The Yamaha EZ-EG Guitar Midi Controller Thread

[Markleford]

Yeah, I tested it directly into a Roland D-110 and a Yamaha FB-01.......same problem. It does'nt seem to be occurring with the built in sounds tho.....but I have'nt used those much.

Ugh. Last thing to try is a different MIDI cable: maybe it's got a funky short?

Otherwise, either the EZ's MIDI jack is loose or the processor is fried. Either way, that's definitely call for return!

- m

[CapnLockheed]

Definetly not the cable or EZ midi jack.....those
were the first things I checked(I wents to DeVry!).
I'm 99.9% sure the processor is f*cked. It's a dissapointing inconvenience but I'm still a believer.
Hopefully I'll have better luck with the replacement.

Cheers......CL

[oneworld]

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I have a genieune problem, being a midi guitar exponent, i finally found this Yamaha EZ EG , ( marketed as a learners Guitar, but has excellent midi out put...) transalating your playing style in midi, with out any hassels, the problem, it delivers one midi signal per string, that is 6 midi channels...) is there some hard ware , or soft ware that would merge all this midi outs in to one midi , like a regular midi controller???? in to cubase...
would really appreciate any advice.
S. Crasto

For those of you interested in pursuing alternate midi controllers...

Last year Yamaha released their "EZ" series of "learning guitars" -- guitar shaped devices with a fretboard full of backlit keys (to aid in learning chords) instead of strings. While these are marketed as learning guitars, their midi controller capabilies have been generally overlooked (even by Yamaha's own marketing dept). To the best of my ability, I will try to clear that up here.

First off, the good news. This thing sends out a reliable and relatively expressive stream of midi data! Your host sequencer will recieve exactly what you played, with accurate velocity, no extraneous pitch-bends and no tracking delay. Hallelujah!

There are 72 very light action "keys", laid out in a fretboard pattern (12 frets x 6 rows). They depress very easily and light when pressed (handy for cleaning up your playing technique). All keys send midi note-ons ( 28-88 ) and are triggered by both fretting the notes and strumming the triggers (a set of bars on the body, laid out in six-string pattern).

Hidden gem #1: fretting notes (no strum) sends out a very low velocity (vel=14) note-on. This sounds remarkably realistic using the onboard guitar patches, but is worth far more when used with synths or VSTi's. By varying your synths' velocity sensitivity you can add some expressive elements to your performances. Best of all, by lowering or eliminating velocity sensitivity you can play synths simply by fretting notes (no strum necessary). This greatly reduces stray notes, and is a feature found on Starr Labs midi controllers.

Because of this feature, hammer-ons and pull-offs are quite realistic, an elusive characteristic in guitar-midi controllers. The only problem is that you can't pull-off to an open string, it simply results in a note off.

Hidden Gem #2: The triggers work incerdibly well. They respond accurately to velocity (roughly 15-128) and somehow sustain nearly indefinitely. Best of all, you can mute strings just like a real guitar. You can even mute individual stings (you will get a staccato burst of notes, just like a guitar) or let them howl. Then when you touch the trigger with your hand, the sustain stops. Remarkable.

Downsides? The pull-off issue mentioned above and the fact that the tremelo (pitch bend) bar seems locked at +/- 200 cents. But these are very minor gripes considering that I now have something that many midi guitarist have longed for for years -- a reliable stream of midi data with no tracking delay and no extraneous pitchbend data. While it is still no Ztar, for $299 (or $199 without the tremelo), I am happy.

You can find out more about the EZ-EGhere. (http://www.yamaha.com/yamahavgn/CDA/ContentDetail/ModelSeriesDetail/0,6373,CNTID%253D21546%2526CTID%253D500946,00.html)

[AndrewSimon]

Hey Marc and Markleford

Since I got the EZ-AG videos on my website I get a lot of requests for technical info and questions about your softwares.
I would like to know if it's OK to put your applications on my site for people to download.
If so please let me know the exact credit wording/or link to your site I should use.

Thanks

AndrewSimon

[Max el Belga]

Going to get me also one. Better late than never... .. .

[Max el Belga]

Got my EZ-AG yesterday. Nearly played all night ! Surprisingly easy to play. Yes you can move the neck at the top, but Gibson´s SG didn´t loose it´s popularity for that either. I guess now the real work starts, reading all these 26 pages, and blablabla... .. . But I´m happy, tx to all of you for another great tip. By the way, I hope Yamaha appreciates what you have done for it´s sales, and giving them some great ideas. I wonder how many of us have bought this thrilling toy until now. Tx to Marc and Markleford for there software and f**king up my next days, chewing and struggling with there program; but I know it will make me better. Cheers... .. .

[bobby yarrow]

Having trouble getting either Marc or Markleford's software to work, probably because I'm an idiot.

Markleford's worked fine, but I couldn't figure out any way to change from the default setting, the keyboard setting. I really did try! I'm sure it's obvious, but darn if I could figure it out.

With Marc's, I got 'script error' messages from windows every time I launched the software or made any changes.

I'm using XP, with the Maple virtual midi cable. Any help would sure be appreciated. Thanks.

[Markleford]

Markleford's worked fine, but I couldn't figure out any way to change from the default setting, the keyboard setting. I really did try! I'm sure it's obvious, but darn if I could figure it out.

Press "Sound Select" and then the "Value +/-" keys to select the mode.

With Marc's, I got 'script error' messages from windows every time I launched the software or made any changes.

I also get an error when attempting to run Marc's version: we've never figured out what causes it!

- m

[bobby yarrow]

I really must be stupid. I don't see anything marked 'sound select.'

I put a screenshot up online, here: http://www.theyarrows.com/screenshot.bmp

(with your handsome website in the background, of course . . .)

Is that what I'm meant to be seeing? Thanks.

[Edit: I noticed that I didn't connect any midi i/o before taking the screenshot. Looks exactly the same when I do, except the ins and outs show up.]

[bobby yarrow]

Oh man. You mean on the EZ-AG, right?

Jeez I'm stupid. Let me go check.

[Markleford]

Oh man. You mean on the EZ-AG, right?

Right. I'd also considered putting setting select buttons on the interface, but it's been so long since I've messed with my EZ! Tenor sax is taking up most of my time for the past 2 weeks...

- m

[bobby yarrow]

Oh my my. As penance for my stupidity, I'll leave my posts up.

Thanks for a brilliant piece of softwaare. Works like a charm -- in 2 seconds, I can tell that, for the first time ever, I can get a decent piano chord from a midi guitar. I'm in your debt.

[Markleford]

Thanks for a brilliant piece of softwaare. Works like a charm -- in 2 seconds, I can tell that, for the first time ever, I can get a decent piano chord from a midi guitar. I'm in your debt.

Good to hear!

I'll get back to developing for it soon: I have a film score to wrap up this week, which should give me a little more time for an update.

- m

[Max el Belga]

Mbncp (Marc), did you check out, when you opened your EZ-AG, if there was a connection on the printboard for pitch-bend (as on the EZ-EG) ?

[bobby yarrow]

Markleford, your thing is amazingly good. Having had an evening to really check it out, I'm really awful pleased. I loved my ez-ag before, and this is another level. I've had roland pitch-to-midi based systems, and this silly yammy thing with your software is just head-and-shoulders over what they're capable of. Thanks.