Guitar Synth

R

Rhoadz

New member
Does anybody have any experience with Guitar synths?

the product i was reading about was the Roland ready strat synth controller.

also does the sound module have to be specifically designed to accept input from a guitar controller

any info would be great.

hell, mabey i ought to just make friends with a keyboard player :)
 
I've played several of the Roland guitar to MIDI converters and my conclusion is that they don't cut it. The only unit I've played that does is the Axon Neural Net. Since the output of the converter is a standard MIDI signal, this can be used just as if it came from a keyboard MIDI controller or a MIDI file on a computer.
 
I have a lot of experience will many of the Roland guit-synth boxes. My favorites are the GR-09 and GR-1. The VG-8 is cool, too (definitely the trend of the future, but perhaps not just there yet, tonally). I'm not a big fan of the newer GR-30, because I think Roland packed it with too many features and some of them are useless--frankly, the Arpeggiator is stupid (if you can't play a basic arpeggio, you need lessons, pal, not a guitar synthesizer). Plus, its strings and organ suck.

Now the GR-09 is a great little box. VERY user friendly and great tones, especially the strings and pan pipe. I got mine on eBay for about $220. A GK2 pickup will cost you another $100 or so.
 
I have found that when you use a guitar to trigger MIDI notes, you have to adjust your playing style to patch that your using. Some instruments react better than others. Unless you are really serious about using one, they are but a novelty.

I still need to try out a VG-8.
 
If you're going to buy one of the Roland Strats, they have to be run through one of the Roland units (the GR--) for it to work. Not that this is a bad thing, since I think the units are great. I got a GR-30 a few months back, and it's pretty awesome. The sounds are all great (yes, even the strings, which admittedly need serious tweaking), and you can do some cool stuff with it, like programming alternate tuning guitar patches, so you don't have to retune your guitar to play open-tuned songs. Plus, I kinda suck at keyboards, so being able to record my midi stuff through the guitar is a godsend.

The tracking is good, but not perfect; you have to play really clean, and make sure you get the pickup set just right (if you buy the Roland Strat, that'll already be done for you). But I've had no problems recording midi from it into Cakewalk, even playing 32nd note runs, so as far as I'm concerned, it's as good as I need it to be.

Buy one from e-bay, though. Don't pay full price if you don't need to; you should be able to get the strat/synth combo for under $800 if you look around enough.

Ryan
 
Uh OH... Here's the new situation...

Roland strat for sale at good price (if i act fast) drstawl says the output of the guitar is a standard MIDI signal. 37point5 seems to feel that it will only work with a roland synth module.
Is there a 3rd opinion in this subject. Or does anyone have any ideas on where to look for the info? I've checked Harmony Cenntral (every one uses a GR-30)and the fender and roland web sites aren't helpful either...

thanks again,

rhoadz
 
I haven't looked into these for a few years but the Roland-ready Fenders are just that...Roland-ready. They have the pickup built in for the Roland synth, and that plugs into the Roland synth, period.

I personally own one of the semi-legendary IVL Pitchriders, which has a special pickup (that also goes only to this unit) and cable that goes to a rack unit. The rack thingie has a MIDI out, and from there it's straight MIDI...plug it into Cakewalk or your keyboard or whatever and you play MIDI-anything-you-want from your guitar: organ chords, sitar, drums, etc. It's real MIDI, but doesn't track quite as well as the Roland. The Roland has a MIDI output but the sounds you hear are generally not MIDI, they're triggered from the pickup and have faster response than MIDI.

That's what I remember, and I'm sticking to it unless someone proves it different.
 
If you are looking to connect your guitar to an actual MIDI "in" port. You can use the Roland pickup (GK-2) which is in these Fenders, and get a Roland GI-10. This unit will convert your guitar to actual MIDI. You then connect the MIDI out on the GI-10 to the MIDI iin of a keyboard or other MIDI modual. There is alos a 1/4" input on the GI-10 for audio, say a vocal track to MIDI. I don't use my GI-10 much any more, if anyone is interested in it, I will post it for sell.

[This message has been edited by Fishmed (edited 10-12-1999).]
 
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