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Re: OT: MIDI guitar (a looping source!)



Hi all.

In a message dated 2/13/03 5:03:52 PM, sine@zerocrossing.net writes:

>They're really not as expressive as a guitar.

I agree to some extent. I've been playing Roland guitar synths for 
years and at best they can sound *like* other instruments tonal 
textures (in a pinch) but seem to inhibit the ability to play those 
instruments with the same *feel* as the originals for the most 
part.

That is not to say that I don't find them useful. I do. I've kept at it. 
And while I'm no Glen Gould on a MIDI guitar piano patch (or Wynton 
Marsallis on a trumpet patch) I've gotten better. Most of what I 
use it for is to *ghost* certain sounds behind whatever guitar 
sound I'm doing anyway. I hardly ever use the synth sound *solo*
by itself.

Trying to play another instruments sounds through the interface
of a guitar is somewhat frustrating. Trying to get the same sort
of *expressive* control as the original instrument is so daunting
a task that one might reconsider going ahead and learning the
original sometimes.

But, there are rewards enough along the way. I still happen to 
think that MIDI guitars have their place. I've been struggling
with mine for years (an older model GR-1) and feel I've finally
gotten a few things under control at last. 

Looping with one adds to the variety one can achieve. One can
actually make a rudimentary percussion loop, do chordal work 
with non-guitar voices and solo with guitar on top with fairly
satisfactory results. One can also scramble the above paradigm,
turn it inside out and upside down for other creative horizons.

I find it kind of nice to have a whole bunch of sounds under my 
fingertips. And, the difficulty I've had trying to duplicate those 
other instruments has given me a greater appreciation for
the folks who are really good at them. Given a choice I'd much
rather play with someone who is good on the *real* instrument
(no matter what it is) than "make do"  with my own silly, ersatz
approximations.

Best,

tEd ® kiLLiAn

ArsOcarina@aol.com
http://www.mp3s.com/tedkillian
http://www.pfmentum.com/flux.html
http://www.mp3.com/Ophelia_Pancake