Guitar driven synth plug in?

n-Track Studio Discussion Forum
2

This may be a really dumb question, but I’m an old guy slowly migrating to the digital age… I record on Ntrack using guitars routed through a Behringer mixer, and then to A/D conversion at the computer’s soundcard. What I’m looking for is a plug-in effects module that emulates 1970’s analog synth patches, but driven by the guitar signal (I don’t have a keyboard or midi capability). Does such a thing exist? It doesn’t have to be real-time - it could be a postprocessing operation. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

3

Hello, I was looking for something like this too! This looked interesting, but I never tried it myself. Didn’t look like it really had any presets that sounded like other instruments.

http://news.harmony-central.com/Newp/2004/Tripp-Lead.html

4

this is the closest i have found BUT have not tried it - could be worth a look -

http://www.topshareware.com/Audio-To-MIDI-VST-(PC)-download-41928.htm

Dr J

5

Quote (jm67 @ Mar. 19 2007,18:02)
This may be a really dumb question, but I’m an old guy slowly migrating to the digital age… I record on Ntrack using guitars routed through a Behringer mixer, and then to A/D conversion at the computer’s soundcard. What I’m looking for is a plug-in effects module that emulates 1970’s analog synth patches, but driven by the guitar signal (I don’t have a keyboard or midi capability). Does such a thing exist? It doesn’t have to be real-time - it could be a postprocessing operation. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

I’ve had a couple of Boss drum machines (DR-5 I think) that did guitar-to-midi conversion (badly). Once you have a midi stream you can send it (inside the DAW so you don’t need and midi hardware) to any of the myriad of VSTi obtainable for n-track that give you the sound you want.

Now I have a Roland GR-33 guitar synth. Much, much, much better.

Reaper (not that I should mention it here, so I won’t give you a direct link), has quite a good auto-tune style plugin that outputs midi from an analogue signal (eg guitar track). Route the midi to a VSTi and away you go. Many have had a lot of success doing so. I’ve not tried it.
6

Not a dumb question at all. In fact I’ve seen it asked and I have asked on other forums too. I have two wave to MIDI converter programs on my machine at home. Intelliscore and AmazingMidi. Neither work very well with guitar. I’ve been told when I asked this question on the KVR site, no matter what methods you use, the biggest problem is that the harmonics created by several different strings being played at the same time are not accurately interpreted by the conversion software. If you use only one or maybe two notes at the same time the conversion can be okay. I had to convert the wav to create the simple MIDI track then copied and pasted the notes an octave higher or lower on the piano roll to get what sounded like several notes together. Then cloned it, routed the clones to different vsti’s and so on and so forth. Now I have a MIDI keyboard so I don’t have to go through all that anymore (even though I can’t really play the keys). If you can, I would suggest you get you hands on a simple little MIDI capable keyboard. It will save you a lot of trouble and messing around.
Hope that helps…

cliff
:cool:

7

I’ve never had much success with audio to midi convertors with a guitar, even playing just single note runs.

Real midi guitars seem to be much better, but software convertors for an ordinary guitar? don’t expect too much.

So like cliff I now use a midi keyboard. It didn’t take long to learn how to play it. Sure, I only play with one hand (my guitar fretting hand) and I’ll never be good enough to play live, but for recording it works, (thank God for midi editing. :D)

8

Thanks for all the suggestions… sounds like a modest investment in a Midi-capable keyboard might be the simplest solution.

9

gizmo: I only play my kybrd with my strumming hand. maybe we could go on tour… :laugh:

jm…you can pick one up pretty cheap…just be sure it has MIDI outs. some don’t and sellers don’t always reveal (on e-bay anyway).

cliff
:cool:

10

Try these plugins (I have not tried yet), click on audio triggered synths at top of page.

http://www.frettedsynth.com/

I use an old GR-50 (midi interface with roland d-110 built in). The tracking is ok, but I still need to tweak stuff (remove double triggers, etc…)

I’m not a keyboard player, but I find it usually easier to just slow down the sequencer and just play the parts from the keyboard.

Best of luck.