Anyone Tried Those Brian Moore USB Guitars?

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Jeff Dunne

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Title says it all basically... I'm looking for something to write midi tracks with for softsynths, in guitar form.

I was considering using my old keyboard, but I can't get into the feel of a digital keyboard, so I was thinking about getting a semi-weighted one for more of a piano style feel (I took piano as a kid for a bit, nothing else feels right besides weighted keys). Given how much they cost, though, and the fact that I can't sight read or write scores or play keyboard at all, the USB guitar seems perfect for me. I know exactly where on the guitar things I hear in my head are, but not on a keyboard or what notes they are, etc.

I tried one of the Midi guitars into a little Roland converter and then into an iMac with Garageband synths at a guitar shop in NYC this April, and despite the latency (which I'll attribute to the low end Mac and the Roland interface), it was perfect for what I'd be doing, but I like the simplicity of a USB cable.

Anyone tried them? Mincer, perhaps?
 
Re: Anyone Tried Those Brian Moore USB Guitars?

well, no, but...
the USB is only audio...no midi. They are supposedly coming out with a true USB/Midi interface built into the guitar, but if you want to get midi to your computer right now, the best way is with a synth ready guitar (it has to have a 13 pin roland output) going to a Roland GI-20 converter box. This box is USB'd to the computer. Problem with a converter you may have tried, is that there are many parameters within a converter to set up for your playing style. If it is not set up for you (you set up every string separately), it mistracks and doesn't work *at all*. I have an older GI-10, and it tracks very very well. It is all in the setup.
 
Re: Anyone Tried Those Brian Moore USB Guitars?

i've done it similar to the way mincer describes, except sending midi note events from the brian moore guitar's gk (13 pin) output to the GR33, then midi note events out the gr33 into a computer with a midi/game port into the sequencer/notation software ... i always had to do a little 'clean up' of the mistracked notes after the fact, but it isnt a problem because i didnt need 'real time' accuracy

good luck
t4d
 
Re: Anyone Tried Those Brian Moore USB Guitars?

Aw gaysauce! I thought it was straight to midi. Any clue on when that's going to come out?

Damn... that means I'd have to get a more expensive guitar than I figured in, with the GI-20 on top of that. Not looking so good, anymore :(.
 
Re: Anyone Tried Those Brian Moore USB Guitars?

what about that roland thingie?

GK something or other.

i have no idea about the price though
 
Re: Anyone Tried Those Brian Moore USB Guitars?

they said later this year for the USB>midi thing..January NAMM? I don't think the USB is worth it (a $200 upgrade on non-USB models) right now.
Even when the USB/MIDI guitar comes out, it will need some fancy well-written software to set tracking levels, etc...and it won't be much use triggering synths live unless you use a laptop...I know of no synth that uses a USB in to get info from a controller.
 
Re: Anyone Tried Those Brian Moore USB Guitars?

Using a guitar to trigger softsynths is basically what I want to do - looks like the Midi pickup/Roland GI-20 is about the only way to go, and that's out of my price range, for sure.


I'm kind of surprised nobody has made a box that you could plug a guitar into via 1/4", and would convert that into midi notes. Wouldn't it work off the basic circuitry a tuner works off?

I'll wait and see if that USB>Midi thing works out, that would definitely be exactly what I want, and it would be awesome in a live setting, I think. Just lug in a guitar, laptop, small interface and DI box, and you're set! Hell, stick the laptop in sliding rack shelf, the interface and DI on bottom, and you've got a synth rig in a guitar case and 2 space rack.
 
Re: Anyone Tried Those Brian Moore USB Guitars?

Jeff Dunne said:
I'm kind of surprised nobody has made a box that you could plug a guitar into via 1/4", and would convert that into midi notes. Wouldn't it work off the basic circuitry a tuner works off?
Click to expand...

Well this is possible monophically, but what about chords? Tuners freak out when you play a chord, and a midi synth would be triggering some unintended info if you played a chord, which is why you need 6 separate signals. These can use 1 midi channel (this is what i do..1 midi channel, 6 different signals).

Also, for that small live rig, you still need some way to control the whole thing- so you'd have to buy a midi pedal too.
 
Re: Anyone Tried Those Brian Moore USB Guitars?

Ah yes, true.

It seems like the best route for me might be a Roland GK-3 pickup and a GI-10, as it's half the price of the GI-20. Is there a huge difference between the two? I just need the lowest latency possible, essentially.
 
Re: Anyone Tried Those Brian Moore USB Guitars?

Yeah, some Godin, a few Ibanez, and a Fender I know do, as well as the Brian Moore stuff, but that's a whole seperate guitar ontop of the GI-10/20 interface, and I hate 6 strings.
 
Re: Anyone Tried Those Brian Moore USB Guitars?

If your going to go the 13 pin route. I highly recommend Godin. They work extremely well for synth stuff.
 
Re: Anyone Tried Those Brian Moore USB Guitars?

Jeff Dunne said:
Yeah, some Godin, a few Ibanez, and a Fender I know do, as well as the Brian Moore stuff, but that's a whole seperate guitar ontop of the GI-10/20 interface, and I hate 6 strings.
Click to expand...

You say you hate 6 strings, but I haven't seen any 7 string Brian Moore guitars. Do they make any?
 
Re: Anyone Tried Those Brian Moore USB Guitars?

yeah they do, but there isnt any 7 string midi interfaces yet. when any famous 7 string player starts requesting a 7 string 'septatonic' pickup, then you might see Roland change, but current 7 stringers arent generally aren't the midi guitar type. also, with 6 sting midi, i can transpose notes on the fly a lot lower than even a bass guitar can play. you certainly could put a 6 string GK-2a pickup on a 7 string guitar, and not worry about triggering the 7th string...it won't track well anyway because the cycle is so large, it would have a lot of latency anyway.
 
Re: Anyone Tried Those Brian Moore USB Guitars?

yeah, the Casios were 5 pin midi capable, but the tracking isnt as good as modern systems. Also, a company called MidiAxe made 5 pin systems for Brian Moore and Parker about 5 years ago, but their software was buggy, and they went out of business.
 
Re: Anyone Tried Those Brian Moore USB Guitars?

Yes! I tried one at the LI Guitar Show back in May. And it was great. The guy demoing it showed us all the different things it could sound like, and switched it continuously while I was playing it. Had the sound of a choir, an organ, a piano, a saxophone, and a guitar. Plus a lot more.
 
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