MIDI Guitar Showcase
linking the newest in MIDI Guitar technology
since 11-23-96
Overview:
To do MIDI guitar, you need some basic equipment.
This is a showcase of products available for MIDI Guitar.
Most of them have web sites, so we have some pictures and links right from
their site!
MIDI guitar is an "electric guitar," so you'll need an amp, some type of
guitar (acoustic or electric, nylon (see below) or steel strung),
the right pickup, a pitch-to-MIDI converter, and also a
synthesizer. To hear it you'll need headphones or an amp.
Let's take a look at what's available.
MIDI-ready Guitars:
Godin guitar synth-ready guitars
w/great reviews
Godin LGX with synth
access
The LGX:
The Multiac:
Godin Multiac with synth
access this guitar is available in both steel and nylon strung
versions.
Starr Labs makes the
Ztar, a switch
MIDI guitar that has lots of neat features for live performance, it has a
MIDI-out and needs no pitch-to-MIDI converter. They have an optional
synth board attachment, and sell factory direct. They're not afraid to
list their prices. They've just added string triggers to some models,
which I think is great.
I used to play a Suzuki guitar controller which was similar, and had
lots of fun with it. These Ztars are real fun. The switches don't take
long to get used to.
Fender and Ovation also make a synth-ready guitar,
but not quite as high-tech, since they're based on the Roland GK-2a
pickup,
which comes installed. Takamine also has a classical MIDI-ready
with
Shadow.
Fender
Fender GR-ready Strat
Ovation
Ovation
"Roland-ready" acoustic/electric guitars are available with a GK-2
installed.
See their link
for the latest details. (No picture available).
Pickups for MIDI Guitars:
Roland GK-2a
This is the standard pickup that works with most PITCH to MIDI converters.
It works with any steel strung guitar, electric or acoustic.
Axon-101
This is Axon's pickup similar to the GK-2a.
RMC Pickup
This is a piezio pickup that replaces the saddle for each string, you'll
need six.
They require luthier-quality installation and an electronics package.
They are considered to be the state of the art at this time.
The RMC pickup is also available for nylon-strung guitars. You can
have
them installed on your guitar, or try a Godin Multiac with Synth Access
for a nice MIDI-ready classical guitar with
RMC's factory-installed.
Shadow SH1600
This is a six element bridge pickup for classical guitars which also can
go to a Axon or Shadow guitar synth. Shadow makes pickups for
their units and also ones that are GR compatible.
Pitch-to-MIDI converters:
With built-in synthesizers:
Axon NGC 77 and
NGC 60 --
Latest Guitar Interface uses neural nets and transients to speed
detection. A GM sound card is an internal option.
The Axon-100 is out but no info yet on their web site!
Roland Corporation and
Roland Guitar Products
-> this site has movies now, too!
The
NEW Roland GR-30
The Roland GR-1
The Roland GR-9
The Roland GR-50
Still a classic, the GR-50 is available used and in closeouts, and has
some nice features for complex MIDI setups.
Roland Feature Summary
Model MIDI-outs Polyphony Tones/strum Extra MIDI ins Extra Analog In
----- --------- --------- ----------- -------------- ---------------
GR-50 2 32 partials 12 2 inst 1 drum 0
GR-1 1 24 2 3 inst 1 drum 0 (+sequencer)
GR-9 1 28 2 0 0
GI-10 1 0 ?1 0 1
GR-30 1 28 2 0 (+arp&harm)
Without built-in synthesizers:
Roland GI-10 MIDI guitar interface
Roland GI-10 This includes a cool input you can sing into.
Michael
Overacker's page with info on the Shadow SH-075.
SHADOW SH-075 Manual courtesy of Shadow USA on
pdf
Shadow also
makes a SH27 floor unit and a rack mounted unit, the GTM-6. These all
have a MIDI out which can be mono or poly, with or without bend.
e-mail Shadow's customer
support center for details. They have several nice capabilities,
including multiplexing the hex pickup to two wires so you can use normal
guitar cable. (Maybe wireless MIDI guitar?).
Non-MIDI synthesizers:
The VG-8 a
resource on Roland's non-midi synth from Aurelius Prochazka
Non-MIDI systems:
the G_VOX system a MIDI
guitar interface aimed at guitar instruction and sequencing
Synthesizers:
Once you have a MIDI signal, any MIDI synthesizer will work for MIDI
guitar. Here are just a few suggestions:
SB 32 PnP The Soundblaster 32 PNP is a decent sounding synthesizer and
a great soundboard.
If you'll never leave your computer's side here's a good choice. It has
good support on the WWW and lots of samples and sound libraries available
from other users.
The Yamaha QY-70. An XG synth plus full 16 track
sequencer with 480 bpq resolution. Great specs!
This could be a nice unit
for small gigs or just foolin' around, especially with no computer.
With a synth plus a great intelligent arranger. Plus, with this
and a Shadow
SH75 and a Pignose, you can go cordless and wireless and MIDI all the way.
How does that sound?
Yamaha USA -- QY-70
One of the primo synths today is the Kurzweil
K-2500
One real nice feature in the K-2000 and K-2500 is triple velocity
crossfade layers in patches, which let you layer three sounds and blend
between them depending on how hard you pick each note. This is a
fantastic MIDI guitar feature. I was lucky enough to play one in a NYC
music store that had at least 30 different synths and a big selector
switch.
The K-2000r was the cleanest and best sounding tome module they had at
that time.
Amplifiers:
You don't need anything special for MIDI guitar, but a keyboard amp is
recommended for best sound. Others that work well are bass amps, powered
PA speakers, and big PA speakers with a mixer/amp.
Note: All links are non-compensated ($$$) and presented for academic
enlightenment. Have fun!
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