many times when she'd put on mega black metal death distortion instead. I regularly hear my children having screaming rows with Alexa. That's not a great look onstage.

There are also other issues with it - a footswitch is near-instant. With voice commands, you'd need to be very careful to end your sentence at the moment you want the effect, and hope there isn't a random amount of delay in the processing of the voice command like there regularly is with alexa. Seems like it would be a lot harder to operate than pressing a footswitch.
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Last edited by RalphH; 09-20-2021 at 04:02 AM.
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Old 09-20-2021, 06:05 AM
stokes1971 stokes1971 is offline
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I'd rather see an amp that carries itself.
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Old 09-20-2021, 08:55 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by agfsteve View Post
How come there are no voice-controlled amps or multi-effects pedals?

I would hand over large sums of cash (if I had them) for an amp where I could plug in (preferably a wireless plug) and it would listen and I would say, "Add chorus", or presumably, "Hey amp, add chorus", and then, "Hey amp, turn up reverb", or "Hey amp, make me sound like that dude from Van Halen".
Hi agf-steve
Not sure I want my amp exposed to interference from other guitarists in the audience shouting out instructions to it as I'm playing.

Of course that could be a new form of audience participation!



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Old 09-20-2021, 09:51 AM
agfsteve agfsteve is offline
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OP here.

OK maybe it's because I am only an at-home hobbyist, so I never thought about the background noise issues, so I'd like to start this thread again, LOL.

So I think it would be very useful in a quiet, practice environment, to be able to tell the amp to change any of its current settings by using voice commands.

I think the technology is there so that the amp will be able to filter out music from voice, so I'd think you could carry on playing while giving instructions, which would be very helpful. It would be analogous to having someone standing next to your amp, and you tell them to dial up or down any setting, leaving you to just focus on the music, not even having to take your hands off the guitar.

I think that would be a huge benefit!

Another huge benefit is not having to decipher or even read the manual. I never had to read a manual on using Google Voice or Alexa, I just ask for things and amazingly it understands almost all of what I'm saying. Imagine that in an amp or effects processor!
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Old 09-20-2021, 09:55 AM
MikeBmusic MikeBmusic is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by agfsteve View Post
OP here.

OK maybe it's because I am only an at-home hobbyist, so I never thought about the background noise issues, so I'd like to start this thread again, LOL.

So I think it would be very useful in a quiet, practice environment, to be able to tell the amp to change any of its current settings by using voice commands.

I think the technology is there so that the amp will be able to filter out music from voice, so I'd think you could carry on playing while giving instructions, which would be very helpful. It would be analogous to having someone standing next to your amp, and you tell them to dial up or down any setting, leaving you to just focus on the music, not even having to take your hands off the guitar.

I think that would be a huge benefit!

Another huge benefit is not having to decipher or even read the manual. I never had to read a manual on using Google Voice or Alexa, I just ask for things and amazingly it understands almost all of what I'm saying. Imagine that in an amp or effects processor!
You defined the issue in your first sentence - it would work for the at-home hobbyist, not for real-life gigging. If you were on a stage, 8 feet in front of an amp, facing the audience, how would the amp hear you say 'Hey Amp, Chorus'?
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Old 09-20-2021, 10:05 AM
agfsteve agfsteve is offline
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Originally Posted by MikeBmusic View Post
You defined the issue in your first sentence - it would work for the at-home hobbyist, not for real-life gigging. If you were on a stage, 8 feet in front of an amp, facing the audience, how would the amp hear you say 'Hey Amp, Chorus'?
It wouldn't! Or it needn't, because if it was a stage amp you would not operate it in voice-control mode on stage.

But the market for this would most-likely be dedicated practice amps.

How many people gig with a Yamaha THR, or a Boss Katana Air, or a Positive Grid Spark? Not many, and that is the kind of amp that this technology needs to be in.
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Old 09-20-2021, 10:35 AM
Lost Sheep Lost Sheep is offline
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Originally Posted by agfsteve View Post
OP here.

OK maybe it's because I am only an at-home hobbyist,

(edited for brevity and focus)

Another huge benefit is not having to decipher or even read the manual. I never had to read a manual on using Google Voice or Alexa, I just ask for things and amazingly it understands almost all of what I'm saying. Imagine that in an amp or effects processor!
At-home hobbyists are not numerous enough to provide the cash flow (through purchases) for development of an app like Alexa or Siri. A LOT of texting went into the kind of response (as poor as it is currently, it was far worse in early versions and has been constantly monitored and improved on a continuing basis - at some cost, paid for by users' continuing to purchase the devices).

Without reading the manual? That would be a vain hope. Sorry to rain on your parade, You will still benefit by the manual and likely be unhappy if you don't read it. The contents of the manual that goes with a complex piece of equipment is essential to install in your brain if you want to use the gear to best effect. Having an assistant (real or virtual) twist the knobs for you when you request a certain effect still requires you to know what the effect will do for you. The manual is a good thing to read and understand if you want to get the most benefit from your hardware. Just as being able to "read" your fretboard is beneficial to your playing. Not knowing the manual, you destine yourself to thrashing about, randomly discovering what sounds good.



Still your idea is a good one. A (throat-mounted perhaps?) microphone dedicated only to your voice turned on and off with a foot button solves the ambient noise problem. Press the switch, give an order, release the switch. The instant of the release could be the trigger to execute the order, solving the time delay problem.

Last edited by Lost Sheep; 09-21-2021 at 02:10 PM.
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