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Re: Alternative MIDI controllers
Yes you exactly right on this topic one of your more important points is
that you play the patches. I have found that rather then lacking
expressive capabilities that MIDI actually shows up your deficiencies if
you approach playing a MIDI enable instrument with an open mind you can
make it do what you want it to. Two deficiencies I noticed in my guitar
playing was a tendency to have a light glissando between playing
positions and a pronounced quavering vibrato when playing a piano patch
these tend to sound bad nothing to do but to stop doing this. MIDI
offers fascinating possibilities to your playing range.I think the
suggestion about triggering Sequencers is a great idea for a looper.
On Sat, 2003-02-15 at 07:28, Ian Popperwell wrote:
> Hi,
>
> I'm not a guitarist, but this post interested me because I do think a lot
> about
> what we expect of 'alternative MIDI controllers' and how we play them. I
>agree
> that the conversion needs to be fast, track/play well and be
> reliable/predictable.I play a MIDI wind controller and really came very
> quickly
> to consider it a entirely different instrument from my saxophone - an
> instrument (or I guess more accurately, part of an instrument together
>with
> the
> sound source) in its own right - its different from a guitar synth (I
>know)
> coz
> it is physically different from a sax (not a converter. Most of the
>sounds
> that
> I play with it, sound terrible if played like a saxophone - for me, its
>about
> 'playing the patches', developing new ways of playing as suggested by
>each
> different sound - herein lies the excitement and creativity for me. I
>think of
> a pianist, who might first try playing all their synth sounds like a
>piano -
> this is certainly what I did when I first got my wind synth (I did what I
> knew). I guess I'm questioning whether using all of our well-honed
>instrument
> techniques to 'play' the infinite palette of synth sounds through MIDI
> converters/controllers, will do justice to those sounds, or if its more
>that
> these sounds might require a new set of playing techniques. Whether
>guitar
> techniques work for the guitar but might not for an un-guitar-like
>patch? -
> this is certainly my experience and philosophy with my wind synth. It
>does
> mean
> that loops can become very stylistically varied and expressive, changing
> sounds
> with the associated playing techniques for them. What do others think?
>There
> must be a whole lot of experience of using
>guitar/wind/drum/violin/etc... to
> MIDI converters or purpose designed interfaces for non-keyboard access to
> synth
> sounds.
>
> Ian.
>
>
> At 21:48 14/02/03 , you wrote:
>
> >
> > I'm totally skeptical about all the midi pickups and midi conversion
> systems.
> > I wonder if there is anything out there with no
>tracking/latency/interface
> > problems at all? I mean I want to play a guitar synthesizer, which
>means it
> > really is a guitar, and it also really is a synth. I want to be able
>to use
> > all the methods of producing sound that I currently use with just my
>guitar
> > (bending, vibrato, tone control from the pick/fingers, legato, palm
>muting,
> > pick scrapes, muted strumming, harmonics, picking behind the nut,
>altered
> > tunings etc). I want every nuance of my playing to come through as much
> as it
> > would with a good overdrive pedal. As a lower priority, if it were
>possible
> > to also use digitally controlled analog design methods, and use things
>like
> > midi in/out, a sequencer, an arpeggiator, and split sound
>strings/fretboard
> > areas, that would be my other request. But, the fact is, I doubt all
>this is
> > possible in one unit. Maybe my b! es! t bet is to go for a GR-300, or
>build
> > my own, and use it with just looping, in lieu of a sequencer? I
>honestly
> > haven't done enough research to know.
>
>
>
>
>