MOTUnation.com

There was a presentation at the AES Convention in San Fransisco today on a new approach to Guitar-to-MIDI conversion, using a standard (vs. divided) pickup, A/D conversion, resampling, frequency analysis, and tone detection (with special focus on correctly identifying the correct octave for the fundamental) followed by conversion to MIDI.

This is Convention Paper #8209, by Mamoru Ishiwaka, Takeshi Matsuda, and Michael Cohen, of Spatial Media Group at the Computer Arts Lab for University of Aizu in Japan.

Unfortunately, none of the authors were present, and after much patience I was never able to get a word in with the stand-in at their poster session, so I really don't know much about how this compares tracking-wise to GraphTec, Terratec, etc., other than that the few demos they had and the FFT plots seemed to indicate that this system has the best tracking yet (especially for strummed chords, avoiding the typical "octave problem").

Thanks for the post. I was just wondering when we could see a new addition to the playing field. With the technology being basically the same for so long my concentration has been on getting the guitar set up the best to insure the best tracking.

I have to wonder about this too. Yet, at the same time I wonder if guitar synthesis isn't on the wane because it's just not as fashionable as it once was with guitarists. I was a semi-early adopter, taking out a loan for $2500 as a young man just to have a Roland GR-700 and G-707 controller. I was probably the first guitarist to play one locally in the San Diego area. Was it worth it for the novelty of playing a pipe organ patch on my guitar in the big hair 80s days. Yep. Since then, I think some of the appeal has worn off. I maybe be wrong, but I sense a sort of "back to the basics" shift among the guitarists that I know.

That said, if someone were to come up with a truly responsive system that didn't break the bank and required special guitars or attaching a hex pickup, maybe that might stoke demand?

On a similar track, considering the technology involved, I was rather taken aback today by the world's first Electric Harp, which has a piezo pickup on each of its 17 strings from GraphTec, who many considered to be the best at Guitar MIDI Hex pickups.

Although The Electrolyre, from Redwood Coast Music Studios, is not MIDI-ready http://www.redcoastmusic.com I see no reason why it could not be adapted thusly.

The Electrolyre even has a whammy bar -- a first on a nylon string celtic harp.

Believe it or not, it actuyally sounded pretty good, but it's something like $2500.

I did talk to the RME folks about the end of Axon, and they said it was just losing too much vs. the development investment made, during the recession, to keep it going. It seems interest in MIDI Guitar has waned considerably in recent years, just as Fretless Basses are now a bit rare.

Stuff like the Moog guitar interests me more than MIDI guitar, especially since a lot of folks aren't that interested in hearing a guitar sound like a bad saxophone or hearing a flute solo played on the keyboard..... I'm not, at least..... LOL.

Yep, and some of you may have seen Gibson's bizarre announcement of the new Firebird X this week, which seems ill-thought and MORE expensive than the Moog Guitar, without the innovation factor!

GR-55
It's a loaded sound source, great for the live performer or for recording COSM guitars/bass/amps, but a step backwards in terms of triggering external MIDI sources e.g. hardware, software instruments. Latency on the open E and A is intolerable. I can play bass lines on the low E and A with the GI-20. Not so with the GR-55. One has to revert to playing an octave higher.
http://www.roland.com/products/en/GR-55/
http://www.vguitarforums.com/smf/index.php#c11
http://www.joness.com/gr300/MIDI_SPEED.htm

StringPort
Interesting but…
http://www.keithmcmillen.com/stringport/overview

Fishman Triple Play
This is the one to watch when it's released sometime this summer. Potentially a game changer in my opinion.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H1X8xiqGCzs
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=pl ... nKhlmJ4EeI

Apparently Andra's Szalay, the inventor of the Axon technology and Fishman collaborated on the Triple Play.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5WCIXxU- ... re=related

For kicks: A MIDI guitar orchestra
http://www.oneworldartists.com/stevens/ ... ticle1.htm
http://www.oneworldartists.com/stevens/ ... nation.wmv

Took awhile to find this post!

Has anyone had a chance to try out this new collaboration between East/West and Fishman?

https://www.audiodeluxe.com/products/au ... percussion

That's just one of several products in the line, but it describes the approach, which sounds quite interesting. Maybe they've finally found a way to use guitar as a superior controller for certain types of sounds, compared to keyboard or wind (or even breath)?

Here's a demo of the product line featuring Jennifer Batten
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cvYzqXHgHvQ

This product looks interesting but I've adapted to hardware and existing software instruments over the years as I'm probably the lone oddball in the MIDI guitar universe that prefers to use poly mode (all strings on 1 channel). Playing guitar technique with bends never entered the picture as I try to play piano, cello, etc. and in a very nonmusician-like manner, draw in controller/expression data.

I'll try to give that a listen once I'm home; thanks for posting.

Sound-On-Sound has a subscription-only review of the product this month.

Hmm, not impressed. It does remind me why Godin prefers nylon strings for MIDI triggering, but I also think the triggered sounds in this case sound like cheesy mid-to-late 80's DAW patches.

I've long since given up on guitar being a very useful MIDI trigger vs. other options, but always keep an open ear for new solutions. Wind is best for me overall, but generally is monophonic, or perhaps can sustain a drone below.