Technical Notes: Double Triggers

Double Triggers

Double Triggers can result from several different causes.

1. TAP mode is enabled by mistake
2. Hammered on notes occur before picked note
3. String Gain is too high
4. Mechanical or String tension issues
5. Pickups are loose

1. TAP mode is enabled by mistake
If TAP is enabled, every time you touch the fingerboard a new note will sound. This is a common cause of double triggering. Turn TAP mode off to see if this corrects your problem.

2. Hammered on notes occur before picked note
The default setting is for the You Rock Guitar to play hammer on’s in all cases – this is to try simulate the way a normal guitar responds. However there are certain conditions where a hammer on can result in double triggers.

If you are playing in a style where you pick every note, the You Rock Guitar will always attempt to respond to hammered notes – so if you do not pluck the string at the same time as you finger a hammered on note, double triggers can occur.

For Example: Play the A on the low E string (5^th fret) using your index finger (finger 1), pluck it and then while continuing to hold the A note, use your 3^rd finger to play the B (7^th fret) two frets up on the same string. As you touch the 7^th fret, a note will sound whether you have picked the string again or not. Now if you pick the 7^th fret with the pick, you will hear the B play once more … this can happen when playing under normal conditions as you pick the notes – so you will get two of the same notes playing: the first from the hammer on and the second from the pick.

This is because it is the default configuration to play all hammer on’s.

The guitar includes the following three parameters that can be used to control this:

a) Hammer Enable
Hammer Enable allows you to completely remove all Hammer On’s. To determine if Hammer On’s are causing your Double Triggering problem. Turn Hammer Enable OFF. Test this setting by picking each note while you play and see if the double triggers have been eliminated. If this solves your problem but you want to keep Hammer On’s enabled, try adjust Hammer Pre-Delay (see below).

b) Hammer Pre-Delay
Hammer Pre-Delay inserts a small delay before hammer on’s will sound. This provides a greater time window between the moment your finger touches the fingerboard to the time the hammered note will sound. This allows you to tweak the hammer on timing to match your playing style. The default Hammer Delay is 6ms. Increase Hammer Pre-Delay to minimize the hammer ons that occur before you pick a hammered note.

c) Hammer Decay
Hammer on note Velocity is proportional to the original plucked note Velocity. The Hammer Decay parameter allows for control of the amplitude of the hammered note. Hammer Velocity is controlled by the Hammer Decay parameter. The larger the Hammer Decay value, the faster the Hammer on Velocity will decay. Increasing this value will reduce the Velocity of hammered notes, they will still trigger, but will not be as loud.

 3. String Gain
String Gain is a very critical part of the You Rock Guitar capabilities but it is a parameter that needs to be adjusted carefully. The guitar is shipped with String Gain set to 5 on each string. It is usual to adjust the String Gain by a few increments ie. up to 7 or 8. If this doesn’t help the string sensitivity problem and you find that you are adjusting the String Gain up to 10 - then you should see the technical bulletin on String Sensitivity.

 4. Mechanical or String tension issues
String tension can affect sensitivity and playability – but this is not often the cause of double triggering on its own. If the strings have been adjusted too tight or too loose and other parameters have been changed to compensate for this, it could be the cause of your problem. It is always best to set the string tension so that the strings feel comfortable for you to play. The You Rock Guitar is shipped with a fairly tight string tension – if this feels too tight for you, and we recommend that you loosen the strings by backing off the screws about ¼ turn. The strings should never be overtightened. A good rule of thumb is that if you press down on a string approximately at its mid-point, it gives easily – I like to adjust them so that they easily can be pressed down to about 1/8” from the surface of the guitar.

 5. Pickups are loose
It is possible for the pickups to have become dislodged in transit. It is usually easy to tell if this is the case if the pickups make a buzzing sound when being plucked. If this is the case you will often hear a rattling sound when picking the string. This is simple to fix and requires removing the bridge cover plate with a Philips screwdriver (2A) and carefully snapping the pickups back on to the string. CAUTION. Use care when snapping the pickups onto the string as too much pressure could damage the pickup material