New Dark Fire from Gibson, State-of-the-Art Electronic Guitar, Features 1394 for PC Connectivity

Gibson’s Design Decision Shows FireWire’s Continued Popularity in Audio and Applications; See a Live Demo at YouTube

The release of the much-anticipated Gibson Dark Fire electronic guitar represents another exciting application for the IEEE 1394 standard, which the Dark Fire guitar uses for PC connectivity.

Gibson Guitar in January issued details about its new Dark Fire guitar, which it billed as a "Marriage between Chameleon Tone Technology and Second-Generation Robot Guitar Technology."  The Dark Fire is an all-analog model equipped with digital controls that enable the guitar to tune itself with the push of a button, to inhabit a wide range of tones, and function at the command of downloadable settings. It offers a variety of tonal possibilities to let players change its tone to match any audio environment. 

The Gibson Dark Fire combines two of Gibson's most popular pickups — the P90h in the neck position and a Burstbucker 3 in the bridge position. Both are capped with new carbon fiber-like pickup covers.

Connecting Dark Fire to a PC Using FireWire

The guitar uses a separate box for connecting the guitar to the PC using a standard FireWire cable, offering players the ability to record easily using sequencing software that is included in the system. Early hands-on tests demonstrate that the Dark Fire produces a wide range of industrial-metal sounds, reverb effects, and various distortion settings – which can be adjusted on the guitar using an LED-lighted knob.

“Gibson is one of the world’s leading audio companies and a truly innovative guitar developer,” said James Snider, executive director of the 1394 Trade Association.  “Their decision to incorporate FireWire for PC connectivity is another example of 1394’s popularity in audio and artistic applications.”

For the live demo of Dark Fire in action, visit this link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vNOLPNIwinc