MIDI pickup for electric guitar

BossArky

I'm going to be doing a C++ project over the summer, which will involve controlling a MIDI sequencer.

Using a MIDI pickup on my electric guitar, I shall send input to the C++ program, which will play for example a bass line in key harmonically and in tempo.

Thats the basic frame, will be expanded on once I get it together.

Anyone have experience programming these type of systems before? Where can I get a good cheap MIDI pickup for my electric guitar?

Giblet

I remember Roland released a Strat with one built in, could be expensive though.

Morello

MIDI Guitars are SO cool...

Loads of info here: http://home.epix.net/~joelc/midi_git.html

And here's your MIDI pick up:

http://www.netzmarkt.de/thomann/thoiw6_artikel-104406.html

It's €145 + €21 shipping

Can't help you with the programming... sorry

Have fun!

Alessandro

BossArky

Morello, thanks I'll take a read through those pages.

Buying a new strat could be problematic!

Morello

Originally posted by BossArky
Morello, thanks I'll take a read through those pages.

Buying a new strat could be problematic!

No probs. I don't really think you need to buy it even though it's cool. Tell you what, you can try drop an email to Neosupervital. He's a Dublin solo artist who makes elettropop with a guitar Synth, maybe he can give you some more advice.

By the way, he's playing DA2 this Sunday and he's ****ing deadly

http://www.neosupervital.com/

Cool idea for a project anyway... the most exciting thing I did at school was a digital termometer

Take it easy, A.

Ardent

Are midi pickups any good I wonder? Surely there has to be limitations, I find it hard to imagine that the distinctive sound of a strumming guitar can be replicated successfullly using midi software? Anyone have any experience in this?

musician.ie

I think the biggest problem is missing notes or false triggering from scratch noises etc. A strum is basically a 6-note chord, with a progressive offset. I've heard midi files generated with midi guitars and they sound fine in a mix, but obviously synthetic in isolation.

markisevil

Bonus points if you code an analog-to-MIDI routine so that you can just plug in any old guitar and have the computer determine the pitch/key from the audio input and harmonise around that...

Eoin Madsen

The reproduction is invariably limited by the quality of your samples. You probably won't find a realistic guitar sample set available - it's too hard to do, and there's no real demand. I think people with MIDI pickups are generally trying to sound less like a guitar.

The real question is how accurate the pickup is. Whether it reproduces sustain correctly, can it interpret mutes, harmonics etc. I haven't had opportunity to use one yet, so I can't answer these questions... A MIDI pickup for a bass would be a very useful thing though.