Reaper and MIDI Guitar

[b2001]

I have started playing around with reatune and MIDI guitar in Reaper after watching Kenny’s videos. I like what it can do, but i have to be very deliverate and slow in playing as it does not track very well. This has been my previous experience with MIDI guitar, so I was not all that surprised. I will say though that I am getting good results that I like.

I have become aware of fisher triple play/triple play connect and midi guitar 2. I was already aware of these but watching videos recently was surprised how much better these track for chords and finger picking as well as leads.

How effective are these? How are these able to do better what others have not? I get it these videos are put together by very good players, but it seems very doable what they are playing. I get it that there will still be glitches, and I am good with editing.

I am interested in enhancing chord playing and finger picking; always looking for other types of effects. I already do a lot a MIDI stuff with keyboard controllers and have a collection of vstis, so real comfortable with that part of it.

Thoughts on triple play vs. midi guitar; or triple play wireless vs. triple play connect?

[Yorky]

Hi B2001,

Some thoughts having walked a similar path, sort of?

In past times I tried the midi guitar route [yup another guitar playing sucker...]. I weighed in with the Roland GR20 and a hex pick up on a Strat. I gigged for a while with this primarily for work in a covers band I played in. Some churchy organ patch was brill for a Coldplay number. The best patch by far was the breathy sax.

But, the old demon called latency was always around the corner plus some weird midi velocity gremlins that just would not lie down and be crushed.

Time moves on and nowadays I predominantly play acoustic with less need to fill in other parts. Recently though, I came across Midi Guitar 2 by Jam Origin. I was looking to play some bass parts and pulled some stuff together. Amazingly to me [at least] using MG2 with Ample Bass freebee and a bass amp sim, I found myself with a very playable bass using my acoustic guitar. Some latency but not enough to make it unworkable. Being honest though, I haven't gigged with it however, with some care I don't think it presents a problem and would be workable.

Slight side note, I build a breath controller for buttons compared to the commercial offerings and now I can CC11 all day long on SWAM Bass Clarinet [free!].

Long story now to make short - laying down a bunch of dollars on hardware may be the right choice for you however, consider the alternatives first perhaps? Today's processors and software are incredibly powerful including our beloved DAW host!

Just a 2p's worth.

Cheers and season's greetings.

[jkeller51]

To add another contender to the list: Check out the Jamstik Studio MIDI Guitar.

(Disclaimer: am an engineer involved in the project)

[b2001]

I appreciate the responses.

I ended up getting a triple play connect. Been playing with it for a couple of days. So far, I really like it. There is some latency; I assume I might can dial some of it out with some more effort on fine tuning the setup. It is certainly playable.

It isn’t perfect and there is garbage midi data generated; some of that might can resolve as I become better playing the guitar and learn to play to the connect’s strengths. It sounds great with synths. There is some effort involved with finding a preset that works; some are better than others. The amplesound guitar II lite sounds pretty good. Currently, I am editing out the garbage, mostly very short notes.

I have it mounted on a johnson strat knockoff. I have a pretty good collection of vstis to use for sounds. I plan on using it as a supplement to audio, guitars and bass; and other midi, keyboards (and I am a guitarist and a challenged keyboard pkayer)...