MIDI guitar

[JohnH]

So I was trawling Instagram and came across these:

http://www.visionaryinstruments.com/...oller-guitars/

Suffice to say, I am OBSESSED, and want to build one immediately.

Does anyone have any thoughts on where to start? Are there MIDI kits for this purpose, or should I try to design/hack something?

I've done some googling and didn't come up with much except this:

https://www.musiciansfriend.com/acce...nth-driver-kit

I think I'm probably using the wrong search terms though...

[Simon Barden]

No MIDI kits for that. It's got a Graphtech Ghost MIDI bridge system in for a start. This https://graphtech.com/collections/gh...e-black-nickel . But the Graphtec system doesn't actually convert the guitar system to a MIDI one.

To put such a system together yourself so that it's got a USB MIDI output would cost a lot of money. You could hack a cheap MIDI controller such as this https://www.andertons.co.uk/keyboard...ini-controller for the sliders and buttons, but the Hex pickup signal to MID part is the expensive bit.

You are also tied to pretty much using a laptop/computer/tablet with that controller as there is no hardware MIDI output. Some keyboards will support a USB controller, but these tend to be expensive.

There are no details of the guitar/MIDI conversion system used and its latency (which is important).

The Fishman triple play connect system is probably the best/cheapest way to get a tablet to produce MIDI sounds from a guitar, but you are reliant on the tablet doing most of the work. https://www.thomann.de/gb/fishman_tr...cad207818d92ea

But the full system is wireless and more versatile. https://www.thomann.de/gb/fishman_triple_play.htm

I really don't know any more details about it, but the latency is supposed to be minimal.

Having loads of knobs and sliders on a guitar looks fun, but there is always the problem of playing and trying to use them at the same time. A selection of MIDI footpedals is a more workable way to play and modify sounds as you play. Unless you just use the guitar to trigger samples/phrases, leaving you free to alter the sounds, so you effectively become a DJ with a guitar-shaped FX controller.

[JohnH]

No MIDI kits for that. It's got a Graphtech Ghost MIDI bridge system in for a start. This https://graphtech.com/collections/gh...e-black-nickel . But the Graphtec system doesn't actually convert the guitar system to a MIDI one.

Yeah, fair enough. I thought it seemed like a long shot.

Having loads of knobs and sliders on a guitar looks fun, but there is always the problem of playing and trying to use them at the same time. A selection of MIDI footpedals is a more workable way to play and modify sounds as you play. Unless you just use the guitar to trigger samples/phrases, leaving you free to alter the sounds, so you effectively become a DJ with a guitar-shaped FX controller.

Ha ha ha, I am completely happy with the idea of a guitar shaped FX controller. My enthusiasm is definitely a case of function following form