Part 2
In the previous part, I explained the mechanism by which the original guitar sound deteriorates when cables and effectors connected. In this part, I interview Yukihiro Hayashi of Free The Tone, the developer of the VITALIZER, concerning the opinions he gathered from musicians before he began developing the VITALIZER. I also question him on the history of the development of the VITALIZER and the various concepts surrounding its development. In addition, I ask him to provide more details on the discrepancies between the conventional buffer circuits generally in use and the VITALIZER.
Chapter 3: What triggered its development?

Hayashi: "What first triggered the development of the VITALIZER goes back to the time when guitarist Jun Tsunoda was playing with the Tsuyoshi Nagabuchi band. The performance stages were rather wide and naturally longer cables had to be used. Because of this, Tsunoda felt the desired sound could not be rendered because sound projection was poor and sound quality changed depending on the length of cables used at respective concert venues. Accordingly, he asked us if we could come up with an idea to solve such problems, which often tended to occur depending on the overall length of cables used to connect multiple effectors. In fact, the output impedance of compact effectors in general use was unexpectedly high, ranging from as much as several K to 10KΩ. Particularly, in cases where a circuit was built using transistors at the input/output terminals of an effector, as the output impedance did not drop all that much, when longer cables were used, signals would deteriorate even more unless a circuit that could drive the signals accurately was built."


●Yukihiro Hayashi of Free The Tone - Developer of the VITALIZER

  
To prevent deterioration of sound quality in cases where longer cables are used, the high impedance signals output from a guitar need to be converted into low impedance signals by means of a buffer-amp type circuit. However, quite a number of musicians still complain about the sound quality even after the signals have been processed by a buffer amp.

Hayashi: "The buffer circuit incorporated in conventional effectors is a universal-use type and whether or not it is optimal for musical instruments is a different question. Quite a large number of people feel that buffered sound quality produces a 'hard sound' which they don't care for very much. The normal buffer circuit receives high-impedance signals and outputs low impedance signals; however, basically, regardless of the level of impedance on the output side, the buffer circuit must perform the same operation. This always being true, then the output sound is pretty much influenced by the buffer operation and the sound is altered into a buffer-colored sound, which tends to be flat. Consequently, the nuances of the sounds made by the individual instruments themselves may not be fully obtained. Thus, it follows that we had to develop a buffer circuit that was optimal for each musical instrument, and not merely rely on using a conventional buffer circuit. The major difference between the VITALIZER and the conventional buffer is that the sound characteristics change depending on the output impedance of the guitar. Therefore, there is no adverse influence on the characteristics of the guitar sound, regardless of the type of pickup being used and signals are output with minimal deterioration. This is one of the main characteristics of the VITALIZER. The performance characteristics of the input terminal of a tube guitar amp were used as the motif in the development the VITALIZER, serving as a reference point for conveying the excellent quality of the signal source as is."

Chapter 4: Discrepancies between buffers and the VITALIZER

If we hold that deterioration of sound quality is caused by cables, etc., some people will offer the simple solution that the sound should be corrected by an amp. However, this method poses problems as well.

Hayashi: "Sound quality which has been lost at some point along the way cannot be recovered later. Although, the sound can be corrected by an amp's EQ after the high range has been lost, it can be lost at some point other than the EQ. Thus, even if we attempt to correct the problem with an EQ, as a result, unnecessary elements will be boosted and cause the noise to be amplified even further. In the end, the entire high range will be boosted causing the sound to be rendered with an unnaturally hard tone. Also, even if the sound is corrected by an enhancer, due to phase shift, although initially a good sound may be obtained, in time it may turn into a fatiguing sound, turn into an unnatural sound or one that fades into the ensemble. I think it is really difficult to correct sound deterioration in the later stages. However, if we can transmit the original sound as is from the guitar as far as the amplifier, it becomes a lot easier to perform adjustments with the amp. In most cases, the design of an amplifier should be based on the idea that signals are directly input to the amp from a guitar to create the sound. Basically, this is the ideal method. However, given that effectors are used in many cases, under such circumstances the original sound eventually incurs even greater loss. The VITALIZER was developed with the goal of conveying a good sound to the amplifier in order to cope with such problems."

Now then, could you explain to us in more detail what the differences are between sound processed by a normal buffer and sound processed by a VITALIZER?

Hayashi: "The VITALIZER outputs a full and ample sound. In particular, it allows the different sounds of the strings to be distinguished without loosing harmonic components. The VITALIZER circuit enables sound to be rendered with a more 'three-dimensional' effect by reacting faithfully to the signals output from the instrument. Many guitarists dislike having a buffer place along the signal route of their guitar. Conversely, however, many guitarist have come to feel that the overall sound is improved when a VITALIZER is inserted. The fact is that, although the original sound rendered by the guitar is often lowered by various elements, when a VITALIZER is used the full tonal characteristics of the original guitar sound are conveyed faithfully."

  

●Providence VITALIZER

From the above, I believe you will have gained an idea of the characteristics of the VITALIZER, the effects it produces and why it is needed in the sound system for a guitar. In the next part, I asked Mr. Hayashi about the technical knowhow he has gathered throughout his career and also about his relationship with professionals on the music scene he has met along the way. I and also inquired about his philosophy toward sound systems which he developed through exchanges with Pete Cornish, a sound technician who has gained the trust of professional musicians all over the world. In this interview, we delve into the background of the development of the VITALIZER and the thorough commitment to producing a good guitar sound that is incorporated in the VITALIZER. In addition, I asked about the possibilities of the VITALIZER's applications in various configurations, for example, not only how it is used in the PFX-5 single-unit model, but also how it is used as a part of the circuitry for the SONIC DRIVE 2 for the “Free The Tone Custom."

(By Keishi Kawakami)

■Skip to VITALIZER product introduction page>>