Is Anyone Using a MIDI Guitar?

If so, how is it working out for you? Would you recommend it? What equipment are you using? I am G.A.S.ing over a MIDI guitar becuase I can't play my MIDI keyboard very well.

I am unsure of exactly what I need though (equipment wise). I know Roland has the GK-3 pickup but do you have to plug it into something like the GR-20 (the "floor pedal") or can you run it directly into your computer and use it to get your sounds through the MIDI plug-ins like the MIDI keyboard.

Any comments would be greatly appreciated.

Dave

You need to run the modern 13-pin guitar midi out to a converter (Axon) and from there via a standard 5-pin midi cable to your computer (eg. soundcard,midi-input).

I say modern because the older midi guitars use a 24-pin system which must be converted down to the 5-pin.

Spend an hour or so at the www.joness.com/gr300 site and it will answer all of your questions.

Good luck!

I installed the GK-3 on a Strat and into a GI-20.
With a careful install on the guitar and setting the GI-20 for picking style I'm very pleased with it.
I haven't been staying updated on options mainly because this set-up works great for what I do.
Although I really don't play that Strat for anything other than midi it is easy enough to use for analog as well.

I use it for controlling software only. I became satisfied with it when I got my quad-core PC. Latency can be an issue.

I too had issues with midi keyboard being a guitarist so this set-up works.

I don't add effects in projects that I'm using it in until I've completed the midi parts. Workflow is important.
There is no way I can determine if this is right for you-only that it works for me.
Should you care...all the tunes I've recorded with exception of "Good Day" and the instrumental version I used midi for bass (Trilogy) and Spectrasonics "Atmosphere" for various parts. (my recordings are probably not a good example but all I have to offer)

Hope this helps Dave,
Michael

I use a Roland setup with a Roland Ready Strat going into a GI-20, which is basically a GR-20 without sounds. The GI-20 connects via USB and shows up as a MIDI in in Cakewalk. Works great for laying down MIDI tracks, but I use it less now that I've learned to play the bass. It does require a controlled style. For lead tracks I use a very clean picking style. For piano I play fingerstyle, plucking with my nails and using my fingertips as dampers. Good luck!

I use a Godin Sgx (Roland ready) with a GR-33. I also can drive VSTs and soft synths from that. You need a really good touch for the fingerboard, otherwise you'll trigger some unwanted notes. With the Godin & GR-33 you can layer synth and guitar, plus the Godin has an LR Baggs acoustic pickup so there's lots of sonic possibilities.

Thanks for all the comments...I appreciate it.

Bill Frizzell, Allan Holdsworth, Robert FrippTony MacAlpine, David Byrne, Stanley Jordon, John McLaughlin, Joni Mitchell,Al Di Meola
K. K. Downing, George Lynch, Mike Rutheford, Pat Metheny , Glen Tipton, Lee Ritenour , Jimmy Page and Eddie Martinez are a few other people who have used guitar synths quite a bit.

Clapton has also used one as has Lee Ritnour (sp)

I too use a "Roland ready Fender Strat"..........both for recording and live.........I play very little piano/keyboards.
I couple the RR strat with Rolands GR-33.

You "can" mount a Hex pickup on many guitars, but alignment may be difficult. The Roland ready strat...comes already setup.... plus it looks great.

go here for details. http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/StratRRBSB/

Good luck,
Jeff

as others have noted you need a pickup and an interface. I have a roland gk2 pickup and the axon ax50 usb interface. I did alot of research and found in most reviews and opinions that the axon had the lowest tracking latency which was extremely important to me. I can verify that the interface tracking latency (NOT your audio interface latency - that is additional) is almost non existent. I use it with Kontakt 3 and other VSTis and it works great.

http://www.axon-technologies.net/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=36&menu=102

http://www.axon-technologies.net/modules.php?op=modload&name=Sections&file=index&req=viewarticle&artid=104&menu=10202

Hi Kurry Kid, I'm using a GI-20 Roland guitar interface via USB into Cakewalk Sonar 7. I use the Mono six string method rather than the poly. You should first "dump" from the GI-20 or any guiatar midi interface into the Sysex veiw in cakewalk. that will give you a record of the messages sent from your guitar unit in your project. Although the sysex veiw does not enter control parameters into ACT or the Generic control surface it will give a record of the messages that is right there on the screen. There are some guitar midi parameters in the presets in ACT for different interfaces. I have gotten the ACT to record and use control parameters from the GI-20, such as volume from the main knob on the GK-3 pickup. There are short falls in communication between the Gi-20 unit and the Cakewalk INI. ? file, look at the other midi entrys there and add one from the Sysex veiw dump you did.
The guitar is capable of note variations and combinations that the MIDI system has aparently not been programed to recognize. Several posts in your thread state this. Setup and matching touch style, bend range, sensitivity, etc. is crucial to get a clean register of what you put in, just remember , MIDI has no mercy. It will pickup things you do not hear, it will interpret transitional note combinations differently, It will change the way you play. Apparently the later model guitar midi synths do a better job. I've been driving the soft synths in Sonar with the GI-20 but I'm no Midi expert and there are some control message problems, with note-on and note-off messages especially, and other functions of the unit you are sending into cakewalk because of the different codes per unit. Other than that it's mostly driver-player error. The list is way too complex for a forum post. But that's a starter.

ORIGINAL: MarioD


I use a Casio midi guitar and I also have noticed that old thin (8-38) strings work the best for tracking. The thing I like about it is that it has a midi out; that is a normal midi chord that can plug into to any synth or computer. No interface is necessary.

It has been mentioned that you must change your playing style to play a midi guitar. That is correct. You must be very articulate when playing one. Do not think you can pick one up and play it like an electric guitar because it ain’t gonna happen.

Good luck.

Interesting, as I use .011s on most of my guitars and use an old set of .009s on the MIDI guitar.

Yes, the standard MIDI cable feature is very cool and IMHO how all MIDI devices should be - guitars included.

It's not like a DX7 has a different MIDI cable then a K2000 - ok, I'm dating myself here - byut you get the idea!

I have a GR-33. I was using a GK-3 pickup mounted on one of my guitars and then I got a Zion with the MIDI pickups built-in. The response is much better. It does take some finagling to get some of the virtual instruments to behave themselves, and some simply respond better than others. I like having the GR-33 available as opposed to just interfacing because its internal sounds can be useful and also the pedal. When I am controlling a softsynth I switch to a GR-33 patch that is close to the instrument I am playing (eg. strings) which also helps shape the sound. Then I go into staff view and event view and edit if necessary.
So, kurrykid--if you are on a budget or not sure how much you are going to use this stuff, I'd guess the GK-3 and GI-20 (midi interface only) are the cheapest way to go; you'd be able to play softsynths that way. I'd recommend going a few huindred more and getting the GR-20 so you'd have the pedal and external synth sounds.

ORIGINAL: Phoenix

I have a GR-33. I was using a GK-3 pickup mounted on one of my guitars and then I got a Zion with the MIDI pickups built-in. The response is much better. It does take some finagling to get some of the virtual instruments to behave themselves, and some simply respond better than others. I like having the GR-33 available as opposed to just interfacing because its internal sounds can be useful and also the pedal. When I am controlling a softsynth I switch to a GR-33 patch that is close to the instrument I am playing (eg. strings) which also helps shape the sound. Then I go into staff view and event view and edit if necessary.
So, kurrykid--if you are on a budget or not sure how much you are going to use this stuff, I'd guess the GK-3 and GI-20 (midi interface only) are the cheapest way to go; you'd be able to play softsynths that way. I'd recommend going a few huindred more and getting the GR-20 so you'd have the pedal and external synth sounds.

Just for clarification...if I had the GR-20, I would not need the GI-20, correct?

Thanks.

The GI-20 was made to interface with a sound module or a keyboard midi controller and would probably work better with a controller in front of it that Sonar already has a preset for. I'm learning all this as I go, how to enter the midi information into sonar so the soft synths and the host will respond to the control messages. I'm thinking of getting a Motu Midi Timepeice and a keyboard controller to get a better Midi system in place for all the midi capable devices one might want. Drum-percussion pad, guitar, keyboard. The GI-20 will work on it's own but if you're going to expand, you'll need a Midi interface eventually, one you can word clock.

ORIGINAL: kurrykid

ORIGINAL: Phoenix

I have a GR-33. I was using a GK-3 pickup mounted on one of my guitars and then I got a Zion with the MIDI pickups built-in. The response is much better. It does take some finagling to get some of the virtual instruments to behave themselves, and some simply respond better than others. I like having the GR-33 available as opposed to just interfacing because its internal sounds can be useful and also the pedal. When I am controlling a softsynth I switch to a GR-33 patch that is close to the instrument I am playing (eg. strings) which also helps shape the sound. Then I go into staff view and event view and edit if necessary.
So, kurrykid--if you are on a budget or not sure how much you are going to use this stuff, I'd guess the GK-3 and GI-20 (midi interface only) are the cheapest way to go; you'd be able to play softsynths that way. I'd recommend going a few huindred more and getting the GR-20 so you'd have the pedal and external synth sounds.

Just for clarificatiom...if I had the GR-20, I would not need the GI-20, correct?

Thanks.

great thread - I'm interested in this going the other way - I'm learning guitar and am researching a guitar synth to help me with the translation to keyboard for arranging purposes so I can transpose both ways. I love the fretboard view in Sonar (Rock!).

So for $1k I can get into a RR Strat and a GI-20 to play softsynths in Sonar via USB/Midi. This seems to be the cheapest, easiest MOST RELIABLE way to go... If there's a viable alternative please share.

I figure if I can't be a good guitar player I can be a weird one... I also love big fat droning washed out reverb soaked over delayed stuff...

Loving my Eclipse and H3000 on guitar... boo ya!

-tbf