The Noatronic Onboard Expression is a potentiometer that can be fitted to any guitar and control any expression, switch or MIDI-compatible device. Announced by Noatronic at NAMM 2019, it replaces conventional tone pots: in place of an ordinary tone control, the player gets a knob that sends control data out to other gear, whether that is an expression, switching or MIDI pedal on the floor.1
What it does
The system consists of a small controller and a receiver, which connects up to the guitar. The controller takes the place of a standard tone pot on the guitar itself, and the receiver sits in the signal chain, where it passes the guitar's audio through and reads the control data coming down the cable.1
Noatronic's tech allows the control and audio signal to be transmitted from a single TRS cable, while the guitar signal is kept free of the control line to maintain audio integrity. The guitar signal is directly bypassed inside the receiver, so the audio path does not run through the control electronics.1
No battery is required in the guitar, so fitting the controller does not mean routing power or a battery clip inside the instrument's electronics cavity.1
What reviewers said
Coverage so far comes from MusicRadar's NAMM 2019 news report, which described the product as a "New potentiometer replaces conventional tone pots" and noted that "There's no price announced for this one yet" at the time of the show.1
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Questions
Does the Noatronic Onboard Expression need a battery in the guitar?
No. MusicRadar's NAMM 2019 report states that no battery is required in the guitar. The system consists of a small controller and a receiver that connects up to the guitar, and the control and audio signals travel together over a single TRS cable, so the guitar itself stays passive on that front.
Does it affect my guitar's tone?
Noatronic's tech transmits the control and audio signal over one TRS cable while keeping the guitar signal free of the control line to maintain audio integrity. MusicRadar also reports that the guitar signal is directly bypassed inside the receiver, so the audio path is kept separate from the control data.
Sources (1)
- NAMM 2019: Control any MIDI device from your guitar with Noatronic's Onboard Expression, MusicRadar, 2019-01-14