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The Science of Sound.

Tone meets innovation in this incredible marriage of Chameleon Tone Technology and second generation Robot Guitar technology.

Chameleon Tone Technology.

The original Robot Guitar took the guitar world by storm when it was first introduced in December '07, but the new Dark Fire from Gibson is simply the most advanced guitar system ever developed. In fact, many of the technological advances on the Dark Fire were virtually inconceivable just a few years ago; the powerhead tuners, the tuning brain, the battery function and the sonic capabilities of a fully digital guitar make the new Dark Fire a virtual upgrade in every respect. Perhaps most impressive is Gibson's new Chameleon Tone Technology, which allows you to change your guitar's tone to match countless environments and to recreate any guitar sound you ever lusted after. The Dark Fire has arrived, and it's guaranteed to give you a new, stunning level of tonal and functional freedom. Release your creative potential.

Master Control Knob.

The key to controlling the powerful functions of the Dark Fire is the Master Control Knob (MCK), which has been completely redesigned with much improved ergonomics and a sophisticated full color matrix display featuring LEDs and high-tech light pipe technology, all to deliver a more powerful and easier to see visual display under any light condition. In addition to the MCK's top mounted display, LED-lit symbols now adorn its outer edge, which blend with the color of the knob so that they're only visible when lit. The Dark Fire's new MCK also controls the ability to change pickups and coils, allowing you the ability to adjust tone and tunings automatically and simultaneously, even several times during the same song.

500 Tunings from a Single Battery Charge.

The Dark Fire's battery system and power circuit have also been significantly improved to last nearly twice as long, even with the guitar's enhanced performance. You can now expect nearly 500 tunings from a single charge. As an added plus, you can also play the Dark Fire while the battery system is being charged. In addition, there’s a 12-volt DC connector for the Robot Interface Pack's power supply (see right), which both powers the RIP itself and recharges the Dark Fire’s battery when required.

Let it RIP.

While the heart of the Dark Fire’s abilities lie within the guitar itself, the compact Robot Interface Pack (RIP) interface can connect this versatile guitar to Windows or Mac computers to release Dark Fire’s ultimate tonal versatility — live or in the studio. In fact, the RIP lets you realize the full potential of Gibson’s new Chameleon Tone Technology.

 

RIP connects to your computer with a single FireWire cable: There’s no need to open up the computer, and you can easily move RIP from desktop to laptop or any other computer. The computer gives you instant access to countless recording applications and software effects processors, including Ableton Live 7 Gibson Studio Edition and Native Instruments’ Guitar Rig 3, both of which come with every Dark Fire guitar. Use these programs to record your latest ideas, access hundreds of different guitar effects and amplifiers, create backing tracks and much more.

How The RIP Works.

RIP includes high-quality converters that translate Dark Fire’s analog signal to a digital signal that works with computer music programs. Record and play back layers of your guitar riffs, add in drum parts included with Live, mix your tracks and play everything back through two standard, 1/4-inch main output jacks. These are compatible with a huge variety of mixers, amps and powered monitors; or monitor through the RIP’s 1/8-inch stereo headphone jack.


In addition to accepting a master guitar output and piezo pickup output for acoustic sounds, RIP can also extract a signal from each individual string, and process each one with individual effects — putting a virtual symphony at your fingertips. Add octave dividers to the lower strings for thundering bass sounds, distortion on the top three strings for searing leads and chorus on all six strings for liquid rhythm guitar sounds — all playable simultaneously. It’s the biggest guitar sound you’ve ever heard.


And that’s not all: Another special output is compatible with guitar-to-MIDI converters from companies such as Axon and Roland, turning Dark Fire into an exceptional MIDI guitar. Dark Fire owners will even be able to connect to the internet through their RIPs to download firmware updates, along with upgraded functions and software features, as they become available from Gibson.


While a standard guitar chord lets you use Dark Fire like any guitar with pickups, using the stereo TRS cable included with Dark Fire lets the RIP recharge your Dark Fire’s long-life battery, even while you’re playing! You can also separate the magnetic pickups and piezo pickup, and send them separately through the two outputs — imagine a distorted sound through an amp, and the clean, doubled piezo sound going through another amp or a PA system.


RIP isn’t just another pretty box: It’s the key to taking Dark Fire to places no guitar has ever gone before.

Fully Upgradable, Always Cutting Edge.

The Dark Fire you purchase today is designed to remain current with any upcoming developments from Gibson; the electronics can be removed from the guitar quickly and easily, and new electronics installed should the time come to upgrade to a future generation of Robot technology, or to change your pickups out of personal preference. The well-crafted, Les Paul-based core of the instrument retains its integrity whatever electronics you use with it, and therefore will retain its value despite what's done to alter its technological functions.

 

Download the Dark Fire Quick Start Guide


Faster, Lighter, Smaller Powerhead Tuners.

The redesigned powerhead tuners on the Dark Fire are significantly smaller and lighter, and more in line with the size and weight of conventional tuners. They're also radically faster. You can now access any preset tuning in less than one second, which means you can realistically change tunings in the middle of a song, if needed. What's more, the tuners are now automatically engaged to operate both electronically or individually by hand.

Dark Fire-Specific Audio Equipment Coming.

Gibson is already developing a range of audio equipment designed specifically to work with your new Dark Fire, some of which is already scheduled for release in early 2009, including a small transmitter module designed to work with Bluetooth wireless technology, allowing you the ability to connect wirelessly to your computer or laptop.

Upgrade Your Original Robot.

These incredible advances are not limited to owners of the new Gibson Dark Fire. Gibson players who bought the original Robot will soon be offered an opportunity to upgrade their Robot’s self-tuning technology to the new and improved self-tuning technology found on the Dark Fire. In just a few months, an upgrade kit will be made available at a price significantly lower than its standard retail price – reaffirming Gibson's aim is to keep all Robot products current and cutting edge, for all Gibson customers.