Isn't it just a midi note to change sounds? You will need to either use a foot controller, as you are playing or add the key switching info after the fact, to the piano roll.

 

Hello.
Different ways for emulating a real bass or acoustic with an electric guitar:
a) If you use the non-MIDI approach:
For bass, lower the tone to a minimium on the guitar, use a pitch shifter, play it like a bass, and see what pickup or pu combination works best. A higher action on the guitar and thicker gauge strings (.011, 0.12) can help.
For acoustic guitar, you can get an Acoustic Simulator, like Boss’ stomp box. Use a combination of pickups, not only one, like bridge-mid, or mid-neck, with the tone control (obviously) up. You can even modify the guitar, with a on/off switch to put a 5-10 nano capacitor in series with the signal, to emphasise the highs. If no Boss pedal is available, shelve the highs to at least +12dB, starting at about 1.2-1.6kHz (that will increase the noise too, so a good set of pickups and electronics, properly screened, is necessary). A short delay/doubling effect, and it will sound better. Also a light chorus, with highcut at about 130-160 Hz.
b) If you use the MIDI approach:
Get a good hex pickup, with a fast guitar to midi interface, like Roland GI10, GR33 (full guitar synth), or GR55 (a guitar synth that works as a guitar processor too).
The hex pickup has to be very well set-in (fixed or glued onto the wood, no spring-mounted stuff). You can even remove the middle and neck pickups to improve tracking. Then, the input stage to the midi interface must be carefully adjusted to get an even response from string to string. If you use tapping, bending, etc, set the Bend Range to 24, and Mono OFF - use Poly transmission. If the guitar synth has the tones, use those for audio recording. But also record the MIDI signal, it can be useful later. If you use a simple guitar-midi interface, with vsti soft synths, bear in mind that midi induces a certain delay, that increases with the length of midi cables and the amount of data transmitted. Short midi cables, and preferably no midi thru connections for recording. Use six midi channels, not one (one string per channel), each one with Mono Off, and 24 bend range - that is, also use six instances of the respective vsti. The tone's dynamics: put the velo offset to a max of 110-120, not 127, to keep it sounding 'real'.
And, very important, with a midi guitar, the playing technique must be practiced differently, during many months. (Techniques for normal electric guitar must be “forgotten” - like palm muting, pick harmonics, aso. A hard pick, at least 1mm thickness, is necessary. The left hand must be used very lightly on the strings, violin-like, not ‘distortion grip’). The envelope detector is triggered only by a certain intensity of the signal (playing too soft will result in zero midi signal). If notes are played too strong, after a good note the following note can have a small attack (string is still in motion from the previous note), and the envelope detector does not “see” it. So, a good guitar, with a very hard body and neck, is a must. String gauge at least .09-.46, alder or maple body (maple top on alder is great), maple neck with rw fingerboard. No short scale guitar, like Les Paul, or semi hollow, or basswood / poplar body, etc. A slightly higher string action is good - the MIDI result will sound like an instrument, not a midi keyboard.
c) Simplest approach: use a MIDI keyboard with a joystick bender, in combination with guitar tones on vsti, and learn to use the bender just as you would use the string bending, that is, smooth with good manual pitch control (bend range +2, and try to get only a semitone bending using just the bender – that requires a certain amount of practice).
Or
d) Go to a guitar shop, and get some real instruments, they are more fun to play with.
Happy New Year!

 

Last edited: Dec 30, 2016

For the bass, wondering if converting the audio to MIDI using Melodyne would be useful here. Especially if the parts weren't polyphonic (chords) such as a typical bass line. Then it would be a matter of MIDI transposing the notes down an octave and selecting an appropriate VSTi. Might work for simple bass lines.
For the acoustic, I would give the IR's a shot.

 

@dragonhill .. The great thing about recording audio is the fact that the listener cannot see the guitar and cannot make an initial judgement on the quality of the brand, the woods used or any other prejudice either positive or negative. If the guitar is able to stay in tune all so much the better. If the action is too high and makes it difficult to play capo might be utilized in order it perhaps be a bit easier. After the performance in importance would come what is captured. A decent mic and pre with good placement that takes into account the room is tantamount for a decent recording. Listen to where the guitar sounds best. Many times placement a bit off axis is better, but just use your best judgment. Of course if it is a sparce mix the focus will be more targeted towards listening directly to the guitar, in a more lively mix it will play a more supporting role. Don't be afraid of using eq and compression to highlight it's best qualities within the concept of the mix, using reverb to perhaps soften any sharp edges that stick out. I cannot get to my computer today else would give you an example of what I am talking about. I have a fairly horrible classical guitar as well as a Yamaha FG 430 that I would never be able to say, "Hey, that's a bitchin' git fiddle". I have others that are but have in the past used the Yamaha to good effect.

 

This was important part of Paul Simon's sound apparently, though I can't remember how I "know" that.

 

Good idea. My vision of a beater is just that. Something that barely allows you to play open chords, anything past the 5th fret is out of tune.
Yamaha FG430 has a solid top, some with rosewood back and sides? Not sure if that's allowed in the 'beater' category.

 

i will try melodyne to convert audio to midi, where i live, the economy it's a mess the price of a bass it's comparable to a car's price XD

 

Sorry to burst your bubble, but even hybrid acoustic/electric guitars with pickups built-in... they sound like shit when recorded straight in. No pedals will give you the clarity you need - "acoustic simulation" pedals just put a crappy EQ on top of your sound.

Really, just get a cheap acoustic. Or borrow one. Whatever. It will sound lightyears ahead of samples and pedals.

 

You might want to check out the acoustic impulse videos posted on this very thread.

 

He hums the bassline in Bobby Mc Ferrin style. What I notice about trying to turn instruments to midi is you get all the resonant freqs that you have to clean up.

I imagine it would sound 1000X better with something like MODO though

 

Last edited: Dec 30, 2016

I've got some usable results once or twice for acoustic simulation. I miced a fender standard mexico strat with a sm57 closer to the picking position than you would with a real acoustic, and recorded it direct with the bridge-middle pickup position. Then I added some impulses I found online on both and played with it until I found a combination that worked ok. EQed and compressed like hell. The lows sounded nothing like an acoustic and the pick was way too loud. I was going for a more percussive sound and didn't really needed the sustain and resonance, even then I had to take out that low end and some of the pic with dynamic eq.
If you mic it closer to the neck you lose sustain and might get more of the low end but the pick won't be as loud. If your guitar is a semi-hollow body you might try to use just the miced signal. QOTSA did that on Songs for the Deaf(not a great acoustic sound but they did).
It works if you intend to leave this guitar low in the mix and it's fun to experiment with unusual stuff.

To sketch bass with my guitar I use the 4th pickup position(neck-middle), octave it down and use a bass sim on amplitube, usually that ampeg svt, the one with less gain. I only play on the lower two strings. People usually have no idea it's a guitar but no way I'd keep it in the final mix.

 

This is way cooler than straight up DI and you might even get away with it. For me the moment he stopped strumming it instantly lost the magic. Still, better than nothing, I guess.

Edit: when you use it on electric guitar it sucks SO HARD though. So... yeah, it's pretty good when you don't have a mic for your ACOUSTIC guitar. Better than nothing. But it's nowhere near close making electric sound like acoustic.

Edit 2: after listening to this one, I doubt how much of the promo video was actually the impulse, because on this next video the impulses sound like absolute shit.

 

Last edited: Dec 30, 2016

Sorry to stay off topic but this is an interesting comparison with a 414
good playing too

 

i have tried melodyne, convrting audio to midi for the bass guitar, i'ts good but it does not save the effects in the track (hammer on, pull off, slide etc) and it's very tedious edit with piano roll

 

Pelao are you able to overwrite midi info without erasing it? Maybe enable 'MIDI merge on REC' or some equivalent instead of the tedious piano roll editing. Do the key switching on the second pass, even if the timing is a little off you will have the necessary MIDI notes close enough for quicker editing.

 

it seems a good aternative i will try fl studio for that

 

OK, currently trying a few acoustic guitar IR from the Line6 site with my Parker Nitefly Piezo.................

 

i'm waitin for the release of 3sigma audio in audioz XD

 

The ones found at the Line6 forum are wonderful. Never has my piezo sounded this appealing. The added body is very apparent esp. when soloing.
The Taylor ones are great combined with one of the Collings.
Never as good as a real recording but good competition for the 'buy a beater and mic it' recommendation.

 

pass the link good man