STEPP DGI - digital guitar - 1986

The electric guitar hasn't changed much since the 50's.

Music has.

Synthesizers and digital technology have revolutionized popular music with the result that guitarists have to some extent been left behind.

Quite a few have taken to the keyboard synthesizer only to sound like every other guitarist turned synth player.

Guitar synthesizers have been around for a while but they have been shunned by guitarists because they are basically keyboardsynthesizers you can plug a guitar into.

No one has built a guitar-dedicated system.

Until now.

The STEPP DGI is the first digital guitar designed totally and solely for the guitarist – the only other thing you need to plug into is your amp or mixing desk. It comes as a complete unit, giving you the control essential for dramatic guitar performance.

And it speaks your language.

Previously so called guitar synthesizers and MIDI guitars failed because they were locked into a keyboard language far too limiting for the enormous range of expression and subtlety of the guitar.

The DGI is capable of instantly analysing every chord, solo or strum, and via its dedicated synthesizer section can translate every nuance into a whole new palette of sounds. These can be stored in 100 memory locations on the guitar itself.

In addition every new guitar sound can be modelled in performance by the way you play.

STEPP'S unique open architecture and active performance software (APS) allows parameters to be routed to 'real-time' controls such as the wang bar, frets or strum area.

To take one example you can wang volume, bend resonance and strum filter cut-off, or just stick to the traditional parameters such as bending pitch.

In short it's the most expressive guitar ever developed.

And with MIDI-IN you can use a sequencer to record and playback your last solo or play bass while playing rhythm and drums.

All on one guitar.

The STEPP DGI is a very sophisticated instrument harnessing the very latest in 16 bit microprocessor technology.

But happily it is technology that doesn't herald the end of the guitar. Just a new beginning.