MidiGuitar software - by JamOrigion

I not sure that it will work out that way , I think you may be quite surprised in a good way. I’ve had that GR33 sitting on the floor for the last 3 years untouched and once it was wired up again…it was pretty cool. I think you have a nice surprise coming

I did a track of Dave Brubecks “take five”, the repetitive piano part I can play …so it got midi’ed into Cubase …then took the GR and played the sax part on the guitar. It came out very nice for something stuck together in about 7 minutes. I experimented just using the audio track from the amp, mic’ed. I will try adding the midi out from the GR33 and use that input to play thru the MT32 or the GR( maybe )

But I’m just giving you a heads up…you’re gonna have fun with it.

I’ve alread mentioned that I use a GR-20, and am quite happy with it, but, one of the failings of these guitar controllers be it a Roland GR type synth or a ZTar or even the YRG Midi guitar, is that they continue to constrain the guitarist to the strumming and plucking of six virtual strings paradigm. One of the main criticisms of synth technology is in regard to the dynamics or articulation control - a keyboard is not ideal for creating strumming or bowing or breath, so we create other, specialty controllers for these, and the midi guitar is just such a controller, but here again the same is true - strumming is not the same as striking a piano chord, not to mention breath and bowing techniques.
The important thing for a guitarist is a familiar noting and chording interface i.e. the neck, strings and frets; if he’s got that then he can make music, and how these are articulated can be changed - new techniques of articulation can be learned quickly.
I mentioned the MISA Digital KITARA back a few posts, and I don’t know whether anyone took this seriously, but the more I look into it, the more I realize that it is really the only midi guitar type instrument which truly frees the guitarist from the contraints of his instrument and will allow a new freedom of control and open new directions in creativity. There is also the Korg Kaoss Pad and the Manson M1D1 but a bit pricey.
Seriously don’t just dismiss it out of hand.

You folks that are working with a midi guitar may already know this but, the biggest issue is to make sure you’re playing in the correct mode. Generally you’ll want to set the guitar so it transmits each string on a separate midi channel ,1-6. You’ll then need to set your midi sound module to have the same sound on each channel. This way retriggered notes on different channels aren’t cutting others off, giving a more realistic sound. If you have Kontat there is a great app called GTAK that will do this for you ($50). If you have Omnisphere of Trilian ,they each have a "live"mode that also does this.

BriHar,
I think your comments are right on target. I suppose the differences to some ears may not be as noticeable and the type of use in the track may help in making it less identifiable as a limitation. I went a checked out the MISA Kitara even to the point of finding one on sale, used,for about $750.00 US in mint condition. I could not spend that much at this time but it might have been a great buy. I would be nice to play with one somewhere

Mr. M, I have known that but only from reading it somewhere. Six strings, six channels. It is likely a characteristic of the GR33 but I have not recorded any midi yet to show the possible cutoff. Only played the sounds in the synth and recorded that, out of the amp. There are a few sounds that just don’t seem to fit anywhere but Now I’d like to see that cutoff happen. I wish I had time to take a few days and experiment. Since the winter is gone I’m not able to hide out in the studio room and blame it on weather

Steve, I still think you’re going to satisfy a demand in your playing with this guitar and I’d almost bet other than a little tracking here and there, you will be happy…I’ve only seen it being played, but it looked and sounded good

To be clear on this, keyboards either play internal sounds or trigger sound modules but transmit on a single channel. When you apply pitch bend it plays across all notes you’re playing These days polyphony usually isn’t an issue so cutoff was a bad example. The beauty of a midi guitar is it can transmit in mono mode (midi mode 4) so that each string is on a separate midi channel. Therefore you can do bends on a single string without affecting others and other natural guitar playing techniques. It may be harder to setup n a sound module but once done and saved as aCubase template it’s the only way to go.

I understand what you mean. In the early days of midi guitar, one of the complaints from most guitarists (right or wrong) was the need for a special instrument which felt foreign to them (some guitarists embraced this - E.g. Holdsworth). This is the reason systems like Roland’s caught on and stayed in the mainstream, as you could use your own guitar, or one of your liking. Something like the Kitara or Starrlabs ZTar, or even adding a Kaoss controller could make many guitarists uncomfortable, and all at sea. Even the YRG you may find takes some adapting to the feel of a strange neck.

Regarding the channels, they don’t have to be 1-6 you usually set a primary channel (1-11), and then the next 5 channels are reserved.

One of the reasons I never started using the GR33 years back when I had acquired it was the need to MOUNT the GK pickup on the body of the guitar. None of my guitars were going to be getting a pickup screwed, glued or taped onto them.

I had eventually picked up some instruments where I did not mind doing that kind of stuff but since the GODIN has the 13 pin as does the Brian Moore, the GK pickup was never taken out of the package. I never believed it would replace any of the guitars but that it could add a reasonable collection of options regarding sounds. Also, both of them track extremely well with the GR33. I am again, quite happy, playing them today as 7-8 years ago.

By the way, Brihar…I was introduced to Allan Holdsworth by a girl at work back in 1986. I was hooked by his style and sound. I really enjoy that stuff.

I guess you also also like Metheny, McLaughlin, Bruford a.o. :wink:
Since I could never hope to get a Synthaxe which I absolutely fell in love with when it was first introduced, I discovered Pat Metheny used a Roland GR300 so figured years later that I wouldn’t be going wrong with Roland GR gear.

The YRG is in many respects similar to the Synthaxe, but if only they would mount the neck on a different angle like the Synthaxe - that really enamoured me to it.

Re Steve Clark ,
Wait 'til he gets older and has a lot of back problems - mark my words! :stuck_out_tongue:

BTW Steve, how is it for weight compared to a conventional guitar? Does it feel like a toy, or does it have some substance? I remember the Synthaxe weighed a ton.

I haven’t even heard the word Synthaxe in a very long time and yes you’re right about Pat Metheny and John McLaughlin. I had first seen McLaughlin when he played with Billy Cobham and Mahavishnu Orchestra maybe 1973???. My jaw dropped …he was spectacular and I had never heard anyone play drums like Billy Cobham.

As for the GR33. Have had zero free time this week. After work I have been welding and grinding steel to finish building this giant log splitter. I am getting too old to be out muscling steel. Or the steel that make these days is heavier than it used to be.

I wish I had been able to express the thoughts I had about your new experience with the new guitar. Those thoughts you express are almost exactly what I was thinking…it did make you smile when you first heard it …didn’t it?

Hah, the name didn’t really click :blush: Back then a lot of my mates were into Def Leppard, I however, was in a kind of ‘numb’ phase.

That picture of Steve Clark brought back an odd memory for me. August 16 1969…Asbury Park Convention Hall in New Jersey Led Zeppelin… Jimmy Page played the entire show with the guitar hung very low like this and was bent over at the waste playing it for over 2 hours…ouch!

Before the show, two other friends were talking about forgetting going to the concert and just driving up the New York Thruway to go to Woodstock. They were saying that they heard there were 500,000 people there and it was a wild show, etc etc. I told them " we paid $4.50 for these tickets and now you want to just throw them away?"

Show was good. Besides Woodstock tickets were $15.00 :slight_smile:

@Knuckle47
Such is life.

Steve ,
I’m about 5 yrs older than you…you’re gonna love this one. Also in New Jersey, I think it was 1967. The Cream in Union Catholic High School auditorium. Tickets were $3.00 each. We moved to Florida that spring and I met a few people from the apartment complex we lived in in south Miami and got tickets to see The Doors at Dinner Key Auditorium. We were so psyched out to go see Jim Morrison and then the s#!t hit the fan. They started playing “Touch Me” when Morrison said " hey you in the light crew, you want to kiss my ass…you can all s*ck my ass". Started to take his pants off n stage and then the lights came up, cops were all over the stage and it was over.

I saw things there at 14 I’d never seen before. Besides hippy chicks there was a guy with a long robe on with an American Flag cape carrying a baby goat. Smoked my first joint that night and within a few weeks Jackie Gleason and Anita Bryant were hosts at a “decency in music” rally at the Orange bowl. Those were my formative years. There were a ton of “firsts” to come

Early 1968 we went to the Seminole Indian rock festival a 3 day thing. The night I went, the announcer said" we have a guy who’s is not scheduled to play tonight but he wants to get his name spread around so let me introduce…Johnny Winter" I was almost 15 and that was nearly 45 years ago

What a long strange trip it’s been…

Steve,

I am glad to see your enjoying the YRG. As you said, the more you play it the better it gets. I’ve seen it with my own rekindling love of the GR33 and all in the last two weeks…haha

Make some notes as I am sure you will discover so much more about connectivity … I did update my 2x2 midi sport with their 8x8/s version (M-audio). I figured I needed better flexibility for so many other midi devices hanging around and I’ve been following your activities , it just made sense and for $65.00 it was ok.

By the way, the only 3 day show I ever went to was Watkins Glen for the Allman Brothers, the Band and the Grateful Dead. Yup, another story but hey. 450,000 people…so they said. Hot as hell and we were at the base of the stage. I went through the very deep crowd to get my friend and I a jug of water…on the way back every other person on the ground asked " hey man, can I have a hit?" Ok…by the time I got back to my friend, the gallon was near empty. :open_mouth:

Ha!

If it were I, every time someone asked for a hit, I would have kicked 'em in the bewhoositz with my steel toed boot, or urinated on their head lice!

Damned hippies.

:laughing:

I’ve decided to go with the Fishman Triple Play system myself.

THAT is on my list…I had gotten a note from Fishman stating that the unit is shipping now. My problem is that I cant be parting with the cost to get it right now. So I updated my MIDI instead

My guess Draconis is you know of these “hippies” …haha … I was trying to be kind…too kind. On the other hand, today where I live…it is “F U…me first !”

Steve, That crown I need from the root canal is something I am still waiting for 2 years later…My dentist did something with the white stuff used for fillings and between it and that killer blue light that hardens it, it holds for now

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You’re mistaken.

The Fishman is a complete system. It requires no Roland gear to function.

Not only that, but at http://www.zzounds.com, you can buy one for 4 easy payments of $99.95!

No, only wireless.

Well, I imagine that the “wiz” played with this thing a lot more than 2-3 times. :wink: