The Yamaha EZ-EG Guitar Midi Controller Thread

[braj]

It sure would be nice to get these scripts (I guess their equivalent) running internally inside the EZ guitars. I guess Yamaha would need to do that though.

Next EZ version will come with explorer included and you will be able to load your scripts either with a Compact Flash card, a usb key, or a wireless device which will be also used for midi playback (great for big jams on the net). The batteries will be automatically charged using solar cells (on the fret board) and strumming energy.

Not to mention you can play Doom 3 in between sets.

[mbncp]

My ultimate goal would be to mount the "strummer" hardware onto my Ztar miniZ. I'm not wanting to use a keyboard

What kind of data sends the miniZ ?
Do you get some message (CC, SYSEX, ) each time you press a fret button, or only note on/off events ?

The hard part would be to do the mounting, as you still need some hardware from the ez, I didn't open mine so it's hard to say.

[braj]

Those miniZ's look cumbersome. You have a photo of someone actually playing one?

[Shane Sanders]

Those miniZ's look cumbersome. You have a photo of someone actually playing one?

They are actually very comfortable. Uses a normal guitar strap. When you sit, it falls comfortably in the same area as a classical guitar would if you use proper classical posture for it.


Here's an old video of me slopping around on it

http://www.shanesanders.com/2003/ztarvideos/

[Shane Sanders]

And if a guitar-like controller isn't appealing, we can always tell our friends we are playing with our poles

http://www.themusicpole.com/

[braj]

And if a guitar-like controller isn't appealing, we can always tell our friends we are playing with our poles

http://www.themusicpole.com/

Hey, that's pretty nifty looking! I wonder how well it works. It might be a cool rhythm instrument. Looks like a didge sort of. Of course, you'd have to include Billy Squire's "Stroke Me" in your sets.

[Shane Sanders]

I finally tracked this thing down. It's called a "digitar"

[antimaterie]

I added a "Continuous Mode" that tracks the most recently plucked note per string (and marks them on the GUI in bright yellow!).

Have fun!

Sorry, man, was away from my pc for some days occasionally. Just found the time to try the "continous chord stlye" this evening ... and i´m in fact having fun ... that´s exactly what i was hoping for ... ... thanks so much!!!

@ Shane Sanders:
I thought about getting that digitar myself, but as far as i understood it, it only allows to break up a chord played on the piano keyboard, mostly like an arp. I think you just can´t play solo-stlyle with it. (At least i understood it like that.) And then it´s not for me.

[Shane Sanders]

@Marc
Got it working how I wanted using your script. Now I'm able to fingerpick and fingerpick only. Nice. Thanks. What would I need to do to be able to do hammer-ons but only if a lower note is fretted on the same string as the hammer-on?

@Markleford
Got it going in your script, too. Thanks!

I was able to solder a wire to a thick wire coil spring that I have and then tape the wire along the length of the mute bar. This allowed me to then tape (using electrical tape) the 1.2 inch high coil just about dead center on the, uh, pick guard (we must mock the EZ-AG pick guard, yes?) This allows for you to mute with your pinky without having to move at all from your right-hand playing position. I'm going to invent a more elegant solution, but this actually doesn't look terrible because the coil looks cool. I'd post pictures of it if I could find my proprietary serial cable for my camera (!!!).

[Shane Sanders]

It occured to me as I was waiting for the soldering iron to warm up that the EZ-AG could probably be gutted to a large degree and replaced with a PDA of some sort. In this way, we could take complete control of the OS for unlimited power. Yes?

[AndrewSimon]

@Marc
Got it working how I wanted using your script. Now I'm able to fingerpick and fingerpick only. Nice. Thanks.

Yeah! Shane has seen the light.

What would I need to do to be able to do hammer-ons but only if a lower note is fretted on the same string as the hammer-on?

This is not implemented yet as far as I know.
I am not sure this is possible.

Calling on Marc

You could do probably something like "same as last note velo -5" for hammer-ons and actually by changing the "velo -5" to "velo -10" control the "decay" as well but the system couldn't possibly distinguish between a hammers-on or if you just positioning your finger for the next note to be fretted.
When you push a key it's always velocity of 16 no matter how hard you hit it.

Shane
Does this work right with the ztar?
If so this would be one important difference that sets the "toy" appart from the "instrument".

[braj]

It occured to me as I was waiting for the soldering iron to warm up that the EZ-AG could probably be gutted to a large degree and replaced with a PDA of some sort. In this way, we could take complete control of the OS for unlimited power. Yes?

I've got an old Handspring Visor laying around

[braj]

I can get Markleford's app to work but not mbncp's. It seems I am setting up the same ports, but nothing happens. Is there a step by step guide to yours, mbncp?

So far so good anyway, but I do realize now just how sloppy I really play. I'm getting the best results either by using just the fretboard but no strings (and no velocity ) or triggered by the strings (but no hammers/pulls )

Any configuration advice would be appreciated. I'd ideally like to have it act like a normal guitar, without much audio when fretting notes and chords but allowing open strings, hammers and pulls.

[braj]

OK, relaunching my DAW for some reason fixed it, and I'm getting generally good results with mbncp's app. Having a wonderful evening! Thanks guys!

[kara]

Looks like a great instrument. A shame it is so expensive

Rony

Those miniZ's look cumbersome. You have a photo of someone actually playing one?

They are actually very comfortable. Uses a normal guitar strap. When you sit, it falls comfortably in the same area as a classical guitar would if you use proper classical posture for it.


Here's an old video of me slopping around on it

http://www.shanesanders.com/2003/ztarvideos/