Guitar synth affecting dry signal?

[tcsned]

Hey all,
This might be an issue I've had for some time but just noticed it this past weekend when hooking up my new SMS Classic preamp. I was using a fairly complicated set up so I plugged it all in and tested it out one step at a time. My rig I'm using now is:
Warmoth WGD - maple & mahogany body, solid rosewood neck - 3 Barden humbuckers - Graph-Tech midi/piezo pickup
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Roland GR 33 guitar synth
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T-Rex Dr. Swamp overdrive
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Haz Mutron III
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SMS Classic Preamp
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Lexicon MPX G2 effects unit
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Mesa Boogie Mark III (power section only - preamp bypassed)
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Mesa 2x12 cabinet

Up to the point I hooked up the Roland GR 33 - I think it was about the best tone I've ever had. When I hooked up the synth I noticed that some of the bottom disappeared and it sounded like a little high end clipping entered the picture. It wasn't horrible or unusable but certainly not as sweet as it sounded before putting the GR-33 in the chain. Prior to connecting it I used the 1/4" output. When I added the GR-33 I used the 13 pin GK cable and ran my signal out of the guitar out in the GR-33.

Here's a sound clip with the GR-33 (I don't have clip of what it sounded like before adding the synth).
http://www.vtcli.com/media/tom/01_Dark_Hollow.mp3

Has anyone had this issue?

[waldo041]

imo, i think you should seperate the midi from the analog guitar side. feed the board your midi(gr33) setup seperately and run your guitar rig seperately. this will eliminate the midi pickup guitar buffer issue i believe you are having. but you need an onboard midi/piezo volume control to accomplish this.

peace,
waldo

[tcsned]

imo, i think you should seperate the midi from the analog guitar side. feed the board your midi(gr33) setup seperately and run your guitar rig seperately. this will eliminate the midi pickup guitar buffer issue i believe you are having. but you need an onboard midi/piezo volume control to accomplish this.

peace,
waldo

Good idea, I thought of doing that at the gig Saturday but I used up every cable I had with new gear and recording. I've got all the on-board controls and I don't really use the piezo/acoustic pickup for anything other than the synth. Means running multiple cables from the guitar - but a lot of folks on the board already deal with that

[WilliamC]

Absolutely agree. For what it's worth, it's not just you. The various 13-Pin->MIDI converters are rather well known for tweaking the tone of magnetic pickup signals coming down the wire. There is some discussion of the issue in the Carvin 13-Pin forum, e.g.:
http://www.carvinguitars.com/bbs/viewtopic.php?t=15935 (includes wiring ideas)
http://www.carvinguitars.com/bbs/viewtopic.php?t=10219

[tcsned]

Absolutely agree. For what it's worth, it's not just you. The various 13-Pin->MIDI converters are rather well known for tweaking the tone of magnetic pickup signals coming down the wire. There is some discussion of the issue in the Carvin 13-Pin forum, e.g.:
http://www.carvinguitars.com/bbs/viewtopic.php?t=15935 (includes wiring ideas)
http://www.carvinguitars.com/bbs/viewtopic.php?t=10219

Thanks WilliamC & Waldo for your input. I'm glad my old ears aren't just hearing things. I'll give it a test next time out. It's funny, I've been running this thing for a couple of years with the Graph Tech pickup and never noticed it before, I did hear some of the same characteristics in the TRRI when I was using that. I never noticed it with the old GK pickup I used to use. It kinda sounds like some piezo tone is bleeding through. I looked through the thread you posted and it looks like Carvin is using the Graph Tech Ghost too - maybe something in that system.

Thanks!!!