Looking for an audio to MIDI interface...

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OccinticLady
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Looking for an audio to MIDI interface...

Post by OccinticLady »

Hi all,
In an ever expanding bubble of creativity :wink: , I'd lik to hook up a guitar to the MIDI input.
I was thinking along the lines of a pitch/frequency to MIDI real-time converter (electronic circuitry, I assume)...
Anyone that has some idea on how to tackle that?
I have soldered a bit in my younger days, so I know the hot end by now :wink:
Love
Melissa
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Re: Looking for an audio to MIDI interface...

Post by tavasti »

Here is solution for that need: https://www.fishman.com/tripleplay/

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Re: Looking for an audio to MIDI interface...

Post by OccinticLady »

tavasti wrote: Thu May 12, 2022 5:15 pm Here is solution for that need: https://www.fishman.com/tripleplay/
Thanks :D
Though somewhat steep, it might be the thing I need :)
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Re: Looking for an audio to MIDI interface...

Post by KatS »

I have the Tripleplay Connect, which is the cheaper, non-wireless USB version. It worked... mostly, more or less.

As many people warn, your playing needs to be very clean in order for the converter to work, so that may take some adjustment. It does work as a straight guitar-to-MIDI controller, but you can only get pitch-bending if you put their dinky little app in the path. Of course, that's available for "both" platforms, which means either using Wine or running it in its own VM. I don't recall it co-operating with Wine, but things may have changed since then.

If you're anywhere near Madrid, you'd be welcome to mine; I got frustrated enough to remove it from my guitar. Too slow in response, too glitchy, and the lack of MPE was ultimately a dealbreaker.

I did find it usefully educational, at least: it really brought home that MIDI is a keyboard-oriented protocol. It assumes you always want to start exactly on a given note, and then maybe move the pitch around afterward. I play fretless bass and slide guitar, so in hindsight this relationship was doomed from the start.

I almost forgot about the Sonuus G2M: https://www.sonuus.com/products_g2m.html - monophonic, but affordable. I was never entirely convinced, but I'd be very happy to hear that I misjudged them.

So I'm still quietly aspiring to a Converter E1 from SonicSmith (https://sonicsmith.com/). That does audio-to-CV conversion, for controlling modular(-type) synths, and has a MIDI-conversion counterpart. That setup is a little more expensive than even the wireless Triple Play, though, for just single-note conversion. On the other hand, all the evidence suggests that its tracking is excellent.
You can always get 6 Converter E1s, a Roland GK-3 split pickup and a breakout panel for full guitar control, but you'd have to be a lot more serious about it than I, for that kind of investment.

Then there's the all-Roland option: the GK-3 pickup, plus a GR-55 (reasonably-priced but older) or the Boss SY-1000 (shiny and new, and expensive). I looked at those while shopping around, but they were clearly designed to be proprietary Roland synths first and foremost, with MIDI-out tacked on afterwards. This was more of a premium than I was willing to pay for the guitar-to-MIDI conversion. Accounts varied as to how usable the SY-1000's MPE capabilities are, so it'd be worth checking on the current state of things before committing, if that kind of expressiveness is important to you.

Lastly, the VGuitar Forums would be worth perusing: https://www.vguitarforums.com/smf/index.php - not Linux-oriented, obviously, but certainly informative about the gear. Just watch the datestamps on the posts, because I did run across mention of some really exciting-looking developments... from 15 years ago, involving long-discontinued products.

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Re: Looking for an audio to MIDI interface...

Post by tavasti »

KatS wrote: Tue Dec 12, 2023 4:29 pm

I have the Tripleplay Connect, which is the cheaper, non-wireless USB version. It worked... mostly, more or less.

As many people warn, your playing needs to be very clean in order for the converter to work, so that may take some adjustment. It does work as a straight guitar-to-MIDI controller, but you can only get pitch-bending if you put their dinky little app in the path. Of course, that's available for "both" platforms, which means either using Wine or running it in its own VM. I don't recall it co-operating with Wine, but things may have changed since then.

Most likely any guitar2midi needs super clean playing, and in most cases they aren't suitable for live playing. Recording midi and then cleaning up afterwards most likely works much better.

KatS wrote: Tue Dec 12, 2023 4:29 pm

Then there's the all-Roland option: the GK-3 pickup, plus a GR-55 (reasonably-priced but older) or the Boss SY-1000 (shiny and new, and expensive). I looked at those while shopping around, but they were clearly designed to be proprietary Roland synths first and foremost, with MIDI-out tacked on afterwards. This was more of a premium than I was willing to pay for the guitar-to-MIDI conversion. Accounts varied as to how usable the SY-1000's MPE capabilities are, so it'd be worth checking on the current state of things before committing, if that kind of expressiveness is important to you.

I had GK-3 + GR-33. It worked, but with my less-than-perfect playing, sometimes got short high transients. Essentially this meaned that needed to have it play some slow attack pads and stuff like that. And even with those, sometimes wrong notes sometimes audible. Here example what it coud do https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fjxy_NKsHec (few short audible artifacts, for example in 0:45)

But roland is overblown solution for recording midi and editing it. Tripleplay does not need so much floor as GR33 needed :-) And sure one point for me selling it was, I am not so good guitarist, makes much more sense to make my midi with keyboard + mouse :-)

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Re: Looking for an audio to MIDI interface...

Post by khz »

. . . FZ - Does humor belongs in Music?
. . GNU/LINUX@AUDIO ~ /Wiki $ Howto.Info && GNU/Linux Debian installing >> Linux Audio Workstation LAW
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Re: Looking for an audio to MIDI interface...

Post by Babarosa »

@OccinticLady

I don't know your exact needs but (as so often) Reaper can be your friend:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G8D2jEhbN7Y

https://wiki.cockos.com/wiki/index.php/ ... io_to_midi

Debian 12 - MOTU M4, ESI Maya22 USB - Rosegarden, Reaper

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Re: Looking for an audio to MIDI interface...

Post by GMaq »

Is this still a thing? It used to work with Wine...:

https://www.jamorigin.com/

*I have not tested it for a few years, it's demo used to work with WineASIO

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Re: Looking for an audio to MIDI interface...

Post by glowrak guy »

Sonuus-Firebird.mp3
(239.59 KiB) Downloaded 51 times

I have a Sonuus G2M, audio2midi convertor, as in the video link below, and made the above clip on my practice beater guitar,
using the now free Tone2 Firebird synth in linux Reaper.

https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail ... -converter

Some considerations,

Try a 3 string, 3 different gauges setup, strings on every other tuner, largest gauge on the smallest string, smallest gauge on the largest string,
middle gauge on the middle string...this should minimize ghost notes from less-than-clean note striking, and evening out the string sizes
should aid in general tracking. You could do separate setups for the low all-wound strings, and the higher all steel unwound strings as desired.

Accurate tuning is important, and the G2M has a light that helps dial in tuning.

The synth or other sound source will have a lot to do with tracking, and the types of sounds and envelope will be important.
The type I used is pretty forgiving. Pickup height, and striking the right string at the pickup may be important,
prefer experts opinions as you find them! Velocity curves may be important.
You might find a used GM2 cheap, from someone who never put much effort into seeing what was possible.
I think 1/8th notes on sounds with suitable envelopes is about the best that can be expected.
Hope this helps.

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