Best guitar midi controller for VSTi and note input

[tapper mike]

I used to think like that too because I knew plenty of lefties who played right handed guitars.

Then one day I put my money where my mouth was. I a righty tried to play a left handed guitar. It wasn't just a day. I fought with that thing for about two weeks three hours a day trying to put myself in the shoes of a lefty. I played left like crap. I so wanted to prove lefties wrong who complained about only being able to play a left hand guitar and in the end I was proving them right.

I asked lefty guitarist friends, one of them a teacher who is left handed and plays a right handed guitar how he was able to do it. He told me he didn't have any options when he was a kid. He had to learn on a right handed guitar. By the time he finally found a decent lefty guitar he'd already spent 5 years playing and at that time he decided it wasn't worth trying to throw away everything he could already do for something new.

Conclusion. Muscle memory isn't easily erased. I'd already been playing guitar for 30+ years before I went on my proving binge.

[polaris20]

My setup of a GK3 and a GI-20 works very well. The Fishman Triple Play will likely work even better, and it'll be cheaper. It'll work better because Axon was/is faster and more accurate than any Roland system, even the current GR-55, and this new Fishman system was designed by the designer of the Axon. While it's an unproven product, it's designer has a long reputation for this type of thing.

Thank you very, very much for bringing the Triple Play to my attention. Fishman sent me the full cut sheet on it and I'll share with you what I'm seeing in it now:

1. It looks easy! No screwing anything in, no damaging your guitar, and no clumsy wires hanging off. The GK-3 that was suction-cupped to my guitar before was always getting pulled off by the 13-pin cable. This one just looks all around less cumbersome.

2. iOS compatible!

3. Sends audio in addition to midi!

4. Nothing leads me to believe it will be faster than other systems.

Than what other systems? Will it be faster than Axon systems? Perhaps a little. After all, it's the same designer with newer technology. Will it be faster/more accurate than Roland stuff? I have no doubt, since even 10 year old Axon stuff is faster than the GR-55 is now.

I'm excited that it'll work with iOS too (obviously through the CCK) because I can being a guitar with this attached, and my iPad, and be productive with SampleTank or GB for iOS.

[Uncle E]

Will it be faster than Axon systems? Perhaps a little. After all, it's the same designer with newer technology.

There's nothing in the document that leads me to believe it'll be faster than Axon systems. That doesn't mean it won't be, there just isn't any information pointing to it doing anything differently.

[Dean Aka Nekro]

tapper Mike, Thanks for elaborating, I finally 'got' it when i went looking on Ztars website. Then the name kind of hit me in the face like i should of got that one. However i am not well up on any of the advanced MIDI control devices so you can see how i was and also i have bookmarked your site, Nice one and will give it all a good read along with the youtube material. A Ztar is way out of my price range but still looking into all the information and reading/watching all resources is of intrest to me simply for knowledge and persepectives/angles

Robo Mike, Thanks man and i think you are right for telling me to just get on with it and persevere as no doubt i did give in too early letting frustration get the better of me. I do not nor want to become any sort of virtuoso just to get by and its practice, practice and practice which will do that bottom line. That is what my daughter would say whilst kicking me up the backside

All the best to both of you and your family/loved one's chaps

Dean and Fam

[tapper mike]

Dean I'll tip you off to something.

Used ztars are usually cheap(er) when you find one. My Z6 cost me 750 USD used. aside from buckle wash they do not age. Although If you do go looking used make sure it is 5 years old or newer. Harvey changed the way the string triggers work. The newer ones are blazingly fast and extremely responsive. The older ones not so much.

[polaris20]

Will it be faster than Axon systems? Perhaps a little. After all, it's the same designer with newer technology.

There's nothing in the document that leads me to believe it'll be faster than Axon systems. That doesn't mean it won't be, there just isn't any information pointing to it doing anything differently.

Andres has already stated in the Yahoo MIDI Guitar mailing list that it contains a processor 1000 times faster than the Axon did. Presumably that'll have a positive effect on speed/accuracy.

[Uncle E]

Andres has already stated in the Yahoo MIDI Guitar mailing list that it contains a processor 1000 times faster than the Axon did. Presumably that'll have a positive effect on speed/accuracy.

Sweet! Yes, that should make a difference.

[JAMES L. HARRISON]

Have you seen this?
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James
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My setup of a GK3 and a GI-20 works very well. The Fishman Triple Play will likely work even better, and it'll be cheaper. It'll work better because Axon was/is faster and more accurate than any Roland system, even the current GR-55, and this new Fishman system was designed by the designer of the Axon. While it's an unproven product, it's designer has a long reputation for this type of thing.

Thank you very, very much for bringing the Triple Play to my attention. Fishman sent me the full cut sheet on it and I'll share with you what I'm seeing in it now:

1. It looks easy! No screwing anything in, no damaging your guitar, and no clumsy wires hanging off. The GK-3 that was suction-cupped to my guitar before was always getting pulled off by the 13-pin cable. This one just looks all around less cumbersome.

2. iOS compatible!

3. Sends audio in addition to midi!

4. Nothing leads me to believe it will be faster than other systems.

[Uncle E]

Have you seen this?
.


.
James

Thanks, I forgot about that one and, yes, I see that it's the Axon/Fishman on there. Awesome!

[robogone]

Robo Mike, Thanks man and i think you are right for telling me to just get on with it and persevere as no doubt i did give in too early letting frustration get the better of me. I do not nor want to become any sort of virtuoso just to get by and its practice, practice and practice which will do that bottom line. That is what my daughter would say whilst kicking me up the backside

I said that because I'm not sure if I'm left or right handed and struggle with both. I think I was probably forced to write with my right hand when I was very young as that's the hand I write with, but I can easily pick up a pen with my left hand and write with it - it just doesn't look very good because I'm unpracticed with writing with it.

There are things I struggle with like right handed can openers which I just turn around and use on the back of the can, but some things I just find really difficult. Having used both hands, I tend to think I'll just use whichever one I prefer, but if I can't do that I'll just force myself to use the one I have to use. For example, I always put a mouse on the right hand side of a computer (or already find it there), but in one job the only workspace I had was with a wall to my right, so rather than struggle I just put the mouse on the left and swapped the buttons and after a day I didn't notice.

I think it's all about just getting on with it. I used to go to a left-handed friend's house who only had left-handed guitars and after a while I could do some basic strumming of chords on left-handed guitars. It just takes time and practice.

[JAMES L. HARRISON]

Actually what he said was that it has a processor with 1000 times the computation power of the Axon; NOT 1000 times faster [unless my memory has totally deserted me]. But IIRC he did post the results of extensive tests that he did with the Axon and the Triple Play and the latter was very noticeably faster on average. He's obviously an interested party but IMHO he's a straight shooter; I believe what he reports.

OTOH it's possible my memory has failed me and the tests were only between the Roland gear and the Fishman???

Regards,
James
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Will it be faster than Axon systems? Perhaps a little. After all, it's the same designer with newer technology.

There's nothing in the document that leads me to believe it'll be faster than Axon systems. That doesn't mean it won't be, there just isn't any information pointing to it doing anything differently.

Andres has already stated in the Yahoo MIDI Guitar mailing list that it contains a processor 1000 times faster than the Axon did. Presumably that'll have a positive effect on speed/accuracy.

[polaris20]

Actually what he said was that it has a processor with 1000 times the computation power of the Axon; NOT 1000 times faster [unless my memory has totally deserted me]. But IIRC he did post the results of extensive tests that he did with the Axon and the Triple Play and the latter was very noticeably faster on average. He's obviously an interested party but IMHO he's a straight shooter; I believe what he reports.

OTOH it's possible my memory has failed me and the tests were only between the Roland gear and the Fishman???

Regards,
James
.
.

Will it be faster than Axon systems? Perhaps a little. After all, it's the same designer with newer technology.

There's nothing in the document that leads me to believe it'll be faster than Axon systems. That doesn't mean it won't be, there just isn't any information pointing to it doing anything differently.

Andres has already stated in the Yahoo MIDI Guitar mailing list that it contains a processor 1000 times faster than the Axon did. Presumably that'll have a positive effect on speed/accuracy.

I don't have the email still, but I think you're right. I do know he was definitely comparing it to the Axon though. Andras seems to snub the Roland stuff (rightfully so, IMO).

[forbiddensilence]

is this what i want? very informative info about the item...

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/AXON-AX-100SB ... 4600696b58

[forbiddensilence]

My setup of a GK3 and a GI-20 works very well. The Fishman Triple Play will likely work even better, and it'll be cheaper. It'll work better because Axon was/is faster and more accurate than any Roland system, even the current GR-55, and this new Fishman system was designed by the designer of the Axon. While it's an unproven product, it's designer has a long reputation for this type of thing.[/quote]

ok im going to revise what i need this midi functionality for..

I want to play notes of the guitar...mono or chords...have sequencer record the data....THEN....i will assign a vst instrument. Surely this MUST work better than to play live vst instruments and record em. I don't care about hearing them as i play..i don't need em as i can hear them in my head. So is this a solution...will any device work fit for my purpose? or im i still missing the points and issues raised with guitar midi devices??
I could just use the stock midi sounds on computer??

I still can't believe some of the yourock demos i hear...sounds very capable in tapping mode. I can only come to the conclusion that some of you are on a different level of musicianship compared to me and very picky about certain things. Oh..i never said that 'level' was above me either.

I tried the GR 09 (someone lent me)...dumbass me didn't have a midi to usb or midi interface as i sold it with my yamaha QY 70 So i havent been able to try this thing with vst instruments..But i have tried the internal sounds...this was a 1st for me... I loved the piano and wind instruments. everything else sucks ass. The note response was great, i thought. sometimes it would miss a note...big deal.
I hear the people say 'tracking will be good using internal sounds' So if thats the case why can't i just use the internal sounds to record the midi data? who said i need to hear vsti.

So conclusion is the roland might just work..tracking is good with internal...but i have no midi interface to connect to computer...so i won't know how it handles external sounds till one comes from ebay...but like i mentioned...why do i need to trigger external sounds when the internal tracking is fine??? why cant i just use the internal midi to play and record....can someone pls explain what i dont understand?

Cheers!

[Uncle E]

But IIRC he did post the results of extensive tests that he did with the Axon and the Triple Play and the latter was very noticeably faster on average.

The video was enough for me. That's much better than anything I've gotten from Rolands or Axons. I'm getting a G2M for now and then immediately getting the Fishman when it comes out later this year.