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Diy optical pickup for guitar -- is it possible?
Yarrrrr:
I stumbled upon this thread as I have been researching optical pickups myself and came to the same conclusion that there is barely any information about it. But what I was looking for was more of a drop in replacement for a normal humbucker pickup which led me to the oPik design.
I've got a little test setup for the thickest string:
Oscilloscope output:
Audio output: https://www.dropbox.com/s/dug6chet2pw6jv7/test%20%233.mp3?dl=0
I am currently working on building a shielded enclosure to improve the signal to noise ratio, and trying to make this all fit in the size and shape of a normal pickup.
Something like this:
sorveltaja:
Yarrrrr, welcome to the forum. It would be interesting to see your take on an optical pickup. If memory serves, there was some pictures/details in the oPik's patent, like an approximate angle between sender and receiver.
I remember using that patent's pictures as a basis, when I tested, how the infrared light reflects from the string(s), and what kind of output signal it produces. Obviously, when moving to thinnest strings, the output level decreases also. So yes, as good as possible shielding is needed.
Boop:
Hi,
Joined the group for this post!
Hopefully this thread isn’t dead, maybe this can lead to its resurrection.
Played with this a little bit some years ago. Didn’t go much further than hooking up a photo diode and an IR led running into a guitar amp directly, or maybe it was a mixer? Got output, was very excited, then life “got in the way”.
But I thought I’d put these here from old Make magazine articles and associated links:
https://makezine.com/projects/infrared-string-bass/
https://www.slideshare.net/engrmali3/infrared-string-bass
There are more links that I’ll have to find, but this is what I have time to give right now.
:worthless:
Yarrrrr:
--- Quote from: Boop on November 23, 2021, 05:38:01 PM ---Hi,
Joined the group for this post!
Hopefully this thread isn’t dead, maybe this can lead to its resurrection.
--- End quote ---
I got to the point where I have a working prototype that I am dissatisfied with. But with my lack of experience in electronics and the amount of effort I put into trying to improve it which amounted to nothing has me quite discouraged.
More details with pictures and audio examples over here: https://www.edaboard.com/threads/guitar-photodiode-amplifier-signal-to-noise-ratio.396736/post-1705241
sorveltaja:
--- Quote from: Boop on November 23, 2021, 05:38:01 PM ---Hi,
Joined the group for this post!
Hopefully this thread isn’t dead, maybe this can lead to its resurrection.
Played with this a little bit some years ago. Didn’t go much further than hooking up a photo diode and an IR led running into a guitar amp directly, or maybe it was a mixer? Got output, was very excited, then life “got in the way”.
But I thought I’d put these here from old Make magazine articles and associated links:
https://makezine.com/projects/infrared-string-bass/
https://www.slideshare.net/engrmali3/infrared-string-bass
There are more links that I’ll have to find, but this is what I have time to give right now.
:worthless:
--- End quote ---
Welcome to the forum, Boop. Yeah, it's rather good start to test a setup for an audible output. That's how I did. I don't remember how the progress went, but it's documented in this thread, stage by stage, of how I got the strong hexaphonic fuzz sound that I was after for a long time. Of course that isn't everyone's cup of tea, but hopefully in this thread are some things to consider, when one wishes to experiment with optical pickups. Remember that this project is based on a lot of trial and error testing. When something worked, I used it, and if not, ditched it.
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