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Ghost Hexpander

How is the tracking/latency of the Hexpander?

The ghost Hexpander is the fastest tracking MIDI system on the market and is renowned for being very accurate. It offers the Traktion tracking adjustment to match it perfectly to Axon or Roland MIDI converters.

How should I set the Traktion switch to optimize tracking?

The Traktion switch is a tiny slider switch that has two positions, left and right.  Left is for Roland converters, and right is for Axon converters. If you have a brand other than these two, try both settings and use the one that tracks best.

Are the switches available in a different finish?

We only stock our switches in chrome finish, but the switch is a regular on/off/on SPDT mini toggle, available at most guitar parts retailers. You can special-order the QuickSwitch harness only by phone (for half the price), but you may find it easie

How big is the Hexpander?

The PC board measures 1-5/8" x 1-1/8". With the connectors on, it's about 3/8" high. Piggybacked with the Acousti-Phonic, they are 1/2" high.

What is the value of the Hexpander Volume Pot? Can I use a regular guitar volume pot?

Our Hexpander Volume Pot is a 250K linear (type-B) pot. A 250K audio-taper pot will also work, but mid-volume will not be at mid-scale. You may choose to do this, especially if you are putting the MIDI volume on a stacked pot because mixed linear/aud

Can I install just the Hexpander without the Acousti-Phonic? Will I still have the option of a direct acoustic sound?

Yes, you can install only the Hexpander, and you will get MIDI out on a 13-pin jack (hex output, a filtered analog signal). With the addition of the BE-0182-G0 Mag to Pin-7 harness, your mag signal gets delivered to pin 7 of the 13-pin connector. Mos

How does my magnetic signal get to pin 7 if there's no connection between the mags and the Hexpander?

You will need a little accessory, the Mag to Pin-7 Harness, to connect the mags to the Hexpander. (you do not need this if you are also installing the Acousti-Phonic; it delivers the mag signal to the Hexpander) Solder the green wire on the Mag to Pi

Can the Hexpander be installed in a guitar with more than six strings?

Currently, the Hexpander and all MIDI converters are limited to six strings. There are two popular workarounds for more than six strings:.

What is the correct order for plugging in the saddle pickups for a four string bass?

G D A E = 2 3 4 5 and adjust the instrument input setting in your MIDI converter.

What is the correct order for plugging in the saddle pickups for a five string bass?

B G D A E = 1 2 3 4 5  or  G D A E B =  2 3 4 5 6 and adjust the instrument input setting in your MIDI converter.

What is the correct order for plugging in the saddle pickups for a six string bass?

B G D A E B = 1 2 3 4 5 6 or  E B G D A E =  1 2 3 4 5 6 and adjust the instrument input setting in your MIDI converter.

Can I use my active pickups with the Hexpander?

Yes. In the standard Hexpander-only installation, the magnetic and acoustic/MIDI systems exist parallel to each other, but are not connected, so there's no interaction between them.

If there's no connection between the magnetic pickups and the Hexpander, how does the QuickSwitch mute the mag signal?

Add the Mag-to-Pin-7 harness, and connect the green wire to the tip lug of your 1/4" jack. This is where the mag and MIDI systems interface.

Do you make a MIDI bridge for 7 string guitars?

Many of our saddles that are made for 6-string bridges will also fit on 7-string bridges. If you do not find a 7-saddle set on our Web site, but see a saddle that looks like it would fit your guitar, contact us and we will put together a custom set o

What if I am installing the ghost system into an instrument that does not have any magnetic pickups?

If you have an instrument with a metal bridge plate, it would be good practice to ground that plate rather than leave it floating because the bridge is a big chunk of metal near the pickups and their wires, which are high-impedance and thus prone to

Can the ghost system be used with other manufacturer's components?

Yes, many piezo technologies are similar enough that they will interface successfully. Often the biggest difficulty is getting parts from different manufacturers physically hooked up together. Other companies don't use the nifty plug-in connectors li

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