Hardware & Software

Hardware

The Shaper is a synthesiser controller.  It has no on-board sound generating capability.

The Shaper concept has the potential to create new markets for stringed-instrument controllers, compatible synthesisers and hybrid products integrating the synth + stringed controller in a single package.

The playing surfaces of the Shaper are made from Printed Circuit Board (pcb) technology.  This technology lends itself to precision manufacturing at low cost - especially at volume.

The Shaper has 6 x Neck / Pitch strings, coupled with 6 x Body / Trigger strings.

The Shaper also has 2 x Master Controller strings for controlling synthesiser effects such as pitch bend, filter modulation, LFO modulation etc…

The strings on the Shaper all have their own touch sensors, enabling software control of a variety of innovative note muting / sustain effects.

Software

There are three Play Modes:

Play Mode 0 (staccato mode)

Play Mode 1 (staccato mode)

Play Mode 2 (sustain mode)

The best way to understand how these modes work is to look at the demonstration videos which can be found via the features tab on the navigation bar at the top of this page.

When putting together Demos #1 and #2, the demonstrator didn’t have a use for either Play Mode 0 in context with the music performed. However, all these modes are there for players to explore, and are explained on the modes page.

The Shaper has many software modes and features.  Players are not obliged to use them all.  You may find that your own individual playing style is suited to a small number of particular features.  These can all be stored in the 1,000 Shaper setups available in memory.  Setups can be recalled instantly, at the press of a button. 

Some features you may never use.  But they are there, just in case!

All modes and features in the following lists are configurable and storable within a Shaper setup:

Tuning / Transposition / Capo

All strings can be independently tuned:

+ / - 24 semitones

The Shaper instrument can be transposed:

+ / - 24 semitones

Capos can be stored (the pitch of the open string):

+ / - 24 semitones

Capos can be straight – or even chord shaped.

Like all the modes and features explained on this page, all tuning parameters are editable and storable within each of the 1,000 setups which can be recalled at the press of a button.

Poly Mode

Switches polyphonic string mode on and off.  (Not to be confused with MIDI channel receiver modes omni / poly / mono – see MIDI spec).

When the Shaper poly mode is on, polyphonic chords can be built up on a single string – provided that the target synthesiser is polyphonic, and is itself switched to MIDI poly mode.

Neck Trigger Mode

In Neck Trigger mode, it is not necessary to trigger a note by using the Body / Trigger String.  Just pressing down on any fret with the Neck / Pitch String will produce a note.  This mode is good for two-handed tapping solos – like Eddie van Halen.

Single Note Mode

Only the last note played on all 6 strings will be heard.  Playing a new note on any string turns the previous note off.  This mode is good for authentic, human-sounding articulation of solo passages using string, woodwind or brass sounds.

Open + Touched = Silent

When you pluck as string on a guitar while the string is muted on the neck, you get a very short muted sound.  In the default setting on a Shaper, you get nothing at all.  Some players don’t like this, so, the Open + Touched = Silent feature can be turned off to allow for this.  But the results are different according to which synth sound you are using, which Shaper Play Mode you are using and how you play the Shaper.  You need to experiment.

Fret-to-Open Trigger

When you keep your finger down on a Body / Trigger string and press /release the Neck / Pitch String up and down on a series of frets, it will only update the fretted notes.  If you want the string to re-trigger every time you release the Neck / Pitch string to open, you can turn this feature on. Then, you can play sequences like the Thunderstruck riff (AC/DC / Angus Young) or the well-known passage in J S Bach’s Toccata and Fugue in D minor.

MIDI base channel

(see MIDI specification for definition of MIDI base channel).

The Shaper base channel defaults to MIDI channel 1.  Any other MIDI base channel can be selected within a Shaper setup.

Single MIDI Channel Mode

The Shaper can transmit all notes from all 6 strings on a Single MIDI channel.  This is the easiest mode to use when checking out a new synthesiser interface.  Like a keyboard, it transmits MIDI date from all notes generated on the Shaper to the target synthesiser on a single MIDI channel.  However, using single MIDI Channel Mode means you have to use the same synth voice on each string, and, again like a keyboard, if you pitch bend one note on one string, you pitch bend all notes on all the strings being played.  In Single MIDI Channel Mode, the pitch bend function is a global function - not string by string.  This is musically quite restricting in comparison to 6 x MIDI Channel Mode.

6 x MIDI Channel Mode

This mode is a lot more complicated than Single MIDI Channel Mode.  First of all, the target synth must be capable of multi-timbral operation – i.e. it must be able to receive 6 separate MIDI data streams on 6 different MIDI channels.  Multi-timbral capability on the synth means that each string on the Shaper can have a different synth voice.  But even if all strings have the same synth voice, each string still has its own MIDI pitch bend and modulation channels, which means that all 6 strings have independent pitch bending capability.  This is very useful when emulating electric guitar, steel guitar and pedal-steel guitar solo passages which feature lots of independent string bending.

MIDI outputs

If 6 x MIDI channel mode is selected, string 1 is transmitted on the MIDI base channel:

String 1 = MIDI base channel

string 2 = base +1

string 3 = base +2

string 4 = base +3

string 5 = base +4

string 6 = base +5

Default setting is:

string 1 = MIDI channel 1

string 2 = MIDI channel 2

string 3 = MIDI channel 3

string 4 = MIDI channel 4

string 5 = MIDI channel 5

string 6 = MIDI channel 1

Master Modulation Mode

Both the Upper and Lower Master Controllers can be assigned to global modulation (pitch, filter, LFO etc..)  This means that when you slide up and down a Master Controller string, the same degree of modulation is applied to all strings simultaneously.  So when the Master Controller is assigned to pitch modulation, it acts in the same way that a vibrato arm does on an electric guitar, although the modulation range is adjustable and can be set wider than that of most vibrato arms.

Master Trigger Mode

Master Trigger mode also applies to the Upper and Lower Master Controllers.  When either or both of the Master Controllers are in Master Trigger mode, they function like a Body / Trigger String, but instead of only triggering one string, the Master Controller String triggers all 6 strings together.

Master Mute Open

Players often want to use Master Trigger only on notes selected by fretted Neck / Pitch strings – i.e. open strings don’t trigger.  This feature does that.

Decouple Master Trigger

When a Master Controller is in Master Trigger mode, the Master Controller String will not only trigger all 6 notes together, but will also turn all 6 notes off again in the same way that an individual Body / Trigger String turns off its own note.  Sometimes, you may want to trigger an individual note and leave it sustaining while you play other notes on other strings over the sustained note / string.  In this case, you switch on Decouple Master Trigger.  Then, only strings that are triggered by the Master Trigger will be muted / turned off again by the Master Trigger string, while any notes triggered by individual Body / Trigger Strings will sustain until individually muted.

Decouple Master Controller

This only works when Decouple Master Trigger is on.  If the Master Controller is also assigned to pitch bend, then when Decouple Master Controller is on, the Master Controller will only pitch bend those notes which have been triggered by the Master Trigger.  The pitch of notes from strings which have been individually triggered and sustained in a pitch modulated condition by individual Body / Trigger Strings will not be affected by the action of the Master Trigger.

Master Open + Touch = Silent

Works in the same way as the Open + Touch = Silent feature for individual strings (see above).

Master Velocity Only (no trigger).

When the Neck Trigger feature is active on the 6 x individual Neck / Pitch strings, the player may want to modulate the velocity of the neck-triggered notes by using the Body / Trigger strings for velocity modulation only (no trigger).  This feature does that.

Master Percussion Mute

This feature switches off hammer-on, fret slides and pull-offs when playing drums and percussion.  You can try using straight Master Trigger for drums and percussion, but you’ll soon become aware of some of the pitfalls using that method.  Master Percussion Mute makes playing percussion easier.

Master Fret to Open Trigger

Works in the same way as the Fret to Open Trigger feature for individual strings (see above).

Chord Lock

The Shaper is not a guitar.  When you hammer on, slide, or pull off frets, the Shaper re-triggers the target synthesiser.  This means that, depending on the synth voice you choose, hammer-ons, slldes and pull-offs can last as long as your fingers will stand it.  That’s great in some respects, if you want to play endless trills etc..  but you have to be careful when coming off barré chords.

When coming off a barré chord, most players leave the finger holding the barré on until a fraction of a second after the other fingers have been taken off.  This is fine on a guitar as the removal of the fingers from the non- barré  strings will usually result in muted notes.

With a Shaper, this sort of action will result in notes pulling off from the non barré fingers to the barré, which – unless you are creating an intentional musical effect - sounds bad, even if you are quick to remove the barré after the other fingers.

By using Chord Lock, you can stop the notes in the chord from sliding to adjacent frets in sustain mode.  You can set how many notes in the chord before Chord Lock is effective.  For example, you may find it easy to control musical passages, free style, involving up to 2 notes together, but when 3 notes is involved, you may find things difficult.

If you set the Chord Lock appropriately, when the Chord Lock boundary is exceeded, then if your trigger hand is free of all of the trigger strings, the chord you are playing will lock.  If you want to play hammer-ons, slides or pull-offs involving during Chord Lock, keep your fingers on the trigger strings.  This will allow fret slides until you decide that you want to disengage your hand from the Neck / Pitch strings.  Then, if you take your fingers off the trigger strings, the chord formed by the Neck / Pitch strings will be locked.  Sounds complicated?  The software logic is!  But if you explore the possibilities by playing through them, you’ll discover how it works, and which settings suit you best. 

And remember, you can save different setups for different pieces - depending on how you want to play them.

Velocity Parameters

Various velocity slopes and offsets are available.

Controller Parameters

Controller Parameters are as follows:

Pitch Wheel / Modulation Wheel / Channel Pressure / Poly Pressure

The target synthesiser has to be set up so that the data sent under these controller types are assigned to the type of modulation you want – i.e. pitch, filter, LFO etc…

When you have selected the above, these modulations can be switched to any combination of controllers:

UC = Upper Master Controller

6S =  the 6 x individual strings (as a group)

LC = Lower Master Controller

These controllers can be set for Centre Zero (CZ) or End Zero (EZ) and can be assigned various slopes and offsets.

It is important to remember that when using any of these controllers to control pitch, that you match each controller’s semitone quantisation selection to the pitch bend range on the target synth.

Shaper Pitch Bend Sustain

The Shaper allows the player to bend a note in pitch and remove the finger from the string while sustaining the note at the pitch to which it has been bent.  This leaves the player’s hand free to move elsewhere on the fretboard and trigger / bend / sustain additional notes on different strings.

This feature allows dynamic musical effects of counterpoint, harmonies and chord structure which are not possible on a guitar or a keyboard controlled synthesiser.

Shaper Pitch Bend Sustain Quantisation

When the player uses the Pitch Bend Sustain feature, sometimes the pitch of a sustained note is not exactly a whole semitone when you take your finger off the string.  The quantisation feature ensures that the software calculates the nearest whole semitone closest to the sustained note, then, when you take your hand off and sustain the bent note, even if it’s slightly off pitch, the software interpolates the pitch bend signal to the quantised whole semitone value over a short time-constant. That way, things sound nice and melodious, even if your fingering is slightly off.

This quantisation feature can be switched off if the player wants to deliberately create discordant musical effects.

The Shaper semitone quantisation parameters are represented on the Shaper LED display as follows:

AU QUAN PB RANGE

- controller A - Upper master controller quantisation pitch pend range

A6S QUA PB RANGE

- controller A - 6 x strings controller quantisation pitch pend range

AL QUAN PB RANGE

- controller A - Lower master controller quantisation pitch pend range

AFTF QA PB RANGE

- controller A - Fret to Fret (RLP feature) quantisation pitch pend range

If these parameters are not set properly, then when a Body / Trigger string is released to sustain a note (according to chosen Play Mode), the interpolation / quantisation routine which settles the pitch of that note to the nearest semitone may settle on either the wrong semitone – or a fraction of a semitone.

Remote Control of Target Synthesiser

The Shaper is a synthesiser controller.  It has no on-board sound generating capability. 

The Shaper sends MIDI messages to synthesisers via the MIDI 1.0 1983 software protocol.

Shaper MIDI message capabilities are as follows:

Synth program number

Synth bank number

System exclusive messages

Create, edit, store and recall system exclusive messages

Each synthesiser manufacturer gives access to the exclusive features of each of their own models by using MIDI System Exclusive messages.  For example, the Yamaha Motif-Rack used in the Shaper demos has a Voice mode and a Multi mode.  The Multi mode enables multi-timbral programs to be reconfigured within the Motif-Rack itself.  Multi-timbral capability is necessary if a player wants to independently control the pitch bend on each string of the Shaper.

Each Shaper setup includes all of the above features so that, when the player switches from one Shaper setup to another, not only is the new internal setup of the Shaper that is switched instantly, but also, at the same moment, all the necessary MIDI synth program, bank and system exclusive messages are sent to the target synthesiser.

Please note that the time taken for a synthesiser to receive MIDI messages and reconfigure the synthesiser according to those message requests varies from one synth to another.  The reconfiguration time on a particular synthesiser may vary according to the complexity of the reconfiguration involved in moving from one type of synth program (e.g. single voice) to another (e.g. multi-timbral voice).  Some synth changes are much more complex than others.

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The Shaper is designed and manufactured by Rush Systems Ltd in Oxford, UK.

Website:

www.rushsystemsltd.com

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