By other posts and thanks to google algorithms (for first time) I found this amazing review of a midi guitar a video posted just a week ago

This idea is not new, many composers use guitar instead of piano, an extreme example is Pat Metheny with such a complex hardware/instruments, in this video he shows that he controls and program all the instruments with just his guitar, but this looks overly complicated and made specially for him
Pat Metheny Introduces "Orchestrion"

 

You don't need a MIDI-guitar, you only need your favorite guitar and Jam Origin Midi Guitar VSTi : https://www.jamorigin.com/

Even a Chapman Stick will do ..

 

Been using a midi guitar since '86 with Shadow GTM6. Then Roland GI 10 , Roland GR 33, "Yourock" Guitar, and Boss GP10.Jamorigin

And jamorigin midi guitar ! Great piece of software !!! Take any electric guitar, plug it in an audio interface, and now you are able to play any
virtual instrument and soft synth ! Tracks as good as hardware solutions.
Only one downside : can not play minor seconds intervals simultaneously . That's a pity because there are so many nice chords that uses minor seconds. But any how it is great software worth buying . Any one interested can download demo version to try before buying .

 

Last edited: Jun 19, 2021

First I got a Casio PG midi guitar. Then I moved to a Roland GI-20 and a Godin xtSA and a Switch with built in GK2. Never really got heavy into them though because you really need to set up whatever patches you use and my programming/tweaking skills/patience has always been seriously lacking, lol. I have Sampletank 3 and found it's edit page dead easy to set up patches to work properly for mono mode though.

Tried Jam Origin some years back but been holding off til I figured a v3 or something. Apparently it just does poly and not mono currently (at least what was stated in the vid I watched) There's Triple Play but that's 3 or 4 times the price of JO.

Wasn't aware of the Jamstick. Seems like a very affordable option, but then again, the Triple play is half the price (onto your own guitars) and while I haven't googled any comparisons, I'm guessing one is no better than the other.

A thing that annoys me regarding expensive guitars with lots of complicated circuitry, is that manufacturers need to have much longer warranties. Its one thing when wiring goes bad on a regular guitar... it's a simple DIY fix. But when you buy an expensive instrument specifically for its complicated electronics, if it goes tits up in a few years you've got a doorstop for all intents and purposes

 

Last edited: Jun 19, 2021

Like some others here, I've used many if not all possible solutions to this problem.
I currently use the Triple Play. It's the best I've found so far. I added an iConnectivity
USB2MIDI host so it even allows me to play my hardware synths without a PC.

YMMV.

 

Yes agree, the good thing it is not just converting the analog output of the strings but also detecting the pulsations by string and in the frets. the X Y touchscreen can be a random phone and all the rest knobs, an additional accessory.

Also could be something that could be added to any guitar I see something like that (just by strings) in the Axon ax 100.

In general I don't see much quality converting the analog output to midi, probably this could improve with time using AI as Tensorflow but it's not the point.

In general with all the audio to midi converters, I see the same problems specially to convert voice to midi, it's hard as natural instruments have unique sets of harmonics, resonance, overtones, that makes it really hard with polyphony specially when software is made to match mayor or menor scales and then it will fail (ghost notes) with any musical complexity.

This is why I meant a real midi guitar, not analog to midi converter stuff, it's my fault, as "midi guitars" term is almost 99% analog to midi conversion, no idea what terminology it's used for a midi guitar that doesn't it as principal input

Axon ax 100 hardware vs software midi converter

 

Last edited: Jun 20, 2021

Hey guys,has anyone used USB MIDIMATE or Yamaha MIDI cable?

 

THANK YOU, I've been hunting for and wishing I had something like this for ages.

The cobbled together work around using Reaper native vst's just wasn't playable. I've just loaded this up and it seems like just the ticket!
Thanks again..!

 

There's been all kinds of 'solutions' by way of getting around that pesky complex analog waveform to midi. Think the big reason as to why that form of midi conversion is the horse being beaten at is because, as guitar players, anything other than the feel of your standard instrument is totally alien. Almost might as well learn keyboard in that case, lol.

Suppose another issue is the market size for these things.... it's rather small. One thing to spend a few hundred bucks for a device... a GK pickup, a GI-20, and in my case, a GK equipped Switch guitar..... which only was either $199 or $299 (basically the GK with a free guitar)..... but to perhaps spend thousands on some more exotic boutique type offerings only to have them all too soon wind up on the inevitable junk heap of abandonment, should make anyone who isn't loaded with disposable cash think twice.

Believe it or not, that Switch guitar plays and works very well. That company wasn't in business very long either, lol
The Godin works although the piezo+mag pickup analog output jack circuitry failed on me a few years in, but thankfully the midi functioning wasn't affected. Godin was no help except to have me buy a new part which didn't work.

Even still, apparently some things were not thought out. I recall there being a big issue with the piezo saddles they used.... Graphtech iirc... plus the circuitry used allowed some certain low frequencies generated that apparently affected the use with Roland VG devices... maybe midi as well. They put a floating trem that would cause thumping noises from your hand hitting it. Remember a high pass filter kludge someone came up with to solder in. And yet you pay (at the time) a thousand or more for the xtSA or other of their midi guitars

 

Last edited: Jun 21, 2021

Yes, that is a real issue, I remember Jaco Pastorious playing with the same old bass all his life, I also had my preferred guitar where everything sounds perfect. What I am thinking that could be perfectly possible is some kind of touch sensor that could be attached to the arm of the guitar and in the bridge to the strings, maybe just touching the border of the frets, getting some electric or magnetic impedance, that in conjunction with the analog to midi logic could help to get the real notes that are played.

Also agree with your point about the market, I don't see a big market to this until it's very cheap accessible and of course with a real improvement.

I like string instruments as the palette of sounds, timbre or tonal character (you know the different sound of different strings when playing the same note or by different styles) in keyboards can be done with pedals but it's much harder and unnatural, as a practical example you can make a bare electric guitar talk while with a piano or a keyboard it's much harder.

 

Totally agree, thought of this a couple of years ago. Paired with a hex pickup like the triple play and good software that would learn your playing style, could get as close to perfect as possible.

The issue will always be discrepancies in technique between modeled instruments, most players technique doesn't really adapt well to, say, piano.

For me, while JamOrigin is MINDBLOWING in what it can extrapolate from an analogue polyphonic signal, the triple play edges it out enough for me to justify the price. But it has to be setup extremely well, and I would suggest anyone using Ableton find a max for live plugin from the 3rd party site, just search fishman triple play. It has been a total game changer, allows you to ignore notes below whatever velocity you set, and allows you to ignore open notes per string so you don't get anywhere near the unwanted notes. Also btw, set your vst patch to +/- 12 pitchbend, makes a real difference.

The one thing MIDI Guitar has that I love is the timed legato feature, I have been searching for a max for live device that would do it and no luck...

 

I use Jam Origin MIDI Guitar 2 with a few amp sims, VST instruments & Effects as I don't like the included ones from jam origin. My main use for this is to fill out and enrich my Guitar's sound with the other instruments.

 

I have and find them very useful along with a MIDI 8 port hub to connect controllers, modules, keyboards and Jam origin MIDI guitar together.

 

Audio to MIDI Convertor (Guitar to MIDI) - YouTube ;)

 

I continue to use Roland GI-20.. Super solid, tracks great! Playing guitar through Omnisphere rules!!

 

Everthing that this $3000. guitar and all thousands of dollars of external MIDI gear and pedals that Paul Davids is demonstrating can be done with an audio to USB interface, Jam Origin MIDI Guitar 2, MeloAudio MIDI Commander Pedal and VSTi's and Effects, many which can be freeware like FullBucket synths that I use and even with my old MIDI modules can be used. This sounds just as good and tracks just as well for about $450. Once you try and start using this software and setup with so many options available, you won't even want to consider buying that expensive equipment, you have all the same features and can use it with any guitars you own.

 

Last edited: Nov 10, 2021