Mid Guitar Input Devices

[Aster]

There's a way of recording music for us guitarists without touching the keyboard if you're not aware and I would like to bring focus to this issue!

There's great options for guitarists a range of prices so I'll detail some of them as it may help you out. and I've used them all

 

The cheapest option is a rockband 3 fender mustang pro controller for the wii. Any platform is the same thing for midi input but since this is old hardware the wii is cheapest usually.

 

 

Note intensity can be controlled though picking but it feels like 3-4 different volumes at maximum on the trigger and if you are trying to record full speed guitar lead parts then the upstroke double triggers. Maybe the designer doesn't play guitar and thinks down bias should be a better mechanism but it's barebones and works. The neck buttons are clearly defined, cheap and squeaky and frets are limited to 17.

 

The mid level options are the YourRock guitar 2 and their higher end lineage.

The YRG2 has a better string trigger than RBP and it's very easy to do lead synth parts on it, the neck is buttons under fake strings. It feels more comfortable than the RBP3 and easier to trigger for faster parts, a lower action feeling. I prefer the neck of the RBP3 as buttons have a defined feedback and trick my brain better.

 

I have not played the lineage but there's a video on it here:

 

 

My own daily driver is a Starr Labs Ztar

 

 

Starr Labs make guitars with the RBP3 button style neck and the pressure strings type YRG neck but have better right hand triggers and no squeaky buttons. They cost a fortune though.

 

I learned piano when I was younger but don't use any for midi input as I can think the music on guitar much easier. If I had to choose one to get today again I'd probably go for the lineage YRG.

Anyone else here use a device like this?

[AngelCityOutlaw]

You may want to update your post and title a bit since I was confused as to what "mid guitar input devices" meant at first.

Anyway, regarding your question at the bottom - no. I actually am a guitarist foremost, but in my opinion, keyboards are the superior controllers for MIDI. It feels a lot more natural to strike keys to trigger sounds than to play what is usually a phony guitar, and it's easier to enter modwheel data in real-time and toggle keyswitches on the fly. With step-record input, you don't even have to be a great pianist to get the idea down and most sample libraries are designed around keyboard input.

[Nabeel Ansari]

MIDI Guitars are pretty much only good at one thing, and that's playing virtual guitars.

[Aster]

5 hours ago, Neblix said:

MIDI Guitars are pretty much only good at one thing, and that's playing virtual guitars.

 

On 02/04/2016 at 8:42 PM, AngelCityOutlaw said:

You may want to update your post and title a bit since I was confused as to what "mid guitar input devices" meant at first.

Anyway, regarding your question at the bottom - no. I actually am a guitarist foremost, but in my opinion, keyboards are the superior controllers for MIDI. It feels a lot more natural to strike keys to trigger sounds than to play what is usually a phony guitar, and it's easier to enter modwheel data in real-time and toggle keyswitches on the fly. With step-record input, you don't even have to be a great pianist to get the idea down and most sample libraries are designed around keyboard input.

 

I would humbly disagree, each instrument has their own advantages and disadvantages mechanically and if you have a massive skill gap between one or the other then it's best to use which one you excel at.  I made this thread to show lesser experienced people that there's options to help assist them make music and to perhaps discuss specific hardware for anyone looking for advice since I've been using these tools for a while. For someone who has no piano experience the ability to transfer already learned skills into a practical application immediately is something wonderful. Nobody seems to be discussing this on the internet and my students have benefited from these technologies.

 

I'm sensing some elitism with the word choices and whether it is intended or not it's there, a keyboard or synth isn't a "phony piano" and it also isn't "only good to play virtual piano".

 

Kontakt works fine with a midi guitar and for a regular guitarist it's very easy to input chord progressions, arpeggio and melody work within minutes of picking up an input guitar and start making music. We too can record at slower speeds and use mod wheels with midi selection hardware, I would say that the YRG arm is a superior mod wheel since the physical movement range is greater with more control. It's just not that nice to look down on other musicians because they use tools that aren't your own preferences or say they aren't capable to do certain things.

 

The way I see it is that we speak the same language, music. In Japanese there's elitists who make fun of others for writing in roman characters rather than writing in symbolic kanji even though the words are the same.

 

If anyone is looking for advice on DAW setup, hardware, input workarounds feel free to post or PM me. Neblix may only be able to use a synthar for virtual guitar but that's his limitation and not ours, don't be intimidated. I can supply you with books on 8 finger guitar playing technique as well so you can do full piano stuff on the synthar.

 

 

 

 

[AngelCityOutlaw]

 You asked if anyone here uses a device like this - I don't think you're going to get many "yes" responses, as you're the only person around here I'm aware of who uses MIDI guitars.

Keyboards are the standard and software is optimized for that standard, so that would make a MIDI guitar a second-best option. The YRG quote on their site is literally "like a keyboard for guitarists." It feels unnatural to me because of the lack of string resistance on the fretting hand. It does not feel like a real guitar - playing a MIDI keyboard feels like playing a real keyboard. Lastly, MIDI guitars and pickups are expensive. A decent, small keyboard controller costs way less than a guitar controller. 

If a MIDI guitar controller works for you, that is great. However, I do not know of any professional or hobbyist composer who uses them and this is probably why 

2 hours ago, Aster said:

Nobody seems to be discussing this on the internet

 

[Kat]

You can also use a hexaphonic pickup and a hardware converter(most commonly a Roland GR synthesizer) to convert and record a real guitar as MIDI data(sans slides and bends, which won't translate well at all) and it would feel much more natural, but it would also set you back hundreds and hundreds of dollars. The one upside is that with a hexaphonic pickup and a Roland GR55, you'd be doing this

But if you're on the cheap, there are better ways to do this. If you need guitar parts recorded and can already play the guitar, it's obviously much more efficient to use an audio interface and a real guitar - But if you just need other instruments you can also plug your guitar into your soundcard/audio interface input and route that input into your DAW, in which you can make use of your VSTs to an extent - This is probably the most viable solution for guitarists wanting to use their guitar as an input, because they likely have all the hardware/software needed and won't need a plastic guitar controller.

As an (acoustic) guitarist myself I found the "learn how to play piano" method quicker and easier. It doesn't take long to pick up enough to efficiently sequence what you need, so I haven't had a reason to try any form of guitar MIDI input.