Whoa…I’m surprised. when you say no different than the Roland units, would you mind a brief explanation? I’ve never tried what I think you are referring to as a pickup based unit . Is it tracking, setup, sound? My only experiences in this format has been with the GR33 but not using their pickup. I am very happy with the way the guitars played via the direct connection thru the 13 pin setup. My only simple setup was the string sensitivity and that took only a few minutes.
Oh, it’s probably as good as the Roland with a GK3, which is to say, not very good.
The triggering is slow, just like Roland. The problem is time. It takes a certain amount of time to register notes, in any system. There is no way around this unless you go to a pure sensor based system that detects fingerboard pressure and location, and picking dynamics. I’m guessing that the only unit that ever did this right was the SynthAxe.
So, with this deficiency in mind, using a guitar as a controller for me is not useful. My keyboard skills are adequate enough that I can achieve whatever I want using that input method. Bearing that in mind, it’s not worth $400 to me to keep this thing. While I think that Fishman has done an admirable job of matching Roland’s performance (without a dedicated hardware synth), that performance still leaves much to be desired. Just as I “disposed of” my GR-33 for not being especially useful, so I must “dispose” of this one.
My first band was when I was 13. It was my next door neighbor who played accordion and myself on guitar. His father worked with a man whose son played drums. THAT was it. Since the accordion players father was a TV repair tech, he wired a microphone into the accordion from Lafayette Electronics. Back in the EARLY 60’s this catalog would make you drool from electronics stuff. I don’t think transistors were available yet to the general public.
We played together for a few years. Our drummer was sadly hit by a car and killed at 15. Could you have imagined if I played PIANO…since we already had a keyboard guy, I would have been left out in the cold.
My guess is now that we have put a man on the moon, MIDI guitar should be coming up real soon.
Looks like you make the best choice Steve. You can get the MIDI in that you need without paying a fortune for the same mediocre tools. I am going to have to practice more keyboards in order to “compete” for greater musical flexibility.
You know what they say about parallel lives. Our first song in 1966 was " I want to hold your hand " . If I’m not mistaken we both played the melody but the accordion could play a baseline with those little black buttons. We practiced in my garage for hours and hours. My guitar 1st guitar was a Harmony…F holes archtop type with a grey and dark tiger stripe.
A so-called friend borrowed it 20yrs later and never returned it.
About the keyboard, I to grew up with a piano in the house although it was old and mostly out of tune, everyone played it. In high school, in Miami, there was a piano music class that I had taken to just slide through. Needless to say I learned to play piano even better but that was 44 years ago. I now have a Casio Privia 400 something. It has 88 weighted keys like a regular piano, midi, onboard sounds, and even a small sequencer built-in. I’ve had that for about seven years now. But it is because as a guitar player, I feel so much more comfortable that I look forward to a midi guitar as really being an instrument that I can manipulate not one that intimidates me regarding playing it. I mentioned in a previous post that I have a handful of tunes that absolutely sound great but once I stop playing the last one it all turns to crap. I really think it’s muscle memory that keeps everything on track with those 4 or 5 songs.
We were over at my mother’s house this morning so the rest of the day is almost done. Enjoy !
I was re-reading the topic of this thread…Sure lots of “OTHER SOLUTIONS”
Streamworks Audio released a Cubase instructional video but you had to view iT on the computer … I can sit in front of the tv and REALLY enjoy video instruction and it is probably my most favorite form of it. Reading it for one reason or another yields less for me… Comprehension ?.
Those Catholic school nuns always told us that once written is twice studied… They made us write a lot. Like 500 times, “I will not. …”
You talkin’ to me ? Did you notice that photo on my account ? IT IS an old Harley , 1947. I did give up the tie-dye
Steve, I believe in the same functional format as you. Our computers at work are about 5 years old and do exactly what we need them to do…we track billing, payments, services, memos, letters you name it. There is no reason to change as every need is fulfilled. I agree that a newer CPU and more ram is going to be quicker but…there is absolutely NO need.
In fact, as you stated, there is no conflict in your hardware and compatibilities elsewhere and they are plentiful in so many stories we read.
MOST important is that you are gaining the knowledge and experience it takes to get it done. THAT cant be outdated no mater what.
I have my guitar and a keyboard with USB inputs and never tried using them directly…I need to do that now and see the net result
My CPU is about 3 years old, maybe 4. My most recent computer purchase, other than music software, was a 120 GB Samsung 840 SSD for recording. You can progress without staying in dinosaur valley, and it doesn’t have to be expensive, either ($89.99 for the Samsung SSD).
NJ is no place be riding these days either. If I leave enough reaction time to the rear of any vehicle in front of me, some sob with zip right in front and take the space. Guess what ? At the next red light, he got there first, wow. A holes all over. Non thinkers and when they get in a bind, they believe its the other driver, so if your ridin’ you have got to be more intimidating so they stay away from you.
Steve, which motherboard you’re using? The last old computer I had I bought a used touch screen monitor and made an in the wall juke box. The software runs dual monitors so the display also triggers a 42" wall TV on the other end of the wall. I think the entire thing cost me under 200.00, the monitor was 45. As a jukebox, there ain’t no such thing as a fast computer. It runs like any other coin op machine…only free!
I’ve been spending a bit of time reading the manual on Cubase 7 and it is eating up the time I could spend putting in a few tracks but I think if I can remember the stuff I’m reading, my next sessions will be more complete
I’ve been continuing to play with the Fishman. I might end up keeping it. You definitely approach your playing in a different way, plus there are things you’d play on a guit-box that you’d never play on a keyboard.
Either dumb luck or I’d had no pre-conceived notions about the GR33 and its input capability. I knew there was a need to re-define my style of playing especially when trying to emulate the sound of several other kinds of instruments. The nuances of their sound commands it. I was pretty pleased with it from the start and that was over 5 years ago. My midi skills were not as developed but it was darn good to play and play back thru the mt-32 module. I also have the Casio PG-380 guitar. The caps go bad and need to be replaced but they easily demonstrated their weaknesses as solo instruments. The Godin and Brian Moore guitars were all the first directly plugged in devices I had used with the GR.
Steve, if you were closer, like Nebraska, I’d have you stop by and try it
I know it would be a great time to get together and hack out a few tracks as the learning curve for me could skyrocket. In fact while too old to hang out at a music shop, I do stop in occasionally but rarely meet some people with the diverse approach to playing as you might read about here. In fact the last few months I pass by and see 12 year olds with their brass instruments or drum sticks. In can only imagine the repercussion of asking a parent to play with their kids in today’s world…I have a friend who is a motorcycle cop and when he gets home from work, the little kids flock around him and want to go over to his apartment…No way! Outside he’ll hang out but that’s all.
So since we are all over the place globally, I’m stuck in the basement , solo
Steve, been planning an expansion of this house since the kids were 5. They are now 30.
So after you installed the software, did it make some changes in the operation to you? There are drivers and controls for many of the pieces in my system and I don’t believe that some really do anythng now that USB is more defined.
I was watching a new GR55 YouTube thing with Alex Hutchings and it did mention a few points about setup and playing style which we had mentioned a few days ago. I think I would like to try the Triple Play
