*********************************** AM/FM *************************************       MIDI and the Guitarist      written by Kevan R.Craft (c) 1993 for AM/FM Amiga Musicians Frewware Magazine __ _______ / \_____/ \ _I_I_I__ / ) | \------------------------------( | | | The MIDI Guitar | |_ ______/----------------------------) | I I I \ / ) _ / ( / \ / \_/ \___________/ Obviously, you don't have to use MIDI to be a successful guitarist. But if you ignore the freedom that hi-tech can give you, then you're closing yourself off from what looks very much like the future of guitar playing. Use hi-tech to its full and you'll not only have access to a literally infinite choice of new noises, but you'll also have complete control over those, and your current sounds. There are two main ways in which MIDI gives guitarists power: through control over programmable effects and amplifiers, and via guitar synthesis. Guitar Synthesis A guitar synth translates the notes played on a guitar into information - nowadays, normally MIDI information - that can trigger the same notes on a synth, sampler, or even drum machine. Play an E chord on your guitar synth controller, and you will trigger the notes EBEG#BE on any MIDI expander into which you're connected. Most guitar synths allow you to play synth sounds simultaneously with the normal guitar sound. But this begs the question: what's the point of guitar synths? Why should you want a guitar to sound like a synthesizer? Or piano? To which I say, why not? Firstly, you can simply use the extra sounds to bolster your normal guitar sound. Obvious examples would be to add a fat analogue synth patch to bolster a lead riff, or a bright FM sound to add percussive attack to a rhythm patch. Secondly, you can use guitar playing techniques to play keyboard sounds, which is considerably easier than learning to play the piano or organ. Thirdly, a MIDI guitar gives the guitarist access to the delights of MIDI sequencing: with a MIDI pickup on your axe, you can program a sequencer direct from the guitar. You'll still need synth modules to play back the parts you've sequenced (the guitar that can be played via MIDI hasn't been invented yet), but when writing and arranging songs, you've got the chance to use all the cut- and-paste sequencer editing flexibility that's previously been the keyboardist/programmer's sole preserve. There are three kinds of guitar synth, and each has its own kind of particular complications. The most common type is typified by Roland's GR series, and Casios PG's which use an add-on hex pickup to analyse string vibrations and turns them into MIDI information. But because low notes vibrate more slowly than the higher notes, pitch/MIDI conversion takes longer (20 MS or more) at lower frequencies. A drastic solution to this is to restring with six strings of the same guage, but this makes the guitar into a MIDI controller, rather than a useable instrument. Its also possible to confuse the synth section with the guitar's complex overtones if fretting and picking isn't accurate. The big advantages to this method are price, and that you can add a MIDI pickup to any guitar (electric or steel-strung acoustic) without damaging it. Roland's new GR-1, raved about recently by Mike Edwards of Jesus Jones, is probably the top MIDI guitar unit at present. The second type of guitar synth has trigger switches in the neck under every fret - one for each string. Peavey's Midibase works this way. Its accurate, but complex, relatively expensive and requires a specially built instrument. The third guitar synth bouces sonar signals up and down the neck to track positiosn of your fingers (like Yamaha's G10) - again, fast but expensive). The MIDI data generated by your guitar can be used to trigger any synth or sampler. Roland's pitch/MIDI convertors already have a number of their own sounds onboard (Casio actually had a synth nodule built into their PG380 guitar), which suited to a guitar's fast attack. Other recommended gear includes Korg's Wavestation AD and the Roland D50, but with sensible programming, any synth should be useable. Amplifiers: while your guitar can still go through its normal amp and effects, synth sounds need better quality amplification with a wider frequency resonse to them justice. DI-ing synth sounds through a PA is the obvious option, but a keyboard amp (even stereo) will give more control, and better monitoring on stage. What's a guitar synth like to use? Well I have the Roland GR-50 and one of the biggest problems is in changing the way you think of the sounds being played, and adapting your technique to match. If you want your keyboard sounds to be authentic, don't use vibrato, for instance (ever tried bending the strings on a real piano?) While you can set the sensitivity of the guitar synth to discount notes below a certain srength, you will have to tidy up picking and fingering to prevent false notes. (Otherwise you'll have to undertake a lot of editing out of spurious data in you sequencer buffer!) But these questions of adaptation are relatively minor when you think of the advantages. How abot sampling your guitar's harmonics, then playing tunes with them? Or tuning the guitar synth up an octave to give a 12 string sound? Or sampling your own lead sound, then triggering it to play backwards so it fades in gradually - that way its only audible when you play long sustained notes. Obviously the more equipment the MIDI guitar can control, the more flexibility the user has. Although its a dreadful clich'e, the real limiting factor (apart from cost) is the players imagination. Effects and MIDI Guitar multi-effects ought to be the modern player's dream. If you think of the multi-fx patch or program a collection of individual effects each with its own controls, then every multi-fx patch or program is a snap shot of one particular combination of settings of those controls. Instant switching not only between clean and dirty sounds, but between any combination of effects, at the tap of a footswitch. Any guitar sound you want, immediately followed by another guitar sound. Patch changing was around before MIDI, but has grown with MIDI. Now you can switch between patches of simultaneously on as many MIDI-equipped effects as you care to rack up; MIDI will even swap amp setting for you if you're blessed with a MIDI-capable pre-amp like Marshall's JMP-1. Use this freedom properly, and you can make you guitar parts far more dynamic and exciting. Let's take a theoretical example. Patch 1 for the intro riff: full throttle lead sound with an octivider to beef up the bottom end; switch instantly to Patch 2, a shimmery chorused clean sound for the verse; Patch 3 might be a chunky rythm part for the bridge before returning to Patch 1 for the chorus. All at the tap of a foot. But there's more, much more. Let's go back to the principle of the multi-fx as a collection of separate effects pedals, each with its own knobs controlling the various parameters like echo time, chorus depth etc. Wouldn't it be great if you could get those knobs while you were playing? Haven't you ever thought how useful it would be if you could gradually increase the level of distortion while you were soloing? MIDI continous controllers give you access to those individual effect parameters while you're playing. Even more importantly, you can control up to eight at once. To use continuous controller options, you'll need a MIDI rocker pedal to conect into your multi-fx. This MIDI pedal works like a wah- wah, but it generates MIDI data, rather than audio signals. (Various companies build these, including Morely and ART.) Examples? If your multi-fx has programmable EQ, you might choose to boost a particular frequency to make sure you get feedback on a specific note. Or perhaps you want to link chorus depth, chorus speed, and delay repeat - increase them all at once, and a straight guitar sound will becaome increasingly wobbly and perculiar as the echo gets longer and the modulation gets more extreme. The number of parameters that are available for continous control varies between multi-fx units - but we're keen on ART's SGX series and Alesis' perennial Quadaverb GT. If you're working live with a sequencer, its not possible to program all your changes - patch and realtime - so the sequencer does all your foot-work for you. Beware though, having your guitar sound change automatically can be very unsettling at first. Sequencer control can work both ways. I've recently discovered that the Edge uses a MIDI footpedal to trigger U2's sequences on stage, changing between sections of the song at will, giving the band more room to improvise if they wish. Furthermore, if you're using a MIDI-equipped guitar, its perfectly possible to get your multi-fx to respond to the MIDI guitar data. Tie overdrive level to pitch, for example, and you can guarantee that your notes will be beefier and more distorted. Or make reverb velocity sensitive, so that loud notes are dry and quiet parts are splashy. Obviously, you only have to work at programming these special effects. But think hard, and you'll have access to a range of sounds that virtually no-one else has ever used. Players like Vernon Reid (Living Colour) and Robin Guthrie (Cocteau Twins) are beginning to exploit real-time MIDI control, but its an art that's definately still in its infancy. For recordiings featuring Guitar synthersizers look out for:- 'Blue Lotus' by Jay Stapely (WEA Germany) which features extensive use of Roland's guitar synths. 'Disciplin' by King Crimson (EG Records) featuring Robert Fripp & Adrian Belew using Roland GR-500 synths. 'Beat' by King Crimson (EG Records) featuring Robert Fripp & Adrian Belew using Roland GR-500 guitar synths. 'Three of a Perfect Pair' by King Crimson (EG Records) featuring Robert Fripp & Adrian Belew using Roland Gr-500 guitar synths. 'I Advanced Masked' by Andy Summers & Robert Frip (EG Records) featuring Andy Summers and Robert Fripp using the Roland GR-500 guitar synths. 'Bewitched' by Andy Summers & Robert Frip (A&M Records) featuring Andy Summers and Robert Fripp using the Roland GR-500 guitsr synth. 'Gone to Earth' by David Sylvian (Virgin Records) Featuring Robert Fripp using the Roland GR-500 guitar synth. 'Robert Frip and the League of Craft Guitarists' (1986 ) Features the Roland GR500 guitar synth. 'Sunwind' by Sunwind (?) Featuring Mark Wood using the Roland GR-707 guitar synth. 'Scenario' by Al Di Meola (?) featuring Al Di Meola using the Synclavier synth guitar. 'Mahavishnu' by The Mahavishnu Orchestra (?) featuring John McLaughlin using the Syncalvier guitar synth. 'First Circle' by Pat Metheny Group (ECM Records) Featuring Pat Metheny using the Synclavier guitar synth. 'Still Life Taking' by Pat Metheny Group (Geffin Records) Featuring Pat Metheny using the Synclavier guitar synth. 'Letter from Home' by Pat Metheny Group (Geffin Records) Featuring Pat Metheny using the Synclavier guitar synth. 'Secrets' by Alan Holdsworth (1989) Featuring Alan Holdsworth using the Synth Axe. Kevan R.Craft 12 Mount Road Halton Runcorn Cheshire. WA7 2BH. England. U.K. Tel: +44 0928 563762 *********************************** AM/FM *************************************