From zzz@netcom.comWed Apr 19 11:11:24 1995 Date: Tue, 18 Apr 1995 21:09:05 -0700 (PDT) From: jt To: electronica@andrew.cmu.edu Subject: Re: Midi guitar controllers... > What seems like it might have the best promise for you is to use the > built-in stuff in the Roland MIDI guitar. You can turn off the > oscillators and use what they call hex fuzz. This uses a separate > fuzz on each string as a sound source. They can be processed by the > filter and VCA. This avoids the problem of pitch detection (which is > hard). You may still have some triggering problems if you play too > sloppy, but there are settings of the filter and VCA that can get > around this problem. Roland was into the hex fuzz effect, but later models do not include it. If I recognize Legion properly from the analogue list, I assume he is somewhat into analogue gear. I own, and my experience is limited to only these models: GR-300 - basic analog synth, no midi. Each string has its own osc works with the GK-1 or STK-1 (bare electronics plus more controls than GK-1) GR-700 - amazingly similar to a JX-3P. Midi out only. works with the PG-200, but you can't use both the programmer and midi at the same time. I have heard from Adrian Belew he had his modified for midi in as well, and I heard on the net that there is also a mod to deal with the programmer OR midi only situation for both the GR-700 and JX-3P but don't know anything else. Also works with GK-1 or STK-1 GR-50 - amazingly similar to a D-10, same synth engine. Works with the PG-10. I already have a D-10 and think without the PG-10 it is a D-10, with it and it is 100 times better, but that's another subject. Midi in/out/thru ARP Avater - The synth itself is great, but remember what it did to ARP? when I got mine, I gave it an honest try and gave up on it as a guitar synth. CV, trigger, and gate (in/out for all). Sounds great when doing absolutely nothing besides having it's sliders messed with while receiving only a trigger pulse. It also has an external audio in (great!) I almost bought a GM-70 several times. It is midi ONLY, but can do more than you probably ever wanted to as far as a midi controller. One thing to keep in mind, at least as far as the GR-50 goes, since it has a synth built in, it never has to trigger anything over midi unless it is told to do so, so there is no midi lag in addition to the tracking lag. So the GM-70 might seem slower, BUT when it comes to midi, it it roughly twice as powerful as the GR-50 in some aspects. Each string can have two different patches and/or midi channels assigned to it. yes, you can have twelve different patced, OR midi channels assigned to your guitar. On top of that, I think the GR-50 can do two of these, and the GM-70 can do four. the two patches per string can change according to different velocity curves, as can the pitch envelope (on the GR-50), the TVA, or the TVF. Kinda cool. :) Also, any lag on a guitar synth isn't too noticeable is the attack is slow enough, like with a nice evolving patch. Don't expect to be able to play anything REALLY nuts through a midi guitar. ;) And it does take some time to get the hang of... nothing much, but it helped make me more "disciplined" a little. -jt zzz@netcom.com From atombee@slip.netWed Apr 19 11:11:37 1995 Date: Tue, 18 Apr 1995 22:26:38 -0700 From: Bulbous and Flapping To: electronica@andrew.cmu.edu Subject: Re: Midi guitar controllers... legion wrote: > I don't know why it just struck me but I think I'm intersted in gettinga > guitar midi converter/controller thingie. > > I play guitar (bass too) and really love the ablity to mute, pick seven > different ways, do sloppy/tight chords, and bend/ slide etc. THis is what > music more organic for me and I find it frustrating to play that > expressively on some keyboards. My background is in classical piano but I > learned most of my nasty, sloppy noise techniques playing guitar. Now I > have some wonderful sound modules that scream and wail but I'm too polite > when I play them with a keyboard. > and vance replied (a long detailed analysis/description of guitar "synthesis") summarizing thusly: >In short, there is nothing out there that will give you everything you >want. I have an Ibanez midi guitar controller. It has three pickups - one for midi signals & two normal electric guitar pickups. The midi output goes to a rackmount processor of some sort and then you connect that to your midi devices - I have used: a Yamaha TX81Z, and Emulator II, Roland Jx-3p & 8p, and some other little roland sound box ... At the same time, one can send out the regular elec. guitar signal and mix the two together. It is really different from playing guitar ... I am (was) a finger-picker who played a nylon string & had classical pretensions in my composition ... I got the Ibanez so I could play more complex stuff with my synths (I am a terrible keyboardist - much more likely to tape keys down & process the sound thru the serge) ... It is not a warm instrument. Useful. Tracking is accurate most of the time, and varies somewhat, depending on what macine I am sending to. It is really cool to layer 2 or 3 synths together off the guitar and arpeggiate one, or something ... It does demand clean playing, although it will follow bends and has a whammy bar to which you can assign different functions, like open a filter or something. You can also assign different strings to different channels, which opens many possibilities. But it is not like playing an acoustic or even electric guitar. I am constantly aware that I am really throwing switches with vibrating strings ... The Roland GR1 is really cool, allowing you to put the pickup on just about any guitar, i think. It is possible to get the pickup retro-fitted into a electric nylon-string guitar ... but I don't have the two or three grand that would cost right now ... love the feel of nylon strings ... and I do love Roland sounds, ... ! I hope you find a guitar that works the way you want it to! -Knox Machines: 8-panel Serge Modular, Roland stuffs, Emulator II, Rogue, Ib.Midi Guitar Cont., other junk PG: Bird's Wing II Pig: Pot-bellied, 2 yr. old male, Yoshi WEBSITE: COMING SOON to a browser near you