FAQ

"What is "Tone Design?" "Who is "VansEvers?" "What is a "Pocket Rocket?" "That can't work! How does it work?" "How does that little thing have such a big effect?" "So all I need is a Pocket Rocket and I'm set right?" "I have to learn how to use it? That takes too long!" "What is "Tone Design by Vans Evers?" The sound of a musical instrument is a collection of harmonic and non-harmonic resonances. These resonances cause each note sounded by an instrument to have energy at multiple frequencies. Because each note is made up of many different frequencies, each note has a "tone," rather than the single pitch of a tuning fork. Also, because each note is made up of multiple frequencies, there is a bottom part, a middle part, and an upper part to the tone, or sound of each and every note. We make products that have great flexibility, and allow the musician to design their own improved tone. Our products can give your tone more bass weight, more brilliance, more middle, a combination of tonal effects, or whatever it is that you want. "Who is "VansEvers?" Mike Vans Evers (pronounced like "vans - eevers") is a self taught electronics technician specializing in vacuum tube electronics, a studio tech, a live sound engineer, a woodworker, and an inventor (1 patent, 2 others pending). He has a degree in Geology (although be has never seen a rock professionally), and was tapped for the honor society in electrical engineering before he decided he had more fun in a recording studio than he did in class. He is also the chief listener for Tone Design by:VansEvers, ajob he is well qualified for, from thousands of hours listening to his creations in the context of music, live and recorded. back to top "What is a "Pocket Rocket?" It is a device that, you guessed it, fits in your pocket. The non-obvious part is that it changes the tone of your instrument. "That can't work! How does it work?" Let's look at a similar occurrence. If your shoulder muscles are tense, your tone is affected-and usually in a negative manner. To get the roundest tone, your shoulder muscles have to be loose. Correct? Well, a muscle is a spring whose degree of tenseness determines the frequency at which it resonates. The mass of your shoulder muscle doesn't change, but the springy-ness of it does change, from tight to loose, and from bad to good sounding. Those muscles aren't in direct contact with your instrument, are they? Their resonances are indirectly coupled into your instrument through your arms and hands.. and yet they still affect your sound. The question therefore becomes: what is the difference between one set of resonances indirectly coupled into your instrument, and another? The answer: nothing. The Pocket Rocket is a multi-resonant device that is designed to have musically relevant resonances. Those resonances are conducted through your body into your instrument. It works! "How does that little thing have such a big effect?" Let's look at a similar occurrence for this question. Your strings have very little surface area, so what amplifies their vibrations/resonances? Your instrument does. Your instrument is an acoustic amplifier that makes the resonances of your strings into sound that everyone can hear. It's the same with the resonances of the Pocket Rocket, they are amplified by your instrument, and make tonal changes that everyone can hear and appreciate...if it's set up properly. "So all I need is a Pocket Rocket and I'm set right?" Not exactly. Will any bow do? How about any set of strings? How about your bridge or your sound post? You need the right one, and for it to be adjusted to best compliment and enhance the sound of your instrument. "I have to learn how to use it? That takes too long!" It takes a while, yes, but not that long. But the benefits you can get far outweigh the time you will spend learning how to compensate for halls, weather, ensemble size, and even composer. All of this is possible with one instrument. Before, you might have needed two or more instruments and even multiple bows to accomplish this. With the devices from Tone Design by: Vans Evers, the same can be done at considerable savings--tens if not hundreds of times less cost. back to top

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