MIDI Guitar: Jamstik "Studio MIDI Guitar"

[revi]

Hello!

Has anyone used the Jamstik Studio MIDI Guitar with DP?

https://jamstik.com/products/studio-MIDI-guitar

The device gets rather good reviews (video stuff is online as well):

https://www.soundonsound.com/reviews/zi ... tik-studio

https://www.engadget.com/jamstik-studio ... 40066.html

https://www.magneticmag.com/2020/11/rev ... di-guitar/

There's custom driver/controller software for the guitar called "Jamstik Creator" which I imagine makes it show up in AudioMIDI setup.

They have a list of DAWs with which it's been tested but, regrettably, DP isn't on it.

I'm not much of a guitar player (not anymore at least) but I've always found writing and tracking guitar parts more natural with a guitar (big surprise, I suppose).

I've still got my 15 year old Roland GI-20/GK-3 set up but it's getting really glitchy. I've got Jam Origin which works better but, possibly out of sheer gear lust, the Jamstik looks really intriguing. It's not inexpensive but not completely outrageous either, particularly when considered to "regular" guitar prices.

Thoughts?

Iver

[revi]

D'Oh! Here's the link to the DAW compatibility list:

https://jamstik.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/ar ... y-Database

[revi]

Apologies for replying to my own post but here's a bit of info: if AU3 is supported (which I don't believe DP yet supports), then the Jamstik Creator software shows up as a plugin supporting (I believe) MPE (MIDI Polyphonic Expression).

However, absent AU3 support, the guitar will still show up in AudioMIDI setup as a MIDI source (i.e., a regular MIDI instrument).

[CharlzS]

Something to check out: https://www.soundonsound.com/reviews/ja ... i-guitar-2
Link to Jam Origin: https://www.jamorigin.com

It really does track well. There is a demo available.

[bayswater]

I'm skeptical, but interested to hear what others have to say about this one.

Guitar is my first instrument and I tried the IVL pitchriders, Rolands etc. as they came and went, but none of them produced anything I couldn't do as well or better plunking away on a basic keyboard. With stray notes and latency, and poor translation of velocity/volume, it never really worked for me -- any level of expression beyond simple note generation was pretty much impossible.

In the end, I settled on the Sonuus pitch to MIDI converter. That lets you use a guitar you already have and like, and is not any worse than the other options for the actual generation of MIDI data that has some relationship, however distant, to what you are trying to play.

[revi]

@CharlzS: yep, I picked up JamOrigin a few years ago and have essentially retired my ol' Roland GI-20.

JamOrigin does work pretty well though I get enough ghost notes and latency to make me...want something better.

The videos do seem compelling:

NAMM intro:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_dVLQaz-Y6g

"Ambient"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=68evgvpIeVk

Pretty in-depth walk-throughs:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1VmcNiBTXVw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kFvVWE90BwM

For my own purposes, the thing might as well not even have a 1/4" out as I'd never use it (use to play guitar/bass a lot, haven't for a number of years), but the tracking in the videos looks pretty decent. Not clear if it would work for John McLaughlin or Paul Gilbert though.

[CharlzS]

@CharlzS: yep, I picked up JamOrigin a few years ago and have essentially retired my ol' Roland GI-20.

I still have an old GM-70 with the monster 25 pin connector that I used to play with a Roland MKS-50. The GM-70 is long retired, but the MKS-50 still lives happily in the rack.